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
Breach in Reactor Suspected at Japanese Nuclear Plant (Northwest Cable News Network)
BPA Will Build New High-Voltage Power Line in Southeast Washington - Project expected to create up to 170 jobs (Bonneville Power Administration)
Yakima Water Reservoir Planned Near Ellensburg (Seattle Times)
Shelton-Based Simpson/Solomon Biomass Project Moving Forward (South Sound Business Examiner)
Shelton Chamber of Commerce - New Executive Director Named (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
· BPA Will Build New High-Voltage Power Line in Southeast Washington
· California - Pacific Gas & Electric Unveils ‘Opt-Out’ Plan for Its Controversial SmartMeter Program
· Oregon - Hydro Project at Wasco County’s White River Falls Scrapped
· Spokane Valley Man Sentenced for Scrap Metal Scheme
· IRS Pays Enron Whistleblower $1.1 Million
· California - Pacific Gas & Electric Agrees to $3 Million Fine over Natural Gas Safety Records
· Natural Gas Rises in March
· At Rental Home Without Electricity - Generator Fumes Killed Four in Ohio House
· Virtual Power Plants Aren’t Just Virtual; They’re Real
· Breach in Reactor Suspected at Japanese Nuclear Plant
· What’s Behind Our Conflicted Feelings on Nukes?
· Arizona State University Experts: Concerns over Radiation Affecting US ‘Silly’
· Sign of the Apocalypse? Bunker Sales Increase after Japan Earthquake
· Conditions Improving for Columbia River Salmon
· British Columbia Salmon Play Hidden Role in Coastal Forest Ecology, Researchers Find
· British Columbia Salmon Firm Sues over Activists’ Cancer Claim
· California – Feds Say Parks Scientists Erred in Oyster Farm Study: No Criminal Conduct
· Yakima Water Reservoir Planned Near Ellensburg
· Seismic Reviews of Many Oregon Dams Way Behind Schedule
· Puget Sound - Low Levels of Dioxin Found at Priest Point Park Beach
· Floods Push Lead into Idaho’s Lake Coeur d’Alene
· Shelton-Based Simpson/Solomon Biomass Project Moving Forward
· Clark County Says Downtown Vancouver Biomass Plant Would Save $175,000 a Year
· Port Townsend - Local 20/20 Sponsors Pro-Con Talk Monday on Biomass Projects
· Washington State: Clash over Changes to Renewable Energy Law
· Wind Industry Could Take Toll on Kansas Highways
· Oregon - Solarworld Believes It Can Double US Sales
· Arizona - First Solar Incentives: $20 Million Sticker Shock?
· United Kingdom - Subsidies Cut for Small-Scale Solar Power
· Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Technology a Relief for Electric Grid
· SW Washington State - Evergreen Schools Wins Energy Honors
· Rainier Business Goes Green by Producing Insulation from Sheep’s Wool
· Op/Ed - Energy Conservation: Increasing Efficiency with More Carrot than Stick
· Duke Energy Giving Away Ten Million Free Fluorescent Bulbs
· Ohio - FirstEnergy Corp. Overwhelmed by Customers Asking About CFL Bulbs
· Americans Blame Climate Change, Not God, for Storms
· Study Finds Wind Speeds Rose over World’s Oceans
· Greenpeace: Tactics Not So Clear Cut Anymore
· Darkness Looms as Earth Hour Descends
· Oregon House Mulls Clean-Energy Jobs Fund
· Ethanol Plant Owner Fined, Must Restore Illinois Lakes
· Oregon Approves Qwest-CenturyLink Merger
· Australia Extends Deadline for Broadband Network
· Social Media Rejected for Healthcare Communications
· US Internet Piracy Is on the Decline
· Costco to Propose Liquor Privatization Bill in Olympia
· Editorial - Oregon Environmental Legislation Takes a Practical, Frugal Approach
· ‘Mastermind’ of Lakewood Walmart Robbery Found Guilty of Murdering Guard
· Gregoire Pushes for Prison Guard Safety Bill
· Work Begins at Site of New Coastal Doppler Station
· Washington Coastal Communities Tsunami Lessons Learned
· Shelton Chamber of Commerce - New Executive Director Named
· Handicapped Parking - Washington State Patrol: “This is Embarrassing for Everyone”
WORD OF THE DAY
Nonplus • \non-PLUSS\ • Verb - To cause to be at a loss as to what to say, think, or do: perplex
The room dropped into immediate silence; an eerie silence similar to that which occurs when a busboy drops a tub of plates in a busy restaurant. The esteemed doctor had adorned his hard, seamed face with a flinty grin, while challenging any of the fresh-faced interns to stump him on any question. The one question that left him nonplussed came from the fluffy, pink-faced dermatologist in the back of the room: “What do you call that thing in the back of your throat that hangs from the roof of your mouth?” (It’s the uvula; a small pendant fleshy lobe at the back of the soft palate.)
SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
BPA Will Build New High-Voltage Power Line in Southeast Washington - Project expected to create up to 170 jobs (Bonneville Power Administration)
California - Pacific Gas & Electric Unveils ‘Opt-Out’ Plan for Its Controversial SmartMeter Program (San Jose Mercury News, CA)
Oregon - Hydro Project at Wasco County’s White River Falls Scrapped (Associated Press)
Spokane Valley Man Sentenced for Scrap Metal Scheme - Converted scrap metal stolen by drug addicts into a cash fortune & a stable of exotic sports cars (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)
IRS Pays Enron Whistleblower $1.1 Million (Washington Post)
California - Pacific Gas & Electric Agrees to $3 Million Fine over Natural Gas Safety Records (SF Chronicle)
Natural Gas Rises in March (Associated Press)
At Rental Home Without Electricity - Generator Fumes Killed Four in Ohio House (Associated Press)
Virtual Power Plants Aren’t Just Virtual; They’re Real – A variety of distributed energy systems with intelligent demand response capabilities area aggregated into an asset that acts like a centralized power plant (Renewable Energy World)
THE NUCLEAR SCIENCE READING ROOM
Breach in Reactor Suspected at Japanese Nuclear Plant (Northwest Cable News Network)
What’s Behind Our Conflicted Feelings on Nukes? (Associated Press)
Arizona State University Experts: Concerns over Radiation Affecting US ‘Silly’ (Phoenix Business Journal)
Sign of the Apocalypse? Bunker Sales Increase after Japan Earthquake (Time Magazine)
FISH & WILDLIFE
Conditions Improving for Columbia River Salmon (Wenatchee World, WA)
British Columbia Salmon Play Hidden Role in Coastal Forest Ecology, Researchers Find (Vancouver Sun, BC)
British Columbia Salmon Firm Sues over Activists’ Cancer Claim (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)
California – Feds Say Parks Scientists Erred in Oyster Farm Study: No Criminal Conduct (Associated Press)
WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT
Yakima Water Reservoir Planned Near Ellensburg (Seattle Times)
Seismic Reviews of Many Oregon Dams Way Behind Schedule (Oregon Public Radio)
Puget Sound - Low Levels of Dioxin Found at Priest Point Park Beach (Olympian, WA)
Floods Push Lead into Idaho’s Lake Coeur d’Alene (Associated Press)
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Shelton-Based Simpson/Solomon Biomass Project Moving Forward (South Sound Business Examiner)
Clark County Says Downtown Vancouver Biomass Plant Would Save $175,000 a Year (Oregonian, Portland)
Port Townsend - Local 20/20 Sponsors Pro-Con Talk Monday on Biomass Projects (Port Townsend Leader, WA)
Washington State: Clash over Changes to Renewable Energy Law (KPLU Radio, Tacoma, WA)
Wind Industry Could Take Toll on Kansas Highways (Lawrence Journal-World, KS)
Oregon - Solarworld Believes It Can Double US Sales (Sustainable Business Oregon)
Arizona - First Solar Incentives: $20 Million Sticker Shock? (Phoenix Business Journal, AZ)
United Kingdom - Subsidies Cut for Small-Scale Solar Power (Politics, UK)
CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Technology a Relief for Electric Grid (Tri-City Herald, WA)
SW Washington State - Evergreen Schools Wins Energy Honors (Vancouver Columbian, WA)
Rainier Business Goes Green by Producing Insulation from Sheep’s Wool (Longview Daily News, WA)
Op/Ed - Energy Conservation: Increasing Efficiency with More Carrot than Stick (Oregonian, Portland)
Duke Energy Giving Away Ten Million Free Fluorescent Bulbs (Cincinnati Business Courier, OH)
Ohio - FirstEnergy Corp. Overwhelmed by Customers Asking About CFL Bulbs (Cleveland Plain Dealer, OH)
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
Americans Blame Climate Change, Not God, for Storms (Midwestern Energy News)
Study Finds Wind Speeds Rose over World’s Oceans (Associated Press)
Greenpeace: Tactics Not So Clear Cut Anymore (The Globe & Mail, Canada)
Darkness Looms as Earth Hour Descends (Victoria Times-Colonist, BC)
BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI
Oregon House Mulls Clean-Energy Jobs Fund (Portland Business Journal, OR)
Ethanol Plant Owner Fined, Must Restore Illinois Lakes (Chicago Tribune, IL)
TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Oregon Approves Qwest-CenturyLink Merger (Portland Business Journal, OR)
Australia Extends Deadline for Broadband Network (Yahoo! News)
Social Media Rejected for Healthcare Communications (Information Week)
US Internet Piracy Is on the Decline (USA Today)
POLITICS & GOVERNANCE
Costco to Propose Liquor Privatization Bill in Olympia (Publicola)
Editorial - Oregon Environmental Legislation Takes a Practical, Frugal Approach (Salem Statesman Journal, OR)
GENERAL NEWS
‘Mastermind’ of Lakewood Walmart Robbery Found Guilty of Murdering Guard (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
Gregoire Pushes for Prison Guard Safety Bill (Associated Press)
Work Begins at Site of New Coastal Doppler Station (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
Washington Coastal Communities Tsunami Lessons Learned (Northwest Public Radio)
Shelton Chamber of Commerce - New Executive Director Named (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
Handicapped Parking - Washington State Patrol: “This is Embarrassing for Everyone” (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
DIVERSIONS
Whoopie Pies Spark Food Fight between Pennsylvania, Maine
Montana Man Mauled by Bear after Smoking Pot Gets Workers’ Comp
Miss San Antonio Wins Back Her Crown in Court
http://www.oregonlive.com/today/index.ssf/2011/03/miss_san_antonio_wins_back_her_crown_in_court.html
Mistake Leaves Man with $16 Million Cable Bill
SONG OF THE DAY
Rickie Lee Jones & Dr. John - Makin’ Whoopee
Diana Krall, Elvis Costello, Elton John – Makin’ Whoopee
