It happened about 7 p.m. Thursday on the north part of the four-lane Interstate 5 bridge near Mount Vernon, about 60 miles north of Seattle, and disrupted travel in both directions.

Initially, it wasn’t clear if the bridge just gave way on its own. But at an overnight news conference, Washington State Patrol Chief John Batiste blamed it on a tractor-trailer carrying an oversize load that hit an upper part of the span. The vertical clearance from the roadway to the beam is 14.6 feet.

“For reasons unknown at this point in time, the semi struck the overhead of the bridge causing the collapse,” Batiste said.

The truck made it off the bridge and the driver remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators. Authorities have not yet said what the truck was carrying.

Two other vehicles went into the water about 25 feet below as the structure crumbled. Three people were rescued and were recovering Friday.

Drivers were told to expect delays. Detours have been set up to try to ease the congestion. Batiste urged drivers to avoid the area if possible, especially over the Memorial Day weekend. Traffic along the heavily travelled route could be affected for some time. The bridge is used by an average of 71,000 vehicles a day.

“The I-5 corridor is totally disrupted,” said Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, who went to the scene Thursday night.

“Thanks to the rescuers and a little bit of luck, we had three Skagitonians who made it out of the Skagit River alive,” Inslee said.

Dan Sligh and his wife were in their pickup on Interstate 5 heading to a camping trip when a bridge before them disappeared in a “big puff of dust.”

“I hit the brakes and we went off,” Sligh told reporters from a hospital, adding he “saw the water approaching … you hold on as tight as you can.”

Sligh, his wife and another man in a different vehicle were dumped into the chilly waters of the Skagit River.

Sligh and his wife were taken to Skagit Valley Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The other man was reported in stable condition at United General Hospital in Sedro-Woolley, hospital CEO Greg Reed said.

Sligh said his shoulder was dislocated in the drop into the water, and he found himself “belly deep in water in the truck.” He said he popped his shoulder back in and called out to his wife, who he described as being in shock initially as they waited for rescuers to arrive in boats.

The bridge was inspected twice last year and repairs were made, Transportation Secretary Lynn Peterson said.

“It’s an older bridge that needs a lot of work just like a good number of bridges around the state,” she said.

Transportation officials are working on plans for either a temporary or permanent replacement, she said.

The National Transportation Safety Board was sending an investigative team.

Jeremiah Thomas, a volunteer firefighter, said he was driving nearby when he glimpsed something out of the corner of his eye and turned to look.

“The bridge just went down, it crashed through the water,” he said. “It was really surreal.”

Deyerin said the water depth was about 15 feet, and the vehicles half-visible in the water likely were resting on portions of the collapsed bridge.

Crowds of people lined the river to watch the scene unfold.

“It’s not something you see every day,” said Jimmy O’Connor, the owner of two local pizza restaurants who was driving on another bridge parallel to the one that collapsed. “People were starting to crawl out of their cars.”

He said he and his girlfriend were about 400 yards away on the Burlington Bridge when they heard “just a loud bang.”

“Then we looked over and saw the bridge was down in the water,” he said.

He pulled over and saw three vehicles in the water, including the camping trailer that landed upside-down, he said.

The bridge was not classified as structurally deficient, but a Federal Highway Administration database listed it as being “functionally obsolete” — a category meaning that the design is outdated, such as having narrow shoulders and low clearance underneath.

The bridge, which was inspected last August and November, was built in in 1955 and had a sufficiency rating of 47 out of 100 at its November 2012 inspection, Transportation Department spokesman Noel Brady said Friday. The state average is 80, according to an Associated Press analysis.

Washington state was given a C in the American Society of Civil Engineers’ 2013 infrastructure report card and a C- when it came to the state’s bridges. The group said more than a quarter of Washington’s 7,840 bridges are considered structurally deficient or functionally obsolete.

The bridge was 1,112 feet long and 180 feet wide, with two lanes in each direction, Brady said. There are four spans, or sections, over the water supported by piers. The span on the north side is the one that collapsed. It’s a steel truss bridge, meaning it has a boxy steel frame.

The mishap was reminiscent of the August 2007 collapse of an I-35W bridge in Minneapolis that killed 13 people and injured another 145 when it buckled and fell into the Mississippi River during rush-hour.

Sligh was thankful.

His wife was “doing OK” and he had “lots of cuts,” he said. “You’re kind of pinching yourself and realize you’re lucky to be alive.”

(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

Authorities said it appeared nobody was killed in the bridge failure that raised the question about the safety of aging spans and cut off the main route between Seattle and Canada.

“We don’t think anyone else went into the water,” said Marcus Deyerin, a spokesman for the Northwest Washington Incident Management Team. “At this point we’re optimistic.”

A man and a woman were reported in stable condition with non-life-threatening injuries in the emergency room at Skagit Valley Hospital, hospital spokeswoman Kari Ranten said. Another man was reported in stable condition at United General Hospital in Sedro-Woolley, hospital CEO Greg Reed said. He said he didn’t know whether the man would be admitted.

Survivor Dan Sligh and his wife were driving their pickup truck when he said the bridge disappeared before them in a “big puff of dust.”

“I hit the brakes and we went off the bridge,” Sligh told reporters from Skagit Valley Hospital, adding he “saw the water approaching … you hold on as tight as you can.”

Traffic along the heavily-travelled route could be impacted for some time.

“The I-5 corridor is totally disrupted,” said Gov. Jay Inslee, who went to the scene Thursday night.

He said work has already started to design detour, but state Transportation Secretary Lynn Peterson asked people to avoid I-5 in the area for the next several days.

Washington State Trooper Mark Francis said a portion of the four-lane bridge over the Skagit River collapsed about 7 p.m.

Jeremiah Thomas, a volunteer firefighter, said he was driving nearby when he caught something out of the side of his eye and turned to look.

“The bridge just went down, it crashed through the water,” he said. “It was really surreal.”

It was not known what caused the collapse of the bridge about 60 miles north of Seattle in Skagit County, but State Patrol detectives and the patrol’s commercial vehicle enforcement bureau troopers were talking late Thursday night to a commercial truck driver whose rig was believed to have struck the bridge.

“It appears the commercial vehicle made contact with the bridge,” Francis said. “Whether it was the cause” of the collapse or made contact as the bridge was falling “that will all come out in the wash. But it appears it hit the bridge.”

The four-lane bridge was about 50 feet above the water. Deyerin said it appeared that two vehicles – a car and a pickup with the travel trailer attached – fell into the river. He said the water depth was about 15 feet, and that the vehicles were half-visible in the water likely are resting on portions of the collapsed bridge.

Crowds of people lined the river to watch the scene unfold.

“It’s not something you see every day,” said Jimmy O’Connor, the owner of two local pizza restaurants who was driving on another bridge parallel to the one that collapsed. “People were starting to crawl out of their cars.”

He said he and his girlfriend were about 400 yards away on the Burlington Bridge when they heard “just a loud bang.”

“Then we looked over and saw the bridge was down in the water,” he said.

He pulled over and saw three vehicles in the water, including a camping trailer that landed upside-down, he said.

The bridge is not considered structurally deficient but is listed as being “functionally obsolete” – a category meaning that the design is outdated, such as having narrow shoulders and low clearance underneath, according to a database compiled by the Federal Highway Administration.

The bridge was built in 1955 and has a sufficiency rating of 57.4 out of 100, according to federal records. That is well below the statewide average rating of 80, according to an Associated Press analysis of federal data, but 759 bridges in the state have a lower sufficiency score.

According to a 2012 Skagit County Public Works Department report, 42 of the county’s 108 bridges are 50 years or older. The document says eight of the bridges are more than 70 years old and two are over 80.

Washington state was given a C in the American Society of Civil Engineers’ 2013 infrastructure report card and a C- when it came to the state’s bridges. The group said more than a quarter of Washington’s 7,840 bridges are considered structurally deficient of functionally obsolete.

Democratic Rep. Judy Clibborn, who leads the transportation committee in the state House, said the bridge wasn’t one that has been a focus for lawmakers.

“It is shocking that I-5 would have something happen like this,” she said.

Clibborn said the collapse will call attention to the issues facing bridges — especially the old bridge over the Columbia River that connects Vancouver and Portland, Ore.

(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

“I hit the brakes and we went off,” Sligh told reporters from a hospital, adding he “saw the water approaching … you hold on as tight as you can.”

Sligh, his wife and another man in a different vehicle were dumped into the chilly waters of the Skagit River when the span collapsed Thursday evening. They were injured, but miraculously, authorities said it appeared nobody was killed in the bridge failure that raised the question about the safety of aging spans and cut off the main route between Seattle and Canada.

“We don’t think anyone else went into the water,” said Marcus Deyerin, a spokesman for the Northwest Washington Incident Management Team. “At this point we’re optimistic.”

Sligh and his wife were taken to Skagit Valley Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The other man was reported in stable condition at United General Hospital in Sedro-Woolley, hospital CEO Greg Reed said.

Authorities are trying to determine what caused the bridge to collapse about 60 miles north of Seattle in Skagit County.

State Patrol detectives and the patrol’s commercial vehicle enforcement bureau troopers spoke to a commercial truck driver whose rig struck the structure.

“We do have the truck driver who remained at the scene. We’ve had initial conversations with him to get an indication as to what occurred,” said State Patrol Chief John Batiste.

Sligh said his shoulder was dislocated in the drop into the water, and he found himself “belly deep in water in the truck.” He said he popped his shoulder back in and called out to his wife, who he described as being in shock initially as they waited for rescuers to arrive in boats.

Traffic along the heavily travelled route could be affected for some time.

“The I-5 corridor is totally disrupted,” said Gov. Jay Inslee, who went to the scene Thursday night.

He said work has already started to design detours, but state Transportation Secretary Lynn Peterson asked people to avoid I-5 in the area for the next several days.

The National Transportation Safety Board was sending an investigative team.

Trooper Francis said a portion of the four-lane bridge over the Skagit River collapsed about 7 p.m.

Jeremiah Thomas, a volunteer firefighter, said he was driving nearby when he glimpsed something out of the corner of his eye and turned to look.

“The bridge just went down, it crashed through the water,” he said. “It was really surreal.”

The bridge was about 50 feet above the water. Deyerin said it appeared that two vehicles – a car and the pickup with the travel trailer attached – fell into the river. He said the water depth was about 15 feet, and the vehicles half-visible in the water likely were resting on portions of the collapsed bridge.

Crowds of people lined the river to watch the scene unfold.

“It’s not something you see every day,” said Jimmy O’Connor, the owner of two local pizza restaurants who was driving on another bridge parallel to the one that collapsed. “People were starting to crawl out of their cars.”

