After the dust cleared on Tuesday night after eight games in the District 1 4A softball tournament in Monroe, Marysville-Pilchuck and the host Bearcats were able to punch their ticket to the state tournament.

The Tomahawks and Bearcats, lower seeds from the Wesco 4A North, both qualified for the state tourney by winning twice on Tuesday at Sky Valley Park and making the district title game. The top two teams from the district automatically qualify for state, which is May 25-26 in Spokane.

Marysville-Pilchuck, the #3 seed from the Wesco 4A North, made it to the final by beating Kamiak 6-3 in the first game and Wesco 4A North champion Arlington 2-1 in the semifinals. Monroe, the Wesco 4A North's #4 seed, beat Wesco 4A South champion Cascade 7-0 in their first game, then held off Snohomish, the #2 seed from the North, 11-8 in the semifinals.

The first round scores from Tuesday were:

• Arlington 6, Edmonds-Woodway 0
• Marysville-Pilchuck 6, Kamiak 3
• Snohomish 15, Jackson 5
• Monroe 7, Cascade 0

The semifinal results were:

Kristi Lloyd is a one man army.

On a recent afternoon, she laid out her plan of attack: boots on the ground, ammo in her bag, and her weapon of choice -- a Canon.

Kristi Lloyd is a one man army, and her battle on this day: capturing the homefront while a sailor is overseas.

"If I could offer them a little piece of joy to help the months pass along -- so that they could always have those moments captured -- I think that's the very least we could do," she said.

Lloyd, of West Seattle, is one hundreds of photographers nationwide who participate in a program called Operation Love ReUnited, pairing those behind the lens with those who give the ultimate sacrifice.

On a sunny day in South Lake Union, Lloyd meets Bri Rousseau of Everett for the very first time. Two steps ahead of Rousseau are her two young girls: Georgia, 6, and Graycee, 2, decked out in red, white, and blue, and bursting with energy like Independence Day fireworks.

Everett Transit has updated its proposed service changes for August, with five public meetings set to discuss the changes.

The first one is Tuesday night at Everett Station from 6-7 p.m., with another meeting from 9:30-10:30 a.m. at the Carl Gipson Senior Center in downtown Everett.

After the five meetings, the Everett City Council will take up the proposal at its June 6 meeting. The council will likely hear final comments at that meeting, which will also consider a fare increase in January from 75 cents to $1. Sunday service would also be preserved, but at a reduced level.

The changes have been proposed to try and make up a budget shortfall at the city agency, having brought in $3 million less in tax revenue in 2011 than in 2008, with less expected in 2012. Initial meetings were held in March and April, with Everett Transit adjusting its initial proposal to try and reflect some of the concerns made at the earlier meetings.