Washington news

• Study: Quakes spurred on faults dead for 300 million years

  01-12-2017 23:39
  DALLAS (AP) — Earthquakes that have swarmed North Texas in recent years occurred on faults awakened by human activity after they had been dormant since dinosaurs roamed the area, according to a new university study. There have been frequent earthquakes in recent years in the Fort Worth Basin, from the rural town of Venus to […]
  
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• King County Sheriff John Urquhart won’t face charges in alleged groping case

  01-12-2017 23:01
  Prosecutor agreed probable cause existed that crime was committed, but found alleged groping didn’t rise to felony legal standard, deadline to charge “most applicable” misdemeanor offense had passed.
  
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• Studies find dangerous bacteria near Texas fracking sites

  01-12-2017 22:41
  ARLINTON, Texas (AP) — Two new studies from University of Texas at Arlington researchers show harmful bacteria levels in groundwater near hydraulically fractured gas drilling sites. The studies published in the peer-reviewed journal Science of the Total Environment show antibiotic-resistant bacteria exist in private water wells in the Barnett Shale and Eagle Ford Shale regions […]
  
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• Nearly 894,000 Texans apply for FEMA Harvey aid by deadline

  01-12-2017 22:02
  HOUSTON — The Federal Emergency Management Agency says nearly 894,000 people in Texas met this week’s deadline to register for federal disaster assistance to help them recover from Hurricane Harvey. The agency said Friday more than $1.4 billion in help has been approved so far. But officials and nonprofit groups say more funding will be […]
  
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• Democrat Toby Whitney drops out of 8th Congressional District race to succeed Rep. Dave Reichert

  01-12-2017 21:37
  The field of Democrats in Washington’s nationally watched 8th Congressional District race is shrinking by one. Toby Whitney, an Amazon manager and former congressional aide, announced Friday he’s withdrawing from the 2018 race, citing family concerns. In a statement, Whitney he’d seen “up close the toll that 14-hour days and 7-day weeks can take on […]
  
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• Drug dog in Alaska finds meth welded in heavy equipment shipped from Seattle

  01-12-2017 21:28
  KETCHIKAN, Alaska — Alaska State Troopers have seized methamphetamine welded inside heavy equipment that was shipped to Ketchikan. A 53-year-old Ketchikan man was charged with a felony drug count in the case. Officers from the troopers’ statewide drug enforcement unit, Ketchikan police and the Coast Guard took part in the investigation at a Ketchikan freight […]
  
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• Drug dog finds methamphetamine welded in heavy equipment

  01-12-2017 21:28
  KETCHIKAN, Alaska (AP) — Alaska State Troopers have seized methamphetamine welded inside heavy equipment that was shipped to Ketchikan. A 53-year-old Ketchikan man was charged with a felony drug count in the case. Officers from the troopers’ statewide drug enforcement unit, Ketchikan police and the Coast Guard took part in the investigation at a Ketchikan […]
  
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• Daddy-daughter duo Claire and the Crosbys, of YouTube fame, to sing at free Bellevue festival

  01-12-2017 21:26
  The daddy-and-daughter duo will perform at the Bellevue Festival of Nativity, a free event that's open to the public.
  
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• Wig-wearing robber still sought in Vegas Strip casino heist

  01-12-2017 20:59
  LAS VEGAS (AP) — A getaway vehicle was found but a man who wore a wig and facial bandages was still sought after the armed robbery of a poker room casino cashier at the Bellagio resort, a Las Vegas police spokesman said Friday. The silver Chevrolet Cruz was found near a gravel pit about 8 […]
  
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• Appeal likely in ‘longshot’ income-tax case, Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan says

  01-12-2017 20:49
  Mayor Jenny Durkan thinks a city income tax is a “longshot.” Seattle’s measure calls for a 2.25% tax on total income above $250,000 for individuals and above $500,000 for married couples filing together.
  
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• Snow alert: Snoqualmie Pass opens for skiing Saturday

  01-12-2017 20:45
  Here's a full list of Pacific Northwest ski areas open for December's first weekend.
  