He said he and his girlfriend were about 400 yards away on the Burlington Bridge when they heard “just a loud bang.”

“Then we looked over and saw the bridge was down in the water,” he said.

He pulled over and saw three vehicles in the water, including the camping trailer that landed upside-down, he said.

The bridge was not classified as structurally deficient, but a Federal Highway Administration database listed it as being “functionally obsolete” — a category meaning that the design is outdated, such as having narrow shoulders and low clearance underneath.

The bridge was built in 1955 and has a sufficiency rating of 57.4 out of 100, according to federal records. That is well below the statewide average rating of 80, according to an Associated Press analysis of federal data, but 759 bridges in the state have a lower sufficiency score.

According to a 2012 Skagit County Public Works Department report, 42 of the county’s 108 bridges are 50 years or older. The document says eight of the bridges are more than 70 years old and two are over 80.

Washington state was given a C in the American Society of Civil Engineers’ 2013 infrastructure report card and a C- when it came to the state’s bridges. The group said more than a quarter of Washington’s 7,840 bridges are considered structurally deficient or functionally obsolete.

Democratic Rep. Judy Clibborn, who leads the transportation committee in the state House, said the bridge wasn’t one that has been a focus for lawmakers.

“It is shocking that I-5 would have something happen like this,” she said.

Clibborn said the collapse will call attention to the issues facing bridges — especially the old bridge over the Columbia River that connects Vancouver and Portland, Ore.

Sligh said his wife was “doing OK” and that he had “lots of cuts.”

“You’re kind of pinching yourself and realize you’re lucky to be alive.”

(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

Authorities said it appeared nobody was killed in the bridge failure that raised the question about the safety of aging spans and cut off the main route between Seattle and Canada.

“We don’t think anyone else went into the water,” said Marcus Deyerin, a spokesman for the Northwest Washington Incident Management Team. “At this point we’re optimistic.”

A man and a woman were reported in stable condition with non-life-threatening injuries in the emergency room at Skagit Valley Hospital, hospital spokeswoman Kari Ranten said. Another man was reported in stable condition at United General Hospital in Sedro-Woolley, hospital CEO Greg Reed said. He said he didn’t know whether the man would be admitted.

Survivor Dan Sligh and his wife were driving their pickup truck when he said the bridge disappeared before them in a “big puff of dust.”

“I hit the brakes and we went off the bridge,” Sligh told reporters from Skagit Valley Hospital, adding he “saw the water approaching … you hold on as tight as you can.”

Traffic along the heavily-travelled route could be impacted for some time.

“The I-5 corridor is totally disrupted,” said Gov. Jay Inslee, who went to the scene Thursday night.

He said work has already started to design detour, but state Transportation Secretary Lynn Peterson asked people to avoid I-5 in the area for the next several days.

Washington State Trooper Mark Francis said a portion of the four-lane bridge over the Skagit River collapsed about 7 p.m.

Jeremiah Thomas, a volunteer firefighter, said he was driving nearby when he caught something out of the side of his eye and turned to look.

“The bridge just went down, it crashed through the water,” he said. “It was really surreal.”

It was not known what caused the collapse of the bridge about 60 miles north of Seattle in Skagit County, but State Patrol detectives and the patrol’s commercial vehicle enforcement bureau troopers were talking late Thursday night to a commercial truck driver whose rig was believed to have struck the bridge.

“It appears the commercial vehicle made contact with the bridge,” Francis said. “Whether it was the cause” of the collapse or made contact as the bridge was falling “that will all come out in the wash. But it appears it hit the bridge.”

The four-lane bridge was about 50 feet above the water. Deyerin said it appeared that two vehicles – a car and a pickup with the travel trailer attached – fell into the river. He said the water depth was about 15 feet, and that the vehicles were half-visible in the water likely are resting on portions of the collapsed bridge.

Crowds of people lined the river to watch the scene unfold.

“It’s not something you see every day,” said Jimmy O’Connor, the owner of two local pizza restaurants who was driving on another bridge parallel to the one that collapsed. “People were starting to crawl out of their cars.”

He said he and his girlfriend were about 400 yards away on the Burlington Bridge when they heard “just a loud bang.”

“Then we looked over and saw the bridge was down in the water,” he said.

He pulled over and saw three vehicles in the water, including a camping trailer that landed upside-down, he said.

The bridge is not considered structurally deficient but is listed as being “functionally obsolete” – a category meaning that the design is outdated, such as having narrow shoulders and low clearance underneath, according to a database compiled by the Federal Highway Administration.

The bridge was built in 1955 and has a sufficiency rating of 57.4 out of 100, according to federal records. That is well below the statewide average rating of 80, according to an Associated Press analysis of federal data, but 759 bridges in the state have a lower sufficiency score.

According to a 2012 Skagit County Public Works Department report, 42 of the county’s 108 bridges are 50 years or older. The document says eight of the bridges are more than 70 years old and two are over 80.

Washington state was given a C in the American Society of Civil Engineers’ 2013 infrastructure report card and a C- when it came to the state’s bridges. The group said more than a quarter of Washington’s 7,840 bridges are considered structurally deficient of functionally obsolete.

Democratic Rep. Judy Clibborn, who leads the transportation committee in the state House, said the bridge wasn’t one that has been a focus for lawmakers.

“It is shocking that I-5 would have something happen like this,” she said.

Clibborn said the collapse will call attention to the issues facing bridges — especially the old bridge over the Columbia River that connects Vancouver and Portland, Ore.

(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

Listen to the 3:00 p.m. hour HERE.

Listen to the 4:00 p.m. hour HERE.

Listen to the 5:00 p.m. hour HERE.

The flag will be raised June 1, to mark the beginning of Gay Pride month. The LGBT Commission will host a ceremony at City Hall at 3:30 that day.

“The Pride flag is a symbol that represents Seattle’s longstanding commitment to equality”, said Mayor McGinn. “By flying the flag over Seattle City Hall we honor that commitment to leading by example in the march toward equal rights for all.”

“We are excited to be able to host this event and play a role in this historic occasion,” said Sabina Neem, Co-Chair the Seattle LGBT Commission.

Washington voters approved gay marriage last November, and the state’s first licenses were issued in December.

The Pride Flag will be flown along side the U.S. flag. It will also fly on the city hall flagpole on June 30, the day of the Pride Parade.

(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

The team announced it signed Justin Veltung, a former Puyallup High School star who later went on to play at the University of Idaho.

The 5’10″-183 pound receiver played in 43 games in college. During his tenure he snagged 62 receptions for 901 yards, eight touchdowns and returned 80 kickoffs for 1,743 yards — two of those going all the way. He left Idaho as its all-time kickoff return leader (78) and kickoff return yardage leader (1,743), and 11^th on its all-time all-purpose yardage list with 2,972 yards.

Veltung attended Seattle’s rookie minicamp on a tryout basis from May 10-12.

(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

SEATTLE (AP) — College students in Washington state say they need Congress to give them affordable student loans at a rate they can depend on, instead of a yearly debate on rising interest rates.

“The fact that it’s so unpredictable for students and their families … is pretty senseless,” Evan Smith, the student body president at the University of Washington in Seattle, said Thursday.

Smith, 21, is graduating this year with a degree in political science and said he’s found the student loan debate in Washington, D.C., academically interesting but frustrating in every other way.

“I fear that this is going to be the new normal in Congress,” said Smith, who has landed a job teaching in Chicago public schools through Teach for America.

Interest rates on new subsidized Stafford loans are set to double, from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent, on July 1. Both Republicans and Democrats say they want to avoid the increase, but they’re divided on how to do it.

Republicans have proposed a variable interest rate for future loans, based on the rate for 10-year Treasury notes plus 2.5 percentage points. That would avoid a big hike now, but rates are likely to rise in coming years.

Smith said the lack of certainty about student loan costs, plus the fact that the Washington Legislature has not yet approved a state budget and tuition rates for next school year, is adding to student stress.

Congress needs to realize this yearly back-and-forth does not just have a financial impact; it has a psychological impact as well, Smith said.

“And just like the interest on a loan, it is compounding,” he said, adding that student leaders at the University of Washington also are telling lawmakers they need to get their act together.

Student loans are keeping some young people from pursuing higher education at all, said Zach Nostdal, 28, a graduate student in public administration at the University of Washington.

He has several friends who have chosen to work in construction rather than go to college because they can make a decent wage and avoid going into debt.

Nostdal is graduating next month with $35,000 in student loans and expects to repay around $350 a month for the next 10 years. Graduate students already have been paying 7.9 percent interest on new student loans since the last congressional compromise on student debt.

The former Peace Corps volunteer, who is currently interning with a Seattle’s public utility, said his job prospects are a lot less daunting than in 2010 when he first applied for graduate school.

But Nostdal will need to make a lot more than his current take-home pay of about $1,200 a month to afford his loan payments and a place to live in a city where one-bedroom apartments average more than $1,000. He currently shares a house with four other people and pays $550 in rent.

“I feel rather fortunate compared to many of my colleagues in school,” Nostdal said, adding that his loans have an interest rate of 6.8 percent. “Students just getting into the program are far worse.”

He questions the country’s priorities.

“In general, it’s ridiculous that students are being charged 6.8 percent interest, when you can get a mortgage on a house for 3.5 percent,” Nostdal said.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.

#2 San Antonio vs #5 Memphis

Game 1 — Sun, May 19, Memphis 83, San Antonio 105

Game 2 — Tue, May 21, Memphis 89, San Antonio 93 (OT)

Game 3 — Sat, May 25, San Antonio at Memphis 9 PM ET

Game 4 — Mon, May 27, San Antonio at Memphis 9 PM ET

Game 5 – Wed, May 29, Memphis at San Antonio- Time TBD

Game 6*– Fri, May 31, San Antonio at Memphis- Time TBD

Game 7*– Sun, June 2, Memphis at San Antonio- Time TBD

Eastern Conference

#1 Miami vs. #3 Indiana

Game 1 — Wed, May 22, Indiana 102, Miami 103 (OT)

Game 2 — Fri, May 24, Indiana at Miami 8:30 PM ET

Game 3 — Sun, May 26, Miami at Indiana 8:30 PM ET

Game 4 — Tue, May 28, Miami at Indiana 8:30 PM ET

Game 5*– Thu, May 30, Indiana at Miami- Time TBD

Game 6*– Sat, June 1, Miami at Indiana- Time TBD

Game 7*– Mon, June 3, Indiana at Miami- Time TBD

Northwest Folklife Festival
May 24-27
Seattle Center
http://www.nwfolklife.org

The celebration of Seattle’s diversity brings bands from many different ethnic traditions to multiple stages across the Seattle Center grounds. Northwest Folklife creates opportunities for all to celebrate, share, and participate in the evolving cultural traditions of the Pacific Northwest. Check out the schedule at http://www.nwfolklife.org

Chateau Ste Michelle’s “Staycation”
Sunday, May 26
12:00pm – 4:00pm
14111 NE 145th Street
Woodinville, WA 98072
http://www.ste-michelle.com

Visit Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery for great wine, food, music and possibly the most beautiful collector cars you’ll ever see from Exotics@RTC. Some of the hottest local food trucks including Skillet, Snout & Co and Street Donuts. Chateau Ste. Michelle wines will be sold by the glass or visit the wine shop for all of your summer picnic needs. No Admission Fee! Food & Wine available at an additional cost.

