Federal agents have raided a number of medical marijuana dispensaries in the Puget Sound region.
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox US News
Federal agents raid marijuana dispensaries in Washington
Tag Archives: Puget Sound
Army says its helicopters buzzed Washington city
Army special operations helicopters on a training exercise buzzed around the small city of Port Angeles, Wash., late Thursday in an episode that the mayor says “terrorized my city.”
An Army official apologized Friday for the unannounced training mission.
Dozens of alarmed residents called police to ask what was going on.
“No one had any warning about the helicopters, no one said anything afterward, and today city officials had to spend hours just trying to find out what had happened — who had invaded Port Angeles,” said Cherie Kidd, mayor of the Olympic Peninsula city about 60 miles west of Seattle.
The Army said the helicopters involved included both twin-engine Chinooks and Blackhawk attack helicopters.
The training exercise involved part of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, which is based at Fort Campbell, Ky., but has individual units in various locations, said Sgt. Jimmy Norris, an I Corps spokesman at Joint Base Lewis-McChord near Tacoma, Wash. Part of the 160th is based at Lewis-McChord, he said.
“Our watch commander last night reported that we received ‘dozens of calls’ complaining about low-flying helicopters over the city,” Deputy Police Chief Brian Smith said.
After multiple calls to Puget Sound-area military bases, Clallam County Sheriff Bill Benedict was finally able to determine about mid-day Friday that the helicopters belonged to the Army, The Peninsula Daily News reported (http://is.gd/QaMw82d).
Army Col. H. Charles “Chuck” Hodges Jr., garrison commander at Lewis-McChord, told the newspaper that he had launched an investigation and was meeting with unit commanders at the base.
“I apologize, this is totally unacceptable,” he said.
Hodges said the helicopters — he mentioned four Chinooks — were over Port Angeles from about 11:15 p.m. to shortly before midnight Thursday.
An Army spokesman for Hodges’ office did not immediately return an Associated Press phone call Friday evening.
Kidd said she plans to meet Monday with Hodges at the base about 90 miles south of Port Angeles.
The helicopters were “training to …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox US News
Boeing Stock to Get Airborne With Expansion?
By Rich Duprey, The Motley Fool
Filed under: Investing
Boeing is obviously anticipating its 787 Dreamliner getting aloft again as it is making plans to expand its South Carolina facilities with a $1 billion investment that will add another 2,000 workers.
It’s finer in Carolina
It was its plan to open a second manufacturing plant there in 2011 that riled up the machinists union in Puget Sound, Wash., because South Carolina is a right-to-work state. The union got the National Labor Relations Board to tip its hand on its biases as it opposed the move by saying Boeing was being punitive. The union had gone on strike four times in 10 years, costing the plane maker billions and the move was viewed as retaliation despite no jobs in Washington being affected.
The NLRB subsequently withdrew its complaint after the union was able to extract higher wages and unusual job security agreements in its contract negotiations with Boeing. Of course, that doesn’t mean it will ever expand in Washington again, particularly since the Carolinas offer a much more attractive, lower-cost proposition.
Boeing employs 6,700 workers at the North Charleston facility already and anticipates adding 1,000 engineers and 1,000 IT specialists by 2020. It will receive $120 million in incentives from the state for up-front expansion costs such as utilities and site preparation. South Carolina provided some $900 million in incentives last time to encourage Boeing to expand there.
Ground cover
Yet the Dreamliner fleet is still grounded, awaiting FAA approval for the technologically advanced plane to fly again after its lithium-ion batteries overheated and caught fire in January, causing regulatory overseers worldwide to order the planes grounded. While none of the problem batteries came out of its South Carolina facilities, Boeing has completed its final tests with FAA officials and now just needs their OK to taxi back onto the runway.
Customers have largely held firm with their orders, waiting to see the result of the tests. Yet rival Airbus is making headway in grabbing those who need planes without delay. It recorded orders for 431 planes in the first three months of 2013, well beyond the 193 orders Boeing notched. Of course, if Ryanair comes through with its expected 175 plane orders for Boeing, that would make the race much closer.
Egads, EADS!
Boeing’s expansion announcement came a day after Airbus broke ground on a new commercial plane assembly facility in Alabama, suggesting that it wants to compete head-to-head with its rival for defense business, too. Boeing has its missile and defense systems headquarters in that state.
Despite its woes with the 787, Boeing stock now stands 17% higher than where it began the year and more than a third higher than its 52-week lows. As it appears, it’s more a question of when the FAA will sign off on the jumbo jet taking flight again as opposed to if Boeing’s stock might just gain even greater altitude.
Hanging around the hangar
Boeing operates as a major
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance
Northwest Physicians Network and Cigna Start Accountable Care Program to Improve Health and Lower Co
By Business Wirevia The Motley Fool
Filed under: Investing
Northwest Physicians Network and Cigna Start Accountable Care Program to Improve Health and Lower Costs
- Consumers benefit from improved care coordination and greater emphasis on preventive care
- Primary care doctors are rewarded for improving patient health and lowering medical costs
- Program includes registered nurse care coordinators aligned with Cigna case managers
TACOMA, Wash. & BLOOMFIELD, Conn.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Cigna (NYS: CI) and Northwest Physicians Network (NPN), an independent physician association (IPA) serving the south Puget Sound area, have launched a collaborative accountable care initiative to improve patient access to health care, enhance care coordination, and achieve the “triple aim” of improved health, affordability and patient experience. The program is effective April 1.
Collaborative accountable care is Cigna’s approach to accomplishing the same population health goals as accountable care organizations, or ACOs. The program will benefit nearly 3,300 individuals covered by a Cigna health plan who receive care from NPN‘s 150 primary care physicians. The program with NPN is Cigna’s first accountable care program in the Puget Sound area and in the state of Washington.
“At NPN, we focus on coordinating the care of our patients to ensure they get the right care at the right place at the right time,” said Patricia Briggs, Northwest Physicians Network CEO. “Our commitment to quality care that delivers superior results for our patients is perfectly aligned with Cigna’s commitment to changing the focus of health care from volume of care to quality and value of care.”
“We’re aiming to fundamentally change the health care delivery system by rewarding physicians for results,” said Mary O’Neill, M.D., Cigna’s senior medical director for Washington. “A patient-centered system that’s focused on prevention and wellness, combined with the right incentives for physicians, will ultimately result in a healthier population and lower medical costs. That’s good for individuals, families, employers and doctors.”
Under the program, NPN monitors and coordinates all aspects of an individual’s medical care. Patients continue to go to their current physician and automatically receive the benefits of the program. Individuals who are enrolled in a Cigna health plan and later choose to seek care from a doctor in the medical group will also have access to the …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance
Wash. Landslide Sweeps Away Home
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Newser – Home
Landslide affects 34 homes on scenic Washington island
Residents of a hillside overlooking scenic Puget Sound heard the thunder of a large landslide Wednesday that knocked one home off its foundation, and isolated or threatened more than two dozen others on Whidbey Island, about 50 miles north of Seattle.
No one was injured when the slide broke loose about 4 a.m. in the Ledgewood community. Thirty-four homes were ordered evacuated.
After geologists made a preliminary assessment, residents of about 15 homes higher up the hillside were told Wednesday evening that they could return, said Central Whidbey Fire and Rescue Chief Ed Hartin. Seventeen homes were evacuated along that road and officials are still concerned about two, Hartin said.
An older man who escaped from the damaged home was evacuated by rescuers in an all-terrain vehicle, Hartin said. Rescuers reached the man by cutting across property owned by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. Ballmer’s property was not threatened by the slide, the chief said.
Ballmer was not available for comment, Microsoft spokesman Pete Wootton said Wednesday night.
Some people were completely cut off from their properties.
Many of the homes are summer cabins or weekend getaways and were unoccupied. Some are larger, upscale properties and others are more modest dwellings.
Eleven people from 16 homes along a road close to the water were evacuated by boat because the road was blocked by the landslide, Hartin said.
Officials remain “quite concerned” about two houses in that area in addition to the one knocked off its foundation. Those 16 homes remained evacuated late Wednesday.
“Being cut off from the road, water and power,” residents had to leave, Island County Sheriff Mark Brown said earlier. “It’s a pretty massive mudslide.”
Another 20 to 25 people were evacuated from the 17 homes higher up the hill.
The slide area remains unstable.
“This afternoon, small bits were sloughing off the bluff,” the chief said. “There’s no guarantee that will continue to be small amounts.”
