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.
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
• City of Seattle Offers $1.6M to Pend Oreille County
• Conservation Efforts Will Play Key Role in Meeting Northwest's Energy Needs
• Regional Power Outlook Talk Tuesday in Richland
• Rate Hike Nears Vote at Grant County PUD
• Kennewick Irrigation District Internal Investigation Uncovers Misuse of District Equipment
• Shortage of Skilled Workers Worries Energy
• Wall Street's Power Surge
• FirstEnergy Buying Power Rival Allegheny Energy
• Tennessee Valley Authority Distributors Get More Time to Buy Mississippi
• Can Germany
• Venezuela Seeks God’s Help amid Energy Crisis
• Judge Says He Can't Consider Obama Administration's Salmon & Dams Plan
• Chinook Starting to Show Up in Lower Columbia
• Coho Mojo: Restoring Salmon Runs in Region's Watersheds
• Virus Ruins Steelhead Eggs at Bogachiel Hatchery
• Language of Columbia River Gillnet Ban Initiative Questioned
• Henderson Inlet - Oysters Are the Pearl
• Mounting Urgency As Asian Carp Threaten the Great Lakes
• News Tribune Editorial - Polluters’ Tax a Good Idea Gone Wrong
• Oregon - Why the Low Flow in the Deschutes ?
• Oregon
• Don’t Break the Planet! Oregon
• Oregonian Editorial - Steens Wind Farm Plan Signals Push to Remote, Cherished Lands
• Group Urges Texas
• Renewables Industry Promotes Its Potential
• Wenatchee
• Quincy Is Cheapest Small City
• Google Dabbling in Broadband Service, Seattle
• Google Doesn’t Want to Be an ISP
• Fiber Optics, Not Magic Beans
• Uncle Sam Still Hiding Telco Lobbying Records
• The Glue Holding Data Center
• Google Still Hugely Dominant in Search
• State Budget Gap Estimate Grows by $96 Million
• Wash.
• Bus Tunnel Victim Says She Begged Police for Help Before Beating
• North Thurston High School Teacher Arrested for Centralia
• Washington Department of Ecology Tosses Out Roadside Litter-Pickup Programs
• Tourists Spent $14.2 Billion in Washington
• WA Senate Republican Complaints Cost $55K
• City of Seattle
• Starbucks Will Launch Pour-Over Brewing Method
• Aerial Photos of Trade Center
WORD OF THE DAY
Effulgence • \ih-FULL-junss\ • noun - Radiant splendor: brilliance
The attending flacks stood in awe of their Chief Operating Officer’s dazzling effulgence. The rollout of a new light-emitting diode disco cape was apparently a huge success, with sparking lights from the COO’s clothes sending iridescent reflections off the mirror ball onto the slack-jawed faces of the media elites, whom had been called to witness the event.
WEATHER
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
City of Seattle Offers $1.6M to Pend Oreille County over Dam Operations (Seattle
Conservation Efforts Will Play Key Role in Meeting Northwest's Energy Needs (The Oregonian, Portland
Regional Power Outlook Talk Tuesday in Richland
Rate Hike Nears Vote at Grant County PUD (Wenatchee
Kennewick Irrigation District Internal Investigation Uncovers Misuse of District Equipment (KEPR-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)
Shortage of Skilled Workers Worries Energy Industry (Tri-City Herald, WA)
Wall Street's Power Surge - Energy Plant Tragedy Puts a Light on Banks, Private Equity Funds Pushing into Electricity (ABC News)
FirstEnergy Buying Power Rival Allegheny Energy (Associated Press)
Can Germany London
Venezuela Seeks God’s Help amid Energy Crisis (Associated Press)
FISH & WILDLIFE
Judge Says He Can't Consider Obama Administration's Salmon & Dams Plan (The Oregonian, Portland
Chinook Starting to Show Up in Lower Columbia (Everett
Coho Mojo: Restoring Salmon Runs in Region's Watersheds (Yakima Herald Republic
Virus Ruins Steelhead Eggs at Bogachiel Hatchery (Associated Press)
Language of Columbia River Gillnet Ban Initiative Questioned (Oregon
Henderson Inlet - Oysters Are the Pearl of Community Cleanup (KING-TV, Seattle
Mounting Urgency As Asian Carp Threaten the Great Lakes (Christian Science Monitor)
WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT
News Tribune Editorial - Polluters’ Tax a Good Idea Gone Wrong
Why the Low Flow in the Deschutes ? Irrigation is partly to blame, but thin snowpack is a longer-term concern (Bend Bulletin)
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Don’t Break the Planet! Oregon Geothermal Company Ready to Drill - Bend’s Vulcan Power expects to begin construction on its first plant soon; other projects are in the works (Bend Bulletin, OR)
Oregonian Editorial - Steens Wind Farm Plan Signals Push to Remote, Cherished Lands
Group Urges Texas
Renewables Industry Promotes Its Potential (NY Times)
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Google Dabbling in Broadband Service, Seattle Intrigued (Seattle
Google Doesn’t Want to Be an ISP — It Wants to Be a Rabble-rouser (GigaOM)
Fiber Optics, Not Magic Beans - Rural Idaho
Uncle Sam Still Hiding Telco Lobbying Records - Judge rules government can’t use lobbying privacy to hide immunity lobbying info (Broadband Reports)
The Glue Holding Data Center Energy Efficiency Together (Data Center
Google Still Hugely Dominant in Search (San Francisco
GENERAL NEWS
State Budget Gap Estimate Grows by $96 Million (Associated Press)
Bus Tunnel Victim Says She Begged Police for Help Before Beating
Tourists Spent $14.2 Billion in Washington
WA Senate Republican Complaints Cost $55K (NW Public Radio)
City of Seattle Employee Charged With String of Computer Thefts (Seattle
Starbucks Will Launch Pour-Over Brewing Method in March to Make Quick Cups When a Pot Isn’t Brewed (Seattle
Aerial Photos of Trade Center
DIVERSIONS
Thief Who Put Cheese in Pants Faces Life Sentence
Colbert Heads to Olympics for Medals & Mockery
Man Walks into Wal-Mart, Smashes 29 TVs with Bat
Calling Major Harris - Olivia Newton-John Tops List of Sexiest Songs
SONG OF THE DAY
The Beatles – Get Back
