News Digest for September 18, 2007

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.

WORD OF THE DAY

Thesaurus • \thih-SOR-us\ • noun – *1: treasury, storehouse 2a: a book of words or of information about a particular field or set of concepts; especially: a book of words and their synonyms b: a list of subject headings or descriptors usually with a cross-reference system for use in the organization of a collection of documents for reference and retrieval

“You’re a regular walkin’, talkin’ thesaurus,” Albert told his friend Erasmus. “Pshaw,” exclaimed Razzy. “You flatter me; exalt me to a higher plane; exaggerate my lexicogical skills; etcetera, etcetera, etcetera…”

WEATHER
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/total_forecast/index.php?minlon=-124.8&maxlon=-120.57&minlat=46.2&maxlat=49.33&mapwidth=354&map.x=144&map.y=269

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Ethics panel dismisses complaints against Clatskanie PUD –The Oregon Government Ethics Commission on Friday dismissed complaints against members of the Clatskanie PUD Board for executive sessions that critics say violated the state's open meetings law. (The Daily News, Longview)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2007/09/18/area_news/news08.txt

Avista to lower natural gas prices in Washington, Idaho (Associated Press via the Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/220524.html

South Dakota – Utilities withdraw from power plant project. Two Minnesota utilities have withdrawn support for a coal-fired power plant project. (Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/stories/2007/09/17/daily10.html?ana=from_rss

Building a Dam in a Bid to End Afghan Instability (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/18/world/asia/18dam.html?ex=1347768000&en=096b31516339610c&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

News Release – Electricity Coalition Urges FERC to Keep Focused Scope of Rulemaking, Not Disrupt Effective Existing Market Structures. COMPETE, a coalition representing 171 electricity stakeholders, including customers, suppliers, generators, transmission owners, trade associations and economic development corporations, filed comments with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) urging the commission to continue its efforts to make energy markets more efficient and open to competition. (Electric Energy Online)
http://www.electricenergyonline.com/IndustryNews.asp?m=1&id=74034

Energy Pulse Commentary – Snow White vs. Green Goddess. Energy mirror on the wall, who's the greenest of them all? For years it seemed to be natural gas: no SOX, no NOX, no waste disposal problem.
http://www.energypulse.net/centers/article/article_display.cfm?a_id=1566

WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT

News Release – USA. Senator Reid requests salmon passage at Hells Canyon Dams. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), has asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to require fish passage at the Hells Canyon Complex on the Snake River as a condition of renewing the dams' federal operating license. (BYM Marine Environment News)
http://www.bymnews.com/news/newsDetails.php?id=15419

Sept. 17 Rocky Barker's blog: Reid's entry in to Northwest salmon-dam politics comes as Craig pushed out – Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s demand to federal energy regulators that they require fish passage on the Hells Canyon dams when they get a new license has salmon advocates cheering. But just as they warn Congress against passing a rider that they say would limit the amount of water flushed out of Idaho to aid salmon, they are backing Nevada Democrat Reid for mostly other reasons. (The Idaho Statesman)
http://www.idahostatesman.com/localnews/story/160778.html

Alarm sounds for young Coho – Juvenile Coho salmon are disappearing at an alarming rate before they can migrate out of South Sound, according to a three-year study by the Squaxin Island tribe. (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/220263.html

Columbia River will close to Chinook retention in WA, OR – Effective on Wednesday, sport fishermen on the Columbia River will be required to release any Chinook salmon they catch below the Bonneville Dam for the remainder of the season. (The Columbian)
http://www.columbian.com/news/state/APStories/AP09182007news199069.cfm?newsletter=1

Anglers stage ‘fish-in’ to protest late season – Dozens of Harbor-area sport fishermen staged a “fish-in” at Morrison Riverfront Park in Aberdeen Sunday to protest the late opening of the fall Coho salmon run in the Chehalis River. (The Daily News, Aberdeen)
http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2007/09/17/local_news/02news.txt

