Energy News Digest for March 18, 2010

All the links in today’s news digest lead to current stories. Please note that some media organizations update their web sites regularly, which may result in broken links in the future.

To subscribe, email jmyer@masonpud3.org

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

·         Seattle City Light Audit - Are Rate Games Being Played?

·         Seattle City Council to Vote on Electric Hike

·         Montana - Flathead Electric Looks for Future Power

·         Montana - Plan to Pool BPA Power Sounds Alarm Bells

·         Columbia River – Feds Say Crescent Bar RVs Have to Go

·         FERC Opposes Crescent Bar Residents - Public Comment Period Starts March 29

·         Baker City Herald Editorial – Electrical Transmission: Ante up, Idaho Power

·         Southern Montana Electric Cooperative to Keep Its Meeting Closed

·         California Regulators Hear Public Power Bill Testimony

·         California Plumas Sierra Rural Electric Coop Announces Layoffs

·         Power Suppliers Oppose Connecticut Rate Relief Bills

·         Australia – 64% Rate Hike: State Faces Big Electricity Bill Hike

·         Troutman Sanders Grows to Portland

·         If You Modernize the Electricity Grid, Will Consumers Care?

·         Scientists Probe Missing Fraser River Salmon Stock Mystery: It’s the Orcas

·         Low Pesticide Levels Found Near Salmon

·         Saving the Oyster in Willapa Bay

·         Clallam PUD Sets Up Sewer District for Carlsborg

·         Meetings Set to Discuss Chehalis River Flood Plan

·         Oregon Governor Declares Drought in Klamath Basin

·         Capitol Lake Mud Snails Withstand Salt Water Bath

·         Nebraska - Bill Will Open Door to Out-of-State Wind Farmers

·         First Ted Turner Backed Solar Project Slated for New Mexico

·         Olympian Editorial - Legislation Is a Boost to Fluorescent Light Recycling

·         Australia - Insulation Inspector Survives Electric Shock

·         Biomass Bric-A-Brac - Wood Stove Owner Fighting Burn Fine

·         Michigan - Convicted Embezzler Given Green Jobs Tax Break, Then Arrested

·         Washington State Legislature OKs Server Farm Tax Exemption

·         How the FCC’s Exciting New Broadband Plan Is a Fraud

·         Bellevue Makes Its Bid for Google Broadband

·         Cities Vie to be Test Community for Super-High-Speed Internet

·         Sacramento-Area Towns Get Creative to Win Google Network

·         Flint Journal Columnist - Making Googly Eyes at Google

·         Pennsylvania - Businessman Wants Wilkes-Barre to be Google Test City

·         North Mason Residents Voice Frustration with Lack of Progress on Belfair Bypass

·         Bathroom Blaze in North Mason Home Causes $10,000 in Damage

·         Union Builder Helping in Haiti

WORD OF THE DAY

Glower • \GLOW-er (sounds like SHOWER)\ • verb - To look or stare with sullen annoyance or anger

Fred’s gaze was all encompassing. His glower seemed to dare anyone to mention his just realized “open barn door” moment during his speech at the annual shareholder’s meeting of the “Always Zipped Silent Zipper Company”.

WEATHER

Shelton Forecast & Weather Alerts

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/mapclick.php?textfield1=47.213805&textfield2=-123.113412&site=all&smap=1&searchresult=shelton%2c%20wa%2c%20usa

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Seattle City Light Audit - Are Rate Games Being Played? (Crosscut Seattle)

http://crosscut.com/2010/03/18/energy-utilities/19680/

Seattle City Council to Vote on Electric Hike (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2011373314_citycouncil18.html?syndication=rss

Montana - Flathead Electric Looks for Future Power: Portland-based Pacific Northwest Generating Cooperative is top option (Daily Interlake, Kalispell, MT)

http://www.dailyinterlake.com/news/local_montana/article_3c4e3da4-3230-11df-accb-001cc4c002e0.html

Montana - Plan to Pool BPA Power Sounds Alarm Bells (Whitefish Pilot, MT)

http://www.flatheadnewsgroup.com/articles/2010/03/18/whitefishpilot/news/news_8731153321_01.txt

Columbia River – Feds Say Crescent Bar RVs Have to Go (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2010/mar/17/crescent-bar-rvs-have-to-go-feds-say/

