El Capitan free climb; baby heron rescue; pricey prisons
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Odd and interesting news from around the West.
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Billionaire investor Warren Buffett is auctioning off a private lunch in the hopes of raising millions of dollars more for a charity helping the homeless in San Francisco.
The CEO of Berkshire Hathaway has raised nearly $24 million for the Glide Foundation over the past 17 years. Last year's winner paid $3,456,789, which tied the record set in 2012.
This year's eBay auction starts Sunday at 7:30 p.m. PDT and runs through Friday. The largest bids typically come near the end.
Buffett became involved with the Glide Foundation after his first wife, Susie, began volunteering at the charity. She died in 2004, but the connection between Buffett and the group has endured.
Donors fork out big money thanks to Buffett's successful investing record and his decision to give the bulk of his fortune to charity.
The winner can invite up to seven friends to join the lunch at Smith & Wollensky steakhouse in New York City.
- By OLGA R. RODRIGUEZ Associated Press
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SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Alex Honnold had dreamed about climbing the mighty El Capitan in Yosemite National Park without any safety gear for eight years. But every time he looked up the massive granite wall, he found it too daunting.
That was the case until this weekend, however, when the elite rock climber reached the summit in about four hours using only his hands and feet. The 31-year-old on Saturday became the first to climb the 3,000-foot granite wall alone without a safety harness or ropes to catch him if he fell.
"I was pretty much elated," Honnold said of reaching the top in a telephone interview Sunday with The Associated Press. "I was probably the happiest I've ever been. It's something that I thought about for so long and dreamed about and worked so hard for. I mean, it's pretty satisfying."
Honnold, who lives in Las Vegas, began preparing for his historic climb two years ago. He scaled the route countless times, rehearsing it while cliimbing with protective gear and memorizing each hole he had to grab and the way he had to position his body until he felt comfortable enough to attempt the "free solo" climb.
The most difficult part of the route is about 2,300 feet off the ground, where there are very small holds where only a thumb can fit.
But even more challenging was overcoming the mental hurdle, he said.
"Each year I would show up and it would seem just much too daunting," said Honnold, who has been climbing for 20 years. "To walk up to the base of the climb without rope and hardness, it just feels a little outrageous. Getting over that side of it, was the hardest part."
Observers said his climb has pushed the limits in a sport that requires a high level of athleticism, risk-taking and mental focus.
"This has never been done before ... and it's hard to imagine anybody ever coming close to what he's done," said Daniel Duane, author of "El Capitan: Historic Feats and Radical Routes."
"He is totally alone at the top of his game," he added.
Honnold grew up in the suburbs of Sacramento where he began practicing indoor rock climbing at age 11. He dropped out of the University of California Berkeley to conquer Yosemite and other major summits around the world.
Honnold was among several elite rock climbers whose endorsements were dropped by energy food company Clif Bar in 2014 following the release of a documentary about climbers who were risking their lives by forgoing safety gear.
Honnold, who spoke calmly as he recounted his achievement, brushed off criticism by those who say he's being reckless by not wearing protective gear.
"I could see how for a non-climber it might seem completely insane. But I've devoted 20 years to climbing and probably six or seven to this particular project so, it's not like I'm just some crazy kid who in the spur of the moment decided to do this crazy thing. It took years of effort," he said.
The climb up 3,000-foot (914-meter) El Capitan used to take days to complete with the aid of ropes, safety gear and a partner. In the past few decades, speed climbers working in tandem and using ropes have set records in reaching the top of the steep cliff.
In January 2015, Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson became the first to "free climb" the Dawn Wall — a particularly steep route to the top of El Capitan — by grabbing just the rock and using ropes only to catch them if they fell. They did it in 19 days.
Honnold is first to climb the iconic rock alone without protection in mere hours.
"To climb without ropes where the slightest slip is literally fatal in that arena requires enormous self-control and focus," Duane said. "It requires this intense cognitive effort to keep fear at bay and focus on the task in front of you."
He said Honnold has a rare ability to control fear and his body for a long period of time.
"He's shown awesome grace under pressure," said Hans Florine, a fellow climber who with Honnold holds the speed record for climbing the Nose route of El Capitan in about two hours and 23 minutes.
The historic ascent will be featured in a National Geographic documentary .
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Associated Press writer Daisy Nguyen in San Francisco contributed to this story.
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SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson helped broker a deal that provides long-term care for chimpanzees in northern Liberia that were part of a research colony.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports (http://bit.ly/2rq3UHf) that funding for the chimps' care had dwindled and was then cut short by the New York Blood Center, which for decades had used the animals to test hepatitis B vaccines and other treatments.
The Humane Society of the United States and the New York Blood Center announced last week that they had reached a $6 million agreement to provide long-term care for the chimps.
As governor, Richardson fought against medical testing on chimps, worked to ban cockfighting in New Mexico, supported the Mexican wolf reintroduction program and sought to prevent wild horses from going to slaughter.
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Information from: Albuquerque Journal, http://www.abqjournal.com
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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Former Los Angeles Lakers player and ex-New York Knicks head coach Derek Fisher was arrested Sunday on suspicion of drunken driving after he flipped his vehicle on a California highway, authorities said.
