State happy with mail voting as final ballots are counted

Tuesday was ballot certification day for Washington's 39 counties, the beginning of a constitutionally mandated process that will conclude Dec. 7 when the governor and the secretary of state bless the state's 2006 general election returns.

Across the state, county canvassing boards examined hard-to-decipher ballots individually and decided which would count. By late afternoon, Clark County's canvassing board was still working its way through about 100 problematic ballots, racing a 5 p.m. deadline, according to state elections director Nick Handy. Statewide, 331 ballots remained to be accounted for with an hour to go. Clark County made its deadline.

On Dec. 7, Secretary of State Sam Reed will certify the returns from judicial, legislative and federal races, and Gov. Chris Gregoire will certify the statewide ballot measure results.

"It's largely a ceremonial event," Handy said.

Once the returns are certified, automatic recounts will begin in two elections.The state's squeaker is a contest between Blair Brady and Mark Linquist for Wahkiakum County commissioner. Linquist drew 890 votes, Brady 889. MORE>>

Estrada voices his pleasure - Catcher happy with trade to Brewers

Johnny Estrada readily admits that he is outspoken, to the point of sometimes riling his teammates. But he's not about to apologize for it.

"I know how to win; I'm passionate about winning," said the 30-year-old catcher, one of three players acquired by the Milwaukee Brewers from Arizona over the weekend. "Maybe sometimes I voiced that too much, when things were not going well."

Whether that feistiness led to Estrada's exit from Arizona after one season or not, the Brewers considered him the key to the deal that also netted starting pitcher Claudio Vargas and reliever Greg Aquino. The Brewers completed that trade by sending left-hander Doug Davis and minor-leaguers Dana Eveland and David Krynzel to the Diamondbacks.

Estrada, who batted .302 with 11 homers and 71 RBI in 115 games in 2006, had not heard the Brewers were interested in him. But he did expect to be traded. MORE>>

I'm happy Mum is in good hands

When Christine Snow was looking for a care home for her 96-year-old mother, the priority was to find somewhere nearby and where her mother would be happy.

Christine found the perfect accommodation the White Lodge care home in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, only one-and-a-half miles from her home.

"It's a lovely place and the staff are delightful," says Christine, 71, who now spends most of her time doing voluntary charity work for the Red Cross, Age Concern and the local Marlow Cottage Hospital.

But having settled her mother, Dorothy Jones, Christine and her husband, John, a 62-year-old semi-retired university lecturer, turned their attention to how they would pay the steep 41,000-a-year care bill. MORE>>