FERC Opposes Crescent Bar Residents - Public Comment Period Starts March 29 (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/articles/2010/03/17/news/doc4ba1623ea504d326872380.txt

Baker City Herald Editorial – Electrical Transmission: Ante up, Idaho Power

http://www.bakercityherald.com/Editorials/Ante-up-Idaho-Power

Southern Montana Electric Cooperative to Keep Its Meeting Closed (Billings Gazette, MT)

http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/montana/article_468db6d0-3250-11df-9850-001cc4c002e0.html

California Regulators Hear Public Power Bill Testimony (Business Week)

http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9EH3LEG4.htm

California Plumas Sierra Rural Electric Coop Announces Layoffs (Plumas County News, CA)

http://www.plumasnews.com/index.php/home/6747--plumas-sierra-rural-electric-coop-announces-layoffs

Power Suppliers Oppose Connecticut Rate Relief Bills (Reuters)

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN1713609520100317?type=marketsNews

Australia – 64% Rate Hike: State Faces Big Electricity Bill Hike (News Limited, Australia)

http://www.news.com.au/business/breaking-news/state-faces-big-electricity-bill-hike/story-e6frfkur-1225842308763

Troutman Sanders Grows to Portland - office will at first focus on helping electric & natural gas utilities (Atlanta Business Chronicle)

http://atlanta.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2010/03/15/daily52.html

If You Modernize the Electricity Grid, Will Consumers Care? (CNET News)

http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-20000671-54.html

FISH & WILDLIFE

Scientists Probe Missing Fraser River Salmon Stock Mystery: It’s the Orcas (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

http://www.timescolonist.com/technology/Scientists+probe+missing+salmon+stock+mystery+orcas/2693528/story.html

Low Pesticide Levels Found Near Salmon (Associated Press)

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2010/03/18/943874/fish-low-pesticide-levels-found.html

Saving the Oyster in Willapa Bay (The Daily News, Longview, WA)

http://tdn.com/news/local/article_96f72b60-3232-11df-943b-001cc4c03286.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Clallam PUD Sets Up Sewer District for Carlsborg (KONP Radio, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.konp.com/local/5600

Meetings Set to Discuss Chehalis River Flood Plan (The Daily World, Aberdeen, WA)

http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2010/03/17/local_news/doc4ba117524d392059742398.txt

Oregon Governor Declares Drought in Klamath Basin (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

http://news.opb.org/article/6937-kulongoski-declares-drought-klamath-basin/

Capitol Lake Mud Snails Withstand Salt Water Bath - Only 12 percent of creatures die in experiment (Olympian, WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/2010/03/18/1176113/mud-snails-withstand-salt-water.html

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Nebraska - Bill Will Open Door to Out-of-State Wind Farmers (Lincoln Journal Star, NE)

http://journalstar.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/article_800a3806-3206-11df-b1f8-001cc4c03286.html

First Ted Turner Backed Solar Project Slated for New Mexico (Earth Techling)

http://www.earthtechling.com/2010/03/first-ted-turner-backed-solar-project-slated-for-new-mexico/

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Olympian Editorial - Legislation Is a Boost to Fluorescent Light Recycling

http://www.theolympian.com/2010/03/18/1176155/legislation-is-a-boost-to-fluorescent.html

Australia - Insulation Inspector Survives Electric Shock (Canberra Times, Australia)

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/local/news/general/insulation-inspector-survives-shock/1779750.aspx

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Biomass Bric-A-Brac - Wood Stove Owner Fighting Burn Fine (KING-TV, Seattle)

http://www.king5.com/news/local/Wood-stove-owner-fighting-burn-ban-fine-88245217.html

Michigan - Convicted Embezzler Given Green Jobs Tax Break, Then Arrested (Associated Press)

http://www.kcautv.com/Global/story.asp?S=12161431

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Washington State Legislature OKs Server Farm Tax Exemption (Associated Press)

http://www.keprtv.com/news/local/88332417.html

How the FCC’s Exciting New Broadband Plan Is a Fraud (Nieman Watchdog)

http://www.niemanwatchdog.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=background.view&backgroundid=00439