Kitsap Harbor Festival
May 25 and 26
Bremerton Waterfront Boardwalk
Second Street and Washington Avenue
Bremerton, WA 98337
http://www.kitsapharborfestival.com

Sunday Farmers’ market, classic cars, motorcycles, regatta, music and more at the Bremerton Waterfront Boardwalk and in downtown Port Orchard.

7 Winery Tasting Tour
May 25-27
Bainbridge Island, WA
http://www.bainbridgewineries.com

A quick ferry ride will take you to Bainbridge Island, where 7 wineries are open for tours and tasting! Meet the winemakers in person at the wineries. Taste classic favorites from grapes grown east of the mountains, as well as a few island-grown delights. Enjoy the lush surroundings and a meal at one of Bainbridge’s many great island restaurants. Cheers!

Tacoma Jazz and Blues Festival
May 25
Freighthouse Square
2501 East D Street
Tacoma, WA 98421
http://www.tacomajazzandblues.org

Free parking and festival jumping off point at Freighthouse Square, which is the best place to park. Then ride the free light rail back and forth to the other venues – Harmon Brewery and Stonegate Restaurant & Bar. Great food, great jazz and blues in wonderful venues. FREE admittance!

Memorial Day Ceremony at Museum of Flight

Ceremony honoring military service with patriotic music and programs.

Monday, May 27
12:00pm – 4:00pm
FREE
Event details

Joint Base Lewis-McChord Memorial Day Ceremony

Base cemetery
Monday, May 27
11:30am
FREE

Rememberance at State Vietnam Veterans Memorial

Olympia
Monday, May 27
2:30pm

Memorial Day at Seattle Children’s Museum

Kids can learn about the significance of Memorial Day through several planned activities including creating patriotic collages and paper poppies.

Monday, May 27
10:00am – 4:00pm
FREE
Event details

Other Puget Sound-area Memorial Day Obervances

The U.S. Geological Survey said Thursday that populations of frogs, salamanders and toads have been vanishing from places where they live at a rate of 3.7 percent a year.

That puts them on a path to disappearing from half their inhabited sites nationwide in 20 years.

USGS ecologist Michael J. Adams said the alarming news is that even species thought to be doing OK are declining, though at a slower rate, 2.7 percent a year.

“These are really ancient species that have been surviving a long time on earth through all kinds of changes,” Adams said. “It’s just a concern to see.”

The data showed that species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature red list of declining species were disappearing from sites at an even higher rate, 11.6 percent a year. That would result in half the sites being unoccupied in six years. A third of amphibian species are on the red list.

“They just disappear,” Adams said. “Populations are going away.”

It has been known for a long time that amphibians are in trouble around the world from a killer fungus, habitat loss and a changing climate, but this is the first time that decline has been measured, Adams said.

“We are not making predictions,” he added. “We are just trying to document the current trend.”

Researchers plan to continue monitoring amphibians, giving scientists a way to measure how effective future efforts are in protecting and restoring the animals, Adams said

The study conducted by the USGS Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative was published Wednesday in the online journal PLOS One.

Scientists from USGS monitored hundreds of ponds, streams and other sites in 34 study areas around the country for the past nine years, returning two or three times a year to see if they were occupied and by what species. Most of the sites were on public lands with some level of protection.

“It’s troubling that even on what are basically protected areas, we are seeing declines on average,” Adams said.

Andrew Blaustein, a professor of zoology at Oregon State University not involved in the study, said the results were not surprising, because scientists have been worried about amphibians since the early 1990s.

“Now we need to continue to look at the causes, which will not be simple, because as the study suggest, they may involve factors that are not limited to local regions,” he said in an email. “Many agents, including disease, atmospheric changes, pollutants, changes in climate etc. may interact with one another.

“We should continue our efforts to save these animals because of their importance in ecosystems.”

Adams said it was difficult to help amphibians cope with something as big as climate change, but steps were being taking to remove more localized threats, such as non-native species of fish that eat amphibians.

(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

#1 Chicago vs # 7 Detroit

Game 1– Wed, May 15, Detroit 1, Chicago 4

Game 2– Sat, May 18, Detroit 4, Chicago 1

Game 3– Mon, May 20, Chicago 1, Detroit 3

Game 4– Thu, May 23, Chicago at Detroit- 8 PM ET

Game 5– Sat , May 25, Detroit at Chicago- 8 PM ET

Game 6– Mon, May 27, Chicago at Detroit-Time TBD

Game 7– Wed, May 29, Detroit at Chicago -Time TBD

#5 Los Angeles vs #6 San Jose

Game 1– Tue, May 14, San Jose 0, Los Angeles 2

Game 2– Thu, May 16, San Jose 3, Los Angeles 4

Game 3– Sat, May 18, Los Angeles 1, San Jose 2

Game 4– Tue, May 21, Los Angeles 1, San Jose 2

Game 5– Thu, May 23, San Jose at Los Angeles- 10:30 PM ET

Game 6– Sun, May 26, Los Angeles at San Jose- Time TBD

Game 7– Tue, May 28, San Jose at Los Angeles- Time TBD

Eastern Conference

#1 Pittsburgh vs # 7 Ottawa

Game 1– Tue, May 14, Ottawa 1, Pittsburgh 4

Game 2– Fri, May 17, Ottawa 3, Pittsburgh 4

Game 3– Sun, May 19, Pittsburgh 1, Ottawa 2

Game 4– Wed, May 22, Pittsburgh 7, Ottawa 3

Game 5– Fri, May 24, Ottawa at Pittsburgh- 7:30 PM ET

Game 6– Sun, May 26, Pittsburgh at Ottawa- Time TBD

Game 7– Tue, May 28, Ottawa at Pittsburgh- Time TBD

#4 Boston vs # 6 NY Rangers

Game 1– Thu, May 16, NY Rangers 2, Boston 3

Game 2– Sun, May 19, NY Rangers 2, Boston 5

Game 3– Tue, May 21, Boston 2, NY Rangers 1

Game 4– Thu, May 23, Boston at NY Rangers- 7 PM ET

Game 5– Sat, May 25, NY Rangers at Boston- 5:30 PM ET

Game 6– Mon, May 27, Boston at NY Rangers- Time TBD

Game 7– Wed, May 29, NY Rangers at Boston- Time TBD

Photo Credit Simon and Schuster

REVENGE WEARS PRADA
By: Lauren Weisberger

Revenge Wears Prada is the highly anticipated sequel to the #1 bestselling novel, novel The Devil Wears Prada. Andy Sachs is now running a successful high fashion bridal magazine with fellow ex-Miranda Priestly assistant, Emily Charlton and she’s about to be married. But Miranda, the devil herself, still haunts her every move.

For fans of: The Devil Wears Prada and Confessions of a Shopaholic

Photo Credit Simon and Schuster

THE BEST OF US
By: Sarah Pekkanen

A group of college friends reunite for a 35th birthday at a private villa in Jamaica. The once-in-a-lifetime vacation starts off smoothly – but when a hurricane approaches and tensions rise within the group, paradise hardly seems so grand. You’ll barely get up from your lounge chair as you devour this getaway-gone-wrong!

For fans of: Elin Hildebrand’s The Castaways

Photo Credit Simon and Schuster

THE NEXT BEST THING
By: Jennifer Weiner

At 23, Ruth Saunders left her childhood home in Massachusetts and headed west with her seventy-year-old grandma in tow, hoping to make it as a screenwriter. Six years later, she has hit the jackpot: the sitcom she wrote has been green lighted, and Ruthie’s going to be the showrunner. But actors, number-crunching executives, an unrequited crush on her boss, and her grandmother’s impending nuptials all threaten her Hollywood happiness. Jennifer Weiner’s latest is the perfect beach read!

For fans of: Jen Lancaster or Emily Giffin

Photo Credit Simon and Schuster

WALLFLOWER IN BLOOM
By: Claire Cook

From the bestselling author of Must Love Dogs comes an irresistible novel about one woman’s courage to take a leap into the spotlight. Deirdre Griffin’s sometime boyfriend is marrying another woman and her job as a gatekeeper to her high-maintenance, New Age guru brother is less than satisfying. In one impulsive moment, Deirdre uses her brother’s massive online following to get herself voted on as a last-minute Dancing with the Stars replacement. Try as she might, she can’t undo what she’s done, but maybe Dancing with the Stars is just what she needs to get a life all her own.

For fans of: Allison Winn Scotch or Claire Cook’s Must Love Dogs

Get more great summer reads at CBS Philly.

Oregon Public Radio reports that an unidentified woman called 911 during a weekend in August 2012 while Michael Bellah was breaking into her place. Her call was forwarded to Oregon State Police because of lay-offs at the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office only allows the department to be open Monday through Friday.

“Uh, I don’t have anybody to send out there,” the 911 dispatcher told the woman. “You know, obviously, if he comes inside the residence and assaults you, can you ask him to go away? Do you know if he’s intoxicated or anything?”

The woman told the dispatcher that Bellah previously attacked her and left her hospitalized a few weeks prior to the latest incident. The dispatcher stayed on the phone with the woman for more than 10 minutes before the sexual assault took place.

“Once again it’s unfortunate you guys don’t have any law enforcement out there,” the dispatcher said, according to Oregon Public Radio.

The woman responded: “Yeah, it doesn’t matter, if he gets in the house I’m done.”

Police say Bellah choked the woman and sexually assaulted her. He was arrested by Oregon State Police following the incident.

“There isn’t a day that goes by that we don’t have another victim,” Josephine County Sheriff Gil Gilberson told Oregon Public Radio. “If you don’t pay the bill, you don’t get the service.”

The sheriff’s department had to cut 23 deputies and the entire major crimes unit after it lost a multi-million dollar federal subsidy, according to Oregon Public Radio. There are now only six deputies left.

The sheriff’s department even put out a press release warning domestic violence victims to “consider relocating to an area with adequate law enforcement services.”

