Tom Banse, Author at Northwest Public Broadcasting

How Do You Say ‘Evacuate’ In Tagalog? In A Disaster, English Isn’t Always Enough

By Tom Banse April 20, 2018

Wildfire evacuation notices that non-native English speakers did not comprehend prompted a new state law in Washington. CREDIT: THAN TUASON

Nearly 20 percent of people in Washington and 15 percent in Oregon speak a language other than English at home. Emergency managers from around the West are grappling with how to reach people in foreign languages in the midst of a disaster, at a time when a new Washington state law is seeking to raise the bar. Read More

Check Out This 520 MPG Car. It’s Built By High School Students

By Tom Banse April 19, 2018

Granite Falls High School Eco Car Team drivers Kelsey and Dimitri beside their ''UrbanConcept'' vehicle. CREDIT: TOM BANSE

Students from Oregon State University, Granite Falls High School in Washington and the University of British Columbia are among 99 teams pushing the boundaries of automotive fuel efficiency. The Northwest students are driving in an international competition in California through this weekend. Read More

‘Arch of Healing’ Remembers Anti-Immigrant History In Bellingham

By Tom Banse April 19, 2018

In late winter, organizers blessed the site of the Arch of Healing and Reconciliation before contractors poured the pad. CREDIT: WHATCOM COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

Bellingham, Washington, dedicates a new monument this Saturday that speaks to the Pacific Northwest's long and conflicted history with immigration. The "Arch of Healing and Reconciliation" memorializes the past expulsions of immigrant Sikhs, Japanese and Chinese. Read More

Closed Oregon Trails In Columbia River Gorge Jam Trailheads On Washington Side

By Tom Banse April 16, 2018

State parks on the Washington side of Columbia Gorge (far shore in this photo) are expected to be mobbed on weekends until more trails on the Oregon side reopen. CREDIT: TOM BANSE

More than 30 popular hiking trails on the Oregon side of the Columbia River Gorge remain closed because of hazards left in the wake of last year's Eagle Creek wildfire. That has park rangers wrangling crowds on the unburned Washington side of the Gorge. Read More

March For Science And Pro-Gun Rallies Coincide On Saturday

By Tom Banse April 13, 2018

The first March for Science took place in many cities around the nation on April 22, 2017. This scene is from Portland. CREDIT: ANOTHER BELIEVER/TINYURL.COM

The capitol grounds in Salem and Olympia will offer a colorful juxtaposition of political movements Saturday. Marches for Science are scheduled in 10 Northwest cities. These roughly coincide with separate pro-gun rallies at the state capitals. Continue Read More

Interior Sec. Ryan Zinke Downplays Possibility Of Drilling Off Washington, Oregon Coasts

By Tom Banse April 11, 2018

File photo of an oil platform off the coast of Santa Barbara, California. U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke expressed doubt drilling would ever happen along the Pacific Northwest coast. CREDIT: BERARDO62 / TINYURL.COM/Y8KHPH57

In congressional testimony Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke said he has heard the strong opposition from the West Coast to the Trump administration's plan for offshore oil and gas drilling. He expressed doubt drilling would ever happen along the Pacific Northwest coast. Read More

Northwest Author Tries To Salvage Movie Rights From Beleaguered Weinstein Company

By Tom Banse April 10, 2018

Author Daniel James Brown sold the movie rights to his nonfiction bestseller ''The Boys in the Boat'' to producer Harvey Weinstein about seven years ago. CREDIT: PENGUIN BOOKS/WEINSTEIN COMPANY

A Northwest author is hoping the movie rights to his recent nonfiction bestseller shift away from The Weinstein Company. The Hollywood studio's upcoming bankruptcy court auction may offer an opening. Continue Reading Northwest Read More

Central Washington Jurisdictions Call ‘Time Out’ On Bitcoin Boom

By Tom Banse April 9, 2018

Bitcoin mines -- or data centers -- are popping up near the Wenatchee airport among other places. Some are installed inside used cargo containers, which local councils increasingly are banning for this use. CREDIT: TOM BANSE

When the price of one bitcoin soared to almost $20,000 late last year, an influx of entrepreneurs and developers came to the Pacific Northwest in search of cheap hydropower to do bitcoin "mining." But now cities, counties and utilities at the epicenter in Central Washington are hitting the pause button. Read More

Coastal Counties Put Heads Together To Avoid Future Tsunami Alert Glitches

By Tom Banse April 6, 2018

Emergency managers from Washington coastal counties and tribes practiced tsunami alert communication and coordination with state and federal partners Thursday. They're trying to smooth out glitches revealed after an undersea earthquake in Alaska in January. Read More

Defense Contractor Stops Drone Testing After Crash And Fire In Pendleton

By Tom Banse April 4, 2018

A Resolute Eagle drone similar to this one crashed at Pendleton's airport around 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. CREDIT: PAE ISR

Drone testing by a defense contractor has stopped after one of the company's prototypes crashed and set off a small wildfire near the Pendleton, Oregon, airport. Continue Reading Defense Contractor Stops Drone Testing After Crash And Fire Read More