GA-GA OVER GOOGLE

Bellevue Makes Its Bid for Google Broadband (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

http://blog.seattlepi.com/microsoft/archives/198455.asp?source=pimail

Cities Vie to be Test Community for Super-High-Speed Internet (NW Public Radio)

http://www.nwpr.org/07/HomepageArticles/Article.aspx?n=7010

Sacramento-Area Towns Get Creative to Win Google Network (Sacramento Bee, CA)

http://www.sacbee.com/2010/03/18/2615269/sacramento-area-towns-get-creative.html

Flint Journal Columnist - Making Googly Eyes at Google

http://blog.mlive.com/flintjournal/aheller/2010/03/making_googly_eyes_at_google.html

Pennsylvania - Businessman Wants Wilkes-Barre to be Google Test City (Scranton Times-Tribune, PA)

http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/business/businessman-wants-wilkes-barre-to-be-google-test-city-1.687861

GENERAL NEWS

North Mason Residents Voice Frustration with Lack of Progress on Belfair Bypass (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.net/news/1639-residents-voice-frustration-with-lack-of-progress-on-belfair-bypass

Bathroom Blaze in North Mason Home Causes $10,000 in Damage (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/mar/17/bathroom-blaze-in-north-mason-home-causes-10000/?partner=RSS

Union Builder Helping in Haiti (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/mar/17/union-builder-helping-haiti/?partner=RSS

DIVERSIONS

Burglar Caught After Using Store Computer to Update MySpace

http://www.king5.com/news/local/Burglar-caught-after-using-store-computer-to-update-MySpace-88434732.html

Ellensburg Couple Buys Their Dream Home & Unearths Dumpsite

http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=12158544

Celebrate the iPad’s Launch by Sculpting Steve Jobs’ Head in Cheese

http://consumerist.com/2010/03/celebrate-the-ipads-launch-by-sculpting-steve-jobs-head-in-cheese-1.html

Hacker Disables More Than 100 Cars Remotely

http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2010/03/hacker-bricks-cars/

SONG OF THE DAY

Clint Black - The Galaxy Song

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oT7bAuOz8ao

Energy News Digest for March 17, 2010

All the links in today’s news digest lead to current stories. Please note that some media organizations update their web sites regularly, which may result in broken links in the future.

To subscribe, email jmyer@masonpud3.org

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

·         Mason County PUD No. 3 Going Forward with Moving All Operations to John’s Prairie

·         Cleanup Begins After High Winds Rip Through Western Wash.

·         Power Still Out in North & South Kitsap

·         Satsop-Area Power Plant Seeks Energy Boost

·         Chelan PUD Thinks Forward Sales Offer Stability

·         Stringing Power Lines - Chopper Stops Traffic at Washington-Oregon Borde

·         Ice Harbor Lock & Dam Awaits Fish-Friendly Turbine Parts

·         New Contract Seeks Safer Turbine for Fish

·         Grant PUD Starts Archeology as Part of Dam Relicensing Requirements

·         Idaho Power Seeks 1.26 Percent Rate Increase

·         Idaho Energy Assistance Program out of Money

·         Montana - Arch Coal Bids $86 Million on Otter Creek

·         Wyoming’s Crash Program to Develop ‘Green’ Coal

·         Tennessee Valley Authority Raising Rates Again in April

·         Feds Move to Protect Smelt; Recovery Plan Will Take Years to Develop

·         Newly Protected Pacific Smelt Goes by Many Names

·         Orcas Have Big Brains to Go With Their Brawn

·         Asian Carp: How One Fish Could Ruin the Great Lakes

·         Why Solving the Asian Carp Problem Is So Hard

·         Seattle Power Outage Causes Sewage Spill into Puget Sound

·         Okanogan County - Normally Dry Region Enjoying Snowy Winter

·         Thin Snowpack Has Farmers Worried Throughout the Northwest

·         State Finds Sewer District Failed to Comply With Bid Laws

·         Suit Filed Against Expansion of Moses Lake Solar Plant

·         Oregon - Board Has Big Ideas for Power on a Small Scale

·         California - Medicine Lake Geothermal Leases Questioned in Appeal

·         Iowans Lose Money on Wind-Energy Venture

·         Massachusetts - Wind Breaker: Two Blades Snapped off Turbine at Peck’s Boats

