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
Hawaiian Electric Company Workers Strike on Oahu, Big Isle & Maui County - will slow efforts to restore power to about 8,000 customers still without electricity on Oahu (Honolulu Star Advertiser, HI)
Deal Headed to Lawmakers Lets Centralia’s TansAlta Plant Gradually End Coal Power (Associated Press)
Columbia-Snake River Shipping Resuming This Month (Associated Press)
Wood Stove Smoke in Tacoma Area Has More Health Risks, Study Says - Smoke from Tacoma area wood stoves poses health risks significantly higher than elsewhere in the state (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)
Vestas ‘Under Investigation’ by Italian Authorities for Tax Evasion (Windpower Monthly)
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
· Hawaiian Electric Company Workers Strike on Oahu, Big Isle & Maui County - will slow efforts to restore power to about 8,000 customers
· Deal Headed to Lawmakers Lets Centralia’s TansAlta Plant Gradually End Coal Power
· Chelan PUD Locks in Revenue by Auctioning Off Electricity
· Grant PUD settles with PacifiCorp over Power Contract
· Update on Mason County PUD 3 Operations Center Set
· Oregon - Court Decision Puts Bradwood Landing Liquefied Natural Gas Project ‘in Grave Doubt’
· Natural Gas Supplies Decline, as Analysts Expected
· Bellingham: Back to Coal with Planned Shipping Terminal?
· Copper Theft Drops After Arrests in Benton County
· Seattle Homeowner: Extreme Pruning by Utility Contractors Mutilated Tree
· Alcoa Says Contested North Carolina Hydroelectric Dams Generated $8 Million Profit
· Small States Grapple with Big Canadian Hydropower
· Federal Officials Say They’ll Examine Fracking Practices
· ‘Frankenfish’ – US Senator Murray Fights Transgenic Salmon
· Colville National Forest Has ‘Too Many Trees’ - Coalition Hopes to Thin Forest
· France - Fishy Thieves Poach 20,000 Dozen Oysters
· Columbia-Snake River Shipping Resuming This Month
· Wood Stove Smoke in Tacoma Area Has More Health Risks, Study Says
· Portland Water Ratepayers to Pay Up to $500 Million to Prevent a Rare Drinking Water Threat
· Vestas ‘Under Investigation’ by Italian Authorities for Tax Evasion
· Iberdrola Renovables to Slash Wind Power Growth in 2012
· Ohio - Solar Panels Cause Uproar Among Neighbors in Subdivision
· United Kingdom - Timber Prices Up as Power Plants Boost Biomass Use
· European Carbon Emissions Trading: More Buy in, Small Impact
· United Nations Says Climate Change, Biofuels Threaten Food Security
· Climate Change Takes Toll on Coffee Growers, Drinkers Too
· Whatcom County Gets Nod from EPA for Purchases of Green Power
· Do Green Cars Just Make People Drive More?
· AT&T Shows Off Massive Backbone Facility in Bothell
· Oregon - Frontier Pulls Out of Cable TV Franchises, Hikes Installation Charges Dramatically
· FCC to Increase Oversight of Phone Subsidy Plan
· Cheap, Ultrafast Broadband? Hong Kong Has It
· Editorial - Net Neutrality, Back in Court
· Microsoft Begs Users to Stop Using Internet Explorer 6
· Local Governments Leading the Way in Washington State Lobbyist Spending
· Four Washington State Government Entities Fined for Unreported Lobbying
· Woman Sentenced for Forging Initiative Signatures
· Three Killed, Two Injured in Mason County Possible DUI Crash
· Body Found In Ditch Identified As Shelton Man
· Shelton Nursing Home Evacuated After Morning Fire
· Washington Weather: February Among Coldest
· State’s Small Towns Getting Smaller
WORD OF THE DAY
Eponymous • \uh-PON-uh-muss\ • - Giving one’s name to a tribe, place, etc.
“Howdy folks,” the local chamber of commerce volunteer called to the timid tourists. “Welcome to Shelton, the eponymous haven of its founder, David Shelton.”
SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
Hawaiian Electric Company Workers Strike on Oahu, Big Isle & Maui County - will slow efforts to restore power to about 8,000 customers still without electricity on Oahu (Honolulu Star Advertiser, HI)
Deal Headed to Lawmakers Lets Centralia’s TansAlta Plant Gradually End Coal Power (Associated Press)
Chelan PUD Locks in Revenue by Auctioning Off Electricity (Wenatchee World, WA)
Grant PUD settles with PacifiCorp over Power Contract (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)
Update on Mason County PUD 3 Operations Center Set (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
Oregon - Court Decision Puts Bradwood Landing Liquefied Natural Gas Project ‘in Grave Doubt’ (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
Natural Gas Supplies Decline, as Analysts Expected (Associated Press)
Bellingham: Back to Coal with Planned Shipping Terminal? (Crosscut Seattle)
Copper Theft Drops After Arrests in Benton County (KEPR-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)
Seattle Homeowner: Extreme Pruning by Utility Contractors Mutilated Tree (KOMO-TV, Seattle)
Alcoa Says Contested North Carolina Hydroelectric Dams Generated $8 Million Profit (Associated Press)
Small States Grapple with Big Canadian Hydropower - That should qualify as renewable energy & what should be the goals of renewable portfolio standards (Renewable Energy World)
Federal Officials Say They’ll Examine Fracking Practices (NY Times)
FISH & WILDLIFE
‘Frankenfish’ – US Senator Murray Fights Transgenic Salmon (Olympian, WA)
Colville National Forest Has ‘Too Many Trees’ - Coalition Hopes to Thin Forest (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)
France - Fishy Thieves Poach 20,000 Dozen Oysters (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)
WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT
Columbia-Snake River Shipping Resuming This Month (Associated Press)
Wood Stove Smoke in Tacoma Area Has More Health Risks, Study Says - Smoke from Tacoma area wood stoves poses health risks significantly higher than elsewhere in the state (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)
Portland Water Ratepayers to Pay Up to $500 Million to Prevent a Rare Drinking Water Threat (Oregonian, Portland)
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Vestas ‘Under Investigation’ by Italian Authorities for Tax Evasion (Windpower Monthly)
Iberdrola Renovables to Slash Wind Power Growth in 2012 (REVE)
Ohio - Solar Panels Cause Uproar Among Neighbors in Subdivision (Dayton Daily News, OH)
United Kingdom - Timber Prices Up as Power Plants Boost Biomass Use: Government subsidies to encourage power companies to burn wood are distorting the market for timber (Channel 4 News)
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
European Carbon Emissions Trading: More Buy in, Small Impact (Christian Science Monitor)
United Nations Says Climate Change, Biofuels Threaten Food Security (Reuters)
Climate Change Takes Toll on Coffee Growers, Drinkers Too (Seattle Times)
BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI
Whatcom County Gets Nod from EPA for Purchases of Green Power (Bellingham Herald, WA)
Do Green Cars Just Make People Drive More? The Jevons Paradox: make something more efficient, and people will use it more (Mother Jones Magazine)
TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
AT&T Shows Off Massive Backbone Facility in Bothell (KING-TV, Seattle)
Oregon - Frontier Pulls Out of Cable TV Franchises, Hikes Installation Charges Dramatically (Oregonian, Portland)
FCC to Increase Oversight of Phone Subsidy Plan (Associated Press)
Cheap, Ultrafast Broadband? Hong Kong Has It (NY Times)
Editorial - Net Neutrality, Back in Court (NY Times)
Microsoft Begs Users to Stop Using Internet Explorer 6 (USA Today)
POLITICS & GOVERNANCE
Local Governments Leading the Way in Washington State Lobbyist Spending (Seattle Times)
Four Washington State Government Entities Fined for Unreported Lobbying (Associated Press)
Woman Sentenced for Forging Initiative Signatures (KOMO-TV, Seattle)
GENERAL NEWS
Three Killed, Two Injured in Mason County Possible DUI Crash (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
Body Found in Ditch Identified as Shelton Man (Olympian, WA)
Shelton Nursing Home Evacuated After Morning Fire (Olympian, WA)
Washington Weather: February Among Coldest (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)
State’s Small Towns Getting Smaller (Associated Press)
DIVERSIONS
Police: Woman Masqueraded as Dead Mom to Collect Pension Checks
Omg! Text Lingo Appearing in Schoolwork
Store Bandit Nearly Loses His Pants - ‘Droopy Drawers Bandit’ Made Off with Beer, Cigarettes
Dog Euthanized Friday, Found Alive Saturday - Hundreds Interested in Adopting Wall-E
SONG OF THE DAY
John Fred & His Playboy Band - Judy in Disguise