Central Washington Utility In Pursuit Of ‘Rogue’ Bitcoin Miners

By Tom Banse April 3, 2018

File photo. Chelan County Public Utility District managers want to shut down unauthorized bitcoin operations. CREDIT: XIANGFU/WIKIMEDIA

Chelan County PUD in north central Washington's Wenatchee Valley wants to root out a new kind of outlaw: the rogue bitcoin miner. They're attracted to the cheap electricity from the region's hydroelectric dams. Continue Reading Central Washington Read More

Prep For ‘The Big One’: Building Water Treatment Rigs To Use After Major Northwest Quake

By Tom Banse March 30, 2018

Jim Buck of Joyce, Washington, shows off the community's portable water filtration unit for use in case of a major earthquake. CREDIT: TOM BANSE/N3

Statewide disaster preparedness messaging aimed at households and businesses calls for one gallon per person per day as the goal for emergency drinking water. Scooping water out of a creek or pond is dicey because of the widespread giardia parasite, aka "beaver fever." So inventive residents on Washington's Olympic Peninsula got creative. Read More

New Tsunami Maps For Southwest Washington Coast Have ‘Shocking’ Flooding

By Tom Banse March 28, 2018

An aerial view of Ishinomaki, Japan, on March 18, 2011, one week after a devastating 9.0 magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami. CREDIT: LANCE CPL. ETHAN JOHNSON / U.S. MARINE CORPS - TINYURL.COM/Y76P2EO9

The worst case scenario for flooding from a tsunami along the Pacific Northwest coast just got even worse. Washington's Department of Natural Resources with federal help remapped the maximum tsunami threat from Grays Harbor down to the Columbia River mouth. Chief Hazard Geologist Corina Forson says updated science about the offshore Cascadia fault zone produces a bigger Read More

Camping At Home? Preparing For ‘The Big One’ Cascadia Quake In The Northwest

By Tom Banse March 28, 2018

Pitching a tent indoors may seem weird, but after an earthquake your body heat could make it warmer in there than in a larger, unheated room. CREDIT: TOM BANSE

When The Big One happens, emergency planners and geologists expect the vast majority of us will survive. But a magnitude 9 rupture on the Cascadia earthquake fault will likely cut electricity, running water and sewer for weeks—or even months afterwards. Read More

Washington Inches Closer To Hybrid Electric Ferry Fleet

By Tom Banse March 27, 2018

The MV Puyallup is one of three Jumbo Mark II state ferries under study for possible conversion from diesel to battery-electric power. CREDIT: TOM BANSE

Now that electric cars are a common sight on the nation's highways, and prototypes exist for electric trucks and airplanes, could electric ferries be next? Continue Reading Washington Inches Closer To Hybrid Electric Ferry FleetRead More

Earthquake Early Warning Gets Big Boost In New Federal Budget

By Tom Banse March 23, 2018

This USGS image shows how earthquake early warning systems--like ShakeAlert--work. CREDIT: ERIN BURKETT

An earthquake early warning system under development for the West Coast gets a major boost in the new federal budget that President Donald Trump signed into law Friday. Continue Reading Earthquake Early Warning Gets Big Boost In New Federal Read More

Coast Guard Helicopter Has ‘Near-Miss’ With Drone Over Port Angeles

By Tom Banse March 21, 2018

A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter came within 50 feet of colliding with a drone over Port Angeles, Washington, last weekend. The Coast Guard said an air crew was doing low altitude training exercises near Fairchild International Airport when it had to take evasive action. Read More

Going My Way? More Carpooling Apps Better Connect Riders In Washington

By Tom Banse March 20, 2018

Google subsidiary Waze has launched a carpool app statewide in Washington. CREDIT: WAZE

Google subsidiary Waze is launching a carpool app statewide in Washington. The company is the latest to see opportunity in the carpool organizing business in the Northwest. Continue Reading Going My Way? More Carpooling Apps Better Connect Read More

How Will ‘The Big One’ Earthquake Affect Portland And SW Washington? New Study Estimates

By Tom Banse March 17, 2018

Road damage due to liquefaction from the 2001 Nisqually Earthquake in Thurston County, Washington. Liquefaction is when the soil turns to jello during intense shaking.