·         Snohomish PUD Says Conservation Efforts Save Customers Millions

·         Intel Powers Its Way inside the Smart Grid

·         US Chamber Petitions EPA to Reconsider Greenhouse Gas Endangerment Finding

·         Battle over California Climate Change Law Takes Shape as Warring Parties Reveal Funding

·         Green Energy Business Grows 11 Percent

·         Green MBA Appeal - Save Green, Make Green

·         United Kingdom - “Act on C02” Posters Banned by Advertizing Watchdog

·         Washington Senate OKs Data Center Tax Exemption

·         Seattle Times Editorial - Broadband, a Basic Utility for the 21st Century

·         What You Need to Know About the National Broadband Plan

·         Seattle Ready for FCC’s Fiber-Optic Plan

·         Lake Wenatchee Residents Clamor for Fiber

·         Fairpoint Still Fighting Rural Maine Broadband Expansion

·         Horizon Data Center Solutions Expands in Virginia

·         Stat Shot: Google’s Growing Infrastructure Advantage

·         The Bing Blue Color That’s worth $80 Million

·         Utah - Google Gamble Looks to Upstage Cable Companies

·         Iowa - Mason City YouTube Video to Woo Google

·         Pennsylvania - Pittsburgh to Make Its Pitch for Google Broadband

·         Washington’s February jobless rate increases to 9.5 percent

·         Go Here for Links to the Wash Rates for Individual Counties

·         Missing Union Man Possibly Found in Lewis County

·         Washington Secretary of State Diagnosed With Cancer

·         Charges Filed in Clallam County Treasurer’s Office Theft Case

·         Five in Custody in Medical Marijuana Home Invasion

·         Stimulus Money in Washington Flowing to Second Tier Projects

·         Weather - Preferred Location Announced for New Coastal Doppler

WORD OF THE DAY

Archetype • \ARK-kih-type\ • noun - The original pattern or model of which all things of the same type are representations or copies: prototype; also: a perfect example

The fanboys gathered around the booth of the “graphic novel” author in the seething crowd at the local comic-con. “Dude…this art sets a new standard for action heroes,” bellowed the de facto leader of the group, pushing his taped glasses back up his nose. “Even the archetypical Superman comic can’t compare.” The artist figuratively rolled his eyes, thankful for the $50 per autograph fee he was charging to his amped up fans.

WEATHER

Shelton Forecast & Weather Alerts

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/mapclick.php?textfield1=47.213805&textfield2=-123.113412&site=all&smap=1&searchresult=shelton%2c%20wa%2c%20usa

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Mason County PUD No. 3 Going Forward with Moving All Operations to John’s Prairie (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.net/news/1626-pud-3-going-forward-with-moving-all-operations-to-johns-prairie

Cleanup Begins After High Winds Rip Through Western Wash. (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

http://www.king5.com/news/local/Cleanup-begins-after-high-winds-rip-through-Western-Wash-88173172.html

Power Still Out in North & South Kitsap (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/mar/17/power-still-out-north-and-south-kitsap/?partner=RSS

Satsop-Area Power Plant Seeks Energy Boost - Company wants to expand gas plant operation that started in 2008 (Olympian, WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/2010/03/17/1174894/plant-seeks-energy-boost.html

Chelan PUD Thinks Forward Sales Offer Stability (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2010/mar/16/pud-thinks-forward-sales-offer-stability/

Stringing Power Lines - Chopper Stops Traffic at Washington-Oregon Border (KNDU-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=12150576

Ice Harbor Lock & Dam Awaits Fish-Friendly Turbine Parts (Tri-City Herald, WA)

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2010/03/17/942148/ice-harbor-awaits-fish-friendly.html

New Contract Seeks Safer Turbine for Fish - Advanced technology will shape prototype for Snake, Columbia dams (Bonneville Power Administration)

http://www.piersystem.com/go/doc/1582/498455/

Grant PUD Starts Archeology as Part of Dam Relicensing Requirements (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/articles/2010/03/16/news/doc4ba004e801022853974644.txt

Idaho Power Seeks 1.26 Percent Rate Increase - Request comes after complaints over winter bills (Magic Valley Times-News, Twin Falls, ID)

http://www.magicvalley.com/news/local/article_326f5269-3e65-5891-b935-aff4852fa19d.html