Neither Fisher nor his passenger, girlfriend and former "Basketball Wives" reality star Gloria Govan, was injured in the early morning crash, the California Highway Patrol said.
Fisher was driving on U.S. 101 in the Sherman Oaks area of Los Angeles when his 2015 Cadillac veered onto the right shoulder while approaching an interchange. The car hit the shoulder's concrete curb and guardrail, overturned and came to a rest on its roof, blocking two lanes of the highway, Highway Patrol said.
Officers discovered that Fisher had been drinking and arrested him on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol after a DUI test, authorities said.
Highway Patrol officials said they didn't know if Fisher had a lawyer to speak on his behalf. An email left for a publicity company listed under his name and messages on his website and Twitter weren't immediately returned.
After his playing career ended, Fisher was hired in June 2014 to be the first coach for Knicks President of Basketball Operations Phil Jackson, under whom Fisher won five championships with the Lakers.
The first season was the worst in franchise history with a 17-65 record, but the team played better early in the second season before Jackson fired Fisher last February with the Knicks in a 1-9 tailspin.
He has been working as an analyst for TNT as well as for Spectrum SportsNet's Lakers coverage this season.
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CODY, Wyo. (AP) — Researchers trying to preserve native cutthroat trout in Yellowstone National Park say they're on track to eliminate non-native predator fish from Yellowstone Lake in about a decade.
The Cody Enterprise reports (http://bit.ly/2rqqVdk) the National Park Service is trying to get rid of non-native lake trout, which were discovered in Yellowstone Lake in 1994. Lake trout is a voracious species that feeds on cutthroats.
Yellowstone fisheries biologist Todd Koel says modeling indicates the lake trout population will collapse within 10 years.
Researchers implant transmitters in some lake trout to track their movements and locate large groups of fish. They use nets to remove them.
They've removed 2.6 million pounds of lake trout since 1996.
Recreational anglers can catch as many lake trout as they like.
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Information from: The Cody Enterprise, http://www.codyenterprise.com
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JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — A Douglas Island homeowner shot a brown bear after feeling threatened by the animal, Alaska wildlife officials said.
The 725-pound brown bear was shot on May 25, said Ryan Scott, Alaska Department of Fish & Game wildlife regional supervisor. It is the first documented, or legal, killing of a brown bear in Douglas Island reported to the department since 1974, the Juneau Empire reported (http://bit.ly/2qQcj8h).
"It's a rare event to have them on Douglas or really in Juneau," Scott said. "Over the years we've had reports of bear swimming adjacent to the island. Even that's very, very rare."
The male homeowner told wildlife officials that instead of running away, the bear turned around and faced him. The man said he was afraid the bear might charge at him and decided to shoot.
Officials did not identify the man involved.
The Alaska Wildlife Troopers who investigated the kill site found the man justified in the shooting. The defense of life or property law allows people who feel in danger from wildlife to defend themselves and use lethal force, said Megan Peters, a Trooper spokeswoman.
The wildlife department is not sure where the bear came from. Black bears are common in the Douglas area, but brown bears are rarer. Officials suspect the bear's odd behavior might have been due to breeding season.
"Generally speaking, brown bear are pretty shy unless there are some other issues with food conditioning and things like that," Scott said.
The homeowner was not required to salvage the bear's meat afterward.
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Information from: Juneau (Alaska) Empire, http://www.juneauempire.com
- By JAKE COYLE AP Film Writer
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NEW YORK (AP) — "Wonder Woman" conquered milestones and movie myths at North American theaters, where the Patty Jenkins-directed superhero film powered its way to a $100.5 million debut this weekend and became the biggest blockbuster ever directed by a woman.
The well-reviewed movie easily surpassed industry expectations with one of the summer's biggest debuts, according to studio estimates Sunday. Starring Gal Gadot as the Amazonian warrior princess, "Wonder Woman" is the rare — and most successful — female-led film in an overwhelmingly male superhero landscape.
It proved a hit with moviegoers, earning a CinemaScore of A. While skewing somewhat female, it drew a fairly evenly split audience. Warner Bros. said 52 percent of the audience was female and 48 percent male. "Wonder Woman" added $122.5 million internationally, including $38 million in China.
"It shows that superhero movies aren't just about men. They're about women as well," said Jeff Goldstein, distribution chief for Warner Bros. "All the noise about Patty Jenkins breaking the glass ceiling for directors, I think that added to it as well."
Women have long struggled to get behind the camera of Hollywood's biggest productions. Female directors accounted for just 9 percent of the 250 top-grossing movies in North America in 2015 and only 7 percent in 2016.
Jenkins, who previously directed 2003's "Monster" starring Charlize Theron, now holds the record for biggest domestic opening for a female director. The previous mark was Sam Taylor-Johnson's "Fifty Shades of Grey," with $85.1 million in 2015.
Some still had issues with "Wonder Woman." Online critics complained of gender inequality after the Alamo Drafthouse scheduled a handful of female-only screenings across the country. Lebanon banned the film because Gadot is Israeli.
Nevertheless, "Wonder Woman" represents a turning point for Warner Bros. and DC Comics, which have together struggled in recent years to match the Marvel-Disney juggernaut. While "Wonder Woman" didn't match the box-office might of "Batman v. Superman" (a $166 million opening) or "Suicide Squad" ($133.7 million), it was much better received than those roundly derided releases.
