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
US Debt Deal Kills Off Prospects of Renewable-Power Support (Bloomberg News)
Florida - Transformer Explosion Kills One, Injures Two at Kissimmee Utility Authority Substation (Electric Energy Online)
Columbia River Estuary’s Salmon-Eating Tern Colony Produces No Chicks this Year (Columbia Basin Bulletin)
45,000 Verizon Landline Workers go on Strike (Associated Press)
Two Mason County Swimming Areas Closed over Water Quality Issues (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
- Florida - Transformer Explosion Kills One, Injures Two at Kissimmee Utility Authority Substation
- South Carolina - Tools, ID of Accused Copper Thief Found; Suspect in Critical Condition
- Snohomish County PUD Asks for Public’s Help In Reporting Wire Theft
- Editorial – Columbia Falls Aluminum Company Gets New Shot at Life
- Montana - Yellowstone Valley Electric Co-Op Says No to Power Charges
- Pipeline Safety Settlement: Cascade Natural Gas Agrees to $425,000 Fine
- Columbia River Estuary’s Salmon-Eating Tern Colony Produces No Chicks this Year
- Portland General Electric’s Water Mixing & Fish Passage Facility at Round Butte Dam in Hot Water with Fishermen
- Rescued Fish Released into Upper Salmon Creek
- Op/Ed - Author of ‘State of the Orca’ Responds to Critics
- Years after Failure, Teton Dam Still Sparks Debate
- Judge Rules against Belfair Water District in Public Records Dispute
- Texas Drought Will Have Lasting Impact on Ecosystems
- US Debt Deal Kills Off Prospects of Renewable-Power Support
- Turbine Sound Being Tested on Fish in Puget Sound
- Underwater ‘Windmills’ May Feed Power Grid
- Seattle Community Solar Program Has Benefits, Needs More Supporters
- Wind Power Gains as Gear Improves
- Southeast US Lags in Push for Renewable Energy
- Op/Ed - Water Usage a Big Part of Energy Costs
- Illinois - Smart Meters Could Save ComEd Customers $2.8 Billion
- Shoppers Hoarding Incandescent Light Bulbs As New Regulations Loom
- Emirates Airlines Says European Union Emissions Rules Could Cost It $1 Billion
- Idaho at End of List for Electric Vehicles
- Texas Town to Recycle Urine
- 45,000 Verizon Landline Workers go on Strike
- Cloudburst - Lightning Strike Causes Amazon, Microsoft Cloud Outage in Europe
- Qwest Name Fading Away as CenturyLink Rebrands
- Expert: Rural US Websites Easy Target for Hackers
- Comcast’s $10 Broadband Has a Few Catches - Can’t Owe Comcast Money, Can’t Have Had Service in Last 90 Days
- Level 3’s Top Ten Reasons for Cut Fiber - Hungry Squirrels & Idiots with Guns
- US Markets Fall Sharply After S&P Downgrade
- S&P Downgrades Fannie &Freddie, Farm Lenders & Bank Debt Backed by US Government
- S&P Official: One in Three Chance of Future Downgrade in US Credit Rating if Conditions Erode
- Kucinich Tells Washington State He Doesn’t Like Nukes
- Two Mason County Swimming Areas Closed over Water Quality Issues
- As Weather Dries Out, Burn Ban Begins Monday
- Federal Debt Deal Could Jeopardize New Columbia River Bridge on I-5
- Killed by Mountain Goat - Hiker’s Death Prompts $10 Million in Claims against Olympic National Park
- Hiker Told Park of Aggressive Goat before His Death
- Former Oregon Senator Mark Hatfield Dies
WORD OF THE DAY – PET PEEVE & SOAPBOX EDITION
Solar System • \SOE-lerr SIS-tum\ • Noun - the sun together with the group of celestial bodies that are held by its attraction and revolve around it; also: a similar system centered on another star
When did unpermitted mystical creation become OK in someone’s backyard, on their roof, or in the arid desert? “I just installed a solar system at my house,” puffed the spectacled, weekend handyman to his awestruck neighbor. “Wow,” the bystander exclaimed. “How many planets does it have; and are any of them inhabited?”
It’s a solar energy system, solar PV system, solar power system, solar array, but a “solar system”? Really? Maybe I’m a bit touchy this morning. Must have treats…maple bars…toroidal pastries…’Mountain Dew’…yum.
SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
Florida - Transformer Explosion Kills One, Injures Two at Kissimmee Utility Authority Substation (Electric Energy Online)
South Carolina - Tools, ID of Accused Copper Thief Found; Suspect in Critical Condition (Charleston Post & Courier, SC)
Snohomish County PUD Asks for Public’s Help In Reporting Wire Theft (My Edmonds News, WA)
http://myedmondsnews.com/2011/08/snohomish-county-pud-asks-for-publics-help-in-reporting-wire-theft/
Editorial – Columbia Falls Aluminum Company Gets New Shot at Life “…the plant has complications well beyond the cost of power. The question of how well the company could compete internationally has to be a big one…” (Daily Interlake, Kalispell, MT)
Montana - Yellowstone Valley Electric Co-Op Says No to Power Charges (Billings Gazette, MT)
Pipeline Safety Settlement: Cascade Natural Gas Agrees to $425,000 Fine (Tri-City Herald, WA)
FISH & WILDLIFE
Columbia River Estuary’s Salmon-Eating Tern Colony Produces No Chicks this Year (Columbia Basin Bulletin)
Portland General Electric’s Water Mixing & Fish Passage Facility at Round Butte Dam in Hot Water with Fishermen (Oregonian, Portland)
Rescued Fish Released into Upper Salmon Creek (Vancouver Columbian, WA)
Op/Ed - Author of ‘State of the Orca’ Responds to Critics (Seattle Post Intelligencer)
WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT
Years after Failure, Teton Dam Still Sparks Debate (Associated Press)
Judge Rules against Belfair Water District in Public Records Dispute (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
Texas Drought Will Have Lasting Impact on Ecosystems (USA Today)
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
US Debt Deal Kills Off Prospects of Renewable-Power Support (Bloomberg News)
Turbine Sound Being Tested on Fish in Puget Sound (Bellingham Herald, WA)
Underwater ‘Windmills’ May Feed Power Grid - A Massachusetts company aims to tap the mighty Mississippi’s ceaseless currents (Boston Globe, MA)
Seattle Community Solar Program Has Benefits, Needs More Supporters (KPLU Radio, Tacoma, WA)
Wind Power Gains as Gear Improves (NY Times)
Southeast US Lags in Push for Renewable Energy (Associated Press)
CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY
Op/Ed - Water Usage a Big Part of Energy Costs (Longview Daily News, WA)
Illinois - Smart Meters Could Save ComEd Customers $2.8 Billion (Electric Energy Online)
Shoppers Hoarding Incandescent Light Bulbs As New Regulations Loom (Consumerist)
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
Emirates Airlines Says European Union Emissions Rules Could Cost It $1 Billion (Associated Press)
BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI
Idaho at End of List for Electric Vehicles (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)
Texas Town to Recycle Urine (Discovery News)
TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
45,000 Verizon Landline Workers go on Strike (Associated Press)
Cloudburst - Lightning Strike Causes Amazon, Microsoft Cloud Outage in Europe (Puget Sound Business Journal, WA)
Qwest Name Fading Away as CenturyLink Rebrands (Phoenix Business Journal, AZ)
Expert: Rural US Websites Easy Target for Hackers (Associated Press)
Comcast’s $10 Broadband Has a Few Catches - Can’t Owe Comcast Money, Can’t Have Had Service in Last 90 Days (Broadband Reports)
Level 3’s Top Ten Reasons for Cut Fiber - Hungry Squirrels & Idiots with Guns (Broadband Reports)
POLITICS & GOVERNANCE
US Markets Fall Sharply After S&P Downgrade (Associated Press)
S&P Downgrades Fannie &Freddie, Farm Lenders & Bank Debt Backed by US Government (Washington Post)
S&P Official: One in Three Chance of Future Downgrade in US Credit Rating if Conditions Erode (Associated Press)
Kucinich Tells Washington State He Doesn’t Like Nukes (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
GENERAL NEWS
Two Mason County Swimming Areas Closed over Water Quality Issues (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
As Weather Dries Out, Burn Ban Begins Monday (KOMO-TV, Seattle)
Federal Debt Deal Could Jeopardize New Columbia River Bridge on I-5 (Associated Press)
Killed by Mountain Goat - Hiker’s Death Prompts $10 Million in Claims against Olympic National Park (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)
Hiker Told Park of Aggressive Goat before His Death (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)
Former Oregon Senator Mark Hatfield Dies (KOMO-TV, Seattle)
DIVERSIONS
Mill Creek Woman Says Reports of Her Murder Greatly Exaggerated
Wording on eBay Listing for Service Dog Vest Raises Ire
Kelso Salon Owner Discovers Unwanted Tenant below Her Building
Statue made from Giant Panda dung sells for £30,000 ($49,000 USD)
SONG OF THE DAY
Frankie Avalon – Venus