Idaho Energy Assistance Program out of Money (NW Public Radio)

http://www.nwpr.org/07/HomepageArticles/Article.aspx?n=7001

Montana - Arch Coal Bids $86 Million on Otter Creek (Helena Independent Record, MT)

http://www.helenair.com/news/article_718c8cbc-3188-11df-a7e9-001cc4c002e0.html

Wyoming’s Crash Program to Develop ‘Green’ Coal (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/03/17/17climatewire-wyos-crash-program-to-develop-green-coal-18583.html

Tennessee Valley Authority Raising Rates Again in April (Chattanooga Times Free Press, TN)

http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2010/mar/16/tennessee-tva-raises-rates-again-april/

FISH & WILDLIFE

Feds Move to Protect Smelt; Recovery Plan Will Take Years to Develop (The Daily News, Longview, WA)

http://tdn.com/news/local/article_8d8fcde4-3187-11df-816c-001cc4c002e0.html

Newly Protected Pacific Smelt Goes by Many Names (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

http://news.opb.org/article/6931-newly-protected-pacific-smelt-goes-many-names/

Orcas Have Big Brains to Go With Their Brawn (Los Angeles Times, CA)

http://www.latimes.com/news/science/environment/la-na-orca-brains17-2010mar17,0,6696321.story?track=rss

Asian Carp: How One Fish Could Ruin the Great Lakes (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2010/0316/Asian-carp-how-one-fish-could-ruin-the-Great-Lakes

Why Solving the Asian Carp Problem Is So Hard (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2010/0316/Why-solving-the-Asian-carp-problem-is-so-hard

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Seattle Power Outage Causes Sewage Spill into Puget Sound (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2011362089_sewer17m.html?syndication=rss

Okanogan County - Normally Dry Region Enjoying Snowy Winter (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2010/mar/17/normally-dry-region-enjoying-snowy-winter/

Thin Snowpack Has Farmers Worried Throughout the Northwest (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

http://news.opb.org/article/6921-thin-snowpack-has-farmers-worried-throughout-northwest/

State Finds Sewer District Failed to Comply With Bid Laws (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2010/mar/17/state-finds-sewer-district-failed-to-comply-with/

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Suit Filed Against Expansion of Moses Lake Solar Plant (Puget Sound Business Journal)

http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2010/03/15/daily18.html

Oregon - Board Has Big Ideas for Power on a Small Scale: The Rogue River Valley Irrigation District may use an irrigation canal to make electricity & offset costs (Ashland Daily Tidings, OR)

http://www.dailytidings.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20100316%2FNEWS02%2F3160304

California - Medicine Lake Geothermal Leases Questioned in Appeal (Siskiyou Daily News, Yreka, CA)

http://www.siskiyoudaily.com/news/x673421766/Medicine-Lake-geothermal-leases-questioned-in-appeal

Iowans Lose Money on Wind-Energy Venture (Des Moines Register, IA)

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20100316/BUSINESS/3160377/-1/campaign08right/Iowans-lose-money-on-wind-energy-venture

Massachusetts - Wind Breaker: Two Blades Snapped off Turbine at Peck’s Boats (Barnstable Patriot, Hyannis, MA)

http://www.barnstablepatriot.com/home2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=20579&Itemid=152

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Snohomish PUD Says Conservation Efforts Save Customers Millions (Everett Herald, WA)

http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20100317/NEWS01/703179801/-1/rss02

Intel Powers Its Way inside the Smart Grid (C/NET News)

http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-20000570-54.html

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

US Chamber Petitions EPA to Reconsider Greenhouse Gas Endangerment Finding (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/03/16/16greenwire-us-chamber-petitions-epa-to-reconsider-greenho-18205.html

Battle over California Climate Change Law Takes Shape as Warring Parties Reveal Funding Sources (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/03/16/16greenwire-battle-over-calif-climate-change-law-takes-sha-53612.html

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Green Energy Business Grows 11 Percent (Portland Business Journal)

http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2010/03/15/daily10.html

Green MBA Appeal - Save Green, Make Green (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2011362025_greenmba.html?syndication=rss