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• New land-use rules clear path for Bruce Willis’ airport in Idaho

  01-12-2017 20:40
  KETCHUM, Idaho — Central Idaho officials have changed land-use rules, clearing the way for actor Bruce Willis to finishing building a private airport. The Idaho Mountain Express reports Camas County commissioners unanimously approved an amendment to the county zoning ordinance making private airports of unrestricted size and operation on AG-80-zoned agricultural land legal. Under the […]
  
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• New land-use rules clear path for Bruce Willis’ airport

  01-12-2017 20:40
  KETCHUM, Idaho (AP) — Central Idaho officials have changed land-use rules, clearing the way for actor Bruce Willis to finishing building a private airport. Camas County commissioners unanimously approved an amendment to the county zoning ordinance making private airports of unrestricted size and operation on AG-80-zoned agricultural land legal, the Idaho Mountain Express reported . […]
  
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• Port of Seattle reaches $8 million settlement over wrongful firings

  01-12-2017 20:38
  A jury awarded $16 million to two former Port of Seattle employees it determined were wrongfully fired, among the biggest verdicts of its kind in state history. A settlement between the plaintiffs and the Port caps damages at $8 million, with all sides agreeing not to appeal.
  
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• Port of Seattle reaches $8 million settlement after jury finds it wrongfully fired 2 employees

  01-12-2017 20:38
  The Port of Seattle will pay $8 million to two former employees whom a jury found were wrongfully fired for opposing lease concessions to certain minority businesses owned by friends and political supporters of now-former Port Commissioner John Creighton.
  
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• Multiple crashes in S. Idaho as Interstate 84 turns icy

  01-12-2017 20:29
  JEROME, Idaho — Authorities responded to multiple crashes involving nine vehicles Friday morning on Interstate 84 in south-central Idaho. Idaho State Police Cpl. Steve Otto says icy, winter-driving conditions caught some motorists unaware in the seven crashes that resulted in minor injuries. The crashes happened mostly in Jerome County over a two-hour period between 5 […]
  
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• Researchers say national park fee hike could cost Montana

  01-12-2017 20:26
  MISSOULA, Mont. — University of Montana researchers say the U.S. Department of Interior’s proposal to more than double the cost of the seven-day pass for national parks could cause economic harm to neighboring communities. The Missoulian reports that economists at the university’s Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research say the fee increase would decrease annual […]
  
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• Why the I-405 toll lanes charged a weird amount today

  01-12-2017 20:02
  An unusual toll rate of $8.07 during the peak commute Friday morning on I-405 left some drivers wondering what was up, because tolls customarily rise and fall in 25-cent increments.
  
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• 2017 could be hottest year to date for Phoenix

  01-12-2017 18:45
  PHOENIX — This year may become the hottest on record in Phoenix’s history. The National Weather Service said Friday that a record-setting November has already led this year to tie with 2014, which is the warmest year on record. In November, records were broken for the average high, low and mean temperatures. The average high […]
  
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• Whitefish sues over payments for Puerto Rico power work

  01-12-2017 18:43
  BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — A small Montana company that landed and lost a $300 million contract to restore Puerto Rico’s hurricane-shattered electric grid has sued a subcontractor for allegedly interfering with tens of millions of dollars in payments. Whitefish Energy Holdings claims the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority withheld the money at the request of […]
  
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• Montana’s Whitefish sues over payments for Puerto Rico power work

  01-12-2017 18:43
  BILLINGS, Mont. — A small Montana company that landed and lost a $300 million contract to restore Puerto Rico’s hurricane-shattered electric grid has sued a subcontractor for allegedly interfering with tens of millions of dollars in payments. Whitefish Energy Holdings claims the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority withheld the money at the request of Indiana-based […]
  
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• University of Oregon reaches tentative $88M deal with Nike

  01-12-2017 18:13
  EUGENE, Ore. — The University of Oregon says it has reached a tentative agreement with Nike that increases sponsorship to $88 million in cash and gear for the university. The Register-Guard reports the university’s board of trustees will consider approving the 11-year deal next week. The university released only the agreement description on Thursday and […]
  
