Energy News Digest for March 19, 2010

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.

To subscribe, email jmyer@masonpud3.org

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

·         Owners Threaten to Shut Down New Jersey Nuke Plant

·         Vermont - Group Wants Vt. Yankee Nuclear Plant’s License Extension Rejected

·         Obama Wants More Nuclear Power, But What About the Waste?

·         United Kingdom - Tories Plan New Nuclear Power Plant Every 18 Months

·         United Kingdom - Energy Firms Could be Forced to Buy Low-Carbon Power

·         San Francisco Sues over Pacific Gas & Electric-Backed Ballot Measure

·         California - Prop. 16, Bankrolled by Pacific Gas & Electric, Subject of Lively Debate

·         California - SMUD, Other Utilities Seek to Kick PG&E-Backed Proposition 16 off June Ballot

·         Michigan - Illegal Electric Hookup at Fatal Detroit Fire Site

·         Columbia Basin Herald Editorial - Crescent Barred

·         Arizona’s last new coal plant?

·         Utilities group spent $2.7M lobbying in 4Q

·         BPA Pursues Research to Modernize Power System

·         FERC: Revision to Electric Reliability Organization Definition of Bulk Electric System

·         Idaho Chinook Season to Open April 24

·         Poor Hood Canal Chinook & Coho Returns Will Drive How Salmon Fishing Seasons Are Crafted

·         Columbia River: Will Obama’s Feds Finally Aim High?

·         Energy Developers Say Sage Grouse Decision Manageable

·         Feds Asked to Pay to Repair Howard Hansen Dam

·         Scientist Panel Says California Water Limits Justified

·         Moses Lake - Landowner, Internet Group Sue REC Silicon

·         Florida Biomass Electric Power Plant Plan OK’d

·         Oregonian Op/Ed - A Bright Future for Oregon Biomass

·         Baker City Herald Editorial - Burning off the Green Energy Fog

·         US Wind Power Growing Fast But Still Lags

·         Wyoming - Wind Rules for State Lands Sail Through

·         Wind Farm Plans Stir Up Storm over Military Radar

·         Arizona’s Only Wind Farm to Double in Size

·         Vancouver, WA - Classroom Space Expanded for Wind Turbine Training

·         Indulgence Central - California Public Utilities Commission Decision Allows Tradable RECs

·         Seattle City Light Workers to Help Install Light Bulbs

·         California’s Smart Meter Battle: Google vs. Utilities

·         EcoTrust Sells Its First Carbon Credits

·         New Jersey Latest State to Raid Carbon Auction Funds

·         Climate Change Cited as Montana Oil & Gas Leases Suspended

·         Wisconsin Co-ops Provide Cost Calculator for Climate Bill

·         Chill Out - Climate Scientists Are Getting a Little Too Angry for Their Own Good

·         Washington State’s Green Jobs Climb to Near 100,000

·         California Clean - Lady Washington Returns to Service, Greener

·         News Tribune Editorial - US Can’t Stay in the Broadband Slow Lane

·         Washington Post Columnist - FCC’s plan for broadband Internet access falls short

·         Google Executives Called YouTube a ‘Pirate’ Site

·         North Carolina - Hickory Makes Case for Google’s Fast Play in Fiber

·         Should My Town Get Goofy for Goo-Fiber?

·         Body Identified as Missing 8-Year-Old, Mother Missing

·         Two Arrested for Shellfish Poaching on Hood Canal

·         Gregoire Scolds Washington State Legislature: Wrap It Up by Sunday

·         EADS Considering New Bid for Pentagon Tanker

·         Cheer Up, State Forecaster Encourages

WORD OF THE DAY

Wanderlust • \WAHN-der-lust\ • noun - Strong longing for or impulse towards wandering

The movie “Paint Your Wagon” had a painful recording of Lee Marvin singing about his character’s strong wanderlust. The song, for your listening “pleasure” is Wandering Star….

