Flags to be at half-staff Wednesday

Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire has directed that flags at all Washington state agency facilities be lowered to half-staff
Wednesday, Nov. 4, in memory of U. S. Army Chief Warrant Officer Three Niall D. Lyons, 40, of Spokane, who died this week in Afghanistan of injuries sustained when his helicopter crashed.

Flags should remain at half-staff until close of business Wednesday, or first thing Thursday morning, Nov. 6.

Congress amended the U.S. Flag Code to give governors the authority to lower flags when a state resident in the military is killed in the line of duty. For more information, visit the governor's Web site on flag lowering at http://www.governor.wa.gov/flag.