United Kingdom - “Act on C02” Posters Banned by Advertizing Watchdog (Reuters)

http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE62G00U20100317

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Washington Senate OKs Data Center Tax Exemption (Associated Press)

http://www.theolympian.com/2010/03/16/1174465/wa-senate-oks-data-center-tax.html

Seattle Times Editorial - Broadband, a Basic Utility for the 21st Century

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/editorialsopinion/2011361593_edit17broad.html?syndication=rss

What You Need to Know About the National Broadband Plan (Broadband Reports)

http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/What-You-Need-To-Know-About-The-National-Broadband-Plan-107389

Seattle Ready for FCC’s Fiber-Optic Plan (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

http://www.mynorthwest.com/?nid=11&sid=299219

Lake Wenatchee Residents Clamor for Fiber (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2010/mar/16/lake-wenatchee-residents-clamor-for-fiber/

Fairpoint Still Fighting Rural Maine Broadband Expansion (Broadband Reports)

http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Fairpoint-Still-Fighting-Rural-Maine-Broadband-Expansion-107401

Horizon Data Center Solutions Expands in Virginia - More sites, including West Coast, planned (Dallas Business Journal)

http://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/stories/2010/03/15/daily17.html

Stat Shot: Google’s Growing Infrastructure Advantage (GigaOM)

http://gigaom.com/2010/03/17/stat-shot-googles-growing-infrastructure-advantage/

The Bing Blue Color That’s worth $80 Million (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/microsoftpri0/2011361493_mix10_the_bing_blue_color_thats_worth_80_million.html?syndication=rss

GA-GA FOR GOOGLE

Utah - Google Gamble Looks to Upstage Cable Companies (Salt Lake Tribune, UT)

http://www.sltrib.com/Business/ci_14687216

Iowa - Mason City YouTube Video to Woo Google (Globe-Gazette, Mason City, IA)

http://www.globegazette.com/articles/2010/03/16/news/latest/doc4b9fe3156ae56938884539.txt#vmix_media_id=11687881

Pennsylvania - Pittsburgh to Make Its Pitch for Google Broadband (Pittsburgh Business Times)

http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/stories/2010/03/15/daily26.html

GENERAL NEWS

Washington’s February jobless rate increases to 9.5 percent (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2011358517_apwawashjobless1stldwritethru.html?syndication=rss

Go Here for Links to the Wash Rates for Individual Counties (Washington Dept. of Employment Security)

http://www.workforceexplorer.com/cgi/dataanalysis/?PAGEID=148

Missing Union Man Possibly Found in Lewis County (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.net/news/1625-missing-union-man-possibly-found-in-lewis-county

Washington Secretary of State Diagnosed With Cancer (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2010/mar/17/washington-secretary-state-diagnosed-cancer/

Charges Filed in Clallam County Treasurer’s Office Theft Case (KONP Radio, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.konp.com/local/5596

Five in Custody in Medical Marijuana Home Invasion (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

http://www.kirotv.com/news/22854577/detail.html

Stimulus Money in Washington Flowing to Second Tier Projects “…work was being done for a lot less & it’s that money that’s now flowing into second & third tier projects…” (KING-TV, Seattle)

http://www.king5.com/news/local/Stimulus-money-in-Washington-flowing-to-second-tier-projects-87846912.html

Weather - Preferred Location Announced for New Coastal Doppler (KELA Radio, Centralia, WA)

http://www.kelaam.com/pages/localnews?Preferred-Location-Announced-for-New-Coa=1&blockID=198407&feedID=410

DIVERSIONS

NJ Woman Attempting to Become World’s Fattest Lady

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/nj_woman_attempting_to_become_world_pco3O4qPWiCg3yjEWaxx9N

Massachusetts Dentist Accused of Using Paper Clips in Root Canals

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100317/ap_on_fe_st/us_paper_clips_dentist

A New William Shakespeare Play? Long Lost Play to be Published.

http://www.csmonitor.com/From-the-news-wires/2010/0316/A-new-William-Shakespeare-play-Long-lost-play-to-be-published

Toyota Mystery Deepens: Could Space Radiation be the Culprit? (Maybe it’s a loose Thetan?)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2011361800_toyota17.html?syndication=rss

SONG OF THE DAY

The Chieftans - Star of the County Down

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcXppktSpZc