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
Electrical Usage Dropping Nationwide (Albuquerque
Business First, NM)
Civilla Named to Kitsap PUD Post - To Replace
Retiring Lee Caldwell (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
After
Switch from Whatcom PUD - Ferndale Residents Unhappy with New Water Supply
(KOMO-TV, Seattle)
Two
Billion Dollars - MidAmerican to Buy Two California Solar Power Projects
(Associated Press)
Green
Power Biofuels Plant Evicted from Big Pasco Industrial Park (Tri-City Herald, WA)
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
- Electrical Usage Dropping Nationwide
- Civilla Named to Kitsap PUD Post - To Replace Retiring Lee Caldwell
- Pacific Gas & Electric Attributes Higher California Rates to Grid Modernization, Renewables
- Alaska Electric Co-ops Prep for Gas Shortage
- Florida - Boy Shoots Transmission Line, Causes Power Outage
- Hubris Alert - Despite Doubts, Pepco Confident It Is Ready for Next Storm
- Utility Associations Urge Feds to Exercise Caution on Standards for Geomagnetic Disturbances
- Winter Steelhead Fishing Improve in Lewis & Cowlitz Rivers
- Elwha Dam-Removal Project Held Back as Silt Estimate Too Low
- After Switch from Whatcom PUD - Ferndale Residents Unhappy with New Water Supply
- Chesapeake Bay’s Health Improving Slightly, Report Says
- Extraordinary Snowfall Needed to Relieve Midwest Drought
- Two Billion Dollars - MidAmerican to Buy Two California Solar Power Projects
- Wind Power Changes Landscape in Multiple Ways
- California Rules Phased In for Lower-Watt Bulbs
- Oregon - Energy-Saving Street Lights Coming to Clackamas County
- Montana Agency Closer to Adopting Energy-Saving Building Standards
- Global Warming Threatens U-S Ski Industry, But Oregon Unscathed
- Op/Ed – Maintain Washington State’s Transportation Network with a Carbon Tax
- Green Power Biofuels Plant Evicted from Big Pasco Industrial Park
- Tigard to Begin Construction on ‘Green Street’ Project
- Thermoelectric Pipes Can Generate Electricity from Hot Water
- Washington State Patrol Gets More Time for Switch to Digital Radio System
- CenturyLink Files Legal Complaint against Portland to Halt Rise in Landline Phone Tax
- Twitter Now Valued at $11 Billion, Analyst Says
- 6 Easy Ways to Make Your Website Tablet-Friendly
- Op/Ed - ‘Bipartisan’ State Senate Means Rejecting Voters’ Own Values
- ‘Patriotic Millionaire’ Rick Steves is Really, Really Excited about His Tax Increase
- Tsunami Debris? Agencies Plan Next Move with Dock on Washington State Coast
- Jefferson County Issues Formal Denial of Port Townsend Paper Landfill Permit
- Everett Pig Farmer: Growing Pot Would Smell Pretty Sweet
- Company wants to introduce marijuana vending machines to Washington
- Thurston County Court Worker Pleads Not Guilty to Pot Charges
WORD OF THE DAY
Festoon
• \fess-TOON\ • Noun - 1: a decorative chain or strip hanging between two
points 2: a carved, molded, or painted ornament representing a decorative chain.
The
room dropped into silence colder, darker and deeper than the tomb. The worker
bees had been busy in their task of creating a welcome for their new
supervisor. The crew spent two days festooning the immense suite of cubicles
with a riotous mix of colored garlands and commemorative ornaments (with
hand-etched silhouettes of the new boss on gold-leaf medallions). As the new boss
swept into the room…he collided with the low-hanging decorations with his
silly, three foot tall hat. The resulting collision resulted in the first test
of his new health plan, as well as a neck brace for the next two weeks.
SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
Electrical Usage Dropping Nationwide (Albuquerque
Business First, NM)
Civilla Named to Kitsap PUD Post - To Replace Retiring
Lee Caldwell (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
Pacific Gas & Electric Attributes Higher California
Rates to Grid Modernization, Renewables (Renew-Grid)
Alaska Electric Co-ops Prep for Gas Shortage
(Electric Co-op Today)
Florida - Boy Shoots Transmission Line, Causes
Power Outage (Miami Herald, FL)
Hubris Alert - Despite Doubts, Pepco Confident It
Is Ready for Next Storm (The Gazette, Gaithersburg, MD)
Utility Associations Urge Feds to Exercise Caution
on Standards for Geomagnetic Disturbances (American Public Power Association)
FISH & WILDLIFE
Winter Steelhead Fishing Improve in Lewis &
Cowlitz Rivers (Seattle Times, WA)
Elwha Dam-Removal Project Held Back as Silt
Estimate Too Low (Seattle Times, WA)
WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT
After
Switch from Whatcom PUD - Ferndale Residents Unhappy with New Water Supply
(KOMO-TV, Seattle)
Chesapeake
Bay’s Health Improving Slightly, Report Says (Washington Post)
Extraordinary
Snowfall Needed to Relieve Midwest Drought (Associated Press)
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Two
Billion Dollars - MidAmerican to Buy Two California Solar Power Projects
(Associated Press)
Wind
Power Changes Landscape in Multiple Ways (National Public Radio)
CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY
California Rules Phased In for Lower-Watt Bulbs (Sacramento
Bee, CA)
Oregon
- Energy-Saving Street Lights Coming to Clackamas County (Oregonian, Portland,
OR)
Montana Agency Closer to Adopting Energy-Saving
Building Standards (The Missoulian, MT)
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
Global
Warming Threatens U-S Ski Industry, But Oregon Unscathed (Oregonian, Portland)
Op/Ed
– Maintain Washington State’s Transportation Network with a Carbon Tax (Seattle Times)
BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI
Green
Power Biofuels Plant Evicted from Big Pasco Industrial Park (Tri-City Herald, WA)
Tigard
to Begin Construction on ‘Green Street’ Project (Oregonian, Portland, OR)
Thermoelectric
Pipes Can Generate Electricity from Hot Water (Gizmodo)
TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Washington State Patrol Gets More Time for Switch
to Digital Radio System (Vancouver Columbian, WA)
CenturyLink Files Legal Complaint against Portland
to Halt Rise in Landline Phone Tax (Oregonian, Portland, OR)
Twitter Now Valued at $11 Billion, Analyst Says
(Mashable)
6 Easy Ways to Make Your Website Tablet-Friendly
(Mashable)
POLITICS & GOVERNANCE
Op/Ed - ‘Bipartisan’ State Senate Means Rejecting
Voters’ Own Values (Crosscut Seattle)
‘Patriotic Millionaire’ Rick Steves is Really,
Really Excited about His Tax Increase (U-S News & World Report)
GENERAL NEWS
Tsunami Debris? Agencies Plan Next Move with Dock on
Washington State Coast (Associated Press)
Jefferson County Issues Formal Denial of Port
Townsend Paper Landfill Permit (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)
Everett Pig Farmer: Growing Pot Would Smell Pretty
Sweet (KCPQ-TV, Seattle/Tacoma, WA)
Company wants to introduce marijuana vending
machines to Washington (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle)
Thurston County Court Worker Pleads Not Guilty to
Pot Charges (Olympian, WA)
DIVERSIONS
On the Blink: Sometimes Your Mind Just Needs a
Second Off - In the wink of an eye, the brain sees a benefit
Ten Quotes by
J.R.R. Tolkien on His Birthday
http://www.csmonitor.com/Books/2013/0102/10-quotes-by-J.R.R.-Tolkien-on-his-birthday/A-merrier-world
‘Tennessee Waltz’
Singer Patti Page Dies at 85
You Haven’t Truly
Seen a Fireworks Show until You’ve Seen One in Reverse (Note; Contains PG-13
Language)
SONG OF THE DAY
Patti
Page - You Don’t Know Me