A geotechnical engineer working for Island County and state Department of Natural Resources geologists took a preliminary look at the area Wednesday and hoped to complete a fuller assessment Thursday.
Area residents were briefed on the status of their homes at a meeting Wednesday night.
There has been no significant rain in recent days, but the area has been prone to slides in the past.
“The west side of the island is prone to slides because of soil conditions and water movement in the ground,” Hartin said.
“We have no specific cause as to `why here, why now, why this big.’ “
The slide area extends about 400 to 500 yards across the hillside and down 600 or 700 yards to the water, Hartin said.
Residents who heard the slide about eight miles south of Coupeville described it to KOMO-TV as sounding like thunder.
“It was a mix of rumbling and snapping trees,” Hartin said. “We were hearing the same thing when we arrived.”
Whidbey Island is about 35 miles long, north to south, and just a mile or two wide in places east to west.
A ferry ride away from the Seattle area, the island offers picturesque farm and water views and …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox US News
Nearly 3 dozen homes evacuated in Wash. landslide
Geologists and engineers are assessing the stability of a scenic Puget Sound area after a large landside thundered down a hillside, knocking one house off its foundation and threatening others.
That heavily damaged home and 33 others were ordered evacuated after the slide broke loose early Wednesday in the Ledgewood community on Whidbey Island, about 50 miles north of Seattle.
No one was injured.
After geologists took an initial look, residents of about 15 homes higher up the hillside were told Wednesday evening that they could return, said Central Whidbey Fire and Rescue Chief Ed Hartin. Seventeen homes were evacuated along that road and officials were still concerned about two, Hartin said.
Eleven people from 16 homes along a road close to the water were evacuated by boat because the road was blocked by the landslide, Hartin said.
Officials remain concerned about two houses in that area in addition to the one knocked off its foundation. Those 16 homes remained evacuated late Wednesday.
An older man who escaped from the damaged home was evacuated by rescuers in an all-terrain vehicle, Hartin said. Rescuers reached the man by cutting across property belonging to Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. Ballmer’s property was not threatened by the slide, the chief said.
Ballmer was not available for comment, Microsoft spokesman Pete Wootton said Wednesday night.
Many of the homes are summer cabins or weekend getaways and were unoccupied. Some are larger, upscale properties and others are more modest dwellings.
The slide area remains unstable.
A geotechnical engineer working for Island County and state Department of Natural Resources geologists took a preliminary look at the area Wednesday and hoped to complete a fuller assessment Thursday.
Area residents were briefed on the status of their homes at a meeting Wednesday night.
There has been no significant rain in recent days, but the area has been prone to slides in the past.
“The west side of the island … is prone to slides because of soil conditions and water …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox US News
1 home destroyed in Washington state landslide
Whidbey Island authorities say one home has been severely damaged by a landslide that has isolated or threatened 33 more homes in a community overlooking Puget Sound about 50 miles north of Seattle.
The slide was reported about 4 a.m. Wednesday. Central Whidbey Fire and Rescue evacuated one person from the damaged home. About 10 more residents have been evacuated by boat.
Chief Ed Hartin says no one has been injured. One person was taken to a hospital with an unrelated condition.
Hartin says the slide affects about 400 or 500 yards across the top of a hillside and downhill 600 or 700 yards to the water.
The slide took out a road, isolating 16 homes. Another 17 homes above are threatened by the mudslide which continues to move.
Boeing To Lay Off 800 In Washington
By The Huffington Post News Editors
EVERETT, Wash. (AP) — The Boeing Co. is planning to lay off about 800 workers in the Puget Sound area of Washington by the end of the year.
The company said Friday it will cut another 1,200 to 1,500 jobs through attrition and other means.
The Daily Herald newspaper reports the job cuts will be mostly from the 747 and 787 jet programs in Everett, Wash. The company says production rates on those airplanes will not be affected.
Inside Kinder Morgan: KM Canada
By Aimee Duffy, The Motley Fool
Filed under: Investing
Based on combined enterprise value, Kinder Morgan is the third-largest energy company in North America. We tend to associate the giant with its 75,000 miles of pipelines, but in reality its operations are incredibly diverse. Over the next few days, I’ll take a closer look at each of the midstream company’s five distinct business units. I’ve already tackled terminals, natural gas pipelines, and products pipelines, so today we’ll break down the partnership’s Canada segment.