Lee Marvin - Wandering Star

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-yC-Jz2Qiw

WEATHER

Shelton Forecast & Weather Alerts

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/mapclick.php?textfield1=47.213805&textfield2=-123.113412&site=all&smap=1&searchresult=shelton%2c%20wa%2c%20usa

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Owners Threaten to Shut Down New Jersey Nuke Plant (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2011377410_apusoystercreekshutdownthreat.html?syndication=rss

Vermont - Group Wants Vt. Yankee Nuclear Plant’s License Extension Rejected (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2011381501_apvtvermontyankee.html?syndication=rss

Obama Wants More Nuclear Power, But What About the Waste? (Crosscut Seattle)

http://crosscut.com/2010/03/09/environment/19646/

United Kingdom - Tories Plan New Nuclear Power Plant Every 18 Months (The Telegraph, UK)

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/energy/7476680/Tories-plan-new-nuclear-power-plant-every-18-months.html

United Kingdom - Energy Firms Could be Forced to Buy Low-Carbon Power (The Guardian, UK)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/mar/19/low-carbon-power-law

San Francisco Sues over Pacific Gas & Electric-Backed Ballot Measure (SF Chronicle)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/03/19/BATB1CI2TQ.DTL

California - Prop. 16, Bankrolled by Pacific Gas & Electric, Subject of Lively Debate (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

http://www.mercurynews.com/business-headlines/ci_14693796

California - SMUD, Other Utilities Seek to Kick PG&E-Backed Proposition 16 off June Ballot (Sacramento Bee, CA)

http://www.sacbee.com/2010/03/19/2617921/smud-other-utilities-seek-to-kick.html

Michigan - Illegal Electric Hookup at Fatal Detroit Fire Site (Associated Press)

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hd3NFNyBSBFCWgy9vSqetzQtuGAwD9EH84QO0

Columbia Basin Herald Editorial - Crescent Barred: Does the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) really have a policy about people living on Grant County PUD’s Crescent Bar Island?

http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/articles/2010/03/18/editorials/doc4ba2a6224ac02395261040.txt

Arizona’s last new coal plant? Experts wonder if costs, climate issues will discourage future projects (Arizona Republic, Phoenix, AZ)

http://www.azcentral.com/business/articles/2010/03/18/20100318arizona-coal-plant.html

Utilities group spent $2.7M lobbying in 4Q (Associated Press)

http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2010/03/19/business-us-electric-utilities-lobbying_7449822.html?boxes=Homepagebusinessnews

BPA Pursues Research to Modernize Power System - New solicitation seeks projects to integrate renewable energy, update grid (Bonneville Power Administration)

http://www.piersystem.com/go/doc/1582/499979/

Links to PDF File – FERC: Revision to Electric Reliability Organization Definition of Bulk Electric System (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission)

http://www.ferc.gov/whats-new/comm-meet/2010/031810/E-8.pdf

FISH & WILDLIFE

Idaho Chinook Season to Open April 24 - Plan OK’d for Clearwater, Lower Salmon & Little Salmon rivers (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2010/mar/18/chinook-season-open-april-24/

Poor Hood Canal Chinook & Coho Returns Will Drive How Salmon Fishing Seasons Are Crafted (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/reeltimenorthwest/2011378180_poor_hood_canal_chinook_and_co.html?syndication=rss

Columbia River: Will Obama’s Feds Finally Aim High? (Crosscut Seattle)

http://crosscut.com/2010/02/16/environment/19590/

Energy Developers Say Sage Grouse Decision Manageable (Magic Valley Times-News, Twin Falls, ID)

http://www.magicvalley.com/news/local/article_8d55ca7f-f79f-52b6-b6fe-c598772b02bd.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Feds Asked to Pay to Repair Howard Hansen Dam (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2011381478_greenriver19m.html?syndication=rss

Scientist Panel Says California Water Limits Justified (Associated Press)

http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_14708868

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Moses Lake - Landowner, Internet Group Sue REC Silicon: Claim company didn’t follow procedures (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/articles/2010/03/18/news/doc4ba2a6e2c65fa866045190.txt

Florida Biomass Electric Power Plant Plan OK’d (Bradenton Herald, FL)

http://www.poten.com/NewsDetails.aspx?id=10417518

Oregonian Op/Ed - A Bright Future for Oregon Biomass

http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2010/03/a_bright_future_for_oregon_bio.html

Baker City Herald Editorial - Burning off the Fog: When it comes to green energy, there’s never anything so simple as black & white

http://www.bakercityherald.com/Editorials/Burning-off-the-fog

US Wind Power Growing Fast But Still Lags - US added 10,000 MW of wind-power capacity in 2009 (Reuters)

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN1823683920100318?type=marketsNews

Wyoming - Wind Rules for State Lands Sail Through (Wyoming Tribune Eagle, Cheyenne, WY)

http://www.wyomingnews.com/articles/2010/03/19/news/20local_03-19-10.txt

Wind Farm Plans Stir Up Storm over Military Radar (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2011382521_apuswindfarmsradar.html?syndication=rss

Arizona’s Only Wind Farm to Double in Size (Arizona Republic, Phoenix, AZ)

http://www.azcentral.com/business/articles/2010/03/18/20100318wind-farm-arizona-dry-lake.html

Vancouver, WA - Classroom Space Expanded for Wind Turbine Training (The Columbian, Vancouver, WA)

http://www.columbian.com/news/2010/mar/19/classroom-space-expanded-wind-turbine-training/

Indulgence Central - California Public Utilities Commission Decision Allows Tradable RECs (Renewable Energy World)

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2010/03/cpuc-decision-allows-tradable-recs?cmpid=rss

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Seattle City Light Workers to Help Install Light Bulbs (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

http://www.mynorthwest.com/?nid=11&sid=300125

California’s Smart Meter Battle: Google vs. Utilities (Eart2Tech)

http://earth2tech.com/2010/03/17/california’s-smart-meter-battle-google-vs-utilities/

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

EcoTrust Sells Its First Carbon Credits (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2011387421_aporcarboncredits.html?syndication=rss

New Jersey Latest State to Raid Carbon Auction Funds (Reuters)

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE62G4RC20100317

Climate Change Cited as Montana Oil & Gas Leases Suspended (Associated Press)

http://www.examiner.com/a-2534524~Climate_change_cited_as_Mont__leases_suspended.html?cid=rss-Montana_Headlines

Wisconsin Co-ops Provide Cost Calculator for Climate Bill (Wisconsin Ag Connection)

http://www.wisconsinagconnection.com/story-state.php?Id=332&yr=2010

Chill Out - Climate Scientists Are Getting a Little Too Angry for Their Own Good (Slate Magazine)

http://www.slate.com/id/2248236/?from=rss

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Washington State’s Green Jobs Climb to Near 100,000 (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2010/03/19/1115474/states-green-jobs-climb-to-near.html

California Clean - Lady Washington Returns to Service, Greener (KBKW Radio, Aberdeen, WA)

http://kbkw.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=1455

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

News Tribune Editorial - US Can’t Stay in the Broadband Slow Lane

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2010/03/19/1115490/us-cant-stay-in-the-broadband.html

Washington Post Columnist - FCC’s plan for broadband Internet access falls short

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/19/AR2010031900807.html?wprss=rss_technology

Google Executives Called YouTube a ‘Pirate’ Site (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_14701490

GA-GA FOR GOOGLE

North Carolina - Hickory Makes Case for Google’s Fast Play in Fiber (Charlotte Business Journal)

http://charlotte.bizjournals.com/charlotte/stories/2010/03/22/story2.html?b=1269230400^3054051

Should My Town Get Goofy for Goo-Fiber? (GigaOM)

http://gigaom.com/2010/03/17/should-my-town-get-goofy-for-goo-fiber/

GENERAL NEWS

Body Identified as Missing 8-Year-Old, Mother Missing (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/mar/18/body-child-washes-ashore-fox-island/