"This is a dramatic step in the right direction," Goldstein said. "We've heard fans. We've heard critics. These properties are very complicated and beloved. To get it right, it takes a lot of work. I think on this movie, all of us got it right."
Last week's top film, "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales," slid dramatically to $21.6 million in its second week. It landed in third place, behind Fox's "Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie." The animated release, in which a pair of students make their principal think he's a superhero by hypnotizing him, opened with $23.5 million.
But "Pirates" still sails well overseas. It's made $386.6 million internationally, driving the Disney sequel to more than $500 million globally.
The success of "Wonder Woman" gave the summer box office a much-needed charge. Thus far, the season's only blockbuster has been its first: "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2." It has made $355.5 million in North America and $816.6 million worldwide.
"Wonder Woman," though, pushed the week's box office up 30 percent over the same week last year, according to comScore.
"This saves the day, at least for now, for the summer box office," said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for comScore. "Heading into this weekend, the summer movie season was down about 9 percent, and that deficit has been cut by about half in this one weekend."
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to comScore. Where available, the latest international numbers also are included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. "Wonder Woman," $100.5 million ($122.5 million international).
2. "Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie," $23.5 million.
3. "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tells," $21.6 million ($73.8 million international).
4. "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2," $9.7 million ($4.4 million international).
5. "Baywatch," $8.5 million ($23.8 million international).
6. "Alien: Covenant," $4 million ($3.7 million international).
7. "Everything Everything," $3.3 million.
8. "Snatched," $1.3 million.
9. "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul," $1.2 million.
10. "King Arthur: Legend of the Sword," $1.2 million ($3.7 million international).
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Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at international theaters (excluding the U.S. and Canada), according to comScore:
1. "Wonder Woman," $122.5 million international.
2. "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tells," $73.8 million.
3. "Baywatch," $23.8 million.
4. "Dangal," $8.8 million.
5. "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2," $4.4 million.
5. "Warriors of the Dawn," $4.1 million.
6. "Doraemon: Great Adventure In The Antarctic," $3.9 million.
7. "Alien: Covenant," $3.7 million.
8. "King Arthur: Legend of the Sword," $3.7 million.
9. "Get Out," $3.2 million
10. "Beauty and the Beast," $3.1 million
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Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jakecoyleAP
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ANACORTES, Wash. (AP) — A group of Washington volunteers are working to save baby great blue herons injured last week's Anacortes-area windstorm.
The Skagit Valley Herald reports (http://bit.ly/2rzfMFu ) Skagit Land Trust volunteers found 25 dead baby herons that fell from their nest after the May 23 windstorm. Volunteer Hannah Williams says a large maple tree that held the chicks' nest had fallen over because of the heavy winds. She says they were able to recover six young birds, but three have since died.
A wildlife rehabilitation center employee Shona Aitken says two of the remaining chicks have broken wings. She thinks the third may have internal injuries. The three chicks are eating well and gaining weight, which Aitken says is a good sign.
The center plans to care for the birds until they can fly and hunt fish on their own.
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Information from: Skagit Valley Herald, http://www.skagitvalleyherald.com
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BELLINGHAM, Wash. (AP) — The Washington State Patrol says a 1-year-old girl was killed when her grandmother didn't see her and backed over the child in the driveway of a home.
The Bellingham Herald reports (http://bit.ly/2sEC7AK ) that Erin Jackson of Bellingham died Friday night.
The patrol says 63-year-old Ruth Brock was backing up her Mercedes-Benz SUV in the driveway of a home. A state patrol reports say the cause ruled as "inattention."
Sgt. Mark Francis says Brock is the girl's grandmother.
Brock and a passenger were not injured. The patrol does not believe drugs or alcohol were involved.
- By ROBERT MITTENDORF The Bellingham Herald
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BELLINGHAM, Wash. (AP) — Bellingham's housing market is going through the roof, driven by a surge in demand for single-family homes.
"A large number of people are trying to buy and rent here," said RE/MAX real estate agent Todd Peed.
Zillow, an online real estate database company, reports that through April, the median home value in Bellingham was $356,700, nearly double the U.S. median of $196,500. That's an 11.1 percent rise in one year. The median price in Bellingham is expected to climb to about $371,000 in the coming year, according to Zillow's most recent figures.
Just five years ago, the median home value in Bellingham was about $250,000.
For Whatcom County as a whole, March home values rose 10.9 percent compared to a year ago, the 14th highest among 382 metro areas, according to a home price index report from the U.S. Federal Housing Finance Agency.
Peed sees this price pressure coming from people fleeing the volatile Seattle market and from Californians in search of a cheaper place to live, but one that mirrors the educational, cultural and recreational opportunities they enjoy in the Golden State. He saw the trend start in the early 2000s, plateau, and begin rising again as lingering effects of the Great Recession eased over the past few years.
"A lot of retirees are moving here, a lot of people's friends and family, a lot of outdoors enthusiasts," Peed said.
Adding to the squeeze is a shortage of single-family homes, where there's only a two-month sales inventory in all of Whatcom County, according to April figures from the Northwest Multiple Listing Service. In a balanced market, there's a six-month supply of homes for sale.