Bellah pleaded guilty to kidnapping, sex abuse and assault.

News from Our Music Stations:

K-FROG: Darius Rucker Calls Out Racist Twit(terer)

SUNNY FM: Ted Nugent’s Brother Speaks Out About Gun Control: ‘The NRA Has It Wrong’

JACK FM: Morgan Freeman Prefers Sleep To Answering Local Anchors’ Questions[Video]

KZOK: 14-Year-Old Girl Shreds On Van Halen’s ‘Eruption’ [Video]

KMPS: Brad Paisley’s Lyric Fail [Video]

KMPS: Blake Shelton Organizes Benefit Concert For Tornado Victims

(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

By Christian S. Kohl

With the Heat set to square off against the Pacers, the question on the mind of every fan is what, if anything, can manage to topple LeBron and his quest for a second title? As the feats, and really the legend of LeBron James grows ever larger, he has begun to transcend the game itself, much to the dismay of many fans. Consequently, is he, or Commissioner David Stern, the greatest villain currently in the NBA?

>>Watch More Sports Verdict Episodes Here

LeBron began truly ruffling the feathers of fans when he began his seemingly endless shopping trip of where best to take his talents. While his approach was undeniably abrasive, he has quieted any critics and answered all questions about his ability to perform at the highest level. In fact, he has done so to such a great extent, it is the sheer raw ability of James which not only irks rival fans, but has grown his legend into that of the Boogeyman. LeBron James is the looming figure every team must now overcome to have any hope of winning a ring. But let’s be honest. Of all outspoken and obnoxious figures in sports, James wouldn’t even make the top 10, and even if the irritating or even villainous aspects of his persona were magnified tenfold, every rival fan would donate a kidney to get him to sign with their organization. He has become so good that opposing fans simply have to vilify him.

In the debate between these two, in my mind there is no contest. David Stern is more a villain in the NBA than James could ever be. In the first place, the very job description of any Commissioner is to serve as the lightning rod for all league controversies – the common enemy fans, writers and owners alike can point to as the source of all blame. The longer one holds that post, the more demonized the Commissioner will become. David Stern has acted as NBA Commissioner since 1984, which is at least 20 years more than he needed to be the most evil figure in basketball even had he done everything right.

James also offers a tradeoff, which Stern cannot. Whether you love or hate LeBron, he still provides thrilling moments in the game, clutch shots, huge dunks, and a highlight reel that could run for an hour by the time his career ends. He brings unrivaled excitement and elevates the stakes of every contest. Stern can do no such thing. He is simply the Chief Suit of the NBA.

Worst of all, Stern’s actions of late simply terrify fans. His bungling of the Chris Paul trade, his sanctions against the Spurs, and his decision with the Kings leaves fans afraid his overreaching influence threatens the very integrity of the game they love. LeBron James is a superstar player who annually represents the possibility of ending the season of your favorite team. The series of controversial and erratic acts of Stern leaves fans frightened of the prospect that he may destroy basketball itself. There can be nothing so villainous or haunting as that notion. In a head-to-head comparison of the most reviled figure in the NBA, Stern wins by a landslide.

Christian S. Kohl is a sports contributor for CBS Local Digital Media.

The Tacoma Rainiers will send up catcher Jesus Sucre — Double-A back-up catcher Brandon Bantz will take his place in Tacoma.

Montero’s presence will likely not affect catcher Mike Zunino’s playing time behind the plate; Zunino is regarded as the Mariners’ catcher of the future. Instead, Montero will probably become the regular designated hitter and spend some time at first base.

The 23-year-old Montero is hitting .208 with three home runs and nine RBIs. He hit .260 with 15 homers and 62 RBIs last year in his first full season in the majors.

(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

However, even if Hibbert had been on the court it likely wouldn’t have made any difference in the final outcome of the game.

That was the message TNT NBA analyst Charles Barkley had for people after the game and it was echoed Thursday morning by NBA champion Bruce Bowen on ESPN Radio. The basic message was simple, Hibbert doesn’t have the speed or athleticism to get there to stop LeBron from getting to the basket.

Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra designed arguably the perfect play for LeBron and the Heat executed the play to perfection. Right before LeBron flashed to the top of the key to get the ball, Chris Bosh began to move slightly to the outside to draw his defender away from the basket.

Indiana had to respect Bosh’s ability to either hit a mid-range jump shot or flash to the basket for a pass from LeBron. That’s why Bosh’s defender moved out from the basket.

However, the two parts that made the play work were LeBron’s speed to the basket and Pacers forward Paul George overcommitting to one side allowing LeBron to go right past him to the basket.

Still, some said having Hibbert on the floor would have altered LeBron’s plan going to the basket. But, Indiana head coach Frank Vogel played the odds the way the season has broken down for the Pacers against the Heat.

During the regular season, when Hibbert was on the court, Miami hit approximately 50 percent of its shots in the paint versus just 40 percent when Hibbert was off the court. Plus, in the mid-range area, Miami struggled much more with Hibbert off the court, 27 percent, than when he was on the court, 47 percent.

In Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Indiana gave Miami everything they could handle and the Heat allowed the Pacers to stay in the game with horrendous free throw shooting. Still, in the end when it counted most, the Heat and Coach Spoelstra simply outexecuted Indiana.

It’s a great start to a series that will test Miami’s ability to not only win the Eastern Conference, but also how the Heat can match up against the likely Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs.

Game 2 is set for Friday night at the AmericanAirlines Arena.

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Rookie Brandon Maurer is going through some growing pains, and the Seattle Mariners are feeling ill, too.

Maurer lasted just three innings while making his first major league start near his hometown, and the Mariners fell 7-1 to the Los Angeles Angels for their season-worst sixth consecutive loss.

“Brandon’s learning so much and he’s going through what every young pitcher has to go through,” manager Eric Wedge said. “He’s going to be a heck of a big league pitcher once he figures all this out. Once he learns from it, he’ll be better — physically, fundamentally, mentally and emotionally — and all those things will settle in for him. A young starting pitcher has to go through a lot of that, and he’s right in the middle of it.”

Maurer (2-6), who was born in Newport Beach and played his high school ball a few miles away from Angel Stadium, pitched 6 1-3 innings in a 6-0 win against Los Angeles on April 25 at Seattle. But this one was much different.

Less than 24 hours after the Angels cruised to a 12-0 victory for their most lopsided shutout win ever against Seattle, Maurer retired only three of his first 15 batters and trailed 6-0 after 47 pitches.

Los Angeles scored five in the first on Josh Hamilton’s two-run single, Alberto Callaspo’s two-run double and an RBI single by Hank Conger. It could have been worse for Maurer, but Erick Aybar was thrown out trying to steal second after drawing a leadoff walk.

Mike Trout, coming off his first career cycle, tripled in the second for his sixth consecutive hit and scored on a single by Albert Pujols. Aybar made it 7-0 with an RBI single in the third.

That was the last inning for Maurer, who was charged with seven runs and 11 hits. The 22-year-old right-hander is 0-3 with an 8.50 ERA in his last four starts.

“I didn’t get the sense that he was over-amped,” Wedge said. “I know he gets frustrated from time and he’s hard on himself. Those are just young emotional things that you have to go through, but he’s got to get a better feel for how to point that in the right direction. I love the way he competes. His stuff is real good big league stuff, across the board.”

The Mariners’ 2-7 road trip, which included a four-game sweep by Wedge’s former Cleveland club, left them seven games under .500. After the game, some of the veterans initiated a closed-door clubhouse meeting.

“We just felt that it was a good time for it. It was a necessary thing to do,” said outfielder Raul Ibanez, who is in his third stint with the Mariners. “It’s important to remember all the good stuff that’s happened with us. I think we’ve got a good group of guys, guys that are going to fight and guys that are going to scratch and claw. So we’re going to be all right.”

The Mariners scored their first run against C.J. Wilson (4-3) when Brendan Ryan came home on a groundout by Michael Saunders in the eighth. That’s all that prevented them from getting shut out for the third time in four games.

“There’s no panic. I mean, panic’s not in my vocabulary, and it better not be in theirs,” Wedge said. “The coolest cat wins. We’re two series removed from winning five out of six series — and even then we didn’t feel like we were the ballclub we feel like could still be. So it’s all right there for us. We just have to go out and take it.”

Wilson struck out 10 in eight innings, allowing six hits in his longest outing since June 8, 2012 — when he also went eight innings in a 7-2 interleague victory at Colorado. The left-hander won for the first time since May 1 at Oakland after losing his previous three starts, including back-to-back 3-0 decisions against Chris Sale of the Chicago White Sox.

“Offensively, we never really got anything going here,” Wedge said. “These guys worked real hard to get back to .500, and got within a game. Then we ran into a buzzsaw in Cleveland and had a couple of tough days here. But we’re still a good ballclub and we’re going to continue to get better. We have not even come close to hitting our stride yet.”

NOTES: Mariners 1B-DH Kendrys Morales, whom the Angels traded away last December for LHP Jason Vargas, got his 500th career hit in the first inning on a single through the box and finished the day 3 for 4 with a double. … Trout, last season’s AL Rookie of the Year and AL MVP runner-up, is batting .359 with seven homers and 22 RBIs in his last 21 games since going 1 for 8 in a 19-inning loss at Oakland on April 29. He has seven hits in his last 16 at-bats, but has struck out looking seven times during that stretch.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.

A grand jury indictment accuses Matthew Ryan Buquet, 37, of mailing a death threat to U.S. District Judge Fred Van Sickle in Spokane on May 14.

A search of federal court records turned up no indication that Buquet had ever appeared before Van Sickle or had any connection to the judge.

The indictment did not mention ricin, but the FBI made the link in a news release late Wednesday, saying analysis showed the letter sent to the judge contained “active ricin toxin.”

The U.S. Postal Service said last week that two letters were intercepted — one addressed to the courthouse and the other to the downtown post office — and they contained ricin in a crude form that did not immediately pose a threat to workers.

“Our coordinated team acted swiftly to resolve a potentially dangerous situation, and continues working tirelessly around-the-clock to investigate the origin of the letters and to address any remaining, potential risks,” Laura Laughlin, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Seattle office, said in a statement.

Buquet appeared in federal court in Spokane after the FBI said agents arrested him Wednesday afternoon. He pleaded not guilty to mailing a threatening communication.

The short, balding Buquet wore dark-tinted glasses and was shackled in court. He gave brief “yes” and “no” answers to questions from U.S. Magistrate Judge Cynthia Imbrogno.

Imbrogno ordered Buquet held until a bail hearing scheduled for Tuesday. A public defender was appointed to represent him.