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• Pedestrian struck and killed by MAX train in Portland

  01-12-2017 17:04
  PORTLAND — Portland police say a pedestrian was struck and killed by a light-rail train. Officers responded at 6:13 a.m. Friday after a train operator reported that someone was down on the MAX tracks in southeast Portland. Details of the crash are not yet known, but police say it appears two trains may have been […]
  
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• Democrats in the Seattle area top nation in saying climate change is real

  01-12-2017 15:30
  Washington’s 7th Congressional District, which covers most of Seattle, Vashon Island and parts of south King and Snohomish counties, edges out California’s 12th (San Francisco) and Oregon’s 3rd (Portland) for the top spot.
  
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• Where did all the voters go? Record low turnout in last election

  01-12-2017 15:00
  Washington state has tried to make voting easy, mailing ballots to every registered voter and giving them weeks to send them in. King County and others also have expanded the use of ballot dropboxes. Yet turnout was dismal. Is it voter fatigue?
  
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• West Seattle, Garfield and Ingraham high schools added to free college program

  01-12-2017 15:00
  Seniors at West Seattle, Garfield and Ingraham high schools won’t have to wait for Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan’s free community-college program to ramp up. An existing scholarship already is set to expand to those schools with help from the city.
  
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• Video of infected fish waste spewing into B.C. waters roils fish-farming issue

  01-12-2017 15:00
  Bloody effluent gushing from a fish-processing plant in British Columbia raises furor across the border in Washington.
  
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• Podcast: an exit interview with Seattle’s 51-day councilmember, Kirsten Harris-Talley

  01-12-2017 15:00
  Kirsten Harris-Talley gives an inside look at what it was like to go from activist to a temporary Seattle City Councilmember during budget talks this fall.
  
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• ‘I’ve got a bomb’: Seattle man accused of bank heist using same method as in past

  01-12-2017 15:00
  Nearly five years ago, Patrick Higuera was sent to prison after robbing a Seattle bank and attempting to rob another, claiming he had a bomb. Just months after his release, Higuera is again accused of robbing a Ballard bank armed with a note about fictitious explosives.
  
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• Good news for World AIDS Day: New HIV infections in Washington dip to lowest level in 32 years

  01-12-2017 15:00
  New HIV infections in Washington and King County are at record low levels, thanks to expanded testing and treatment and drugs that can prevent infection
  
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• Firefighters found a body outside of a Renton home. Aerial photos show it could have been there for years before the fire.

  01-12-2017 15:00
  The bodies of two brothers were found on the property of a Renton home that burned. The body of one brother may have been laying in the yard — unreported and undiscovered — for at least two years, according to law enforcement.
  
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• Elwha River takes out Olympic Hot Springs road — yet again

  01-12-2017 15:00
  New flood damage has closed the road not long after the National Park Service spent $450,000 on a temporary fix to reopen it after the last flood.
  
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• Despite agency assurances, tribes catch more escaped Atlantic salmon in Skagit River

  01-12-2017 15:00
  Farmed Atlantic salmon are still being found in Puget Sound rivers, despite state experts saying they are wasting away and not turning up on spawning grounds.
  
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• FDA approves first-of-a-kind test for cancer gene profiling

  01-12-2017 14:58
  U.S. regulators have approved a first-of-a-kind test that looks for mutations in hundreds of cancer genes at once, giving a more complete picture of what’s driving a patient’s tumor and aiding efforts to match treatments to those flaws. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Foundation Medicine’s test for patients with advanced or widely spread […]
  
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• No quick fix for figuring out new way to pay teachers in Washington state

  01-12-2017 14:00
  The Washington Legislature this year scrapped a teacher-salary schedule that most school districts used to set local pay rates. Now, a working group convened to come up with a replacement will miss its Dec. 1 deadline and says it needs more time.
  
