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SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS
The Genius of Crowd Weather Forecasting (Cliff Mass Weather Blog)
HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES
NOAA Releases New 2019 BiOp for Columbia Basin Salmon/Steelhead; Includes Flexible Spill (Columbia Basin Bulletin)
Pacific Northwest Sees Highest Daily Natural Gas Spot Prices in the U.S. Since 2014 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
Alaska: Chugach Electric Awaits State Approval to Finalize Purchase of Municipal Light & Power
Five Portland Water Bureau Workers Sue City, Claiming ‘Systemic Corruption’ (Oregonian, Portland)
Robo-Callers Rang Americans’ Phones 26 Billion Times Last Year. Now, Congress Is Taking Aim. (Washington Post)
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
1. Pacific Northwest Sees Highest Daily Natural Gas Spot Prices in the U.S. Since 2014
2. Alaska: Chugach Electric Awaits State Approval to Finalize Purchase of Municipal Light & Power
3. Judge Takes Oversight of Pacific Gas & Electric’s Wildfire Prevention Plans – “…will closely monitor…tree-trimming…”
4. Pacific Gas & Electric Is Near a Deal with Hedge Funds on CEO, Board Overhaul
5. $210 Million – Seattle’s New Substation Will Power Amazon’s Neighborhood – And, It Has a Dog Park
6. Longview Coal Export Facility Project Dealt Another Blow in Federal Lawsuit
7. Chelan County PUD Customers Give Feedback on Consolidation Plans
8. California Turns to Oroville Dam’s Spillway for First Time Since Crisis
9. Federal Judge Blocks Potential Path to Viability for 2.3 GW Navajo Coal Plant
10. Proposed Bill Could Send Florida’s Power Lines Underground – At What Cost?
11. Nuclear Energy Regulators Were Unaware of Transfer of Sensitive Technical Information to Saudi Arabia
12. Public Power Lineworkers Demonstrate Skills at National Rodeo
13. NOAA Releases New 2019 BiOp for Columbia Basin Salmon/Steelhead; Includes Flexible Spill
14. Op/Ed: Tipping the Balance in Favor of Salmon
15. Bald Eagles, Symbol of America, Are Dumping Trash on the Seattle Suburbs
16. Report: Great Barrier Reef Might Be Too Damaged to Recover
17. Feds Announce Up to $26.1 Million to Advance Hydropower & Marine Energy
18. U-S Energy Dept. Sees Gold in Wind Energy ‘Dead Zones’
19. Nova Scotia Pulls Plug on Financially Troubled Marine Turbine Project
20. Verizon Turns on Mobile 5G Network Ahead of Schedule in Chicago & Minneapolis
21. Amid Bitcoin Uncertainty, ‘the Smart Money Knows That Crypto Is Not Ready’
22. Five Portland Water Bureau Workers Sue City, Claiming ‘Systemic Corruption’
23. Will Congress Leave the Colorado River High & Dry?
24. California Water Woes – Interior Dept. Watchdog Reviewing Allegations That Acting Secretary Violated Ethics Pledge
25. Canada: Environmentalists Hope for Action in Wake of ‘Shocking & Utterly Unsurprising’ Climate-Change Report
26. Study Shows Extreme Scale of Arctic Sea-Ice Melt
27. Trump Campaign Seeks List of ‘Climate Change Victories’ to Tout on 2020 Trail
28. Washington, Colorado Mellowing Out After Years of Legal Pot
29. Wyden, McConnell Tell Banking Regulators to ‘Ease Concerns’ About Hemp Businesses
30. Retail Decides to Experiment with Cannabis
31. Robo-Callers Rang Americans’ Phones 26 Billion Times Last Year. Now, Congress Is Taking Aim.
32. Seattle Times to Sell Bothell Printing Plant to Help Fund News Operations
33. Project Planning Tips & Tales for Makers
34. Washington State Gov. Inslee Touts Clean-Energy Policy in Washington, D.C.
35. Montana Congressman Confronts Inslee Over Coal-Fired Power
36. Lewis County Commissioners Won’t Pursue ‘Sanctuary County’ Status on New Gun Laws
37. Boeing’s 737 Max Defense Just Got More Difficult
38. Greater Potential for Wildfire in Western Washington State into July
39. Washington State Officials: ‘Stop Freaking Out’ Over Plume from Mount Baker Volcano
40. Mason General’s $35 Million Clinic Project Unites Health Care in New Location
41. Olympic National Park’s Staircase Road to Reopen by May 24
WORD OF THE DAY
Defile • \dih-FILE\ • Verb/Noun – 1 - Verb: to make unclean or impure: as - a: to corrupt the purity or perfection of, debase b: to make physically unclean especially with something unpleasant or contaminating d: to violate the sanctity of, desecrate e: sully, dishonor 2 – Noun: a narrow passage through mountains, a narrow passage or gorge.
The troop of spelunkers entered the looming defile that led to the yawning entrance to the infamous “Cave of the Intestinally Distressed Bats.” What they would find there, only the tour guide knew. Only the adventurers with excellent vocabularies realized too late the origin of the cavern’s name…and the reason that the tour included heavy discounts on dry-cleaning at the small nearby town’s single laundry establishment.