Two Arrested for Shellfish Poaching on Hood Canal (Olympian, WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/2010/03/19/1177984/2-arrested-for-shellfish-poaching.html

Gregoire Scolds Washington State Legislature: Wrap It Up by Sunday (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politicsnorthwest/2011381856_gregoire_to_legislature_wrap_i.html?syndication=rss

EADS Considering New Bid for Pentagon Tanker (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2011387418_apeutankerfight.html?syndication=rss

Cheer Up, State Forecaster Encourages (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2010/mar/19/cheer-up-state-forecaster-encourages/

DIVERSIONS

Oregon Pizza Parlor Patrons Chase Robber

http://www.kirotv.com/news/22887770/detail.html

Man Retrieves $250K Lottery Ticket from Trash

http://www.kirotv.com/money/22846469/detail.html

Hugs Outlawed at Portland School – School has halted hugs as well as other behaviors deemed detrimental to teaching & learning

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/88555402.html

Warren Buffett as Axl Rose? He Should Have Left It to the Geico Lizard

http://industry.bnet.com/advertising/10006108/warren-buffett-as-axl-rose-he-should-have-left-it-to-the-geico-lizard/

SONG OF THE DAY

Wheatus - Teenage Dirtbag

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jJWQkVgDs4

Ukulele Orchestra of GB – Teenage Dirtbag

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fw8ZDwdyHJQ

Energy News Digest for March 18, 2010

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.

To subscribe, email jmyer@masonpud3.org

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

·         Seattle City Light Audit - Are Rate Games Being Played?

·         Seattle City Council to Vote on Electric Hike

·         Montana - Flathead Electric Looks for Future Power

·         Montana - Plan to Pool BPA Power Sounds Alarm Bells

·         Columbia River – Feds Say Crescent Bar RVs Have to Go

·         FERC Opposes Crescent Bar Residents - Public Comment Period Starts March 29

·         Baker City Herald Editorial – Electrical Transmission: Ante up, Idaho Power

·         Southern Montana Electric Cooperative to Keep Its Meeting Closed

·         California Regulators Hear Public Power Bill Testimony

·         California Plumas Sierra Rural Electric Coop Announces Layoffs

·         Power Suppliers Oppose Connecticut Rate Relief Bills

·         Australia – 64% Rate Hike: State Faces Big Electricity Bill Hike

·         Troutman Sanders Grows to Portland

·         If You Modernize the Electricity Grid, Will Consumers Care?

·         Scientists Probe Missing Fraser River Salmon Stock Mystery: It’s the Orcas

·         Low Pesticide Levels Found Near Salmon

·         Saving the Oyster in Willapa Bay

·         Clallam PUD Sets Up Sewer District for Carlsborg

·         Meetings Set to Discuss Chehalis River Flood Plan

·         Oregon Governor Declares Drought in Klamath Basin

·         Capitol Lake Mud Snails Withstand Salt Water Bath

·         Nebraska - Bill Will Open Door to Out-of-State Wind Farmers

·         First Ted Turner Backed Solar Project Slated for New Mexico

·         Olympian Editorial - Legislation Is a Boost to Fluorescent Light Recycling

·         Australia - Insulation Inspector Survives Electric Shock

·         Biomass Bric-A-Brac - Wood Stove Owner Fighting Burn Fine

·         Michigan - Convicted Embezzler Given Green Jobs Tax Break, Then Arrested

·         Washington State Legislature OKs Server Farm Tax Exemption

·         How the FCC’s Exciting New Broadband Plan Is a Fraud

·         Bellevue Makes Its Bid for Google Broadband

·         Cities Vie to be Test Community for Super-High-Speed Internet

·         Sacramento-Area Towns Get Creative to Win Google Network

·         Flint Journal Columnist - Making Googly Eyes at Google

·         Pennsylvania - Businessman Wants Wilkes-Barre to be Google Test City

·         North Mason Residents Voice Frustration with Lack of Progress on Belfair Bypass

·         Bathroom Blaze in North Mason Home Causes $10,000 in Damage

·         Union Builder Helping in Haiti

WORD OF THE DAY

Glower • \GLOW-er (sounds like SHOWER)\ • verb - To look or stare with sullen annoyance or anger

Fred’s gaze was all encompassing. His glower seemed to dare anyone to mention his just realized “open barn door” moment during his speech at the annual shareholder’s meeting of the “Always Zipped Silent Zipper Company”.