Background on the assets
Kinder Morgan Canada consists of five pipeline systems and two terminals. The capacity of the pipeline systems are broken out below:
- Trans Mountain (crude oil, refined products): 300,000 bpd
- Trans Mountain Jet Fuel (jet fuel): 45,000 bpd
- Puget Sound (crude oil, refined products): 180,000 bpd
- Express & Platte (crude oil): Express, 280,000 bpd; Platte, ~150,000 bpd
- Cochin (propane): 70,000 bpd
There are five terminals that are technically part of the Trans Mountain pipeline system. The biggest one is the Edmonton terminal, which features 19 storage tanks and a current capacity of 2.5 million barrels.
The two main terminals are operated by a Kinder Morgan Energy Partners subsidiary, cleverly titled Kinder Morgan Canada Terminals. Its North Forty terminal is located east of Edmonton. It provides storage and blending services for crude oil and petroleum products and has a capacity of 2.2 million barrels. Its Vancouver Wharves terminal sits in Port Metro, British Columbia, and handles over 3 million tons of bulk cargo every year.
From a fiscal standpoint, Kinder Morgan Canada makes the smallest contribution to the bottom line out of all of the partnership’s business segments. It earned $71 million in the fourth quarter of last year, which was a 38% increase over 2011. At the end of 2012, Kinder Morgan sold its ownership interest in the Express-Platte pipeline system to Spectra Energy, which will affect earnings in the short term. That being said, this segment is going to be a powerhouse in five years, based largely on some expansion work.
A look ahead
The biggest news for the segment is the potential growth of the Trans Mountain line, which we’ll get to in a minute. First, let’s cover the expansion of the Edmonton terminal, which sits on the Trans Mountain line.
In January, Kinder Morgan announced that it had secured contracts that would support the additional expansion of the facility. This would be phase two of the build out (phase one is already under way), and it will add 1.2 million barrels of additional storage capacity to the site. The partnership expects to spend $112 million to bring the new capacity online by the end of 2014. Once completed, the Edmonton terminal will have a total capacity of 9.4 million barrels.
And now on to the Trans Mountain expansion. As stated above, the current capacity is 300,000 barrels per day. Management was originally looking to increase that number to 750,000 bpd, but received so much interest during its open season, that the target is now …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance
Military plane crashes in Eastern Washington
A military aircraft from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island crashed in Eastern Washington on Monday morning, and the fate of the crew was not immediately known.
The E/A-6B Prowler was reported to have crashed about 8:45 Monday, Whidbey Island officials said.
Mike Welding, an information officer for the base, said he had no information on the crew, only that they were on a routine training mission. Prowlers typically carry a four-person crew.
Whidbey Island officials said the cause of the accident is under investigation.
Lincoln County officials are reporting that the crash occurred in a rural area near the towns of Harrington and Odessa.
NAS Whidbey Island is home to the U.S. Navy’s tactical electronic warfare squadrons. Crews from the base, located on Puget Sound, regularly fly across Eastern Washington for training exercises.
The Great Serbian Charity Dispute
By William P. Barrett, Contributor
It was a huge publicity pop for a new group seeking to make a splash in the worldwide Serbian community. Last year, 28.Jun, formed by Serbian students in the U.S. and Canada to defend their ethnic persona, got a lot of attention by announcing that, with the help of a little-known Seattle-area foundation, it had shipped $1.5 million of donated medical supplies to support embattled Serbs in Kosovo. A “Herculean task,” 28.Jun declared proudly on its web page, festooned with pictures of the container shipment being loaded at a Puget Sound warehouse. …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Forbes Latest
Mayor to Seattle: 'Don't celebrate too early'
By Associated Press Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson had a stern warning for Seattle SuperSonics fans who are excited about the prospect of the NBA returning to the Puget Sound next season.
Source: FULL ARTICLE at ESPN Headlines
Dead orca calf was member of endangered population
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Fisheries Service says a dead newborn orca calf found on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula last week belongs to a population of endangered killer whales.
The agency said Tuesday that scientists are trying to determine what killed the 7 ½-foot-long male calf. He was found on a Dungeness Spit beach.
An initial DNA analysis showed the calf was a member of the southern resident killer whales that spend summer months in Puget Sound.
NOAA spokesman Brian Gorman says the death is not unusual and that mortality rates among killer whales tends to be high.
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox US News