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Appreciative Crowd Awaits President Obama In Oso

Austin Jenkins
/
Northwest News Network

Snohomish County first responders are gathering in the Oso fire house for an appearance by President Barack Obama.

The President's visit coincides with the one month anniversary of the massive landslide that killed 41 people. Two remain missing.

Obama is meeting privately with family members of victims. Earlier the President flew over the slide zone in Marine One to see the devastation.

Among those gathered at the fire house is the Chief of the State Patrol, the first state trooper on the scene of the slide, AmeriCorps volunteers and FEMA representatives. The president is scheduled to speak to the crowd just before 4 p.m. local time.

One of several first responders at the fire station says it has been a terribly emotional month in this community, but he is grateful the president has come to see the slide destruction and to meet with members of this "Oso Strong" community.

Since January 2004, Austin Jenkins has been the Olympia-based political reporter for the Northwest News Network. In that position, Austin covers Northwest politics and public policy, as well as the Washington State Legislature. You can also see Austin on television as host of TVW's (the C–SPAN of Washington State) Emmy-nominated public affairs program "Inside Olympia."