WEATHER

Shelton Forecast & Weather Alerts

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/mapclick.php?textfield1=47.213805&textfield2=-123.113412&site=all&smap=1&searchresult=shelton%2c%20wa%2c%20usa

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Seattle City Light Audit - Are Rate Games Being Played? (Crosscut Seattle)

http://crosscut.com/2010/03/18/energy-utilities/19680/

Seattle City Council to Vote on Electric Hike (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2011373314_citycouncil18.html?syndication=rss

Montana - Flathead Electric Looks for Future Power: Portland-based Pacific Northwest Generating Cooperative is top option (Daily Interlake, Kalispell, MT)

http://www.dailyinterlake.com/news/local_montana/article_3c4e3da4-3230-11df-accb-001cc4c002e0.html

Montana - Plan to Pool BPA Power Sounds Alarm Bells (Whitefish Pilot, MT)

http://www.flatheadnewsgroup.com/articles/2010/03/18/whitefishpilot/news/news_8731153321_01.txt

Columbia River – Feds Say Crescent Bar RVs Have to Go (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2010/mar/17/crescent-bar-rvs-have-to-go-feds-say/

FERC Opposes Crescent Bar Residents - Public Comment Period Starts March 29 (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/articles/2010/03/17/news/doc4ba1623ea504d326872380.txt

Baker City Herald Editorial – Electrical Transmission: Ante up, Idaho Power

http://www.bakercityherald.com/Editorials/Ante-up-Idaho-Power

Southern Montana Electric Cooperative to Keep Its Meeting Closed (Billings Gazette, MT)

http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/montana/article_468db6d0-3250-11df-9850-001cc4c002e0.html

California Regulators Hear Public Power Bill Testimony (Business Week)

http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9EH3LEG4.htm

California Plumas Sierra Rural Electric Coop Announces Layoffs (Plumas County News, CA)

http://www.plumasnews.com/index.php/home/6747--plumas-sierra-rural-electric-coop-announces-layoffs

Power Suppliers Oppose Connecticut Rate Relief Bills (Reuters)

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN1713609520100317?type=marketsNews

Australia – 64% Rate Hike: State Faces Big Electricity Bill Hike (News Limited, Australia)

http://www.news.com.au/business/breaking-news/state-faces-big-electricity-bill-hike/story-e6frfkur-1225842308763

Troutman Sanders Grows to Portland - office will at first focus on helping electric & natural gas utilities (Atlanta Business Chronicle)

http://atlanta.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2010/03/15/daily52.html

If You Modernize the Electricity Grid, Will Consumers Care? (CNET News)

http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-20000671-54.html

FISH & WILDLIFE

Scientists Probe Missing Fraser River Salmon Stock Mystery: It’s the Orcas (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

http://www.timescolonist.com/technology/Scientists+probe+missing+salmon+stock+mystery+orcas/2693528/story.html

Low Pesticide Levels Found Near Salmon (Associated Press)

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2010/03/18/943874/fish-low-pesticide-levels-found.html

Saving the Oyster in Willapa Bay (The Daily News, Longview, WA)

http://tdn.com/news/local/article_96f72b60-3232-11df-943b-001cc4c03286.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Clallam PUD Sets Up Sewer District for Carlsborg (KONP Radio, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.konp.com/local/5600

Meetings Set to Discuss Chehalis River Flood Plan (The Daily World, Aberdeen, WA)

http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2010/03/17/local_news/doc4ba117524d392059742398.txt