If convicted of mailing a threatening communication, he could face up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

U.S. Attorney Michael Ormsby declined to comment after the hearing, and little information about Buquet was immediately available.

The FBI statement added that the U.S. attorney’s office had no comment on whether additional charges might be sought.

Ricin is a highly toxic substance made from castor beans. As little as 500 micrograms, the size of the head of a pin, can kill an adult if inhaled or ingested.

There were no reports of illness connected to the Spokane letters.

Investigators in hazardous materials suits spent most of Saturday executing a search warrant at a three-story apartment building in downtown Spokane. Witnesses reported that agents escorted a man from the building.

The Spokane investigation comes a month after letters containing ricin were addressed to President Barack Obama, a U.S. senator and a Mississippi judge. A Mississippi man was arrested in that case.

___

Associated Press writer Gene Johnson in Seattle contributed to this report.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.

Tuesday’s top seed for Cleveland marks the second time in three years that the team has won the lottery; point guard Kyrie Irving was their top selection in 2011.

Although the Orlando Magic entered the lottery with the best chances of securing the top pick, they ended up with the second pick.

The rest of the NBA lottery order held to form for the most part with the Charlotte Bobcats dropping from two to four.

As the NBA lottery has been set, the following list below is the complete order for the 2013 NBA Draft:

First Round:

1. Cleveland Cavaliers
2. Orlando Magic
3. Washington Wizards
4. Charlotte Bobcats
5. Phoenix Suns
6. New Orleans Pelicans
7. Sacramento Kings
8. Detroit Pistons
9. Minnesota Timberwolves
10. Portland Trail Blazers
11. Philadelphia 76ers
12. Oklahoma City Thunder (via Toronto)
13. Dallas Mavericks
14. Utah Jazz
15. Milwaukee Bucks
16. Boston Celtics
17. Atlanta Hawks
18. Atlanta Hawks (from Houston via Brooklyn)
19. Cleveland Cavaliers (from Los Angeles)
20. Chicago Bulls
21. Utah Jazz (from Golden State via Brooklyn)
22. Brooklyn Nets
23. Indiana Pacers
24. New York Knicks
25. Los Angeles Clippers
26. Minnesota Timberwolves (from Memphis via Houston)
27. Denver Nuggets
28. San Antonio Spurs
29. Oklahoma City Thunder
30. Phoenix Suns (from Miami via L.A. and Cleveland)

Second Round:

31. Cleveland Cavaliers (from Orlando)
32. Oklahoma City Thunder (from Charlotte)
33. Cleveland Cavaliers
34. Houston Rockets (from Phoenix)
35. Philadelphia 76ers (from New Orleans)
36. Sacramento Kings
37. Detroit Pistons
38. Washington Wizards
39. Portland Trail Blazers (from Minnesota via Boston & Cleveland)
40. Portland Trail Blazers
41. Memphis Grizzlies (from Toronto)
42. Philadelphia 76ers
43. Milwaukee Bucks
44. Dallas Mavericks (pick may be conveyed to Lakers)
45. Portland Trail Blazers (from Boston)
46. Utah Jazz
47. Atlanta Hawks
48. Los Angeles Lakers (pick may be conveyed to Dallas)
49. Chicago Bulls
50. Atlanta Hawks (from Houston)
51. Orlando Magic (from Golden State via Denver & New York)
52. Minnesota Timberwolves (from Brooklyn)
53. Indiana Pacers
54. Washington Wizards (from New York)
55. Memphis Grizzlies
56. Detroit Pistons (from Clippers)
57. Phoenix Suns (from Denver via. Lakers)
58. San Antonio Spurs
59. Minnesota Timberwolves (from Oklahoma City)
60. Memphis Grizzlies (from Miami)

But given their recent track record in close-out games, the Rangers may have a few more days left in their playoff lives.

The Bruins may be up 3-0 in the series, but have struggled to close things out under head coach Claude Julien. Just last series they let a pair of potential clinchers get away after jumping out to a 3-1 series lead against the Toronto Maple Leafs, and needed a miracle comeback in the final 10 minutes of Game 7 to get to the Eastern Semis.

Read: Bruins-Rangers Game 4 Preview

Then of course, there is that 2010 collapse against the Philadelphia Flyers, when the Bruins blew a 3-0 series lead.

But the 2013 Boston Bruins aren’t living in the past. They’re focused on the task at hand.

“I think we live in the moment. You learn from the past and you live in the moment, but you don’t live in the past,” head coach Claude Julien said on Wednesday. “Right now, we’re living in the moment and I like where our team is right now; the attitude and the approach.”

“We’re not looking at it the way other people are going to look at it and try to find reasons to give New York some hope,” the coach continued. “We’re not even going there. We’re looking at the present right now, and the present is getting prepared to play a real good game (in Game 4).”

CBS New York: Rangers Focusing On First Step

The Bruins have held a 3-0 advantage 18 times in their storied history, winning all but that 2010 series against Philadelphia. Boston is 13-5 in Game 4′s when going for the sweep, and they won’t be changing much as they look to accomplish that Thursday night.

“Same as always; we’re going to have to come out hard, get up early and get some momentum going,” said forward Shawn Thornton, whose fourth line scored both of Boston’s goals in Tuesday’s Game 3 win. “We have to play the full game; it’s not over until we finish it off. They’re going to give us their best and we’re going to have to be ready for that.”

Closing out the Rangers Thursday night would give the Bruins some much-needed rest before the Eastern Conference Finals, but they aren’t thinking about any potential rest. All they’re looking at is putting together a winning effort in the next game on the schedule.

Read: Seidenberg Says ‘There’s A Chance’ He Returns In Game 4

“(Rest) would be nice but we know and we’ve learned as a team that the last one is the hardest in past years, even the last series,” said forward David Krejci. “We’ve got to get ready for tomorrow and play it just like a Game 1.”

“It’s only been three games, and these last couple – (Game 3) could have went either way,” said Thornton. “We still have some work to do; the last one is always the toughest one.”

Tune in to every Bruins playoff game on 98.5 The Sports Hub — the flagship station of the Boston Bruins. Pregame coverage begins 30 minutes before every game!

Howard has held top-seeded Chicago to only one goal in two straight games, lifting seventh-seeded Detroit to a 2-1 series lead. He was the star of the end-to-end, high-paced Game 3 the Red Wings won 4-1 on Monday night, when he became their first goalie to face at least 40 shots without giving up more than a goal in the playoffs since Greg Stefan did it 1987.

“That was probably the fastest playoff game I’ve ever been a part of,” Howard said. “I expect it just to get faster Thursday night. They’re going to step it up. We need to come even harder.”

Detroit will host Game 4 on Thursday night, shooting for a surprising win that would put Chicago on the brink of elimination.

Howard’s glove, pads and mindset give the Red Wings a shot to win every time they put on sweaters with winged wheels. Since Detroit trailed second-seeded Anaheim 3-2 in the first round, Howard has won four of five games and is averaging two goals against and 34-plus saves.

“You have to have a good goalie to go anywhere in the playoffs and we have it,” Red Wings captain Henrik Zetterberg said.

The Blackhawks seem confident they also have a netminder good enough to finish their season as strong as it started. Lately though, Corey Crawford has been shaky – or at least he hasn’t been able to overcome enough of his teammates’ mistakes in front of him.

Crawford won five of his first six games in the playoffs, shutting out Minnesota once and allowing a total of eight goals during his strong start. But he has given up a combined seven goals over the last two games after allowing one goal in the first period of the series opener.

When Chicago began its season-opening run of 24 games with at least a point backup goalie Ray Emery was 10-0 during the NHL record-breaking stretch while Crawford was injured. Emery finished the regular season 17-1 with a 1.94 goals-against average, leaving his last outing early because of a lower-body injury nearly a month ago at Edmonton.

Is Emery an option for Game 4?

“We’re not talking about that right now,” Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said Monday night. And the next day, he was succinct when asked to assess how Crawford has played the past few games.

“He’s been fine,” Quenneville said.

The Blackhawks probably don’t want to put more pressure on Crawford, but they were likely looking for more than him being “fine” in his third postseason as their No. 1 goalie.

Chicago couldn’t afford to keep Antti Niemi after he was the franchise’s backstop when it hoisted the Stanley Cup in 2010 and he beat out Marty Turco for the job the next season.

Crawford has been an impressive 82-40-18 the last three regular seasons, but a lackluster 10-11 in the playoffs. The Montreal native sounds as if he’s ready to bounce back to help the team respond well enough to avoid their first three-game losing streak since the 2011-12 season.

“We haven’t had a lot of adversity this year,” Crawford said. “We just have to dig deep and battle.”

The Red Wings, meanwhile, barely made the playoffs and they leaned on Howard a lot because their team was challenged offensively because of injuries and the retirement of Nicklas Lidstrom.

Howard had to play in 42 of 48 games during the lockout-shortened season because he didn’t have a healthy, or capable, backup for much of the season. He was 21-13-7 and tied for the league lead with five shutouts, leading to him getting a $31.8 million, six-year contract to keep him off the market as a free agent this summer.

Like Crawford, Howard has been really good during the regular season – for four seasons as a No. 1 goalie – and average in the playoffs with a .500 record going into Game 4.

In a town where the goalie is in the spotlight, win or lose, Zetterberg said Howard has the perfect temperament for the job.

“Nothing really bothers him,” Zetterberg said. “If he lets in a goal, he just flushes it and moves on.”

Copyright 2013 by STATS LLC and The Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and The Associated Press is strictly prohibited.

Sidney Crosby, Chris Kunitz and Pascal Dupuis also scored for Pittsburgh, and Tomas Vokoun made 30 saves. Down 2-1 after the first period, the Penguins scored twice in a 40-second span early in the second and added four goals in the first 10 minutes in the third.

Milan Michalek, Kyle Turris and Daniel Alfredsson scored for Ottawa. Senators goalie Craig Anderson was benched after Pittsburgh’s sixth goal, and Robin Lehner finished the game.

Game 5 is Friday night in Pittsburgh.

The Senators, coming off a double-overtime victory Sunday night in Game 3, opened the scoring on Michalek’s short-handed goal at 2:29 of the first period. With defenseman Sergei Gonchar in the penalty box, Alfredsson fed the puck up the middle to a streaking Michalek, who broke through the defense and beat Vokoun low on the glove side for Ottawa’s second short-handed goal of the series.

It was the Senators’ first lead of the series. It wouldn’t last.

Neal tied it with 5:04 left in the period, picking up the loose puck in the slot and putting it in the back of the net. Turris put Ottawa back in front off a rebound with 3:45 left in the first.

Pittsburgh tied it early in the second when Kunitz got behind the defense and went in alone to beat Anderson. Less than a minute later, Anderson gave up a rebound on Kris Letang’s shot that landed on the tape of Iginla’s stick to make it 3-2.