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
2. Alaska: Chugach Electric Awaits State Approval to Finalize Purchase of Municipal Light & Power (KTUU-TV, Anchorage, AK)
3. Judge Takes Oversight of Pacific Gas & Electric’s Wildfire Prevention Plans – “…will closely monitor…tree-trimming…” (Associated Press)
4. Pacific Gas & Electric Is Near a Deal with Hedge Funds on CEO, Board Overhaul (Bloomberg News)
6. Longview Coal Export Facility Project Dealt Another Blow in Federal Lawsuit (Longview Daily News, WA)
7. Chelan County PUD Customers Give Feedback on Consolidation Plans (NCW Life Channel, East Wenatchee, WA)
8. California Turns to Oroville Dam’s Spillway for First Time Since Crisis (Sacramento Bee, CA)
9. Federal Judge Blocks Potential Path to Viability for 2.3 GW Navajo Coal Plant (Utility Dive)
10. Proposed Bill Could Send Florida’s Power Lines Underground – At What Cost? (WTVT-TV, Tampa, FL)
11. Nuclear Energy Regulators Were Unaware of Transfer of Sensitive Technical Information to Saudi Arabia (Washington Post)
12. Public Power Lineworkers Demonstrate Skills at National Rodeo (American Public Power Association)
FISH & WILDLIFE
14. Op/Ed: Tipping the Balance in Favor of Salmon (Moscow-Pullman Daily News, ID)
15. Bald Eagles, Symbol of America, Are Dumping Trash on the Seattle Suburbs (NY Times)
16. Report: Great Barrier Reef Might Be Too Damaged to Recover (San Jose Mercury News, CA)
RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE
17. Feds Announce Up to $26.1 Million to Advance Hydropower & Marine Energy (U-S Department of Energy)
18. U-S Energy Dept. Sees Gold in Wind Energy ‘Dead Zones’ (CleanTechnica)
19. Nova Scotia Pulls Plug on Financially Troubled Marine Turbine Project (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
20. Verizon Turns on Mobile 5G Network Ahead of Schedule in Chicago & Minneapolis (USA Today)
THE WIZARDING WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY
21. Amid Bitcoin Uncertainty, ‘the Smart Money Knows That Crypto Is Not Ready’ (NY Times)
“CLEAN UP ON AISLE THREE” – WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT
22. Five Portland Water Bureau Workers Sue City, Claiming ‘Systemic Corruption’ (Oregonian, Portland)
23. Will Congress Leave the Colorado River High & Dry? (Grist Online)
24. California Water Woes – Interior Dept. Watchdog Reviewing Allegations That Acting Secretary Violated Ethics Pledge (Washington Post)
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
25. Canada: Environmentalists Hope for Action in Wake of ‘Shocking & Utterly Unsurprising’ Climate-Change Report (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)
26. Study Shows Extreme Scale of Arctic Sea-Ice Melt (Courthouse News Service)
27. Trump Campaign Seeks List of ‘Climate Change Victories’ to Tout on 2020 Trail (McClatchy, DC)
KILOWATTS FOR CANNABIS
28. Washington, Colorado Mellowing Out After Years of Legal Pot (Associated Press)
29. Wyden, McConnell Tell Banking Regulators to ‘Ease Concerns’ About Hemp Businesses (Portland Business Journal, OR)
30. Retail Decides to Experiment with Cannabis (Bloomberg News)
PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA
31. Robo-Callers Rang Americans’ Phones 26 Billion Times Last Year. Now, Congress Is Taking Aim. (Washington Post)
32. Seattle Times to Sell Bothell Printing Plant to Help Fund News Operations (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)
33. Project Planning Tips & Tales for Makers (Medium)
GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT
34. Washington State Gov. Inslee Touts Clean-Energy Policy in Washington, D.C. (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)
35. Montana Congressman Confronts Inslee Over Coal-Fired Power (Associated Press)
36. Lewis County Commissioners Won’t Pursue ‘Sanctuary County’ Status on New Gun Laws (Aberdeen Daily World, WA)
GENERAL NEWS
37. Boeing’s 737 Max Defense Just Got More Difficult (Bloomberg News)
38. Greater Potential for Wildfire in Western Washington State into July (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)
39. Washington State Officials: ‘Stop Freaking Out’ Over Plume from Mount Baker Volcano (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)
40. Mason General’s $35 Million Clinic Project Unites Health Care in New Location (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA – Paywall Advisory)
41. Olympic National Park’s Staircase Road to Reopen by May 24 (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS
High School Robotics Team Builds Custom Wheelchair for Two-Year-Old Who Can’t Walk
“Hold my beer…” Arkansas Men Arrested for Shooting Each Other While Wearing Bulletproof Vest
Charles Sanna, Man Behind Swiss Miss Cocoa, Dies at 101
Creepy Cargo: Philippines Seizes 757 Tarantulas from Poland
SONG OF THE DAY
Jim Stafford – Spiders & Snakes
LINKS & PAYWALL ADVISORY
Links in the news digest lead to current stories. Media organizations update their websites regularly, which may result in broken links.