Middle-income residents like Kali White, who moved to Bellingham in 2015 with her husband from Seattle, fear they're quickly being priced out of the housing market.
"It feels like when we moved here, there were more options," said White, whose husband is a postal worker. They have two children, 3 years old and 10 months, and they rent a home in the Sunnyland neighborhood.
"I'm always looking, but the prices are going up so much. I don't think it's going to be a possibility," she said.
White and her husband yearn for a space of their own, where their children can have a yard to play in. They've been thinking about a house in the $200,000 range, but White now sees that dream as nearly impossible.
According to Redfin, an online real estate company, it takes a $100,000 annual household income to afford a $350,000 home. U.S. Census figures from 2015, the most recent ones available, put the median family income in Bellingham at $73,501, above the national median of $68,260 and lower than the state median of $76,954.
For a $350,000 home, Zillow calculates a $1,894 monthly payment on a 30-year mortgage at 3.8 percent with 10 percent down.
"I was talking with our owner Frank Muljat the other day and he said, 'I've never seen it like this,'" said Kena Brashear a broker with the Muljat Group. Muljat's experience in the industry dates to 1967. "We're in multiple-offer situations. It's making people get really ready before they buy."
At Bellingham City Hall, Mayor Kelli Linville is aware of the issue, and officials are moving to avert a crisis in which home prices and rents rise to unsustainable levels and change the city's character. Linville, a fourth-generation Whatcom County resident, said allowing more single family homes to be built is part of a multipronged effort aimed at retaining the city's economic diversity and growth without sprawl.
"I had a wonderful experience growing up here, and I want others to have that experience," Linville said. "There's a significant number of elected officials in this community who are committed to having options available."
But even Linville's son recently had to settle for a home outside Blaine, after looking fruitlessly in Bellingham.
And Bellingham city officials recently had to postpone a town hall meeting on the topic of housing because the planned location wouldn't hold the number of people who wanted to speak. It hasn't been rescheduled yet.
"Houses are going so fast," said Jessica Howard of Bellingham, a widowed single mom. Her 3-year-old son Liam suffers from a seizure disorder and must use a wheelchair.
Howard — a third-generation Bellingham resident — can afford a median-priced home. But she needs a one-story house with doors that accommodate Liam's wheelchair or ones that can be widened easily. She also needs a flat driveway and a garage to hold the special van for Liam. With those limitations, Howard finds herself competing against retirees for the kind of home she needs.
"I feel like I'm battling older couples," she said. "It's making the process so much more difficult."
For now, she's living in a one-bedroom apartment and sleeping on the couch because Liam's hospital bed takes up so much space. She wants to live in Bellingham because of the school district's excellent reputation for programs aimed at children with disabilities, and because she frequently travels to Seattle for Liam's doctor visits.
"I've been watching the market for two years," she said. "It's hard. We're looking at houses built in the late '70s. There's not a lot of money to do much repair."
Homelessness and housing are among the most important issues Bellingham faces, according to the results of a recently-released survey of residents conducted in 2016 by the Center for Economic and Business Research at Western Washington University.
Linville cited a push for finding housing for the homeless as part of a "strategic approach" to overall housing affordability. In recent months, dozens of apartments have been built for lower-income residents and for WWU students. Some 350 new homes are being built near the new Costco at Bakerview Road and Interstate 5. Permits for 40 "multifamily units" or apartments were issued through April 2017; 232 units in 2016; 424 units in 2015, and 232 units in 2014.
Linville was hoping the additional apartments for student housing would ease the demand for rental homes, and that families would be able to buy single-family homes that once were rentals.
"One of my hopes is that we could be able to convert rental single-family homes back into single-family homes," Linville said. "Reclaim student housing. That was one of my goals."
But Linville said rental homes currently remain too lucrative for owners and the city was examining economic incentives and other options. Meanwhile, the city is focusing on "infill" development in existing neighborhoods.
Through April, Bellingham had issued construction permits for 65 single-family dwelling units, a pace on par with 191 homes for all of 2016. In 2015, permits were issued for 126 single-family homes, and 138 in 2014.
Meanwhile, Bellingham continues to grow. Census figures estimate the population at 83,365 in 2014, the most recent figures available. In 2010, the population was 80,964.
Holly Swanson of the Muljat Group said her client Tye McWilliams of Bellingham recently closed a deal for a home after coming up short on bids three previous tries, including one where he was outbid.
Phil and Chelsea Jackson said they feel lucky they were able to buy a home in the Columbia neighborhood before the market caught fire again.
"We looked for a good 4 to 6 months," Phil Jackson said, whose family moved into their Kulshan Street home in October 2015. "There was more than one taken away because of the ferocity of the market. Within hours, sometimes homes go."
Their three-bedroom, one bathroom home built in 1912 sold for $273,000, which was the asking price.
"We had a little competition for this house as well," Phil Jackson said. Jackson, who works for the Whatcom County Parks Department and Chelsea, who works for Bellingham Schools, both wanted to stay in Bellingham because of the climate, recreational opportunities, schools and family ties.
"We're a young family and we wrote a letter to the seller," Jackson said in discussing their purchase strategy. "We made an offer of the asking price. But they wanted us to have it."
