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SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS
HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES
Comment Period to Close Soon on Columbia River System
Operations Draft Environmental Impact Statement & Preferred Alternative
(U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)
Clearer Picture of Coronavirus-Driven Grid Load Declines
Emerges in U.S. After Weeks of Lockdowns (Utility Dive)
Port Angeles City Council OKs Utility, Rental Assistance
(Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)
Washington State Nears Half a Million Unemployed from
Coronavirus, with ‘Tsunami’ of More Claims Expected (Seattle Times, WA –
Paywall Advisory)
Another Positive COVID-19 Case in Mason County (Mason Web
TV, Shelton, WA)
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)
1.
Comment Period to Close Soon on Columbia River
System Operations Draft Environmental Impact Statement & Preferred
Alternative
2.
Op/Ed: Take A Few Minutes to Help Save Our Dams
– By April 13th
3.
Op/Ed: Setting the Record Straight on Lower
Snake River Dams
4.
Fitch Rates Chelan PUD’s $165 Million Bonds at
‘AA+’; Outlook Stable
5.
FERC Accepts NorthernGrid Jurisdictional Tariff
Filings, NW Power Pool to Serve as NorthernGrid Project Coordinator
6.
Meet Jennifer Hollenbeck, Bonneville Power
Administration’s Energy-Saving Energy Engineer
7.
Clearer Picture of Coronavirus-Driven Grid Load
Declines Emerges in U.S. After Weeks of Lockdowns
8.
How Coronavirus Is Changing Electricity Usage,
in Three Charts
9.
Port Angeles City Council OKs Utility, Rental
Assistance
10.
Can’t Pay Your Utility Bill? Cities, PUDs Are
Helping
11.
Inslee Should Suspend All Water-Service
Shut-Offs During Coronavirus Crisis, Advocacy Groups Say
12.
APPA Urges Congress to Boost Funding for LIHEAP,
Coronavirus Relief Fund
13.
NRECA Requests Federal Aid for Cooperatives
Unable to Pay Electric Bills During Pandemic
14.
State Telemeeting About California Fishing Ban
Erupts into Chaos. ‘Make Fishing Great Again!’
15.
Op/Ed: Environmentalists Are Dragging Us Back to
the Dark Ages
16.
Cow Poop Could Fuel California’s Clean Energy
Future – Not Everyone’s on Board
17.
Ireland: Butterfly Concerns Delay Solar Farm
Planning Decision
18.
Snohomish County PUD earns Energy Star Award for
Excellence
19.
Our Lack of Will to Expand Broadband Access Has
Left Millions of Students Disconnected During Closures
20.
Op/Ed: Rural Broadband & Telehealth Critical
to America’s COVID-19 Response
21.
How a 5G Virus Conspiracy Theory Fueled Arson
& Harassment in Britain
22.
Washington State Nears Half a Million Unemployed
from Coronavirus, with ‘Tsunami’ of More Claims Expected
23.
Senate Adjourns Until Monday After Democrats
Block McConnell’s Bid to Add $250 Billion in Small Business Aid
24.
About 70% of Small Businesses Have Applied for a
CARES Act Loan. It’s Unclear How Many Have Received Them.
25.
U.S. Rep. Denny Heck Officially Announces Run
for Washington State Lieutenant Governor
26.
Another Positive COVID-19 Case in Mason County
27.
Feds Seize Coronavirus Test Kit Materials Bound
for Bellingham Hospital & Pacific Northwest
28.
Redmond City Leadership Accused of Telling
Employees to Stay Quiet About Having COVID
29.
‘Strong Evidence’ Social Distancing Measures Are
Working in Washington State
30.
‘Be the Light’: The Inspirational Reason High
Schools Nationwide Are Burning Stadium Lights During the Coronavirus Pandemic
31.
Super Spring Weather Ahead
WORD OF THE DAY – HORRIBLE HAIKU EDITION
Hermetic • \herr-MET-tick\ • Adjective - 1: relating to or
characterized by occultism or abstruseness: recondite 2a: airtight b:
impervious to external influence c: recluse, solitary
Frank the Hermetic
Lived thus not by his choice
Garlic was his vice
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
1.
Comment Period to Close Soon on Columbia River
System Operations Draft Environmental Impact Statement & Preferred
Alternative (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)
2.
Op/Ed: Take A Few Minutes to Help Save Our Dams
– By April 13th (Tri-City Herald, WA)
3.
Op/Ed: Setting the Record Straight on Lower Snake
River Dams (Idaho State Journal)
4.
Fitch Rates Chelan PUD’s $165 Million Bonds at ‘AA+’;
Outlook Stable (Fitch Ratings)
5.
FERC Accepts NorthernGrid Jurisdictional Tariff
Filings, NW Power Pool to Serve as NorthernGrid Project Coordinator
(Transmission & Distribution World)
6.
Meet Jennifer Hollenbeck, Bonneville Power
Administration’s Energy-Saving Energy Engineer (Bonneville Power Administration)
BEHIND CLOSED DOORS – THE CORONAVIRUS CONUNDRUM
7.
Clearer Picture of Coronavirus-Driven Grid Load
Declines Emerges in U.S. After Weeks of Lockdowns (Utility Dive)
8.
How Coronavirus Is Changing Electricity Usage, in
Three Charts (Grist Online)
9.
Port Angeles City Council OKs Utility, Rental
Assistance (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)
10.
Can’t Pay Your Utility Bill? Cities, PUDs Are
Helping (Wenatchee World, WA)
11.
Inslee Should Suspend All Water-Service
Shut-Offs During Coronavirus Crisis, Advocacy Groups Say (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall
Advisory)
12.
APPA Urges Congress to Boost Funding for LIHEAP,
Coronavirus Relief Fund (American Public Power Association)
13.
NRECA Requests Federal Aid for Cooperatives
Unable to Pay Electric Bills During Pandemic (Daily Energy Insider)
FISH & WILDLIFE
14.
State Telemeeting About California Fishing Ban
Erupts into Chaos. ‘Make Fishing Great Again!’ (Sacramento Bee, CA)
15.
Op/Ed: Environmentalists Are Dragging Us Back to
the Dark Ages (Lewiston Tribune, ID)
RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE
16.
Cow Poop Could Fuel California’s Clean Energy
Future – Not Everyone’s on Board (Los Angeles Times, CA)
17.
Ireland: Butterfly Concerns Delay Solar Farm
Planning Decision (Irish Times)
CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY
18.
Snohomish County PUD earns Energy Star Award for
Excellence (Mountlake Terrace News, WA)
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
19.
Our Lack of Will to Expand Broadband Access Has
Left Millions of Students Disconnected During Closures (Fast Company)
20.
Op/Ed: Rural Broadband & Telehealth Critical
to America’s COVID-19 Response (The Hill, Washington, DC)
21.
How a 5G Virus Conspiracy Theory Fueled Arson &
Harassment in Britain (NY Times)
GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT
22.
Washington State Nears Half a Million Unemployed
from Coronavirus, with ‘Tsunami’ of More Claims Expected (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall
Advisory)
23.
Senate Adjourns Until Monday After Democrats Block
McConnell’s Bid to Add $250 Billion in Small Business Aid (CNBC)
25.
U.S. Rep. Denny Heck Officially Announces Run for
Washington State Lieutenant Governor (MSN News)
SICKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN
26.
Another Positive COVID-19 Case in Mason County
(Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)
27.
Feds Seize Coronavirus Test Kit Materials Bound for
Bellingham Hospital & Pacific Northwest (Bellingham Herald, WA)
28.
Redmond City Leadership Accused of Telling
Employees to Stay Quiet About Having COVID (KIRO News, Seattle, WA)
29.
‘Strong Evidence’ Social Distancing Measures Are
Working in Washington State (KIRO News, Seattle, WA)
30.
‘Be the Light’: The Inspirational Reason High
Schools Nationwide Are Burning Stadium Lights During the Coronavirus Pandemic
(Yahoo News)
GENERAL NEWS
31.
Super Spring Weather Ahead (Cliff Mass Weather
Blog)
BAD WOLF – DIVERSIONS
The Howling: Americans Let It Out from Depths of Pandemic
Czech Nudists Told to Wear Face Masks by Police
Trump Says He Will ‘Take a Look’ at Pardon for ‘Tiger King’
Star (Courthouse News Service)
Easter Bunny Declared an ‘Essential Service’ in British
Columbia as Premier Makes ‘Special Eggs-Emption’
SONG OF THE DAY
Mariachi Entertainment System – Take on Me (A-Ha)
LINKS & PAYWALL ADVISORY
Links in the news digest lead to current stories. Media
organizations update their websites regularly, which may result in broken
links.