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
Transformer Explosion at PacifiCorp’s Chehalis Power Plant (Associated Press)
State Appeal Filed Against Nippon Biomass Plan - Foes await summer hearing on Port Townsend mill biomass upgrade (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)
SoloPower Deal for New Wilsonville Plant Raises Questions About Government Subsidies (Oregonian, Portland)
Fraud - Carbon Credit Market Must Tighten Security (MSN Money)
Belfair Mailman Faulted for ‘Extreme Laziness,’ Admits to Burning Mail (Associated Press)
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
· Transformer Explosion at PacifiCorp’s Chehalis Power Plant
· Thaw Runoff Forces Utility to Level Flows at Post Falls Dam
· Electric Cars to Put Neighborhood Power Grids to the Test
· Natural Gas Supplies Fall More Than Expected
· Bonneville Power Administration Might Pay City of Vancouver $8,500 a Month
· Missouri - Insurance Suit for Tam Sauk Dam Breach Ruled Premature
· Feds to Fix Salmon-Eating Sea Lion Control
· Idaho - Decade-Long Minidoka Dam Replacement Effort Hinges on Federal Money
· State Appeal Filed Against Nippon Biomass Plan
· Study Says Peninsula Has Plenty of Wood for Biomass Facilities
· Canada - Green Heat Heating Up to Promote Use of Wood Pellets & Woody Biomass in British Columbia
· SoloPower Deal for New Wilsonville Plant Raises Questions About Government Subsidies
· Solar Takes Wind in Test - Inland Power & Light Hopes to Inform Customers with Project
· Solar Firms Frustrated by Permits
· California - Crop-Duster Pilot May Not Have Seen Wind Power Meteorological Tower
· Bloom Boxes to Power California Facilities with Fuel Cells
· The New Light Bulbs Lose a Little Shine
· More Heat Than Light as Bulb Debate Rages On
· Fraud - Carbon Credit Market Must Tighten Security
· A Better Yardstick for Solar Cycles
· WindMade - For Devotees of Wind Power, a New Product Label
· Comcast Wins FCC Approval to Take over NBC Universal
· Bill Would Place New Requirements on Ballot-Initiative Process
· Bill Would Charge More for Long Public Records Searches
· Op/Ed - Legislature Shouldn’t Raid Washington State Public Works Trust Fund
· Washington State Redistricting Commission Holds First Meeting
· National Stage - Endangered Dems Sound Alarms About Redistricting
· Oregon – Congressman David Wu Loses Staffers, Political Team Amid Complaints of Public Behavior
· Belfair Mailman Faulted for ‘Extreme Laziness,’ Admits to Burning Mail
· Dick Taylor to Run for Port of Shelton Commission
· Washington State’s 2010 Job Growth Shows Big Improvement
· Hanford Layoffs: 1,600 People
· United States Picks International Trade Fight with Canada over Softwood Lumber
· Tourism Spending in Washington State Up Last Year
· As Portland Media Shrink, Metro Joins a National Trend by Hiring a Reporter to Cover Itself
· Humane Society Wants to Ban Cages for Washington State Laying Hens
WORD OF THE DAY
Obstreperous • \obb-STREP-russ\ • adjective – 1: marked by unruly or aggressive noisiness; clamorous 2: stubbornly resistant to control; unruly
Bartholomew was frustrated. After ten minutes of trying to cram the obstreperous string of Christmas lights back into its original box, he gave up…wadding them up and stuffing them into a beat-up plastic ‘Safeway’ grocery bag. Unfortunately, the next season he had the unenviable job of untangling the mass off green wires and clanking little bulbs into a manageable and coherent line for easy hanging.
