News Digest for October 10, 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

Betwixt • \bih-TWIKST\ • adverb or preposition – between

Isn’t it redundant, superfluous, and repetitious to say something is betwixt and between?

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

Tacoma foundry blast may delay Stehekin turbine job – Fallout from Sunday's dramatic tanker-truck explosion at a Tacoma foundry will be felt as far away as the remote town of Stehekin on the northwest tip of Lake Chelan, a Chelan County PUD official said Monday. (Wenatchee World)
http://www.wenworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071009/NEWS04/710090031/1001

News Tribune Opinion – Basalt + CO2 = clean coal? Let’s hope so. Coal-burning power plants would not seem to have a bright future in a world worried about global warming.
http://www.thenewstribune.com/opinion/story/175336.html

Utah – Groups appeal plant expansion. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's decision to let a coal-fired power plant expand has three conservation groups appealing the permit (Casper Star-Tribune)
http://www.casperstartribune.net/articles/2007/10/10/news/regional/8eeccabece9bedab8725736f0073d0eb.txt

EPA's record settlement with utility could lead to other deals – AEP agreed Tuesday to spend $4.6 billion to install pollution controls on 16 power plants. (Christian Science Monitor)
http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/1010/p25s04-usgn.html

News Release – More Americans Support Building Power Plants According to New Survey from Saint Consulting. Data Also Shows Wind Farms Most Preferred Power Plant (PR Newswire via Yahoo! Finance)
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/071010/20071010005919.html?.v=1

British Columbia – Hydro rates could get big boost, one expert fears fees could go up by 15%. Nanaimo's Ian Gartshore is concerned electrical rates for B.C. Hydro's residential customers could be hiked 10 times higher than what was originally recommended. (Times-Colonist, Victoria, BC)
http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/story.html?id=0e29ca70-984a-4070-9878-e4e2d6695035&k=17141

Snoqualmie Pass junction boxes welded shut to stop copper theft (Associated Press)
http://www.examiner.com/a-981285~Snoqualmie_Pass_junction_boxes_welded_shut_to_stop_copper_theft.html?cid=rss-Washington_Headlines

California – City repairs traffic signal after thieves steal wire. Police say metal thefts damage lights, cause traffic congestion and high repair bill (Contra Costa Times)
http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_7135476?nclick_check=1

Aquila shareholders vote for sale to Great Plains (Kansas City Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/stories/2007/10/08/daily15.html?ana=from_rss

Report shows industry ramping up debit and credit card acceptance options – With consumers increasingly using credit and debit for everyday purchases, utilities are pumping up electronic options to cater to "generation plastic" (Utility Automation & Engineering)
http://uaelp.pennnet.com/display_article/307446/22/ARTCL/none/none/Report-shows-industry-ramping-up-debit-and-credit-card-acceptance-options/

Willamette Week “Murmurs” – Some mid-level staff shuffling in Gov. Ted Kulongoski’s office. The guv’s energy adviser, Peter Cogswell , leaves for the Bonneville Power Administration; Kulongoski’s general counsel, David Reese , will take a post at Portland State University. And his transportation advisor, Chris Warner , heads off to the Oregon Department of Transportation. A gubernatorial spokesperson says no replacements have been named yet.

North Carolina – Celebrating public power: Kinston utility officials have planned a number of ways to reach out to the community this week as the city observes Public Power Week. (Knight Ridder Tribune Business News, via PowerMarkets.com)
http://powermarketers.netcontentinc.net/newsreader.asp?ppa=8knpp%5E%5CgefowsrXSmk%23%3A%40%24bfem%5Ev

Game Maker Joins Forces With Energy Company – Marking a new form of collaboration between the entertainment industry and corporations seeking to highlight a social or political agenda, Electronic Arts, the No. 1 video game publisher, plans to announce today that it has collaborated with BP, the energy company, in developing the latest installment of the hit SimCity computer game series. (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/10/arts/10sims.html?_r=1&ex=1349755200&en=68ca80dbc80703fe&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin

WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT

Fisheries service endorses recovery plan – Federal authorities have released a final plan for restoring populations of Chinook salmon, steelhead and bull trout on the upper Columbia River. (The Associated Press, via the News Tribune, Tacoma)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/northwest/story/175348.html

Oregon fisheries must take new look at Coho – A federal judge Tuesday smacked down an attempt by Oregon and the federal government to keep the Oregon coast coho salmon off the endangered species list. (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1191984941137200.xml&coll=7

Hunting and fishing debated as ecotourism activities – Sustainability is the key, tour operators in Canada and the U.S. say However: “…Hunting tourism and ecotourism are two different market segments of the tourism pie and should not be confused with each other…” (Times-Colonist, Victoria, BC)
http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/story.html?id=897379c8-7e9d-438c-af5e-5c4752b4c749&k=86458

In the shadow of Celilo – New trails and restored petroglyphs reawaken a spiritual site near The Dalles (Eugene Register Guard)
http://www.registerguard.com/csp/cms/sites/dt.cms.support.viewStory.cls?mid=206

Supreme Court hears sewer project dispute – Costly legal disputes left over from the $12 million sewer-installation project in downtown Olympia six years ago went before the state Supreme Court on Tuesday. (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/239631.html

Fed funds to help Waterville look for more water – The town of Waterville was named for the discovery of water in 1886, but having enough has been a repeated theme throughout much of its history. (Wenatchee World)
http://www.wenworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071009/NEWS04/710090032/1001

California – Water district sues pair over diplomas. The Fair Oaks Water District has sued two of its former senior managers, saying they misused $1,200 in public money to buy bachelor's degrees from an online diploma mill, then used the credentials to get thousands more in bonuses and pay raises. (Sacramento Bee, may require free registration)
http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/424010.html

Bumblebees Make Sudden Disappearance (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/bumblebees-make-sudden-disappearance/

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

PacifiCorp to invest another $100 million in wind (The Oregonian)
http://blog.oregonlive.com/business/2007/10/pacificorp_to_invest_another_1.html

News Release – BPA adds more clean, carbon-free energy to its federal power portfolio
Agency to buy 50 megawatts of wind capacity from Klondike III project (Bonneville Power Administration)
http://www.piersystem.com/go/doc/1582/177682/

Region's wind farms gathering force – PacifiCorp will expand its facility, PGE will start running its farm soon, and BPA makes a deal to buy wind energy (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/business/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/business/1191986710187180.xml&coll=7

Compressed Air – Catching The Wind In A Bottle. A group of Midwest utilities is building a plant that will store excess wind power underground (Business Week)
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_41/b4053092.htm?campaign_id=rss_tech

P-I Columnist Joel Connelly – U.S. mobilization needed on energy. Co-written by Rep. Jay Inslee, "Apollo's Fire: Igniting America's Clean Energy Economy" celebrates the drive and ingenuity of grass-roots Americans while damning the lethargy of the federal government.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/connelly/334892_joel10.html?source=rss

Silicon firm to expand northward – A fast-growing Vancouver silicon firm has announced plans to expand its manufacturing operations north into Cowlitz County. (The Columbian, Vancouver, WA)
http://www.columbian.com/business/businessNews/2007/10/10092007_Silicon-firm-to-expand-northward.cfm

CONSERVATION

News Release – Puget Sound Energy Recommends Easy, Inexpensive Steps to Save Energy (BusinessWire via Yahoo! Finance)
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/071009/20071009006344.html?.v=1&printer=1

Wal-Mart To Push Suppliers On Energy Efficiency (Environmental News Network)
http://www.enn.com/top_stories/article/23334

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

All eyes on Calif. climate-change fight (USA Today)
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/environment/2007-10-09-warming-regulations_N.htm

