Enjoy the Independence Day Weekend. The founding fathers had a lot riding on their signing of the Declaration of Independence: their livelihoods, and literally their lives. As Ben Franklin memorably stated at the signing, “We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately.”
SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS
Weather Forecast for July 2, 2015
Record Warm Temperatures for June in Western Washington (National Weather Service, Seattle)
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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES
Drought Reduces Hydroelectric Output (Capital Press)
California PUC Floats New Electricity Rate Plan – Proposal Is Blasted “…could boost power rates by as much as $10 a month for 80 percent of California’s residential consumers…” (San Jose Mercury News, CA)
Marijuana Growing Spikes Denver Energy Demand (The Cannabist, Denver, CO)
Chinook, Sockeye Seasons Extended on Columbia River (Longview Daily News, WA)
Washington State Government Has a Budget – Legislature Isn’t Finished (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
- Drought Reduces Hydroelectric Output
- California PUC Floats New Electricity Rate Plan – Proposal Is Blasted
- Klickitat PUD Pumped Storage on Hold for Now
- What the Supreme Court MATS Ruling Means for Utilities & the EPA Clean Power Plan
- Puerto Rico Power Authority Avoids Default with $415 Million Bond Payment
- Weak Power Grids in Africa Stunt Economies & Fire Up Tempers
- Germany to Shut Down Coal-Fired Plants, Extend Power Grid –Sources
- Chinook, Sockeye Seasons Extended on Columbia River
- Sport Fishing Ban Urged By Conservationists as Temperature in British Columbia Rivers Rise
- Washington State Endangered Species Initiative Gains Enough Signatures
- Drought Conditions Dry Up Swim Areas & Boat Launch at Alder Lake
- Yakima Basin Integrated Plan Flows Forward with Federal Funds Proposal
- Kitsap PUD Assumes Operation of Two More Bainbridge Island Water Systems
- Rain Shadow Radiance: Solar Energy Captures Interest in Sequim
- White House Rejects Biomass as Carbon Neutral
- BPA Conservation Credits: Plenty of Business Tax Changes That Started July 1
- Video: Renton Schools Turn Up Learning with LED Lights
- Energy Adviser: Methods to Beat the Heat Are Many
- Marijuana Growing Spikes Denver Energy Demand
- New York Marijuana Development Firm Buys West Eugene Factory from Eugene Water & Electric Board
- Pot Now Legal in Oregon; Washington State Shops Reap Benefit
- Thurston County Residents Invited to Take Survey on Clean Energy & Climate Change
- News Release: British Columbia Celebrates Five Consecutive Carbon Neutral Years
- Toyota, Nissan, Honda Back Hydrogen Stations for Fuel Cells
- Siemens to Open Plant to Turn Electricity from Wind into Hydrogen
- FBI Seeking Fiber-Optic Cable Vandals in Wake of Recent Bay Area Attacks
- Seattle City Council Member Urges Grass Roots Broadband Revolution after Ten Years of Failing to Fix Broken Broadband Duopoly
- Jim Beam (Yes, the Whiskey Maker) Says We Need Broadband Competition
- How States Are Fighting to Keep Towns from Offering Their Own Broadband
- How the Internet is Ruining Your Memory
- Facebook Just Updated Its Logo Ever So Slightly – Can You Tell the Difference?
- Washington State Government Has a Budget – Legislature Isn’t Finished
- Washington State’s Capital Budget Funds Critical Local Projects for Shelton, Belfair & Bremerton
- About 2,100 Acres Burns near Quincy
- Wenatchee Blaze That Destroyed 29 Homes Was Human-Caused; Fire Now 83% Contained
- Even Washington’s Drought Can’t Stop Fireworks Now
- Oregon: Four Preteen Boys Will Be Charged in Eugene Civic Stadium Fire
- Mason County Commissioners Comment on Wilson Recycling Closure
Tortuous • \TOR-chuh-wus\ • adjective *1: marked by repeated twists, bends, or turns : winding 2a: marked by devious or indirect tactics: crooked, tricky b: circuitous, involved
Out of the tortuous plot, huge vocabulary and over 600 pages of text, there’s only one line from James Joyce’s novel “Ulysses” that I remember: “Stately, plump Buck Mulligan came from the stair head, bearing a bowl of lather on which a mirror and a razor lay crossed. A yellow dressing gown, ungirdled, was sustained gently behind him by the mild morning air.”