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
Transformer Explosion at PacifiCorp’s Chehalis Power Plant (Associated Press)
Thaw Runoff Forces Utility to Level Flows at Post Falls Dam (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)
Electric Cars to Put Neighborhood Power Grids to the Test (KING-TV, Seattle)
Natural Gas Supplies Fall More Than Expected (Associated Press)
Bonneville Power Administration Might Pay City of Vancouver $8,500 a Month - Power agency likely to be required to resume stormwater payments (Vancouver Columbian, WA)
Missouri - Insurance Suit for Tam Sauk Dam Breach Ruled Premature (Courthouse News Service)
FISH & WILDLIFE
Feds to Fix Salmon-Eating Sea Lion Control Program (Associated Press)
Condit Dam Removal Faces Potential Delay (Vancouver Columbian, WA)
WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT
Idaho - Decade-Long Minidoka Dam Replacement Effort Hinges on Federal Money (Twin Falls Times-News, ID)
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
State Appeal Filed Against Nippon Biomass Plan - Foes await summer hearing on Port Townsend mill biomass upgrade (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)
Study Says Peninsula Has Plenty of Wood for Biomass Facilities (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)
Canada - Green Heat Heating Up to Promote Use of Wood Pellets & Woody Biomass in British Columbia (Prince George Free Press, BC)
SoloPower Deal for New Wilsonville Plant Raises Questions About Government Subsidies (Oregonian, Portland)
Solar Takes Wind in Test - Inland Power & Light Hopes to Inform Customers with Project (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)
Solar Firms Frustrated by Permits (NY Times)
California - Crop-Duster Pilot May Not Have Seen Wind Power Meteorological Tower (SF Chronicle)
Bloom Boxes to Power California Facilities with Fuel Cells (Electric Light & Power)
CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY
The New Light Bulbs Lose a Little Shine - Compact Fluorescent Lamps Burn Out Faster Than Expected, Limiting Energy Savings in California’s Efficiency Program (Wall Street Journal)
More Heat Than Light as Bulb Debate Rages On (Midwest Energy News)
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
Fraud - Carbon Credit Market Must Tighten Security (MSN Money)
A Better Yardstick for Solar Cycles (NY Times)
BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI
WindMade - For Devotees of Wind Power, a New Product Label (NY Times)
TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Comcast Wins FCC Approval to Take over NBC Universal (USA Today)
POLITICS & GOVERNANCE
Bill Would Place New Requirements on Ballot-Initiative Process (Seattle Times)
Bill Would Charge More for Long Public Records Searches (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
Op/Ed - Legislature Shouldn’t Raid Washington State Public Works Trust Fund (Seattle Times)
Washington State Redistricting Commission Holds First Meeting (Associated Press)
National Stage - Endangered Dems Sound Alarms About Redistricting (Associated Press)
Oregon – Congressman David Wu Loses Staffers, Political Team Amid Complaints of Public Behavior (Oregonian, Portland)
GENERAL NEWS
Belfair Mailman Faulted for ‘Extreme Laziness,’ Admits to Burning Mail (Associated Press)
Dick Taylor to Run for Port of Shelton Commission (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
Washington State’s 2010 Job Growth Shows Big Improvement (Associated Press)
Hanford Layoffs: 1,600 People (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)
United States Picks International Trade Fight with Canada over Softwood Lumber (Oregonian, Portland)
Tourism Spending in Washington State Up Last Year (Associated Press)
As Portland Media Shrink, Metro Joins a National Trend by Hiring a Reporter to Cover Itself “…agency that already employs 25 people in its communications department…” (Oregonian, Portland)
Humane Society Wants to Ban Cages for Washington State Laying Hens (Associated Press)
DIVERSIONS
Don Kirshner, Rock Producer & Promoter, Dies at 76
$80,000 for Beer Pong? Report Shows College Students Learn Little during First Two Years: Besides Party Skills
‘Toylets’ Games Make a Splash in Japan Urinals
New PEMCO Ads: Type-A Yoga Girl, Oblivious Left-Lane Driver
SONG OF THE DAY
Johnny Winter - Rock & Roll Hoochie Koo/ Stone County; Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert 1973