Utah is Ground Zero for Global Warming? Really. Governor’s Blue Ribbon Panel Turns up Startling Facts — And 200 Ways to Fix the Problem (The Daily Green)
http://www.thedailygreen.com/2007/10/10/utah-is-ground-zero-for-global-warming-really/7680/

News Release – National Survey: In Age of Global Warming Politics, Consumers Dogged by 'Clueless' Factor. Role of Coal-Fired Plants in Greenhouse Gas Emissions Eludes Consumer Awareness; Auto Emissions Erroneously Blamed as Top Culprit; More Consumers Say They Want Renewable Power -- But Just What Is It? (PR Newswire, via Yahoo! Finance)
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/071009/cltu077.html?.v=96

Climate change fix raises numerous quandaries across Montana (Havre Daily News)
http://www.havredailynews.com/articles/2007/10/09/local_headlines/state.txt

Vancouver companies honored for green efforts (The Columbian, Vancouver, WA)
http://www.columbian.com/news/localNews/2007/10/10092007_Vancouver-companies-honored-for-green-efforts.cfm?newsletter=1

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

When Does FTTH Yield Just 6Mbps? When it's AT&T's U-Verse, customers complain... (Broadband Reports – Note that there may be PG-13 language in the comment section)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/When-Does-FTTH-Yield-Just-6Mbps-88284

Montana – Communication improves in Ruby Valley. It’s been a year of major changes in telecommunications in the Ruby Valley. Since raising concerns regarding telecommunications upgrades are happening. (The Montana Standard – see if you can find the spelling error in the Butte Produce ad on this page. Oops!)
http://www.montanastandard.com/articles/2007/10/10/threerivers/hjjcijjaigfafb.txt

GENERAL NEWS

Answers sought in plane crash that killed 10 (Everett Herald)
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20071010/NEWS01/710100063

FIREARMS TAKEN IN SHELTON VEHICLE PROWL – The Shelton Police Department is investigating a vehicle prowl in which three firearms were stolen. According to a news release, sometime overnight Sunday, a Remington 17HMR and two Remington 870's were taken from a vehicle in the 1600 block of Laurel Street. The vehicle was NOT locked. Now that hunting season is upon us, Police remind hunters to NEVER leave a firearm unattended in their vehicles. And remember to ALWAYS lock up your vehicle when you are away. At this time there is no suspect or witness information. If you know anything about this crime you are urged to contact Shelton Police Detectives at 426-4441. (KMAS Radio, Shelton)

High Rate of Failure with Smoke Detectors Older Than 10 Years (KNDO-TV, Tri-Cities)
http://www.kndu.com/Global/story.asp?S=7192161

News Release – Cabela's Set to Open 1st Washington State Store in Lacey November 16, 2007. Destination superstore could become one of state's top tourist attractions (PR Newswire)
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/10-10-2007/0004679351&EDATE=

Seattle’s Recycling Success Is Being Measured in Scraps (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/10/us/10recycle.html?ex=1349668800&en=60163704711af23a&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

Vancouver Sun Columnist – Garbage strike has turned us into smugglers. The mayor says the garbage strike has made us all better recyclers. Maybe. But I'd say it's also turning us into a city of smugglers, if my experience is any guide.
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=121ada0d-59db-49f7-9d32-08c6a9aae9ec&k=95690

Can Someone Cut-And-Paste Your Logo? KIRO 7 has learned that it's so easy to cut and paste online that someone can claim you as a business partner -- without you even knowing it.
http://www.kirotv.com/money/14303398/detail.html

DIVERSIONS

Traveling Salesman Donates Kidney After Learning Of Man's Illness During Sales Call
http://www.kirotv.com/irresistible/14301356/detail.html

Man Jailed After Trying To Use $1M Bill At Grocery Store
http://www.kirotv.com/irresistible/14301274/detail.html

Blanchett, Dench Talk of Smelly “old” England
http://www.examiner.com/a-981396~Blanchett__Dench_Talk_of_Smelly_England.html?cid=rss-California_Headlines