ROY, WA — You can’t miss noticing the Wilcox Mill in Roy as you enter the city in the dark. Bright lights have it illuminated like a Disney castle. There are three cranes on site, two which were operating this evening to hold up the listing grain silos so crews could begin to suction away the spilled feed and hopefully soon recover the missing Wilcox employee.

At 9 p.m. the temperature was about 20 degrees. Tents are set up for workers, law enforcement, engineers and officials from Labor and Industries. The work will continue throughout the night as family members wait in a vigil nearby.

Television trucks sit across the street awaiting news. The vacant lot west of the main street is full of vehicles of those working on the situation. Grain trucks sit idly in the lot, waiting for the time they can load once again; Railroad cars are at a standstill on the tracks; Fire and Rescue vehicles line Warren Street.

Rhine equipment operators took a break and dashed across the McNaught (SR507) to grab a hot cup of coffee. In the air, a cloud of dust wafted up as corn was being suctioned. It will be another long night in Roy.

Prayers for all those who work and wait in the bitter cold.