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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
More Snow Arrives Overnight, But the Worst is Yet
to Come (KOMO-TV, Seattle)
Montana - Columbia Falls Aluminum Company Future
Uncertain, Blame Bad Economy (KCFW-TV, Kalispell, MT)
Grant
PUD Opposed To Certain Renewable Energy Law Changes (Columbia Basin Herald,
Moses Lake, WA)
Groups
Drop Appeals against Longview Fibre’s Biomass Expansion - “…Duff Badgley, a
spokesman for leading opponent & Seattle-based No Biomass Burn, did not
return a call seeking comment…” (Longview Daily News, WA)
Corps of Engineers Wants to Shoo Salmon-Munching
Cormorants Away from East Sand Island in the Columbia River (Oregonian, Portland)
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
- Montana - Columbia Falls Aluminum Company Future Uncertain, Blame Bad Economy
- Hoku Pays Idaho Power Bill, Files Overcharging Complaint
- Kittitas PUD Faces Challenges, Opportunities Ahead
- Dog Shocked by Faulty Mountlake Terrace Light Pole
- American Public Power Association, Others Urge FERC to Dismiss BPA Wind Curtailment Case
- Op/Ed – Clark Public Utility Customers Play Role in Future
- Chelan PUD to Stick to Twice-Monthly Meeting Schedule
- Wyoming - Bullets Damage Co-op Transformers
- Canada - Copper-Wire Bandits Strike Again, This Time in Saanich for $10,000
- Hanford Nuclear Safety Manager Questions Waste Treatment Plant
- Electricity Prices Decline 50% in Light of Natural Gas Glut
- Georgia - Street Lights Out? There’s An App for That
- Corps of Engineers Wants to Shoo Salmon-Munching Cormorants Away from East Sand Island in the Columbia River
- Obama Consolidation Plan Would Bump NOAA’s Salmon Regulators into Same Department as Dam Builders
- Audubon Wins a Round on Spotted Owl
- Grant PUD Opposed To Certain Renewable Energy Law Changes
- State Pollution Board Ruling Sides with Nippon Paper Industries USA Biomass Project in Port Angeles
- Project to Pour Water into Oregon Volcano to Make Electricity
- Large-Scale Wind May Wane in Oregon
- Protect the Columbia Gorge - Stop the Whistling Ridge Energy Project!
- Feds Study Proposed Nevada Wind Farm Harm to Eagles
- Ohio Solar-Panel Company Lays Off 40 Employees
- Maine - New Renewable Energy Mandate Would Drive Up Costs
- Light Bulb Classes at Home Depot
- New Energy-Efficient Lighting Puts People to Work
- Olympic National Park Glaciers Are Shrinking, Study Says
- Climate Change Skepticism Seeps into Science Classrooms
- Oregon Governor Kitzhaber’s Energy Plan Seeks Big Ideas
- Got Any Good Green Jokes?
- Tacoma’s Click! Network Might Soon Sell Bundled Net & Phone
- Bill To Bring High-Speed Internet to Rural Communities Draws Opposition
- Op/Ed - Internet Regulation Matters to US Economic Recovery
- Congress House Shelves Piracy Act, But Blackout Protests Continue
- A Wireless Road around Data Traffic Jams
- Online Shoppers are Rooting for the Little Guy
- House Democrats in Olympia Show Interest in Creating Washington State Bank
- Fitch Downgrades Two Tacoma Bonds
- Some Question Power of Washington State Attorney General
- Washington State Rep Fred Finn Seeks Constitutional Amendment on Ballot Initiatives
- With More Snow Coming, Officials Say to Stock Up on Supplies
- Here’s (sic) Some Tips to Prepare for the Snowstorms
- Mount Rainier Snowshoer Burned Cash to Stay Warm
WORD OF THE DAY
Graupel • \GROW-pull (like OUCH)\ • Noun - Granular
snow
“Popcorn snow, bead snow, little round pellets,” no
two are exactly alike enthused the climatologist to his ten year old son. “Sure
dad,” piped the youngster, “but it’s all graupel to me!”