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
Drought Reduces Hydroelectric Output (Capital Press)
California PUC Floats New Electricity Rate Plan – Proposal Is Blasted “…could boost power rates by as much as $10 a month for 80 percent of California’s residential consumers…” (San Jose Mercury News, CA)
Klickitat PUD Pumped Storage on Hold for Now (Goldendale Sentinel, WA)
What the Supreme Court MATS Ruling Means for Utilities & the EPA Clean Power Plan (Utility Dive)
Puerto Rico Power Authority Avoids Default with $415 Million Bond Payment (The Guardian, UK)
Weak Power Grids in Africa Stunt Economies & Fire Up Tempers (NY Times)
Germany to Shut Down Coal-Fired Plants, Extend Power Grid –Sources (Reuters)
FISH & WILDLIFE
Chinook, Sockeye Seasons Extended on Columbia River (Longview Daily News, WA)
Sport Fishing Ban Urged By Conservationists as Temperature in British Columbia Rivers Rise (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)
Washington State Endangered Species Initiative Gains Enough Signatures (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)
WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT
Drought Conditions Dry Up Swim Areas & Boat Launch at Alder Lake (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)
Yakima Basin Integrated Plan Flows Forward with Federal Funds Proposal (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)
Kitsap PUD Assumes Operation of Two More Bainbridge Island Water Systems (Bainbridge Island Review, WA)
RENEWABLE ENERGY
Rain Shadow Radiance: Solar Energy Captures Interest in Sequim (Sequim Gazette, WA)
White House Rejects Biomass as Carbon Neutral (Utility Dive)
CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY
BPA Conservation Credits: Plenty of Business Tax Changes That Started July 1 (Bellingham Herald, WA)
Video: Renton Schools Turn Up Learning with LED Lights (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)
Energy Adviser: Methods to Beat the Heat Are Many (Vancouver Columbian, WA)
KILOWATTS FOR CANNABIS
Marijuana Growing Spikes Denver Energy Demand (The Cannabist, Denver, CO)
New York Marijuana Development Firm Buys West Eugene Factory from Eugene Water & Electric Board (Eugene Register-Guard, OR)
Pot Now Legal in Oregon; Washington State Shops Reap Benefit (Vancouver Columbian, WA)
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
Thurston County Residents Invited to Take Survey on Clean Energy & Climate Change (Thurston Talks, Olympia, WA)
News Release: British Columbia Celebrates Five Consecutive Carbon Neutral Years (Electric Energy Online)
BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI
Toyota, Nissan, Honda Back Hydrogen Stations for Fuel Cells (Associated Press)
Siemens to Open Plant to Turn Electricity from Wind into Hydrogen (Reuters)
TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
FBI Seeking Fiber-Optic Cable Vandals in Wake of Recent Bay Area Attacks (San Jose Mercury News, CA)
http://www.mercurynews.com/crime-courts/ci_28413281/fbi-seeking-fiber-optic-cable-vandals?source=rss
Seattle City Council Member Urges Grass Roots Broadband Revolution after Ten Years of Failing to Fix Broken Broadband Duopoly (Techdirt)
Jim Beam (Yes, the Whiskey Maker) Says We Need Broadband Competition (Washington Post)
How States Are Fighting to Keep Towns from Offering Their Own Broadband (Techdirt)
MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA
How the Internet is Ruining Your Memory (Washington Post)
Facebook Just Updated Its Logo Ever So Slightly – Can You Tell the Difference? (AdWeek)
POLITICS & GOVERNANCE
Washington State Government Has a Budget – Legislature Isn’t Finished (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)
Washington State’s Capital Budget Funds Critical Local Projects for Shelton, Belfair & Bremerton (WA House Republican Caucus)
GENERAL NEWS
About 2,100 Acres Burns near Quincy (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)
Wenatchee Blaze That Destroyed 29 Homes Was Human-Caused; Fire Now 83% Contained (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)
Even Washington’s Drought Can’t Stop Fireworks Now (KPLU Radio, Tacoma, WA)
Oregon: Four Preteen Boys Will Be Charged in Eugene Civic Stadium Fire (Oregonian, Portland)
Mason County Commissioners Comment on Wilson Recycling Closure (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
DIVERSIONS
Donald Trump Piñatas for Sale in Mexico after Inflammatory Immigrant Remarks
California Cancer Patient with Amnesia Faces Identity Crisis
Someone Smuggled This Teahouse into an LA Park without Anyone Noticing
The Powers That Be Are Taking the Pop Out of Bubble Wrap Because They Hate Us
SONG OF THE DAY
Josh Groban – Try to Remember (from “The Fantasticks”)
LINKS & PAYWALL ADVISORY
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.
Note that as some newspapers migrate to a “paywall” system of access, some articles may not be available without forking over some cold hard credit card cash. However, some sites will allow a certain number of story accesses per month before holding out their hand. Sorry if this is an inconvenience.