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Information from: The Bellingham Herald, http://www.bellinghamherald.com
More like this...
Billionaire investor Warren Buffett is auctioning off a private lunch in the hopes of raising millions of dollars more for a charity helping the homeless in San Francisco.
The CEO of Berkshire Hathaway has raised nearly $24 million for the Glide Foundation over the past 17 years. Last year's winner paid $3,456,789, which tied the record set in 2012.
This year's eBay auction starts Sunday at 7:30 p.m. PDT and runs through Friday. The largest bids typically come near the end.
Buffett became involved with the Glide Foundation after his first wife, Susie, began volunteering at the charity. She died in 2004, but the connection between Buffett and the group has endured.
Donors fork out big money thanks to Buffett's successful investing record and his decision to give the bulk of his fortune to charity.
The winner can invite up to seven friends to join the lunch at Smith & Wollensky steakhouse in New York City.
- By OLGA R. RODRIGUEZ Associated Press
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Alex Honnold had dreamed about climbing the mighty El Capitan in Yosemite National Park without any safety gear for eight years. But every time he looked up the massive granite wall, he found it too daunting.
That was the case until this weekend, however, when the elite rock climber reached the summit in about four hours using only his hands and feet. The 31-year-old on Saturday became the first to climb the 3,000-foot granite wall alone without a safety harness or ropes to catch him if he fell.
"I was pretty much elated," Honnold said of reaching the top in a telephone interview Sunday with The Associated Press. "I was probably the happiest I've ever been. It's something that I thought about for so long and dreamed about and worked so hard for. I mean, it's pretty satisfying."
Honnold, who lives in Las Vegas, began preparing for his historic climb two years ago. He scaled the route countless times, rehearsing it while cliimbing with protective gear and memorizing each hole he had to grab and the way he had to position his body until he felt comfortable enough to attempt the "free solo" climb.
The most difficult part of the route is about 2,300 feet off the ground, where there are very small holds where only a thumb can fit.
But even more challenging was overcoming the mental hurdle, he said.
"Each year I would show up and it would seem just much too daunting," said Honnold, who has been climbing for 20 years. "To walk up to the base of the climb without rope and hardness, it just feels a little outrageous. Getting over that side of it, was the hardest part."
Observers said his climb has pushed the limits in a sport that requires a high level of athleticism, risk-taking and mental focus.
"This has never been done before ... and it's hard to imagine anybody ever coming close to what he's done," said Daniel Duane, author of "El Capitan: Historic Feats and Radical Routes."
"He is totally alone at the top of his game," he added.
Honnold grew up in the suburbs of Sacramento where he began practicing indoor rock climbing at age 11. He dropped out of the University of California Berkeley to conquer Yosemite and other major summits around the world.
Honnold was among several elite rock climbers whose endorsements were dropped by energy food company Clif Bar in 2014 following the release of a documentary about climbers who were risking their lives by forgoing safety gear.
Honnold, who spoke calmly as he recounted his achievement, brushed off criticism by those who say he's being reckless by not wearing protective gear.
"I could see how for a non-climber it might seem completely insane. But I've devoted 20 years to climbing and probably six or seven to this particular project so, it's not like I'm just some crazy kid who in the spur of the moment decided to do this crazy thing. It took years of effort," he said.
The climb up 3,000-foot (914-meter) El Capitan used to take days to complete with the aid of ropes, safety gear and a partner. In the past few decades, speed climbers working in tandem and using ropes have set records in reaching the top of the steep cliff.
In January 2015, Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson became the first to "free climb" the Dawn Wall — a particularly steep route to the top of El Capitan — by grabbing just the rock and using ropes only to catch them if they fell. They did it in 19 days.
Honnold is first to climb the iconic rock alone without protection in mere hours.
"To climb without ropes where the slightest slip is literally fatal in that arena requires enormous self-control and focus," Duane said. "It requires this intense cognitive effort to keep fear at bay and focus on the task in front of you."
He said Honnold has a rare ability to control fear and his body for a long period of time.
"He's shown awesome grace under pressure," said Hans Florine, a fellow climber who with Honnold holds the speed record for climbing the Nose route of El Capitan in about two hours and 23 minutes.
The historic ascent will be featured in a National Geographic documentary .
___
Associated Press writer Daisy Nguyen in San Francisco contributed to this story.
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson helped broker a deal that provides long-term care for chimpanzees in northern Liberia that were part of a research colony.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports (http://bit.ly/2rq3UHf) that funding for the chimps' care had dwindled and was then cut short by the New York Blood Center, which for decades had used the animals to test hepatitis B vaccines and other treatments.
The Humane Society of the United States and the New York Blood Center announced last week that they had reached a $6 million agreement to provide long-term care for the chimps.
As governor, Richardson fought against medical testing on chimps, worked to ban cockfighting in New Mexico, supported the Mexican wolf reintroduction program and sought to prevent wild horses from going to slaughter.
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Information from: Albuquerque Journal, http://www.abqjournal.com
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Former Los Angeles Lakers player and ex-New York Knicks head coach Derek Fisher was arrested Sunday on suspicion of drunken driving after he flipped his vehicle on a California highway, authorities said.
