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
Salt River Project Narrows GM Search to Five Candidates – List Includes Steve Wright & Jorge Carrasco (Arizona Republic, Phoenix, AZ)
Post-Earthquake - Japanese Data Companies Turn to Quincy (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)
California Assembly Oks Increased Renewable Energy Requirement - The mandate, now headed for governor’s desk, would require utilities to increase renewable energy sources to 33% by 2020 (Los Angeles Times, CA)
Water Levels over Columbia, Snake Rivers Dams Won’t Change (Horizon Bropadcasting Group, OR)
Senior Citizens to Benefit - Mason PUD 3 Authorizes Option to Purchase for its Downtown Shelton Properties (Mason County PUD No. 3)
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
· Salt River Project Narrows GM Search to Five Candidates – List Includes Steve Wright & Jorge Carrasco
· Tacoma Power to Raise Rates 5.8 Percent This Year, Again Next Year
· Senior Citizens to Benefit - Mason PUD 3 Authorizes Option to Purchase for its Downtown Shelton Properties
· Monumental Power - You Want Dams? We Got Dams, Lots of ‘Em
· Ex-California Nuke Plant Manager Sues over Firing
· Natural Gas Prices Jump 2 Percent
· FERC, Fish & Wildlife Service Sign Agreement on Conservation of Migratory Birds
· Setbacks Mount in Japan at Leaking Nuclear Plant
· Radioactive Seaweed Likely in Washington, But Not Harmful
· California County Wants Hold on Diablo Nuke Plant Renewal
· Spring Chinook Fishery in Lower Columbia River Picks Up
· Spring Salmon Get Smoother Ride over Pacific Northwest Dams
· Mussel Quarantine Issued for California Coast after Two Toxins Detected
· Maine - 1,000-Gallon Fuel Spill Contaminates Pleasant River & Salmon Hatchery
· Court Reverses Removal of Flying Squirrel from Endangered List
· Water Levels over Columbia, Snake Rivers Dams Won’t Change
· Trip into the Mountains Shows That Snowpack Should Keep Snohomish County in Water
· ‘Absurdly Deep’ Sierra Snow Great News for Dry California
· Bill Requiring Washington State to Maintain Capitol Lake in Olympia Dies
· EPA Fines Toppenish for Water Pollution
· California Assembly Oks Increased Renewable Energy Requirement
· New, 33 Percent Mandate - Green-Energy Legislation Means Higher Rates in California, Utilities Warn
· Pro & Con on Biomass Debated Before 130 at Port Townsend Forum
· Vestas Adds 200 North America Jobs This Year, More on the Way
· Tri-Cities - Dayco Installing Residential Wind Turbines
· Wind Power Transmission - No Decision Yet from Oklahoma Corporation Commission on Clean Line Application
· Northern California Power Agency Oks Power Agreement for Geothermal Power Plant
· Massachusetts - Renewable Energy: Two Wind Deals. One Loser?
· Wisconsin - Anaerobic Manure Digesters Providing More Electricity for State
· Researcher: Wii is the Most Power-Hungry Current Game Machine
· Discovery Could Make LEDs Brighter
· Montana - Slots Available for Missoula Energy Saving Program
· Jet Contrails Stoke Global Warming
· Washington State Senate Approves $100 Annual Fee on Electric Cars
· Thinking of an Electric Car? Get Your Garage Ready
· Wind Farms Blamed for Stranding of Whales - A Case of Never Letting the Source Spoil a Good Story
· Post-Earthquake - Japanese Data Companies Turn to Quincy
· Google Brings Its High-Speed Broadband Network to Kansas
· Bypassing the Big Guys to Get Broadband
· Amazon Launches Cloud Drive - 5GB Free, Options Up to 1000GB for $1,000
· Ham Radio Operators Concerned About Losing Band
· Google Reaches Privacy Settlement with Federal Trade Commission
· Could Seattle Become the Detroit of Wireless?
· Ex-DSHS Worker from Tacoma Pleads Guilty to Selling Confidential Information
· Out Like a Lamb? Wind, Rain, Flooding & Avalanches
· New Shelton Chamber of Commerce Director Declines Offer
· Mason County Fire Marshall Terminated
· Washington State - San Juan County Healthiest Once Again
· What? Whale That Killed Trainer Returns to SeaWorld Show
· Washington Highway Deaths Set Record Low in 2010
· Top Ten Worst States for Business. Is Yours on the List?
· Seattle Businessman Says High School Newspaper Defamed Him
· Seattle is Fourth-Unhappiest Baseball City
WORD OF THE DAY
Wraith • \RAYTH\ • Noun - 1a: the exact likeness of a living person seen usually just before death as an apparition b: ghost, specter 2: an insubstantial form or semblance: shadow 3: a barely visible gaseous or vaporous column
Bertie’s head was spinning. He thought he was joining a light-hearted book club. What he got was a roomful of “Lord of the Rings” fanboys whose topic was “Ringwraiths, Corporeal or Sprit?” “Look man,” snorted the leader. “It’s right there in the name Ring WRAITH, so they gotta be non-physical, spiritual beings.” “Are you kidding me,” howled another. “If that’s so, how were they able to ride horses & nazgul, wield swords, even speak?”