An you thought the old saw about Eskimo snow names
was outrageous:
SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
Montana - Columbia Falls Aluminum Company Future
Uncertain, Blame Bad Economy (KCFW-TV, Kalispell, MT)
Hoku Pays Idaho Power Bill, Files Overcharging
Complaint (Pacific Business Journal, HI)
Kittitas PUD Faces Challenges, Opportunities Ahead
(Ellensburg Daily Record, WA)
Dog Shocked by Faulty Mountlake Terrace Light Pole
(The Weekly Herald, Everett, WA)
American Public Power Association, Others Urge FERC
to Dismiss BPA Wind Curtailment Case (Public Power Daily, APPA)
Op/Ed – Clark Public Utility Customers Play Role in
Future: Consumers are key to energy-efficiency goals to keep rates as low as
possible (Vancouver Columbian, WA)
Chelan PUD to Stick to Twice-Monthly Meeting
Schedule (Wenatchee World, WA)
Wyoming - Bullets Damage Co-op Transformers
(Electric Co-op Today)
Canada - Copper-Wire Bandits Strike Again, This
Time in Saanich for $10,000 (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)
Hanford Nuclear Safety Manager Questions Waste
Treatment Plant (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
Electricity Prices Decline 50% in Light of Natural
Gas Glut (Bloomberg News)
Georgia - Street Lights Out? There’s An App for
That: Customers can use smartphone technology to report street light outages
(Gainesville Times, GA)
FISH & WILDLIFE
Corps of Engineers Wants to Shoo Salmon-Munching
Cormorants Away from East Sand Island in the Columbia River (Oregonian, Portland)
Obama Consolidation Plan Would Bump NOAA’s Salmon
Regulators into Same Department as Dam Builders (Oregonian,
Portland)
Audubon Wins a Round on Spotted Owl (Courthouse
News Service)
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Grant
PUD Opposed To Certain Renewable Energy Law Changes (Columbia Basin Herald,
Moses Lake, WA)
Groups
Drop Appeals against Longview Fibre’s Biomass Expansion - “…Duff Badgley, a
spokesman for leading opponent & Seattle-based No Biomass Burn, did not
return a call seeking comment…” (Longview Daily News, WA)
State
Pollution Board Ruling Sides with Nippon Paper Industries USA Biomass Project
in Port Angeles (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)
Project
to Pour Water into Oregon Volcano to Make Electricity (USA Today)
Large-Scale
Wind May Wane in Oregon (Sustainable Business Oregon)
Protect
the Columbia Gorge - Stop the Whistling Ridge Energy Project! (YouTube)
Feds
Study Proposed Nevada Wind Farm Harm to Eagles (Associated Press)
Ohio
Solar-Panel Company Lays Off 40 Employees (Toledo Blade, OH)
Maine
- New Renewable Energy Mandate Would Drive Up Costs (Bangor Daily News, ME)
CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY
Light Bulb Classes at Home Depot (KNDU-TV, Tri-Cities,
WA)
New Energy-Efficient Lighting Puts People to Work
(The Energy Collective)
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
Olympic
National Park Glaciers Are Shrinking, Study Says (Associated Press)
Climate
Change Skepticism Seeps into Science Classrooms (Los Angeles Times, CA)
BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI
Oregon
Governor Kitzhaber’s Energy Plan Seeks Big Ideas (Sustainable
Business Oregon)
Got
Any Good Green Jokes? (Grist Online)
TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Tacoma’s Click! Network Might Soon Sell Bundled Net
& Phone (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)
Bill To Bring High-Speed Internet to Rural
Communities Draws Opposition (North Kitsap Herald, Bremerton, WA)
Op/Ed - Internet Regulation Matters to US Economic
Recovery (Seattle Times)
Congress House Shelves Piracy Act, But Blackout
Protests Continue (GigaOM)
A Wireless Road around Data Traffic Jams (NY Times)
Online Shoppers are Rooting for the Little Guy (NY
Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/16/business/some-shoppers-rebel-against-giant-web-retailers.html?_r=1
POLITICS & GOVERNANCE
House Democrats in Olympia Show Interest in
Creating Washington State Bank (Seattle Times)
Fitch Downgrades Two Tacoma Bonds - The swift
reversal of Tacoma’s fiscal outlook “raises concerns about the city’s budget
monitoring capabilities,” Fitch said in a statement (Seattle Times)
Some Question Power of Washington State Attorney
General (Associated Press)
Washington State Rep Fred Finn Seeks Constitutional
Amendment on Ballot Initiatives (Kitsap Sun,
Bremerton, WA)
GENERAL NEWS
More Snow Arrives Overnight, But the Worst is Yet
to Come (KOMO-TV, Seattle)
With More Snow Coming, Officials Say to Stock Up on
Supplies (Everett Herald, WA)
Here’s (sic) Some Tips to Prepare for the
Snowstorms (KCPQ-TV, Tacoma/Seattle, WA)
Mount Rainier Snowshoer Burned Cash to Stay Warm
(Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
DIVERSIONS
Obama to Betty White: Your Birth Certificate?
Ten Surprising Health Benefits of Beer
Benjamin Franklin: Ten Great Quotes on His Birthday
Scarcity of Women Causes Men to Spend More, Save
Less
SONG OF THE DAY
Jefferson
Airplane - Somebody to Love