Neither Fisher nor his passenger, girlfriend and former "Basketball Wives" reality star Gloria Govan, was injured in the early morning crash, the California Highway Patrol said.
Fisher was driving on U.S. 101 in the Sherman Oaks area of Los Angeles when his 2015 Cadillac veered onto the right shoulder while approaching an interchange. The car hit the shoulder's concrete curb and guardrail, overturned and came to a rest on its roof, blocking two lanes of the highway, Highway Patrol said.
Officers discovered that Fisher had been drinking and arrested him on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol after a DUI test, authorities said.
Highway Patrol officials said they didn't know if Fisher had a lawyer to speak on his behalf. An email left for a publicity company listed under his name and messages on his website and Twitter weren't immediately returned.
After his playing career ended, Fisher was hired in June 2014 to be the first coach for Knicks President of Basketball Operations Phil Jackson, under whom Fisher won five championships with the Lakers.
The first season was the worst in franchise history with a 17-65 record, but the team played better early in the second season before Jackson fired Fisher last February with the Knicks in a 1-9 tailspin.
He has been working as an analyst for TNT as well as for Spectrum SportsNet's Lakers coverage this season.
CODY, Wyo. (AP) — Researchers trying to preserve native cutthroat trout in Yellowstone National Park say they're on track to eliminate non-native predator fish from Yellowstone Lake in about a decade.
The Cody Enterprise reports (http://bit.ly/2rqqVdk) the National Park Service is trying to get rid of non-native lake trout, which were discovered in Yellowstone Lake in 1994. Lake trout is a voracious species that feeds on cutthroats.
Yellowstone fisheries biologist Todd Koel says modeling indicates the lake trout population will collapse within 10 years.
Researchers implant transmitters in some lake trout to track their movements and locate large groups of fish. They use nets to remove them.
They've removed 2.6 million pounds of lake trout since 1996.
Recreational anglers can catch as many lake trout as they like.
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Information from: The Cody Enterprise, http://www.codyenterprise.com
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — A Douglas Island homeowner shot a brown bear after feeling threatened by the animal, Alaska wildlife officials said.
The 725-pound brown bear was shot on May 25, said Ryan Scott, Alaska Department of Fish & Game wildlife regional supervisor. It is the first documented, or legal, killing of a brown bear in Douglas Island reported to the department since 1974, the Juneau Empire reported (http://bit.ly/2qQcj8h).
"It's a rare event to have them on Douglas or really in Juneau," Scott said. "Over the years we've had reports of bear swimming adjacent to the island. Even that's very, very rare."
The male homeowner told wildlife officials that instead of running away, the bear turned around and faced him. The man said he was afraid the bear might charge at him and decided to shoot.
Officials did not identify the man involved.
The Alaska Wildlife Troopers who investigated the kill site found the man justified in the shooting. The defense of life or property law allows people who feel in danger from wildlife to defend themselves and use lethal force, said Megan Peters, a Trooper spokeswoman.
The wildlife department is not sure where the bear came from. Black bears are common in the Douglas area, but brown bears are rarer. Officials suspect the bear's odd behavior might have been due to breeding season.
"Generally speaking, brown bear are pretty shy unless there are some other issues with food conditioning and things like that," Scott said.
The homeowner was not required to salvage the bear's meat afterward.
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Information from: Juneau (Alaska) Empire, http://www.juneauempire.com
- By JAKE COYLE AP Film Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — "Wonder Woman" conquered milestones and movie myths at North American theaters, where the Patty Jenkins-directed superhero film powered its way to a $100.5 million debut this weekend and became the biggest blockbuster ever directed by a woman.
The well-reviewed movie easily surpassed industry expectations with one of the summer's biggest debuts, according to studio estimates Sunday. Starring Gal Gadot as the Amazonian warrior princess, "Wonder Woman" is the rare — and most successful — female-led film in an overwhelmingly male superhero landscape.
It proved a hit with moviegoers, earning a CinemaScore of A. While skewing somewhat female, it drew a fairly evenly split audience. Warner Bros. said 52 percent of the audience was female and 48 percent male. "Wonder Woman" added $122.5 million internationally, including $38 million in China.
"It shows that superhero movies aren't just about men. They're about women as well," said Jeff Goldstein, distribution chief for Warner Bros. "All the noise about Patty Jenkins breaking the glass ceiling for directors, I think that added to it as well."
Women have long struggled to get behind the camera of Hollywood's biggest productions. Female directors accounted for just 9 percent of the 250 top-grossing movies in North America in 2015 and only 7 percent in 2016.
Jenkins, who previously directed 2003's "Monster" starring Charlize Theron, now holds the record for biggest domestic opening for a female director. The previous mark was Sam Taylor-Johnson's "Fifty Shades of Grey," with $85.1 million in 2015.
Some still had issues with "Wonder Woman." Online critics complained of gender inequality after the Alamo Drafthouse scheduled a handful of female-only screenings across the country. Lebanon banned the film because Gadot is Israeli.
Nevertheless, "Wonder Woman" represents a turning point for Warner Bros. and DC Comics, which have together struggled in recent years to match the Marvel-Disney juggernaut. While "Wonder Woman" didn't match the box-office might of "Batman v. Superman" (a $166 million opening) or "Suicide Squad" ($133.7 million), it was much better received than those roundly derided releases.