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• Satellite images show extent of air pollution worldwide

  01-12-2017 13:39
  BERLIN — Images taken by a new European satellite show the levels and distribution of air pollutants around the world, including ash spewing from a volcano in Indonesia. The European Space Agency released images Friday made by its Sentinel-5P satellite that show high concentrations of nitrogen dioxide in parts of Europe on Nov. 22. Nitrogen […]
  
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• Maine scallopers back on water after record year in 2016

  01-12-2017 06:03
  PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Maine fishermen are heading out on the water to participate in the state’s rebuilt scallop fishery, which targets one of the most lucrative seafood species in the country. Scallop fishing begins Friday in Maine and lasts until mid-April. The specifications for the season are very similar to the previous year. Fishermen […]
  
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• For an extra $100,000 per year, city of Olympia will run Downtown Ambassador program

  01-12-2017 05:04
  The idea was first proposed during budget talks, and finalized during Tuesday night’s Olympia City Council meeting.
  
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• Strong quake jolts sparsely populated Iran; no damage

  01-12-2017 04:36
  TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran’s state TV is reporting a magnitude 6.1 earthquake has jolted a sparsely populated area in the country’s southeast. There are no immediate reports of damage or casualties. The U.S. Geological Survey has put the magnitude at 6. The Friday quake jolted Hojedk town, about 1,100 kilometers (683 miles) southeast of […]
  
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• Strong quake jolts sparsely populated Iran, dozens injured

  01-12-2017 04:36
  TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — A magnitude 6.1 earthquake injured dozens of people after it jolted a sparsely populated area in Iran’s southeast, media reported Friday. The U.S. Geological Survey put the magnitude at 6. Iranian media said most of the 42 injuries were minor and happened when people rushed to seek shelter. The quake also […]
  
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• Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan talks rent vouchers, free college and leaf blowers

  01-12-2017 03:59
  The new mayor took questions during a Facebook Live Q&A in Seattle on Thursday. Here’s a quick look at what she talked about.
  
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• Tech companies fight for clean energy in collision course with Trump

  01-12-2017 03:48
  From Amazon to Etsy and Microsoft, tech companies are demanding cheaper and cleaner electricity as their data demands grow. That runs counter to Trump-administration plans to keep coal plants afloat.
  
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• Stranded in Bali tourists lampooned online for complaints

  01-12-2017 02:03
  KARANGASEM, Indonesia (AP) — Australian tourists who complained about being stranded on tropical Bali when volcanic ash closed its airport have been roasted online as out of touch with the hardships faced by Indonesians who fled their homes. The island’s airport reopened Wednesday after being closed for 2 1/2 days and thousands of tourists are […]
  
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• Ammon Bundy, leader of standoff at Oregon wildlife refuge, released from Nevada jail

  01-12-2017 01:11
  Ammon Bundy, 42, was greeted by his wife and six children while friends cheered as he walked out of the federal courthouse.
  
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• Biologists: Grizzly numbers hold steady around Yellowstone

  01-12-2017 01:04
  BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — Grizzly bear numbers in and around Yellowstone National Park are holding relatively steady, according to figures released Thursday, as state wildlife officials begin discussions on whether to hold the first public hunts for the animals in decades. There are an estimated 718 bears in the Yellowstone region that includes portions of […]
  
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• Even sex is in crisis in Venezuela, where contraceptives are growing scarce

  01-12-2017 00:53
  In a country beset by shortages, this is one of the hardest: the disappearance of contraceptives. Doctors are reporting spikes in the numbers of unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases that are adding to the nation’s deepening misery.
  
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• African music star in exile in Oregon awaits real change for Zimbabwe

  01-12-2017 00:31
  Musician Thomas Mapfumo watched the euphoria over the ouster of dictator Robert Mugabe from Mapfumo’s exile in the U.S. But he’s not rejoicing — Mugabe’s political party and his cronies still run the country.
  
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• Updated plan for Puyallup prepares city, residents for hazards

  01-12-2017 00:02
  When it comes to natural hazards in Puyallup, the area is vulnerable to pretty much all of them.
  
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