Oregon Governor Declares Drought in Klamath Basin (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

http://news.opb.org/article/6937-kulongoski-declares-drought-klamath-basin/

Capitol Lake Mud Snails Withstand Salt Water Bath - Only 12 percent of creatures die in experiment (Olympian, WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/2010/03/18/1176113/mud-snails-withstand-salt-water.html

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Nebraska - Bill Will Open Door to Out-of-State Wind Farmers (Lincoln Journal Star, NE)

http://journalstar.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/article_800a3806-3206-11df-b1f8-001cc4c03286.html

First Ted Turner Backed Solar Project Slated for New Mexico (Earth Techling)

http://www.earthtechling.com/2010/03/first-ted-turner-backed-solar-project-slated-for-new-mexico/

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Olympian Editorial - Legislation Is a Boost to Fluorescent Light Recycling

http://www.theolympian.com/2010/03/18/1176155/legislation-is-a-boost-to-fluorescent.html

Australia - Insulation Inspector Survives Electric Shock (Canberra Times, Australia)

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/local/news/general/insulation-inspector-survives-shock/1779750.aspx

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Biomass Bric-A-Brac - Wood Stove Owner Fighting Burn Fine (KING-TV, Seattle)

http://www.king5.com/news/local/Wood-stove-owner-fighting-burn-ban-fine-88245217.html

Michigan - Convicted Embezzler Given Green Jobs Tax Break, Then Arrested (Associated Press)

http://www.kcautv.com/Global/story.asp?S=12161431

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Washington State Legislature OKs Server Farm Tax Exemption (Associated Press)

http://www.keprtv.com/news/local/88332417.html

How the FCC’s Exciting New Broadband Plan Is a Fraud (Nieman Watchdog)

http://www.niemanwatchdog.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=background.view&backgroundid=00439

GA-GA OVER GOOGLE

Bellevue Makes Its Bid for Google Broadband (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

http://blog.seattlepi.com/microsoft/archives/198455.asp?source=pimail

Cities Vie to be Test Community for Super-High-Speed Internet (NW Public Radio)

http://www.nwpr.org/07/HomepageArticles/Article.aspx?n=7010

Sacramento-Area Towns Get Creative to Win Google Network (Sacramento Bee, CA)

http://www.sacbee.com/2010/03/18/2615269/sacramento-area-towns-get-creative.html

Flint Journal Columnist - Making Googly Eyes at Google

http://blog.mlive.com/flintjournal/aheller/2010/03/making_googly_eyes_at_google.html

Pennsylvania - Businessman Wants Wilkes-Barre to be Google Test City (Scranton Times-Tribune, PA)

http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/business/businessman-wants-wilkes-barre-to-be-google-test-city-1.687861

GENERAL NEWS

North Mason Residents Voice Frustration with Lack of Progress on Belfair Bypass (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.net/news/1639-residents-voice-frustration-with-lack-of-progress-on-belfair-bypass

Bathroom Blaze in North Mason Home Causes $10,000 in Damage (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/mar/17/bathroom-blaze-in-north-mason-home-causes-10000/?partner=RSS

Union Builder Helping in Haiti (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/mar/17/union-builder-helping-haiti/?partner=RSS

DIVERSIONS

Burglar Caught After Using Store Computer to Update MySpace

http://www.king5.com/news/local/Burglar-caught-after-using-store-computer-to-update-MySpace-88434732.html

Ellensburg Couple Buys Their Dream Home & Unearths Dumpsite

http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=12158544

Celebrate the iPad’s Launch by Sculpting Steve Jobs’ Head in Cheese

http://consumerist.com/2010/03/celebrate-the-ipads-launch-by-sculpting-steve-jobs-head-in-cheese-1.html

Hacker Disables More Than 100 Cars Remotely

http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2010/03/hacker-bricks-cars/

SONG OF THE DAY

Clint Black - The Galaxy Song

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oT7bAuOz8ao