"This is a dramatic step in the right direction," Goldstein said. "We've heard fans. We've heard critics. These properties are very complicated and beloved. To get it right, it takes a lot of work. I think on this movie, all of us got it right."
Last week's top film, "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales," slid dramatically to $21.6 million in its second week. It landed in third place, behind Fox's "Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie." The animated release, in which a pair of students make their principal think he's a superhero by hypnotizing him, opened with $23.5 million.
But "Pirates" still sails well overseas. It's made $386.6 million internationally, driving the Disney sequel to more than $500 million globally.
The success of "Wonder Woman" gave the summer box office a much-needed charge. Thus far, the season's only blockbuster has been its first: "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2." It has made $355.5 million in North America and $816.6 million worldwide.
"Wonder Woman," though, pushed the week's box office up 30 percent over the same week last year, according to comScore.
"This saves the day, at least for now, for the summer box office," said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for comScore. "Heading into this weekend, the summer movie season was down about 9 percent, and that deficit has been cut by about half in this one weekend."
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to comScore. Where available, the latest international numbers also are included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. "Wonder Woman," $100.5 million ($122.5 million international).
2. "Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie," $23.5 million.
3. "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tells," $21.6 million ($73.8 million international).
4. "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2," $9.7 million ($4.4 million international).
5. "Baywatch," $8.5 million ($23.8 million international).
6. "Alien: Covenant," $4 million ($3.7 million international).
7. "Everything Everything," $3.3 million.
8. "Snatched," $1.3 million.
9. "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul," $1.2 million.
10. "King Arthur: Legend of the Sword," $1.2 million ($3.7 million international).
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Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at international theaters (excluding the U.S. and Canada), according to comScore:
1. "Wonder Woman," $122.5 million international.
2. "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tells," $73.8 million.
3. "Baywatch," $23.8 million.
4. "Dangal," $8.8 million.
5. "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2," $4.4 million.
5. "Warriors of the Dawn," $4.1 million.
6. "Doraemon: Great Adventure In The Antarctic," $3.9 million.
7. "Alien: Covenant," $3.7 million.
8. "King Arthur: Legend of the Sword," $3.7 million.
9. "Get Out," $3.2 million
10. "Beauty and the Beast," $3.1 million
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Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jakecoyleAP
ANACORTES, Wash. (AP) — A group of Washington volunteers are working to save baby great blue herons injured last week's Anacortes-area windstorm.
The Skagit Valley Herald reports (http://bit.ly/2rzfMFu ) Skagit Land Trust volunteers found 25 dead baby herons that fell from their nest after the May 23 windstorm. Volunteer Hannah Williams says a large maple tree that held the chicks' nest had fallen over because of the heavy winds. She says they were able to recover six young birds, but three have since died.
A wildlife rehabilitation center employee Shona Aitken says two of the remaining chicks have broken wings. She thinks the third may have internal injuries. The three chicks are eating well and gaining weight, which Aitken says is a good sign.
The center plans to care for the birds until they can fly and hunt fish on their own.
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Information from: Skagit Valley Herald, http://www.skagitvalleyherald.com
BELLINGHAM, Wash. (AP) — The Washington State Patrol says a 1-year-old girl was killed when her grandmother didn't see her and backed over the child in the driveway of a home.
The Bellingham Herald reports (http://bit.ly/2sEC7AK ) that Erin Jackson of Bellingham died Friday night.
The patrol says 63-year-old Ruth Brock was backing up her Mercedes-Benz SUV in the driveway of a home. A state patrol reports say the cause ruled as "inattention."
Sgt. Mark Francis says Brock is the girl's grandmother.
Brock and a passenger were not injured. The patrol does not believe drugs or alcohol were involved.
- By ROBERT MITTENDORF The Bellingham Herald
BELLINGHAM, Wash. (AP) — Bellingham's housing market is going through the roof, driven by a surge in demand for single-family homes.
"A large number of people are trying to buy and rent here," said RE/MAX real estate agent Todd Peed.
Zillow, an online real estate database company, reports that through April, the median home value in Bellingham was $356,700, nearly double the U.S. median of $196,500. That's an 11.1 percent rise in one year. The median price in Bellingham is expected to climb to about $371,000 in the coming year, according to Zillow's most recent figures.
Just five years ago, the median home value in Bellingham was about $250,000.
For Whatcom County as a whole, March home values rose 10.9 percent compared to a year ago, the 14th highest among 382 metro areas, according to a home price index report from the U.S. Federal Housing Finance Agency.
Peed sees this price pressure coming from people fleeing the volatile Seattle market and from Californians in search of a cheaper place to live, but one that mirrors the educational, cultural and recreational opportunities they enjoy in the Golden State. He saw the trend start in the early 2000s, plateau, and begin rising again as lingering effects of the Great Recession eased over the past few years.
"A lot of retirees are moving here, a lot of people's friends and family, a lot of outdoors enthusiasts," Peed said.
Adding to the squeeze is a shortage of single-family homes, where there's only a two-month sales inventory in all of Whatcom County, according to April figures from the Northwest Multiple Listing Service. In a balanced market, there's a six-month supply of homes for sale.