Neal started the third-period flurry with a power-play goal at 1:59. Dupuis added a short-handed goal at 8:07, Crosby followed at 8:39, and Iginla scored on a power play at 9:53.

Alfredsson finished the scoring with a late power-play goal for his 100th career playoff point.

RELATED LINKS:
Box Score
More Penguins News
More Sports News

(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

They have outclassed the New York Rangers all over the ice in surging to a 3-0 lead in a series that could be over Thursday.

If the Bruins start firing on all cylinders, the Rangers will have little hope of even forcing a Game 5 let alone entertaining thoughts of matching the greatest comeback in sports.

The Bruins could afford to relax Wednesday, and many of them did, as the team held an optional practice at Madison Square Garden — the site of Boston’s 2-1 comeback win a night earlier that pushed the Rangers within one loss of elimination.

HARTNETT: RICHARDS REDUCED TO PASSENGER ROLE

New York also got back on the ice at its suburban practice facility, and it was clear the sting of Tuesday night’s disheartening defeat lingered.

The Rangers are just over one week removed from back-to-back shutouts by Henrik Lundqvist in Games 6 and 7 against the Washington Capitals in the first round, but those good times feel a whole lot longer ago now.

Any kind of comeback now starts with Game 4 in New York. Three teams have recovered from an 0-3 hole to win an NHL series.

“We’re not looking at odds or anything like that,” Rangers captain Ryan Callahan said. “We’re looking at one game at home, and we’ll try to bring this thing back to Boston. That’s the only way we can look at it, to try to win one game in our building.”

The Bruins want to cut this short and not give the Rangers any reason to believe. New York trailed Washington 2-0 in the opening round and then 3-2 before advancing.

There is history hanging over Boston, including a blown 3-0 lead to Philadelphia in a series loss in 2010 and a squandered 3-1 edge in this year’s first round to Toronto before the Bruins rallied to win Game 7.

“You learn from the past, but you live in the moment. You don’t live in the past,” Bruins coach Claude Julien said. “I like where our team is right now. We’re certainly not looking at it the way other people will look at it — trying to find reasons to give New York some hope, saying ‘These guys have done this, these guys have had trouble doing this.’

“We’re certainly not even going there.”

Rangers forwards Darroll Powe and Arron Asham were on that Philadelphia team that stunned the Bruins with an epic comeback in 2010.

CBS BOSTON: BRUINS’ SEIDENBERG COULD RETURN

While several players said Wednesday they believe this series can still be won, the mantra was the same as it has been all season — following the words of coach John Tortorella that the focus must be completely on the next game.

“Obviously, we can’t win four games (Thursday) night. We have to focus on just the task at hand, which is coming out strong on our first shift,” said Powe, who is currently sidelined by injury. “We go shift by shift, we just chip away. You’ve got to try to win every shift. That’s how we’re going to get back in the series.”

The Rangers had been 3-0 at home in the playoffs and had won nine straight at Madison Square Garden, dating to the regular season.

Tuesday’s loss was their first in regulation in which they led going into the third period since February 2010.

A fluke goal with 3:31 remaining by fourth-liner Daniel Paille, who put in a puck Lundqvist never saw, made the disappointment that much greater. Boston defenseman Johnny Boychuk scored his fourth goal of the postseason earlier in the third with a shot that might have clipped forward Shawn Thornton — Paille’s bruising linemate along with Gregory Campbell.

That was enough to give the Bruins their second one-goal win of the series.

Paille had a goal and assist in Game 3 for his first points of the series. Thornton assisted on both goals, to get himself on the score sheet for the first time against the Rangers, and Campbell had an assist on the game-winner to go along with a goal he scored in Game 2.

“Hopefully it keeps going,” Thornton said of the production from the line that was put together during the 2010-11 season. “We’re trying to get back out there so we’ve got to give it everything we have. I have said it a million times, I am very fortunate to play with those two guys. They are extremely good hockey players and they would probably be on better lines than the fourth line on other teams.”

The Rangers would be happy to get offense from anywhere. After busting out in a 5-0 win in Game 7 against the Capitals, New York has been held to five total goals in three games against goalie Tuukka Rask and the rest of the Bruins.

New York seemed to lack the required energy and urgency to take advantage in Game 4. The Rangers have also failed to capitalize on an injured Boston defense that is using three rookies with success.

“I like our team,” Rangers coach John Tortorella said. “We’ve got good people. We need to have more people playing more minutes, consistently. We’ll be ready to play. I hope we get to another level of desperation. That’s not just running around all over the place, it’s about winning those battles at key times.”

While injured Bruins defensemen Dennis Seidenberg and Wade Redden continue to practice and move closer to returning, the Rangers are dealing with the loss of defenseman Anton Stralman, who got hurt when he was checked hard Tuesday night by Milan Lucic and left the game in the second period.

“Losing Stralsy is a big blow,” said Tortorella. “He puts himself in a situation there where he’s trying to make a play and gets hurt. He’s done that really through the playoffs here.”

His status for Game 4 is questionable at best. If he sits out, the Rangers could turn to Roman Hamrlik or Matt Gilroy. Marc Staal doesn’t appear ready to play because of an eye injury.

“To a defense that I think is lacking a little depth right now, it hurts us,” Tortorella said of Stralman’s injury. “We’re down 0-3. There’s no sense of feeling pressure. Players that get to play … grab a hold of it and let it happen.”

You May Also Be Interested In These Stories

• Listen To The Steve Sandmeyer Show – Thursday, May 23rd
• Seahawks Sign Former Puyallup High Star
• Sports Verdict: Who’s The NBA’s Biggest Villain? LeBron James Vs. David Stern
• Jesus Montero Demoted To Tacoma

(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

And if Quick needed any extra motivation to stop the Sharks again in the pivotal Game 5 on Thursday night, TJ Galiardi provided it.

Galiardi accused the Conn Smythe Trophy-winning goalie of exaggerating contact with opposing players Wednesday, claiming Quick attempts to draw undeserved penalties.

“What kind of bugs me about him, I don’t know if I should say it, but a little embellishment every now and then,” Galiardi said after the Sharks’ workout in San Jose. “You skate by and you don’t even touch him, or you barely even touch him, and he’s throwing his hands in the air. So that’s one of those things. It’s playoffs. Everyone is trying to draw a penalty. Whatever.”

Galiardi apparently was displeased by Quick’s reaction to an encounter during the Sharks’ 2-1 victory in Game 4 on Tuesday night, with Quick fruitlessly arguing for an interference call after Galiardi made contact with him. Galiardi’s comments added even more spice to this lively series heading back to Staples Center, where the Kings have won 12 straight games since March.

“The thing is, with video, something we like to say around here is, `Ball don’t lie,’” Galiardi said. “It’s an old basketball term, but when you watch the video, the video doesn’t lie. So I’m skating by and I barely touch him, and he’s throwing his hands in the air. It’s kind of one of those things. He looks bad on video, not me.”

Galiardi has never scored a playoff goal in his five-year NHL career, so he’s hardly the most likely candidate to challenge Quick’s postseason sportsmanship. Quick wasn’t in the Kings’ dressing room after practice at their training complex Wednesday.

The Los Angeles goalie turned in one of the most dominant playoff performances in recent hockey history for the Kings last year before following it up with another stellar postseason effort this spring. After holding St. Louis to 10 goals in the six-game first round, Quick has allowed just seven goals in four games against San Jose, stopping 122 of 129 shots in an otherwise frequently one-sided series.

Quick clearly hasn’t the problem during the Kings’ difficult defense, which now includes as many playoff losses as they took during the entire 2012 postseason. After consecutive 2-1 losses in San Jose, the Kings clearly haven’t backed up their star goalie’s efforts with consistent goal-scoring from their stars or contributions from all four lines, the offensive hallmarks of last season’s surge to the franchise’s first title.

“Recently, we all haven’t done the necessary things to score goals in the playoffs,” said first-line right wing Justin Williams, who has two goals in the postseason. “It’s pure broken record is all it is. Scorers have got to score. If they don’t score, they’ve got to create more offense. We’ve been outplayed so far, top line to top line, I feel in this series. We’re a proud bunch, but it’s still 2-2. We’re still in a good spot.”

Los Angeles has scored just one goal apiece in five of its 10 playoff games, and the Kings have managed just two even-strength goals in the last three games against San Jose. The Kings’ putative top line is struggling mightily: Captain Dustin Brown has just two goals – both on power plays – in the playoffs, and leading scorer Anze Kopitar has just one goal while getting outplayed by San Jose’s Joe Thornton.

“There’s a fine line between desperation and panic, and I’m thinking the guys we have in here will be a desperate group,” said Kings defenseman Rob Scuderi, a two-time Stanley Cup winner. “But we’re not going to do anything out of the ordinary or try to do it ourselves. … We were down 2-0 in the St. Louis series. I know it’s not as easy as everyone thinks it was last year, being up 3-0 in every series, but we have a good mentality in here, and we’re trying to stay upbeat and confident, and realize our best 60 minutes are ahead of us.”

The Kings figure they’re due to break out of their offensive skid, but Los Angeles coach Darryl Sutter also is contemplating line switches to create more offense, shuffling the mix in practice Wednesday. Los Angeles has spent much of the series barely surviving against San Jose’s forecheck and high-volume offense, frequently pinned in its own end for long stretches of all four games, particularly in the opening period.

“We’ve got to come out and have a great start,” Kings defenseman Robyn Regehr said. “That’s where it all needs to be focused for us. Just come out and have a good start, play the way we know we can right off the bat, and go from there.”

The Sharks are radiating confidence with two straight wins following Los Angeles’ late heist of Game 2 with two power-play goals in the waning seconds. San Jose is two wins away from its third conference finals appearance in four years, but only if the Sharks manage to crack the Kings’ formidable advantage at Staples Center.

“They’re a great team. They’re the champs,” Thornton said. “They’ve been good on home ice all year, but we feel like our game is getting better and better, and each series keeps getting better. I don’t know if there’s an advantage or not. It’s just we’ve got to go into L.A. now and win one.”

While the Kings’ sellout crowds can be tough, the Sharks are confident they can pick up right where they left off with a few minutes to go in Game 2 before Los Angeles’ electric comeback.

“They stick around,” San Jose defenseman Dan Boyle said of the Kings. “That’s why going after that second and third goal is really important. It’s one of those teams where sitting on a one-goal lead is probably not going to cut it. We need to do a better job of scoring the next one, and the next one after that.”

AP Sports Writer Josh Dubow in San Jose, Calif., contributed to this report.