Conservation overkill? To Protect Cutthroat, the South Fork of the Flathead to be Poisoned. The west slope cutthroat trout. It sounds like the most drastic of measures—killing an entire natural fishery in order to replace it with another. (New West, Missoula)
http://www.newwest.net/city/article/bpa_mfwp_set_to_begin_hybrid_trout_removal_next_month/C8/L8/

Jefferson County – Big crowd douses clean water district hearing. A public hearing Monday on a proposed clean water district for East Jefferson County was postponed after only a few comments were heard - all in opposition. (Peninsula Daily News)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070918/NEWS/709180304

Wealthy newcomers drive up sewer bills for all – Residents of northern Clackamas County can expect sewer bills to rise nearly 50 percent in the next year or two and much more later, mainly to subsidize people moving into some of the wealthiest and fastest-growing suburbs in Oregon. (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/118999951464490.xml&coll=7

Water rule open houses slated – The rule sets limits for new exempt wells in rural areas. Homeowners, real estate agents, builders and others concerned about a new water rule can quiz experts and regulators on the topic this week at a pair of open houses. (Walla Walla Union-Bulletin)
http://www.union-bulletin.com/articles/2007/09/17/local_news/local01.txt

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Recyclers Used to Burning Rubber Are Now Idling – A new industry that recycles old tires into fuel, saving companies millions of dollars and reducing a billion-tire national stockpile, is in limbo after a U.S. appeals court tossed out some federal clean-air rules. (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/17/AR2007091701879.html?nav=rss_business

CONSERVATION

State of California regulators propose developing energy self-sufficiency by 2020 – All new housing developments in California should be so energy-efficient by the year 2020 that they could produce all the power they need on their own, state regulators proposed Monday. (San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/09/18/BUMKS7VTF.DTL&feed=rss.business

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Suit Blaming Automakers Over Gases Is Dismissed – The courts do not have the authority or the expertise to decide injury lawsuits concerning global warming, a federal judge in San Francisco ruled yesterday in dismissing a suit brought by the State of California against six car companies. (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/18/us/18pollute.html?ex=1347768000&en=31c69b1fa287de5c&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Qwest on cusp of city cable – Cable TV competition may finally be coming to Portland (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/business/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/business/1190048102144840.xml&coll=7

Google threat comes in no uncertain terms – The dozens of entrepreneurs gathered for an exclusive high-tech conference Monday all hope to dazzle the crowd with their ingenuity. (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/332045_googlechallenger18.html?source=rss

GENERAL NEWS

SHELTON MAN FOUND DEAD IN HENDERSON INLET – A Shelton man was found dead in Henderson Inlet Monday. According to Thurston County Coroner Gary Warnock, 44-year-old Robert E. Hope was found tangled in the lines of a dinghy tied to a small sailboat that washed up Monday afternoon. A kayaker found Hope. An autopsy is schedule for today but the Thurston County Sheriff's Office says there was nothing suspicious about Hope's death. (KMAS Radio, Shelton)

Thieves Black Out Silverdale Intersection – Thieves stole wire from a traffic signal at Newberry Hill Road just off Highway 3 early Monday morning. (Kitsap Sun, may require free registration)
http://kitsapsun.com/news/2007/sep/17/thieves-black-out-silverdale-intersection/

Lobbyists owe rent, will leave Capitol – Group faces $15,000 bill. Lobbyists have lost their office privileges at the state Capitol — at least until they pay back rent. (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/news/story/220227.html

DIVERSIONS

Men, wash your hands: one-third don't in bathroom – The gender gap has widened when it comes to hygiene, according to the latest stakeout by the "hand-washing police. " One-third of men didn't.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2003889812_dirtyhands18.html

Someone Tries to Sell Belgium on eBay – Hidden among the porcelain fox hounds and Burberry tablecloths on sale at eBay.be this week was an unusual item: "For Sale: Belgium, a Kingdom in three parts ... free premium: the king and his court (costs not included)."
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2007/09/18/international/i072241D19.DTL&feed=rss.news

Nebraska State Senator Sues God – The defendant in a state senator's lawsuit is accused of causing untold death and horror and threatening to cause more still. He can be sued in Douglas County, the legislator claims, because He's everywhere.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/17/AR2007091701500.html?nav=rss_politics