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.
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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES
Bonneville Power Administration Balances Wind Services with Cost for Developers (Oregonian, Portland)
Invasive Mussels Pose Threat to Dams (Associated Press)
Ex-Enron CEO Skilling Seeks Release on Bail after Supreme Court Ruling (Washington Post)
Kittitas County Residents Have Their Say on Ecology’s Ban on Wells (Yakima Herald Republic, WA)
Evergreen State College Considers Wood Power - Campus to study process called biomass gasification (Olympian, WA)
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
· Bonneville Power Administration Balances Wind Services with Cost for Developers
· Invasive Mussels Pose Threat to Dams
· Columbia Snake River System Shut Down to Barges Soon
· Ex-Enron CEO Skilling Seeks Release on Bail after Supreme Court Ruling
· Idaho - Challis Council Hears Salmon River Electric Plans
· Group Seeks to Stall Montana Coal Railroad
· Editorial - Clark Public Utilities Commissioner: Barnes, Lyons - Top two choices for utility commissioner
· Illinois - Wary of ‘Smart’ Meters
· Constellation Energy Cuts Spending on Areva Nuclear Reactor Venture
· Iowa - Alcoa’s Davenport Works to Recall 159 Employees
· Power & Light - Getting Iraqis & Afghans on the grid could have helped build peace
· Key Base of Ocean Food Web Dropping Dramatically
· New Rules & Increased Enforcement for Skokomish River as Salmon Fishing Opens Sunday
· Klamath Farmers Will be Paid to Save Water for Fish
· Salmon: Judge Won’t Stop Rogue River Dam Removal
· Bald Eagle Comeback Pressures Coastal Seabirds
· All Clallam Beaches Closed to Shellfish Harvesting
· Wildlife Officials Seek Men Who Shot Ten Seagulls
· Feds, Farmers Create Habitats for Migrating Birds
· Kittitas County Residents Have Their Say on Ecology’s Ban on Wells
· EPA Releases Data on Local Toxics
· Pasco Dedicates New Water Treatment Plant
· Lawsuit Filed to Stop Hawaiian Trash Bound for Washington State
· Evergreen State College Considers Wood Power
· Massachusetts - Fight Gears Up on Biomass
· Study Says Pacific Northwest Poised to Lead Clean-Energy Transition
· California’s Clean Energy Future Threatened by Federal Delays, State Officials Say
· Editorial - California Policy Could Blow Hard: California’s energy policies now affect the Northwest in significant ways
· Warning to Michigan Manufacturers: Nothing Easy About Getting into Wind Energy
· Energy Subsidies - Good & Bad
· Builders Try to Prove Green Homes Can be Affordable
· State-Level Politics Could Threaten Western Climate Initiative
· Scientists Say Global Warming Is Continuing
· State of the Climate: Hottest Decade on Record
· Snowmageddon - Washington, DC Record Snow in 2010 Not Due to Global Warming
· Wind Drives Growing Use of Batteries
· Mason General Hospital Named “Most Wired” Again – Thanks in Part to Public Broadband
· Lower Costs, Better Technology Enable Portland Hospitals to Extend Telemedicine Links Across Oregon
· White House Proposal Would Ease FBI Access to Records of Internet Activity
· FCC: Broadband Mission Not Accomplished
· Who is the World’s Biggest Broadband Company? Find Out
· Washington Special Session More & More Unlikely
· 35th District Democrat Draws Opposition - Tim Sheldon Facing Write-In Foe
· Sixth & Final Initiative Added to Washington State’s November Ballot
· Education - Why Washington Stumbled in “Race to the Top”
· Bond Sale a Plus for State - Results: estimated $3.7 million savings
· Washington State Residents Paid $105 in Taxes per $1,000 in Income
· Fife to Pay $23,500 for Help in Finding Next City Manager
· Are Public Pension Funds Sustainable?
· Fire at Skokomish Tribal Police Department under Investigation
· Missing West Seattle Sailor’s Body Recovered in Afghanistan
· Belfair Company Fined for Mining Mistake
· Engineer Raises Safety Concerns at Hanford
· Washington State’s Move to Restrict Pain Killers Puts Onus on Doctors
· Unusual bunch of foes to postal rate increase unites as Affordable Mail Alliance
· Doomsday Shelters Making a Comeback
WORD OF THE DAY
Averse • \uh-VERS\ • adjective - Having an active feeling of repugnance or distaste
Adverse • \add-VERS\ • adjective - 1: acting against or in a contrary direction: hostile 2a: opposed to one’s interests
“Here ya go sonny,” blared the beefy barkeep, offering a thick slice of haggis to Dilton, a diminutive customer in the dark, smoky Scottish pub. “I must choke back my aversion to this local dish or face the consequences,” he said to himself through clenched teeth. Even so, his reaction to the baked internal organs of the ancient sheep was not the expected adverse expulsion of his own stomach contents…to the contrary, he actually liked it.
SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
Bonneville Power Administration Balances Wind Services with Cost for Developers (Oregonian, Portland)
Invasive Mussels Pose Threat to Dams (Associated Press)
Columbia Snake River System Shut Down to Barges Soon (KEPR-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)
Ex-Enron CEO Skilling Seeks Release on Bail after Supreme Court Ruling (Washington Post)
Idaho - Challis Council Hears Salmon River Electric Plans (Challis Messenger, ID)
Group Seeks to Stall Montana Coal Railroad (Associated Press)
Editorial - Clark Public Utilities Commissioner: Barnes, Lyons - Top two choices for utility commissioner (Vancouver Columbian, WA)
Illinois - Wary of ‘Smart’ Meters: as ComEd launches its pilot program, users elsewhere raise accuracy, health issues (Chicago Tribune, IL)
http://www.suntimes.com/business/2546014,CST-NWS-SMART29.article
http://www.suntimes.com/business/2546014,CST-NWS-SMART29.article
Constellation Energy Cuts Spending on Areva Nuclear Reactor Venture (News & Advance, Lynchburg, VA)
Iowa - Alcoa’s Davenport Works to Recall 159 Employees (Quad City Times, Davenport, IA)
Power & Light - Getting Iraqis & Afghans on the grid could have helped build peace, but the Americans couldn’t quite deliver (Newsweek Magazine)
FISH & WILDLIFE
Key Base of Ocean Food Web Dropping Dramatically (Associated Press)
New Rules & Increased Enforcement for Skokomish River as Salmon Fishing Opens Sunday (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
Klamath Farmers Will be Paid to Save Water for Fish (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
Salmon: Judge Won’t Stop Rogue River Dam Removal (Associated Press)
Bald Eagle Comeback Pressures Coastal Seabirds (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
All Clallam Beaches Closed to Shellfish Harvesting (KONP Radio, Port Angeles, WA)
Wildlife Officials Seek Men Who Shot Ten Seagulls (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
Feds, Farmers Create Habitats for Migrating Birds (Associated Press)
WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT
Kittitas County Residents Have Their Say on Ecology’s Ban on Wells (Yakima Herald Republic, WA)
EPA Releases Data on Local Toxics (Associated Press)
Pasco Dedicates New Water Treatment Plant (Tri-City Herald, WA)
Lawsuit Filed to Stop Hawaiian Trash Bound for Washington State (Associated Press)
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Evergreen State College Considers Wood Power - Campus to study process called biomass gasification (Olympian, WA)
Massachusetts - Fight Gears Up on Biomass (NY Times)
Study Says Pacific Northwest Poised to Lead Clean-Energy Transition “…well suited to make the switch to clean-energy sources…it has a relatively small part of its energy generation portfolio coming from coal & nuclear power…” Note: wouldn’t that mean that we’re already there? (Sustainable Oregon)
California’s Clean Energy Future Threatened by Federal Delays, State Officials Say (Los Angeles Times, CA)
Editorial - California Policy Could Blow Hard: California’s energy policies now affect the Northwest in significant ways, & the impacts, somehow, will trickle down to ratepayers (Wenatchee World, WA)
Warning to Michigan Manufacturers: Nothing Easy About Getting into Wind Energy (Grand Rapids Press, MI)
Energy Subsidies - Good & Bad (NY Times)
CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY
Builders Try to Prove Green Homes Can be Affordable (USA Today)
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
State-Level Politics Could Threaten Western Climate Initiative (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
Scientists Say Global Warming Is Continuing (Associated Press)
State of the Climate: Hottest Decade on Record (NY Times)
Snowmageddon - Washington, DC Record Snow in 2010 Not Due to Global Warming (Washington Post)
BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI
Wind Drives Growing Use of Batteries (NY Times)
TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Mason General Hospital Named “Most Wired” Again - Thanks to Public Broadband (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
Lower Costs, Better Technology Enable Portland Hospitals to Extend Telemedicine Links Across Oregon (Oregonian, Portland)
White House Proposal Would Ease FBI Access to Records of Internet Activity (Washington Post)
FCC: Broadband Mission Not Accomplished - And it won’t be until the FCC addresses competition (Broadband Reports)
Who is the World’s Biggest Broadband Company? Find Out (GigaOM)
POLITICS & GOVERNANCE
Washington Special Session More & More Unlikely (Northwest Public Radio)
35th District Democrat Draws Opposition - Tim Sheldon Facing Write-In Foe (Olympian, WA)
Sixth & Final Initiative Added to Washington State’s November Ballot (Associated Press)
Education - Why Washington Stumbled in “Race to the Top” (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
Bond Sale a Plus for State - Results of latest sale provide rare bit of good news: estimated $3.7 million savings (Olympian, WA)
Washington State Residents Paid $105 in Taxes per $1,000 in Income (Puget Sound Business Journal)
Fife to Pay $23,500 for Help in Finding Next City Manager (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)
Are Public Pension Funds Sustainable? (Nat’l Public Radio)
GENERAL NEWS
Fire at Skokomish Tribal Police Department under Investigation (KING-TV, Seattle)
Missing West Seattle Sailor’s Body Recovered in Afghanistan (KING-TV, Seattle)
Engineer Raises Safety Concerns at Hanford (KOMO-TV, Seattle)
Washington State’s Move to Restrict Pain Killers Puts Onus on Doctors (NY Times)
Unusual bunch of foes to postal rate increase unites as Affordable Mail Alliance (Washington Post)
Doomsday Shelters Making a Comeback (USA Today)
ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER - DIVERSIONS
Detectives Investigate ‘Extreme Domestic Dispute’
Cats That Look Like Hitler Bemuse, Annoy - Website Popularity Spikes After Mentions by Colbert
Chihuahua Takes on Black Bear
Competitive Lock picking Growing in US Popularity
SONG OF THE DAY
Steely Dan - I.G.Y
