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
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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES
Copper Theft Epidemic Could Cost Puget Sound Energy Millions (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle)
Puget Sound Energy Worker Falls While Working on Power Line (KING-TV, Seattle)
City of Vancouver Rejects Clark County’s Downtown Biomass Plans - City says zoning prohibits use; county must decide if it will appeal decision (Vancouver Columbian, WA)
Bend Adds $5.5 Million Hydroelectric Project to Water Overhaul (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
Employers Add 117,000 Jobs in July, Unemployment Rate Drops (USA Today)
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
- Copper Theft Epidemic Could Cost Puget Sound Energy Millions
- Puget Sound Energy Worker Falls While Working on Power Line
- Montana – US Senator Baucus: Hope for Columbia Falls Aluminum Company
- California Adopts First Standards for Cyber Security of Smart Meters
- Down 8.3% - Portland General Electric Reports Second Quarter 2011 Financial Results
- Pacific Gas & Electric’s Profits Increased in Second Quarter
- Editorial - Washington Does Not Need to Help Feed China’s Coal Habit
- California - Relicensing for Diablo Canyon Nuclear Plant is on Hold, But Seismic Studies Draw Critics
- Heat Waves Pushes Texas Power Grid into Red Zone
- River Temperature Forces Alabama Nuclear Power Plant to 50 Percent Power
- Electricity Is a Thirsty Business
- Prime Time for Chinook & Sockeye on Columbia
- Coho Showing Up in Good Numbers Off the Northern Coast
- Saving the Salmon - Judge Orders Agency to Consider Dam Removal
- Pacific NW Tribes Seek New Permits to Remove Sea Lions
- Tribal Test Fishery Chinook Catches in Elliott Bay Have Been Good, but Optimism is Met with Caution
- Op/Ed - Northwest Salmon, Tribal Cultures & Treaty Rights at Risk from Disappearing Habitat
- Editorial: How to Settle Dams vs. Fish
- A Fishy Plan - Portland’s Light Rail Bridge Construction Depends, Literally, on the Ears of Salmon
- No Asian Carp Found During Four-Day Hunt for Invasive Fish in Chicago-Area Waterway
- Op/Ed - Water is Key to Jobs, Money, Growth
- City of Vancouver Rejects Clark County’s Downtown Biomass Plans
- Bend Adds $5.5 Million Hydroelectric Project to Water Overhaul
- Oregon Irrigators Move into Hydropower Business
- Idaho Solar Developer Says Government Delay May Doom Project
- California - Pacific Gas & Electric, Sempra Generation in 150 MW Solar Power Deal
- California - Publicly Held (Investor-Owned) Utilities Use 17% Renewables
- Eagle Deaths Investigated at LA Department of Water & Power Wind Power Generation Site
- Irony Alert - Pipestone Wind-Turbine Blade Plant Owes $490,000 Fine for Pollution Violations
- Wisconsin - Green Bay Biomass Plant Will be Safe, Report Says
- Carbon Dioxide-Gobbling Trees in Northwest Forests Change the Forest Equation, A New Study Finds
- Two Washington State Cities Are ‘Super Green’
- Mysterious Orange Goo Washes Up In Alaska Village
- Cedar Forests Lead Lebanon Eco-Tourism Boom
- Barbie, Now an Architect, Gets Her Very Own Eco-Friendly Dream House
- How to Make a Wi Fi Booster Using Only a Beer Can
- A Homemade Drone Snoops on Wireless Networks
- CenturyLink Struggles with Qwest Acquisition - As DSL Customers Leave for Faster Pastures
- Massive Global Cyberattack Hits US Hard: Who Could Have Done It?
- Office Equipment Open to Hacker Attacks
- SunGard Higher Education to Merge With Datatel in $1.7B Deal, No Word on Jobs Impact
- Monday Is the Deadline to Register to Vote in August Primary Election
- US Senate Approves Bill to End Partial FAA Shutdown, Employees Can Go Back to Work Monday
- Employers Add 117,000 Jobs in July, Unemployment Rate Drops
- Washington State Health Department: 22 Sickened by Raw Oysters
- Eating Raw Oysters More Dangerous in Summer
- Tulalip Utilities Employee Accused of Recycling Brass Fittings for Cash
- Forecasters: Drought May Persist for Another Year
- Northern Lights May be Visible Over Western Washington
- Scientists Find Signs Water Is Flowing on Mars
WORD OF THE DAY
Antihero • \ANT-tee – here-oh\ • Noun - A protagonist or notable figure who is conspicuously lacking in heroic qualities.
Fear of fanboy alert:
Comic book artist Stan Lee has spawned his share of flawed superheroes and antiheros; such as Spiderman, the Incredible Hulk, and the Submariner.
“Show me a hero and I’ll write you a tragedy.” F Scott Fitzgerald.
SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
Copper Theft Epidemic Could Cost Puget Sound Energy Millions (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle)
Puget Sound Energy Worker Falls While Working on Power Line (KING-TV, Seattle)
Montana – US Senator Baucus: Hope for Columbia Falls Aluminum Company (News Release - Political News)
California Adopts First Standards for Cyber Security of Smart Meters (Solve Climate)
Down 8.3% - Portland General Electric Reports Second Quarter 2011 Financial Results (Market Watch)
Pacific Gas & Electric’s Profits Increased in Second Quarter (Associated Press)
Editorial - Washington Does Not Need to Help Feed China’s Coal Habit (Seattle Times)
California - Relicensing for Diablo Canyon Nuclear Plant is on Hold, But Seismic Studies Draw Critics (Monterey County Weekly, CA)
Heat Waves Pushes Texas Power Grid into Red Zone (Reuters)
River Temperature Forces Alabama Nuclear Power Plant to 50 Percent Power (Chattanooga Times Free Press, TN)
Electricity Is a Thirsty Business (Mail & Guardian Online)
FISH & WILDLIFE
Prime Time for Chinook & Sockeye on Columbia (Wenatchee World, WA)
Coho Showing Up in Good Numbers Off the Northern Coast (Seattle Times)
Saving the Salmon - Judge Orders Agency to Consider Dam Removal (Idaho Mountain Express, Sun Valley)
Pacific NW Tribes Seek New Permits to Remove Sea Lions (Northwest Public Radio)
Tribal Test Fishery Chinook Catches in Elliott Bay Have Been Good, but Optimism is Met with Caution (Seattle Times)
Op/Ed - Northwest Salmon, Tribal Cultures & Treaty Rights at Risk from Disappearing Habitat (Seattle Times)
Editorial: How to Settle Dams vs. Fish (Albany Democrat-Herald, OR)
A Fishy Plan - Portland’s Light Rail Bridge Construction Depends, Literally, on the Ears of Salmon (Portland Mercury, OR)
No Asian Carp Found During Four-Day Hunt for Invasive Fish in Chicago-Area Waterway (Associated Press)
WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT
Op/Ed - Water is Key to Jobs, Money, Growth (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
City of Vancouver Rejects Clark County’s Downtown Biomass Plans - City says zoning prohibits use; county must decide if it will appeal decision (Vancouver Columbian, WA)
Bend Adds $5.5 Million Hydroelectric Project to Water Overhaul (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
Oregon Irrigators Move into Hydropower Business (Oregon Public Radio)
Idaho Solar Developer Says Government Delay May Doom Project (Associated Press)
California - Pacific Gas & Electric, Sempra Generation in 150 MW Solar Power Deal (Associated Press)
California - Publicly Held (Investor-Owned) Utilities Use 17% Renewables (Sacramento Bee, CA)
Eagle Deaths Investigated at LA Department of Water & Power Wind Power Generation Site (Los Angeles Times, CA)
Irony Alert - Pipestone Wind-Turbine Blade Plant Owes $490,000 Fine for Pollution Violations (Pioneer Press, St Paul, MN)
Wisconsin - Green Bay Biomass Plant Will be Safe, Report Says (Green Bay Press Gazette, WI)
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
Carbon Dioxide-Gobbling Trees in Northwest Forests Change the Forest Equation, A New Study Finds (Oregonian, Portland)
BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI
Two Washington State Cities Are ‘Super Green’ (Puget Sound Business Journal)
Mysterious Orange Goo Washes Up In Alaska Village (Christian Science Monitor)
Cedar Forests Lead Lebanon Eco-Tourism Boom (Cable News Network)
Barbie, Now an Architect, Gets Her Very Own Eco-Friendly Dream House (TIME Magazine)
TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
How to Make a Wi Fi Booster Using Only a Beer Can (WikiHow)
A Homemade Drone Snoops on Wireless Networks (NY Times)
CenturyLink Struggles with Qwest Acquisition - As DSL Customers Leave for Faster Pastures (Broadband Reports)
Massive Global Cyberattack Hits US Hard: Who Could Have Done It? (Christian Science Monitor)
Office Equipment Open to Hacker Attacks (USA Today)
SunGard Higher Education to Merge With Datatel in $1.7B Deal, No Word on Jobs Impact (Philadelphia Business Journal)
POLITICS & GOVERNANCE
Monday Is the Deadline to Register to Vote in August Primary Election (Seattle Times)
US Senate Approves Bill to End Partial FAA Shutdown, Employees Can Go Back to Work Monday (USA Today)
GENERAL NEWS
Employers Add 117,000 Jobs in July, Unemployment Rate Drops (USA Today)
Washington State Health Department: 22 Sickened by Raw Oysters (KING-TV, Seattle)
Eating Raw Oysters More Dangerous in Summer (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle)
Tulalip Utilities Employee Accused of Recycling Brass Fittings for Cash (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle)
Forecasters: Drought May Persist for Another Year (USA Today)
Northern Lights May be Visible Over Western Washington (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
Scientists Find Signs Water Is Flowing on Mars (NY Times)
DIVERSIONS
Kentucky Sisters Sue to Get Social Security Numbers
Ukulele: The Little Guitar That Could
Man Arrested for Cutting Tree That Floods Home
Mayor’s City Sued for Contracts He Signed While Drunk (PG-13 Language Likely)
SONG OF THE DAY
The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain - Pinball Wizard
