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.
THE NEWS DIGEST ON TWITTER
Follow the news digest on Twitter for breaking news & notices:
HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES
Power Down: Elwha Dams’ Turbines Silenced After Decades (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)
Idaho Power Files General Rate Case with Idaho Public Utilities Commission – 9.9 Percent Overall Average Rate Increase (Electric Energy Online)
Ferndale Aluminum Plant Adjusting Operations “...consuming some of the extra power produced by the wet spring weather…” (KGMI Radio, Bellingham, WA)
NorthWestern Energy Seeks to Purchase 40 MW Montana Wind Farm (Electric Light & Power)
Pollution Threatens Nine of Washington’s Shellfish Harvest Areas (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
- Idaho Power Files General Rate Case with Idaho Public Utilities Commission – 9.9 Percent Overall Average Rate Increase
- Ferndale Aluminum Plant Adjusting Operations “...consuming some of the extra power produced by the wet spring weather…”
- Bonneville Power Administration Blamed for Shelton Power Outage
- Coal Terminal Foes Dominate Bellingham Hearing
- Why Oregon Imports Power from Fossil Fuels & Exports Renewable Energy
- Oregon State Managers Cleared in Alleged Steering of Energy Contract to the Firm of the Governor’s Companion
- SmartMeter Foes Call Study on Cell Phones Vindication
- House Spending Bill Thwarts Obama on Yucca Nuke Waste Site
- Editorial - Germany’s Nuclear Energy Blunder
- New York Tells Feds Not to Frack with its Water
- South Dakota - House Panel Cuts Rural Energy, Biofuels
- Shareholders Approve $7.1 Billion Massey Energy Sale to Alpha
- PJM Interconnection Expands in Ohio
- Survey Reveals Member Perceptions - Research Finds Co-Ops Have Work to Do
- Plans for Dams in Patagonia Draw Ire from Chileans
- Brazil Grants Building License for Amazon River Dam
- Power Down: Elwha Dams’ Turbines Silenced After Decades
- Spring Chinook Fishery Above Bonneville Dam on the Columbia Extended
- Extreme Low Tide Offers Good Digging for Clams, Oysters, Geoduck
- Washington Wolf Plan Calls for 15 Packs in State
- Pollution Threatens Nine of Washington’s Shellfish Harvest Areas
- Plan for China’s Water Crisis Spurs Concern
- NorthWestern Energy Seeks to Purchase 40 MW Montana Wind Farm
- A Level Playing Field for Wind
- Wind Energy Leaders Testify to House Panel on Need for Workable Rules to Develop Wind & Protect Wildlife
- Pennsylvania - Quakertown Looks to Trash for Its Energy Needs
- United Kingdom - ‘Green Deal’ May Cover Cost of Solar Panels for Homes
- Energy Efficiency - Winslow Neighborhood Powers Down
- Aloha Shirts Ok as Japan Seeks to Beat Heat
- Environmental Protection Agency Calls Some Greenhouse Gas Data Confidential
- Op/Ed - Cap-And-Trade Is the Way Forward
- Environmental Tax Threatens Green Energy Research in the United Kingdom
- Washington State Data Center Tax Break Bill Dies in House
- Pasco Call Center Lays Off Employees
- Microsoft Demos New Windows ‘8’ for Tablets, Personal Computers
- Google: Hundreds of Gmail Accounts Hacked, Including Some Senior US Government Officials
- BYO (Bring Your Own) Device Trend Sparks Security Concerns in the Workplace
- Surewest Accelerates FTTH Build in Kansas
- Study: Washington State Spends Too Much on New Roads, Not Enough on Maintenance
- Washington State: Closing Maple Lane Juvenile Facility Will be a ‘Challenge’
- Oregon - Lake Oswego Considering Reversal of Utility Fee Increases for School District Aid
- Trial of Mason County Hunter Accused of Shooting Brush Picker Goes to Jury
- Oops: Everett Fire Station Built in the Wrong Location
- Judges Warn Jurors about Posting to Blogs, Facebook
- Bid a Costly Goodbye to These Food Pyramids
- WA Residents Can Still Get Free Training on Microsoft Programs
- Photos from Stolen Laptop Lead to Man’s Arrest
- Bird-Dogging News Errors in the Modern Media Age
WORD OF THE DAY
Iota • \eye-OWE-tuh\ • Noun - 1: the 9th letter of the Greek alphabet 2: an infinitesimal amount: jot
“I don’t give a flying fig, a jot, a tiny bit, one iota, about your promotion,” barked the perennially rejected executive candidate to his effusive office mate.
Merriam-Webster Word Origin - The words “iota” and “jot” share a lot more than just a common meaning -- both ultimately derive from the same word. When Latin scholars transcribed the Greek name of the ninth letter of the Greek alphabet, they spelled it as either “iota” or “jota” (the letters “i” and “j” were simply variants of each other), and these spellings eventually passed into English as “iota” and “jot.” Since the Greek letter iota is the smallest letter of its alphabet, both words eventually came to be used in reference to very small things.
SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
Idaho Power Files General Rate Case with Idaho Public Utilities Commission – 9.9 Percent Overall Average Rate Increase (Electric Energy Online)
Ferndale Aluminum Plant Adjusting Operations “...consuming some of the extra power produced by the wet spring weather…” (KGMI Radio, Bellingham, WA)
Bonneville Power Administration Blamed for Shelton Power Outage (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
Coal Terminal Foes Dominate Bellingham Hearing (Associated Press)
Why Oregon Imports Power from Fossil Fuels & Exports Renewable Energy (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
Oregon State Managers Cleared in Alleged Steering of Energy Contract to the Firm of the Governor’s Companion (Associated Press)
SmartMeter Foes Call Study on Cell Phones Vindication (SF Chronicle, CA)
House Spending Bill Thwarts Obama on Yucca Nuke Waste Site (The Hill)
Editorial - Germany’s Nuclear Energy Blunder (Washington Post)
New York Tells Feds Not to Frack with its Water (Courthouse News Service)
South Dakota - House Panel Cuts Rural Energy, Biofuels (Sioux Falls Argus Leader, SD)
Shareholders Approve $7.1 Billion Massey Energy Sale to Alpha (NY Times)
PJM Interconnection Expands in Ohio (Philadelphia Business Journal)
Survey Reveals Member Perceptions - Research Finds Co-Ops Have Work to Do “…getting younger electric co-op members to see themselves as ‘members’ rather than as ‘customers’ remains a challenge…” (Electric Coop Today)
Plans for Dams in Patagonia Draw Ire from Chileans (National Public Radio)
Brazil Grants Building License for Amazon Dam (Associated Press)
FISH & WILDLIFE
Power Down: Elwha Dams’ Turbines Silenced After Decades (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)
Spring Chinook Fishery Above Bonneville Dam on the Columbia Extended (Seattle Times)
Extreme Low Tide Offers Good Digging for Clams, Oysters, Geoduck (Seattle Times)
Washington Wolf Plan Calls for 15 Packs in State (Seattle Times)
WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT
Pollution Threatens Nine of Washington’s Shellfish Harvest Areas (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
Plan for China’s Water Crisis Spurs Concern (NY Times)
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
NorthWestern Energy Seeks to Purchase 40 MW Montana Wind Farm (Electric Light & Power)
A Level Playing Field for Wind (Midwest Energy News)
Wind Energy Leaders Testify to House Panel on Need for Workable Rules to Develop Wind & Protect Wildlife (Renewable Energy World)
Pennsylvania - Quakertown Looks to Trash for Its Energy Needs (Courier Times News, Levittown, PA)
United Kingdom - ‘Green Deal’ May Cover Cost of Solar Panels for Homes: Small-scale energy generation may be eligible for the government-backed loan scheme for householders (The Guardian, UK)
CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY
Energy Efficiency - Winslow Neighborhood Powers Down (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
Aloha Shirts Ok as Japan Seeks to Beat Heat (Reuters)
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
Environmental Protection Agency Calls Some Greenhouse Gas Data Confidential (Courthouse News Service)
Op/Ed - Cap-And-Trade Is the Way Forward (SF Chronicle, CA)
Environmental Tax Threatens Green Energy Research in the United Kingdom - Carbon reduction commitment (CRC) scheme has ‘perverse effect’ of threatening zero-carbon energy research (The Guardian, UK)
TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Washington State Data Center Tax Break Bill Dies in House (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)
Pasco Call Center Lays Off Employees (KNDU-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)
Microsoft Demos New Windows ‘8’ for Tablets, Personal Computers (Associated Press)
Google: Hundreds of Gmail Accounts Hacked, Including Some Senior US Government Officials (Washington Post)
BYO (Bring Your Own) Device Trend Sparks Security Concerns in the Workplace (TechFlash)
Surewest Accelerates FTTH Build in Kansas - As 1 Gbps Google Fiber Looms on Horizon (Broadband Reports)
POLITICS & GOVERNANCE
Study: Washington State Spends Too Much on New Roads, Not Enough on Maintenance (PulbiCola)
Washington State: Closing Maple Lane Juvenile Facility Will be a ‘Challenge’ (KING-TV, Seattle)
Oregon - Lake Oswego Considering Reversal of Utility Fee Increases for School District Aid (Oregonian, Portland)
GENERAL NEWS
Trial of Mason County Hunter Accused of Shooting Brush Picker Goes to Jury (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
Oops: Everett Fire Station Built in the Wrong Location (Everett Herald, WA)
Judges Warn Jurors about Posting to Blogs, Facebook (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
Bid a Costly Goodbye to These Food Pyramids (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
WA Residents Can Still Get Free Training on Microsoft Programs (KEPR-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)
Photos from Stolen Laptop Lead to Man’s Arrest (Associated Press)
Bird-Dogging News Errors in the Modern Media Age - Studies show that 40 to 60 percent of news stories contain errors (Crosscut Seattle)
DIVERSIONS
Oilers Player Picks Up Hitchhiker: Bono
Teen Says He’s Inherited Millions from Long-Lost Aunt - Better Business Bureau Skeptical, Says It’s a Scam
Mid-Air Smackdown: Brawl over Reclined Seat Diverts United Flight
Vigilante Justice - Seattle Man Accused of ‘Keying’ Improperly Parked Cars
SONG OF THE DAY
U2 - Where the Streets Have No Name