Middle-income residents like Kali White, who moved to Bellingham in 2015 with her husband from Seattle, fear they're quickly being priced out of the housing market.
"It feels like when we moved here, there were more options," said White, whose husband is a postal worker. They have two children, 3 years old and 10 months, and they rent a home in the Sunnyland neighborhood.
"I'm always looking, but the prices are going up so much. I don't think it's going to be a possibility," she said.
White and her husband yearn for a space of their own, where their children can have a yard to play in. They've been thinking about a house in the $200,000 range, but White now sees that dream as nearly impossible.
According to Redfin, an online real estate company, it takes a $100,000 annual household income to afford a $350,000 home. U.S. Census figures from 2015, the most recent ones available, put the median family income in Bellingham at $73,501, above the national median of $68,260 and lower than the state median of $76,954.
For a $350,000 home, Zillow calculates a $1,894 monthly payment on a 30-year mortgage at 3.8 percent with 10 percent down.
"I was talking with our owner Frank Muljat the other day and he said, 'I've never seen it like this,'" said Kena Brashear a broker with the Muljat Group. Muljat's experience in the industry dates to 1967. "We're in multiple-offer situations. It's making people get really ready before they buy."
At Bellingham City Hall, Mayor Kelli Linville is aware of the issue, and officials are moving to avert a crisis in which home prices and rents rise to unsustainable levels and change the city's character. Linville, a fourth-generation Whatcom County resident, said allowing more single family homes to be built is part of a multipronged effort aimed at retaining the city's economic diversity and growth without sprawl.
"I had a wonderful experience growing up here, and I want others to have that experience," Linville said. "There's a significant number of elected officials in this community who are committed to having options available."
But even Linville's son recently had to settle for a home outside Blaine, after looking fruitlessly in Bellingham.
And Bellingham city officials recently had to postpone a town hall meeting on the topic of housing because the planned location wouldn't hold the number of people who wanted to speak. It hasn't been rescheduled yet.
"Houses are going so fast," said Jessica Howard of Bellingham, a widowed single mom. Her 3-year-old son Liam suffers from a seizure disorder and must use a wheelchair.
Howard — a third-generation Bellingham resident — can afford a median-priced home. But she needs a one-story house with doors that accommodate Liam's wheelchair or ones that can be widened easily. She also needs a flat driveway and a garage to hold the special van for Liam. With those limitations, Howard finds herself competing against retirees for the kind of home she needs.
"I feel like I'm battling older couples," she said. "It's making the process so much more difficult."
For now, she's living in a one-bedroom apartment and sleeping on the couch because Liam's hospital bed takes up so much space. She wants to live in Bellingham because of the school district's excellent reputation for programs aimed at children with disabilities, and because she frequently travels to Seattle for Liam's doctor visits.
"I've been watching the market for two years," she said. "It's hard. We're looking at houses built in the late '70s. There's not a lot of money to do much repair."
Homelessness and housing are among the most important issues Bellingham faces, according to the results of a recently-released survey of residents conducted in 2016 by the Center for Economic and Business Research at Western Washington University.
Linville cited a push for finding housing for the homeless as part of a "strategic approach" to overall housing affordability. In recent months, dozens of apartments have been built for lower-income residents and for WWU students. Some 350 new homes are being built near the new Costco at Bakerview Road and Interstate 5. Permits for 40 "multifamily units" or apartments were issued through April 2017; 232 units in 2016; 424 units in 2015, and 232 units in 2014.
Linville was hoping the additional apartments for student housing would ease the demand for rental homes, and that families would be able to buy single-family homes that once were rentals.
"One of my hopes is that we could be able to convert rental single-family homes back into single-family homes," Linville said. "Reclaim student housing. That was one of my goals."
But Linville said rental homes currently remain too lucrative for owners and the city was examining economic incentives and other options. Meanwhile, the city is focusing on "infill" development in existing neighborhoods.
Through April, Bellingham had issued construction permits for 65 single-family dwelling units, a pace on par with 191 homes for all of 2016. In 2015, permits were issued for 126 single-family homes, and 138 in 2014.
Meanwhile, Bellingham continues to grow. Census figures estimate the population at 83,365 in 2014, the most recent figures available. In 2010, the population was 80,964.
Holly Swanson of the Muljat Group said her client Tye McWilliams of Bellingham recently closed a deal for a home after coming up short on bids three previous tries, including one where he was outbid.
Phil and Chelsea Jackson said they feel lucky they were able to buy a home in the Columbia neighborhood before the market caught fire again.
"We looked for a good 4 to 6 months," Phil Jackson said, whose family moved into their Kulshan Street home in October 2015. "There was more than one taken away because of the ferocity of the market. Within hours, sometimes homes go."
Their three-bedroom, one bathroom home built in 1912 sold for $273,000, which was the asking price.
"We had a little competition for this house as well," Phil Jackson said. Jackson, who works for the Whatcom County Parks Department and Chelsea, who works for Bellingham Schools, both wanted to stay in Bellingham because of the climate, recreational opportunities, schools and family ties.
"We're a young family and we wrote a letter to the seller," Jackson said in discussing their purchase strategy. "We made an offer of the asking price. But they wanted us to have it."
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Information from: The Bellingham Herald, http://www.bellinghamherald.com
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