An MRI revealed the tear, the Daily News reported. The team previously announced Anthony would have the shoulder examined.

Anthony first hurt his shoulder on April 14 against the Indiana Pacers. Now it seems he played the entire Knicks playoff run — 12 games — with a partial tear.

SIMS: SHOULDER WOES MORE THAN WARNING SIGN

“It was bothering me since it happened,” Anthony said Monday. “To be able to play with that and get through the pain, it just came a point where you just try not to think about it. That’s where I was at mentally.”

He aggravated the injury in the first round against Boston. After the Celtics series, a banged-up Anthony said his arm “just kind of popped in and out a little bit.”

The team is “hopeful” that Anthony won’t need surgery, telling the NBA’s scoring champ to take it easy “for the next three to four weeks” until he can be reevaluated, the Daily News reported.

New York was eliminated Saturday by the Pacers.

You May Also Be Interested In These Stories

• Listen To The Steve Sandmeyer Show – Thursday, May 23rd
• Seahawks Sign Former Puyallup High Star
• Sports Verdict: Who’s The NBA’s Biggest Villain? LeBron James Vs. David Stern
• Jesus Montero Demoted To Tacoma

All current Washington health plans provide abortion insurance. Stephanie Marquis, a spokeswoman with the Washington state Office of the Insurance Commissioner, said the plans without such coverage in the health exchange were recently filed by Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of The Northwest and BridgeSpan Health Company.

A spokesman for Kaiser said it mistakenly omitted abortion coverage in its filings and is moving to correct the error. A spokeswoman for BridgeSpan said the company has been reassessing and making changes to its plans and intends to include coverage for abortion services.

The proposals set off frustration among advocates who have been pressing for a new state law to secure abortion coverage for all Washington health plans. Elaine Rose, the CEO of Planned Parenthood Votes Northwest, said it is evidence of the need for lawmakers to make it clear that abortion should be covered.

“What’s going to happen next year, or the year after that or the year after that?” Rose said. “Are we going to constantly be at the whims of insurance carriers changing their minds?”

Opponents of the abortion insurance law have long argued that it’s unnecessary since all the plans in the state have been providing abortion coverage. Advocates have been worried that plans may change due to new rules that create more administrative burdens for insurers when they cover abortions.

The insurance commissioner’s office has also supported the law.

“Any time you don’t have something written into law, there’s a chance it won’t be covered,” Maquis said.

(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

Listen to the 3:00 p.m. hour HERE.

Listen to the 4:00 p.m. hour HERE.

Listen to the 5:00 p.m. hour HERE.

According to cbssports.com, Ray, who was at one time expected to be the Orioles’ “closer of the future,” now runs Center of the Universe Brewing Company of Ashland, Virginia with his brother Phil.

Though Seattle is considered one of the best beer regions in the country, we can’t really take all the credit for fueling Ray’s desire to brew craft beer. The brothers started out as home brewers before Chris went pro. Phil earned a master’s degree in mechanical engineering and worked for Honeywell in Florida before moving to Virginia, according to RichmondBizSense.com. Chris, on the other hand, is the creative brains of the operation.

Ray Ray’s Pale Ale (COTUbrewing.com)

Ray says he and his brother decided to open the brewing company after Chris’ baseball travels showed him Ashland was in need of a microbrewery.

-Chris Coyle, 1090 The Fan

(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. CBSSports.com contributed to this report.)

DETROIT (AP) — Jimmy Howard’s cat-quick reflexes in net and easygoing nature out of it are big reasons the Detroit Red Wings are on a roll.

Howard has held top-seeded Chicago to only one goal in two straight games, lifting seventh-seeded Detroit to a 2-1 series lead. He was the star of the end-to-end, high-paced Game 3 the Red Wings won 4-1 on Monday night, when he became their first goalie to face at least 40 shots without giving up more than a goal in the playoffs since Greg Stefan did it 1987.

“That was probably the fastest playoff game I’ve ever been a part of,” Howard said. “I expect it just to get faster Thursday night. They’re going to step it up. We need to come even harder.”

Detroit will host Game 4 on Thursday night, shooting for a surprising win that would put Chicago on the brink of elimination.

Howard’s glove, pads and mindset give the Red Wings a shot to win every time they put on sweaters with winged wheels. Since Detroit trailed second-seeded Anaheim 3-2 in the first round, Howard has won four of five games and is averaging two goals against and 34-plus saves.

“You have to have a good goalie to go anywhere in the playoffs and we have it,” Red Wings captain Henrik Zetterberg said.

The Blackhawks seem confident they also have a netminder good enough to finish their season as strong as it started. Lately though, Corey Crawford has been shaky — or at least he hasn’t been able to overcome enough of his teammates’ mistakes in front of him.

Crawford won five of his first six games in the playoffs, shutting out Minnesota once and allowing a total of eight goals during his strong start. But he has given up a combined seven goals over the last two games after allowing one goal in the first period of the series opener.

When Chicago began its season-opening run of 24 games with at least a point backup goalie Ray Emery was 10-0 during the NHL record-breaking stretch while Crawford was injured. Emery finished the regular season 17-1 with a 1.94 goals-against average, leaving his last outing early because of a lower-body injury nearly a month ago at Edmonton.

Is Emery an option for Game 4?

“We’re not talking about that right now,” Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said Monday night. And the next day, he was succinct when asked to assess how Crawford has played the past few games.

“He’s been fine,” Quenneville said.

The Blackhawks probably don’t want to put more pressure on Crawford, but they were likely looking for more than him being “fine” in his third postseason as their No. 1 goalie.

Chicago couldn’t afford to keep Antti Niemi after he was the franchise’s backstop when it hoisted the Stanley Cup in 2010 and he beat out Marty Turco for the job the next season.

Crawford has been an impressive 82-40-18 the last three regular seasons, but a lackluster 10-11 in the playoffs. The Montreal native sounds as if he’s ready to bounce back to help the team respond well enough to avoid their first three-game losing streak since the 2011-12 season.

“We haven’t had a lot of adversity this year,” Crawford said. “We just have to dig deep and battle.”

The Red Wings, meanwhile, barely made the playoffs and they leaned on Howard a lot because their team was challenged offensively because of injuries and the retirement of Nicklas Lidstrom.

Howard had to play in 42 of 48 games during the lockout-shortened season because he didn’t have a healthy, or capable, backup for much of the season. He was 21-13-7 and tied for the league lead with five shutouts, leading to him getting a $31.8 million, six-year contract to keep him off the market as a free agent this summer.

Like Crawford, Howard has been really good during the regular season — for four seasons as a No. 1 goalie — and average in the playoffs with a .500 record going into Game 4.

In a town where the goalie is in the spotlight, win or lose, Zetterberg said Howard has the perfect temperament for the job.

“Nothing really bothers him,” Zetterberg said. “If he lets in a goal, he just flushes it and moves on.”

___

Follow Larry Lage on Twitter: http://twitter.com/larrylage

(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

“I know I’m blessed to be going to the Eastern Conference finals for my fifth time,” Wade said. “But I would like a lot more in my career. It’s a good thing. We’ve been very successful in my tenure here. But I want more.”

For Wade and Udonis Haslem, this marks five East finals appearances in nine years. For LeBron James, it’s a fifth trip to this round in the past seven years, now three straight with Miami after a pair of trips to the East finals with Cleveland.

On the flip side, the Indiana Pacers haven’t been to the conference finals in years and only one player on the team has ever even played in a conference finals game. Backup center Ian Mahinmi played 71 seconds in a game in the 2011 Western Conference Finals.

Still, the Pacers have no fear when they look at the mountain that is the Miami Heat standing in their path to a bid in the NBA Finals. The Pacers won two of three meetings against the Heat this season and both teams expect the series to be physical.

For the Heat, the key will be managing the Pacers’ big men around the basket. Indiana lines up 7’2” center Roy Hibbert and 6’9” power forward David West and will want to attack Miami’s lack of bulk down low.

Last year, the Heat countered the Pacers by utilizing a smaller lineup that ended up propelling Miami to the NBA championship. The Heat will have an added weapon this year in the form of center Chris Bosh who missed much of last year’s playoff run against Indiana.

What Bosh will do is challenge Hibbert to either leave the lane and cover him on the outside, or, leave the Heat center open for jumpers on the outside. If Hibbert chooses the former, he opens up lanes for LeBron James and Dwyane Wade to attack. If Hibbert stays inside, then he allows Bosh to attack with his jump shot.

Defensively, the Heat’s big challenge will be to keep West from getting going down low while also protecting the perimeter against Paul George and George Hill in check on the outside.

The Pacers’ starting lineup includes George, West, Hibbert, Hill, and guard Lance Stephenson. The Pacers will be without forward Danny Granger for the rest of the playoffs.

The Heat will counter with its traditional starting lineup of LeBron James, Udonis Haslem, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, and Mario Chalmers. Miami doesn’t have anyone listed on the injury report, but Wade’s knee will be an issue for the rest of the playoffs.

If Wade is near 90 to 100 percent, the Heat may be unstoppable when it comes to the Eastern Conference Finals and the NBA Finals. However, if Wade is not able to play at his normal level, Miami could be vulnerable against a young and improving Pacers squad.

The tipoff for Wednesday night’s Game 1 is expected to happen around 8:30 p.m. and can be seen either in person at the AmericanAirlines Arena or on television on TNT.

With Game 3 tied 1-1 in the third period, Boston turned to it’s fourth line — dubbed the “merlot line” — for an injection of energy. The line’s havoc had already led to Boston’s first goal — a rocket off the stick of defenseman Johnny Boychuk — and their strong forecheck and desire to cause a downtown-like traffic jam in front of the net put Boston on top for good with just 3:31 left to play.

Gregory Campbell stepped up and delivered a slapper on Henrik Lundqvist, which deflected off the netminders mask and straight up in the air. When the puck returned to the ice it danced along the line, but changed directions before crossing into the goal. It looked as though it had taken a Rangers’ bounce, as Lundqvist had no idea where the puck was.

It nearly trickled out of harm’s way.

That was until Daniel Paille rushed in and took a swing at it, sending it to the back of the net and putting Boston on top 2-1.

“I felt the pressure when we were on them and had a perfect view of it from the corner. I thought it was going to bounce in but it went the other way somehow,” Paille explained after the game. “Lundqvist didn’t know where it was and I was able to come around the net and out-battle the player with it; I think we hit at the same time and it hit off my stick and went in.”

After less-than-stellar showings in Games 1 and 2, Lundqvist was on his game Tuesday night. He was stuffing breakaway bids and turned away nearly all rebounds, so those funky goals were Boston’s best chance to put one — or two — past him.

