Northwest News

Not as many people are dying from prescription drug overdoses in Washington, but heroin abuse appears to be spiking higher. Those figures come from an annual report on drug abuse in the state. Researchers studied death reports, police reports, help-line phone calls and treatment records. And the picture this year shows heroin is making a comeback. Use of the drug peaked in the 90s, but since then it's been mostly confined to aging drug-addicts.

An Alaska man accused of murdering an elderly Chehalis couple in 1985 is awaiting extradition to Lewis County, Wash. Police say the arrest of Rick Riffe of King Salmon, Alaska, closes a cold case investigation that spans 26 years.

Fire officials are reporting that a wildfire burning in the southeast corner of Oregon has grown to nearly 300,000 acres. That's about 10 times larger than it was Tuesday. Crews had built fire lines on three sides, only to have that work undone with a burst of erratic winds. Temperatures in the area have hovered around 100 degrees and are expected to continue through the rest of the week.

Later this month, the Lucky Friday Mine in north Idaho will begin rehiring workers. It closed seven months ago for federally mandated safety improvements. Inspectors took a sharper look at the mine after a series of tragic accidents last year. Now, as the mine prepares to re-open, the family of one dead miner is speaking out for the first time. The family of Larry Marek told correspondent Jessica Robinson they believe the company still hasn’t taken responsibility for what happened.

The family of a miner who was killed last year in Idaho’s Silver Valley is speaking out for the first time. In interviews with public radio, the family of Larry Marek says the the mine’s owner, Hecla Mining, hasn’t taken responsibility for its role in the tragedy. Correspondent Jessica Robinson has more.