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
Salt River Project Narrows GM Search to Five Candidates – List Includes Steve Wright & Jorge Carrasco (Arizona Republic, Phoenix, AZ)
Tacoma Power to Raise Rates 5.8 Percent This Year, Again Next Year (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)
Senior Citizens to Benefit - Mason PUD 3 Authorizes Option to Purchase for its Downtown Shelton Properties (Mason County PUD No. 3)
Monumental Power - You Want Dams? We Got Dams, Lots of ‘Em (Wenatchee World, WA)
Ex-California Nuke Plant Manager Sues over Firing (Associated Press)
Natural Gas Prices Jump 2 Percent (Associated Press)
FERC, Fish & Wildlife Service Sign Agreement on Conservation of Migratory Birds (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission)
NUCLEAR SCIENCE READING ROOM
Setbacks Mount in Japan at Leaking Nuclear Plant (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
Radioactive Seaweed Likely in Washington, But Not Harmful (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
California County Wants Hold on Diablo Nuke Plant Renewal (Associated Press)
FISH & WILDLIFE
Spring Chinook Fishery in Lower Columbia River Picks Up (Seattle Times)
Spring Salmon Get Smoother Ride over Pacific Northwest Dams (Public News Service)
Mussel Quarantine Issued for California Coast after Two Toxins Detected (Associated Press)
Maine - 1,000-Gallon Fuel Spill Contaminates Pleasant River & Salmon Hatchery (Bangor Daily News, ME)
Court Reverses Removal of Flying Squirrel from Endangered List (Charleston Gazette, WV – Nice Picture)
WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT
Water Levels over Columbia, Snake Rivers Dams Won’t Change (Horizon Broadcasting Group, OR)
Trip into the Mountains Shows That Snowpack Should Keep Snohomish County in Water (Everett Herald, WA)
‘Absurdly Deep’ Sierra Snow Great News for Dry California (USA Today)
Bill Requiring Washington State to Maintain Capitol Lake in Olympia Dies (Olympian, WA)
EPA Fines Toppenish for Water Pollution (KNDU-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
California Assembly Oks Increased Renewable Energy Requirement - The mandate, now headed for governor’s desk, would require utilities to increase renewable energy sources to 33% by 2020 (Los Angeles Times, CA)
New, 33 Percent Mandate - Green-Energy Legislation Means Higher Rates in California, Utilities Warn (Sacramento Bee, CA)
Pro & Con on Biomass Debated Before 130 at Port Townsend Forum (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)
Vestas Adds 200 North America Jobs This Year, More on the Way (Sustainable Business Oregon)
Tri-Cities - Dayco Installing Residential Wind Turbines (KNDU-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)
Wind Power Transmission - No Decision Yet from Oklahoma Corporation Commission on Clean Line Application (The Oklahoman, Oklahoma City, OK)
Northern California Power Agency Oks Power Agreement for Geothermal Power Plant (Electric Light & Power – You kids make sure you don’t break the planet while you’re at it!)
Massachusetts - Renewable Energy: Two Wind Deals. One Loser? (Christian Science Monitor)
Wisconsin - Anaerobic Manure Digesters Providing More Electricity for State (Oshkosh Northwestern, WI)
CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY
Researcher: Wii is the Most Power-Hungry Current Game Machine (Consumerist)
Discovery Could Make LEDs Brighter (Charlotte Observer, NC)
Montana - Slots Available for Missoula Energy Saving Program (KPAX-TV, Missoula, MT)
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
Jet Contrails Stoke Global Warming (Reuters)
BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI
Washington State Senate Approves $100 Annual Fee on Electric Cars (Seattle Times)
Thinking of an Electric Car? Get Your Garage Ready (Associated Press)
Wind Farms Blamed for Stranding of Whales - A Case of Never Letting the Source Spoil a Good Story (The Guardian, UK)
Here’s the Original Story – Now Taken off the Daily Telegraph Website (Wind Watch)
TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Post-Earthquake - Japanese Data Companies Turn to Quincy (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)
Google Brings Its High-Speed Broadband Network to Kansas (Associated Press)
Bypassing the Big Guys to Get Broadband (Washington Post)
Amazon Launches Cloud Drive - 5GB Free, Options Up to 1000GB for $1,000 (Broadband Reports)
Ham Radio Operators Concerned About Losing Band (USA Today)
Google Reaches Privacy Settlement with Federal Trade Commission (Associated Press)
Could Seattle Become the Detroit of Wireless? (Seattle Times)
POLITICS & GOVERNANCE
Ex-DSHS Worker from Tacoma Pleads Guilty to Selling Confidential Information (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)
GENERAL NEWS
Out Like a Lamb? Wind, Rain, Flooding & Avalanches (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)
New Shelton Chamber of Commerce Director Declines Offer (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
Mason County Fire Marshall Terminated (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
Washington State - San Juan County Healthiest Once Again (Seattle Times)
What? Whale That Killed Trainer Returns to SeaWorld Show (Associated Press)
Washington Highway Deaths Set Record Low in 2010 (Puget Sound Business Journal)
Top Ten Worst States for Business. Is Yours on the List? (Christian Science Monitor)
Seattle Businessman Says High School Newspaper Defamed Him (Courthouse News Service)
Seattle is Fourth-Unhappiest Baseball City (Puget Sound Business Journal)
ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER - DIVERSIONS
House Said to Resemble Hitler Becomes Web Star
University of Victoria Touts ‘Rabbit-Free’ Campus; New Arrivals Face Death Penalty
Specialty Coffee Facing Extinction? Premier Coffee Crops in Danger
Aloha Shirts: 75 Years of Style, Spirit
SONG OF THE DAY
Leon Redbone & Ringo Starr - My Little Grass Shack