“It was one of those nights where he was on his game and you could see the confidence he had throughout the game,” said Paille. “The goals that went in, there really wasn’t much he could do; there was a screen on one and a redirect on another. We tried to do as much as we could but it wasn’t going to be one of those where you beat him clean.”

Now Boston finds themselves one win away from returning to the Eastern Conference Finals for the second time in the last three seasons. But after nearly letting a 3-1 lead slip away last series to the Toronto Maple Leafs, and that 2010 collapse against the Philadelphia Flyers still in the back of their minds, the Bruins know their work is far from over.

“We’re confident going in for the series, but it’s not over. I’ve been in this situation before and seen it go the other way,” said Paille. “For us, we have to have the instinct to play as hard as we did tonight. They’re going to be a team that does not want to lose that way.”

Game 4 is Thursday night in New York.

Tune in to every Bruins playoff game on 98.5 The Sports Hub — the flagship station of the Boston Bruins! Pregame coverage begins 30 minutes prior to each game.

In one photo, the man looks to be sitting on the roof peering down into CenturyLink Field at night. Another picture shows a man sitting on top of the Space Needle during the time when the roof was painted Galaxy Gold. It’s not clear whether the photos are real or edited images or if it’s even the same man, but the pictures apparently got the attention of the Seattle Seahawks. According to KIRO TV, the Seahawks retweeted one of the pictures with the caption, “Whoa,” but that post was later deleted.

The man or men in the pictures has not come forward and or been identified.

According to KIRO TV, the Space Needle officials didn’t know about the pictures until after they were posted, so the man presumably did not have permission to be there. KIRO TV says Seattle police are investigating.

(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. KIRO TV contributed to this report.)

BICKLETON, Wash. (AP) — A freak snowstorm in May gave students a surprise day off on Wednesday in the Cascades town of Bickleton.

Ten to 12 inches fell overnight within a 5- or 6-mile radius in the Klickitat County community at an elevation of about 3,000 feet.

“You go down the hill and get out of it,” schools Superintendent Ric Palmer said of the snow.

The heavy snow brought down tree branches on power lines, taking out electricity and phone service, Palmer said from home, where he was using generator power.

He said it was the lack of power at school rather than the snow that forced him to cancel classes. Still, it marked the first snow day of the school year, after only a few delays caused by snow during the winter.

“Yeah, they love it,” Palmer said about his students. He noted, however, that they will have to make up the time before classes end next month.

About 170 students attend kindergarten through 12th grade in one building in Bickleton.

Utilities should be restored and classes were likely to resume on Thursday.

A recorded message about the freak snow on the school phone line had an incredulous tone: “I repeat it’s Wednesday, May 22, and we have had to cancel school.”

A couple of inches of snow also fell on 3,100-foot Satus Pass on Highway 97 between Goldendale and Toppenish, the sheriff’s office reported. But no significant problems were reported.

The Paradise ranger station at Mount Rainier recorded nearly a foot of snow overnight and the snow level dropped to near 2,000 feet, the National Weather Service said.

More mountain snow was expected on Thursday, forecasters said, but showers elsewhere should diminish and temperatures turn moderate through the Memorial Day weekend.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.

While appearing on the local Fox affiliate’s morning show, Q13 Fox News This Morning, Freeman, 75, appears to begin nodding off after a followup question asked by anchor Bill Wixey — less than a minute into the interview.  As his co-star Michael Caine answers Wixey’s question in further detail, Freeman falls deeper into a snooze, gently nodding as Caine speaks. At roughly a minute into the interview, it is apparent Freeman is having trouble staying awake and is seen leaning forward, bowing his head.

The interview eventually cuts away to video clips of the film before returning to a shot of the two actors again. It is here where Morgan is seen completely slouched over.

Freeman has not yet commented on the incident.

(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

But John Tortorella’s message isn’t going to change even though his Rangers are in an even more desperate situation than before their latest loss to the Boston Bruins.

The margin of error went from slim to none in an uncharacteristic home loss that put the Broadway Blueshirts on the brink of elimination.

New York squandered a one-goal lead in the third period and lost 2-1 on Tuesday night to fall into an 0-3 series hole. The Rangers can be ousted by the Bruins as early as Thursday in Game 4 at home.

“We’ll meet (Wednesday), practice, and we’re going to try to win a game,” Tortorella said. “That’s all you can do. Down 3-0, it’s a very tough situation, but I have full faith in our athletes. They will be ready to play another game.

“You try to win one and see where you go from there.”

After two losses in Boston, the Rangers seemed headed toward getting back into it. They had won nine straight at Madison Square Garden, dating to the final six games of the regular season, and hadn’t lost in regulation when leading after two periods in more than three years.

But defenseman Johnny Boychuk tied it 3:10 into the third and Daniel Paille scored the winner with 3:31 remaining to push the Bruins to the verge of the Eastern Conference finals.

Only three NHL teams have rallied from an 0-3 hole to advance. However, the Philadelphia Flyers did it to the Bruins in 2010.

“We haven’t talked about history at all,” Tortorella said. “We just try to go about our business.”

Bruins coach Claude Julien discussed it briefly, but only when asked about the collapse three years ago and another near one in the first round this year when Toronto nearly eliminated Boston after trailing the series 3-1.

“We can talk about it all we want, but that’s in the past,” Julien said. “We had to live with that and we still have to live with that.”

The Bruins did some rallying of their own in that one, erasing a three-goal deficit in the third period of Game 7 before winning in overtime.

“The Toronto series, I didn’t think our team was in the zone the way it is right now,” Julien said. “I anticipate — knowing my team — that we’re going to come out the same next game and certainly not be the Jekyll and Hyde team that we were in the first round.”

The Bruins shook off the 2010 collapse and swept Philadelphia in the conference semifinals the following year before going on to win the Stanley Cup.

The Rangers haven’t been swept since New Jersey did it to them in 2006 in the first round.

“You can’t look at it as you have to win four games,” said Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist, who stayed down on his knees for several moments after Paille’s goal. “You just have to focus on the next one. The season is on the line, so you have to leave everything out there.

“We definitely have to give everything right now, mentally and physically, and put it out there on Thursday.”

Boychuk tied it with his fourth of the playoffs after he netted just one in 44 regular-season games.

Boston thought it had grabbed the lead seconds before Paille scored when a shot deflected off the mask of Lundqvist, popped up in the air and landed on the goal line. Lundqvist couldn’t find it before Paille swooped in from behind the net and poked in the puck.

Taylor Pyatt had made it 1-0 in the second period for the Rangers, who were outscored 8-4 in two games at Boston. Lundqvist was sharp in making 32 saves. He bounced back well after allowing five goals in the Game 2 loss.

“You have to be pretty happy with the situation right now,” said Tuukka Rask, who made 23 saves for Boston. “We were really happy with our effort. I think this was our best defensive effort in a long, long time. We just have to stay calm, keep playing our style of hockey, and good things will happen.”

The Rangers again couldn’t get their power play untracked, failing in both of their chances and dropping to 0-for-10 in the series. New York has only two power-play goals in 38 opportunities during these playoffs.

Boychuk was credited with the tying goal after the puck appeared to deflect into the net off Rangers defenseman John Moore.

The game turned rougher moments later when New York forward Chris Kreider was struck under his visor by the stick of Boston’s Tyler Seguin, who was following through on a shot just inside the blue line. Seguin was then clipped in the exchange by the stick of Rangers defenseman Steve Eminger.

Shortly after, Bruins forward Patrice Bergeron had a cut over his eye that left his white jersey bloodstained. No penalties were called on any of the plays.

New York took just its second lead of the series 3:53 into the second period when Pyatt deflected in a shot by defenseman Ryan McDonagh.

Lundqvist shined in the second, making a pad stop on Seguin about 6 1/2 minutes in, stretching across to knock away a drive by rookie defenseman Torey Krug — who scored in each of the first two games of the series — and then bringing the crowd to its feet with a lunging glove snare of Gregory Campbell’s slap shot from the left circle with 8:24 remaining.

That got the Bruins even in shots (15-15) before they outshot New York 8-1 the rest of the second.

The Rangers got off to a sluggish start after losing the opening faceoff, and didn’t mount any kind of early surge fueled by the excited home crowd. New York didn’t carry the puck into the Boston end until 1:35 had elapsed.

New York got trapped in its end more and more as the game went on, and got caught there again on the winning goal.

“They just kept us in the end zone, bouncing around, and Paille beat our defenseman back to the net and scored the goal,” Tortorella said. “We just didn’t spend enough time in their end zone.”

The Rangers picked up their play and built a 6-1 edge in shots, including scoring opportunities on Rask. New York earned the first power play of the night, however it was as ineffective as it has been throughout the postseason.

The tide turned back to the Bruins’ favor just before the midway point in the period, starting with a partial breakaway after New York turned over the puck at the Boston blue line. Chris Kelly raced ahead with the puck and was stopped in tight by Lundqvist when he tried a backhanded shot.

Shawn Thornton was also denied when he came in alone on Lundqvist with 8:46 left in the period, and Jaromir Jagr couldn’t score, either, when he got a pair of whacks at the puck that the New York goalie turned aside.

The Bruins’ surge gave them an 8-7 edge in shots, but Boston finished the period trailing 11-9.

“We were down but we weren’t playing that poorly,” Bruins captain Zdeno Chara said of the team’s third-period mindset. “We needed to stay aggressive, try to tie the game. We just wanted to get pucks to the net. We did that and we were rewarded.”

NOTES: The Rangers didn’t yield a power-play chance for the second straight home game. … New York D Anton Stralman was injured in the second period and didn’t return. … Since Boston trailed 4-1 in Game 7 against Toronto, Rask has allowed five goals in four-plus games.

You May Also Be Interested In These Stories

• Listen To The Steve Sandmeyer Show – Thursday, May 23rd
• Seahawks Sign Former Puyallup High Star
• Sports Verdict: Who’s The NBA’s Biggest Villain? LeBron James Vs. David Stern
• Jesus Montero Demoted To Tacoma

(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

SEATTLE (AP) — The woman who limped into a downtown Seattle coffee shop said she’d been shot in the leg — a statement that brought police cars and fire trucks rushing to the scene.

Traffic was shut down on a nearby street Tuesday afternoon as police searched for a shooter, although no one in the coffee shop had heard a shot.

As Seattle police later reported on their website, that’s because there was no gunshot. As medics treated the woman, police determined that she had been carrying a kitchen knife in her purse. Although sheathed, the knife had managed to puncture both the purse and the woman’s leg.

As the Seattle police blotter noted: “Sometimes Crimes Solve Themselves.”

The woman was taken to a Seattle hospital for treatment.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.