No one can say when exactly the next Cascadia megaquake will strike other than there's a fair chance it'll happen in our lifetimes. A new study of likely earthquake impacts in the Greater Portland region finds the exact timing and season make a big difference when it comes to casualties and damage. Read More

British Columbia Helps Fund Portland-Seattle-Vancouver Bullet Train Feasibility Study

By Tom Banse March 16, 2018

The province of British Columbia will support and has agreed to contribute money to further study of bullet train service from Portland to Seattle to Vancouver. British Columbia Premier John Horgan spoke approvingly of the possible high speed train at a joint appearance with visiting Washington Gov. Jay Inslee on Friday, March 16. Read More

Not Too Late To Save Northwest’s Critically Endangered Orcas Say State Leaders And Feds

By Tom Banse March 15, 2018

An endangered Southern Resident orca pursues a coho salmon off San Juan Island. CREDIT: CANDICE EMMONS / NOAA FISHERIES/NORTHWEST FISHERIES SCIENCE CENTER

The Northwest’s beloved orcas will not survive unless humans do more to ensure adequate food and cleaner, quieter waters. That was one of the messages at a crowded signing ceremony in Seattle convened by Washington Gov. Jay Inslee. The population of genetically-distinct resident orcas has dwindled to a critically low level. Only 76 remain as of the last count. Read More

Cascadia Earthquake Prep: Parents Want Stockpiles At Schools To Prepare For ‘The Big One’

By Tom Banse March 13, 2018

Planned student walkouts this week bring attention to reducing the threat of school shootings. One group of Northwest parents is pushing schools to prepare better for another kind of disaster: a major earthquake. Continue Read More

Washington Initiative Activist Tim Eyman Demands Public Vote On Police Deadly Force Law Change

By Tom Banse March 12, 2018

On the final day of the Washington legislative session last week, lawmakers passed a bill to make it easier to prosecute police for negligent shootings. It was a compromise agreed to by groups on all sides to keep a potentially divisive initiative off the November ballot. Read More

Wheelchair Taxis, Blood Delivery Drivers Will Get Access To Washington Carpool Lanes

By Tom Banse March 9, 2018

The performance of HOV lanes in the Seattle area is worsening.

After several tries, blood bank couriers and wheelchair taxis with just one person on board have won coveted access to carpool lanes in order to provide better service. The Washington Legislature gave those marked vehicles access for one year on a trial basis. Read More

Is A Portland-Seattle-Vancouver Bullet Train A Reality? Lawmakers Dedicate Money To Study

By Tom Banse March 8, 2018

The Washington Legislature has approved further study of a super-fast train from Portland to Seattle to Vancouver, BC. Lawmakers passed and sent to the governor's desk a supplemental transportation budget which includes $1.2 million for a consultant to prepare a "business case analysis" of bullet train service from Portland to Vancouver, BC with stops in between. Read More

Airlines Recruiting Like Crazy To Address Pilot Shortage

By Tom Banse March 7, 2018

In the midst of a pilot shortage, Alaska/Horizon Air deployed more than 30 staffers to the NW Aviation Trade Show in order to interview or answer questions from as many job seekers as possible. CREDIT: TOM BANSE

Last year, Horizon Air was forced to cut back the number of flights to many Northwest cities because it didn’t have enough pilots. The Alaska Air Group subsidiary has stabilized its ranks and is slowly rebuilding service. But an industry-wide pilot shortage continues. Read More

Electric Car Tax Break Could Disappear In The Northwest

By Tom Banse March 6, 2018

Plug-in cars charge up at the Washington State Capitol Campus. A disproportionately high number of the state's legislators drive electric vehicles compared to the general population. CREDIT: TOM BANSE

If you're thinking about buying an electric car in Washington, you might want to act fast. That's because the state Legislature is on the verge of letting a hefty sales tax break expire. In Oregon, an electric car rebate faces a challenge in court next week. Read More

Jay Inslee Signs Washington Net Neutrality Bill; Oregon On Deck

By Tom Banse March 5, 2018

Washington state lawmakers and other supporters surround Gov. Jay Inslee at a net neutrality bill signing ceremony in Olympia Monday. CREDIT: TOM BANSE

Your internet service should be free of slow lanes and corporate favoritism if legislation just signed in Washington state and awaiting the governor's signature in Oregon works as intended. The states' objectives were to block a federal rollback of Obama-era net neutrality rules. Read More

Washington Legislature Passes Atlantic Salmon Farm Ban

By Tom Banse March 2, 2018

What appears to be a destroyed net pen at Cooke Aquaculture's facility on Cypress Island is shown on Tuesday, August 22, 2017. CREDIT: MEGAN FARMER/KUOW

The Washington Legislature has approved a phase out of Atlantic salmon farming in state waters and sent the measure to the desk of Gov. Jay Inslee, who is expected to sign it. Continue Reading Washington Legislature Passes Atlantic Salmon Farm BanRead More

No Medals, But Golden Memories For Northwest Athletes At 2018 Winter Olympics

By Tom Banse February 27, 2018

Western Washington University student Breezy Johnson competed at the 2018 Winter Olympics in women's downhill and Super-G. CREDIT: SARAH BRUNSON / U.S SKI & SNOWBOARD

The Winter Olympics ended Sunday under a shower of fireworks with athletes waving flags and dancing exuberantly to K-Pop music. None of the 13 athletes with Pacific Northwest roots who competed in PyeongChang won a medal. But they seem to be coming home happy anyway. Read More

Bobsled Offers Last Realistic Chance Of Medal For Northwest Olympians

By Tom Banse February 22, 2018

File photo. Sam Michener of Gresham, Oregon, head up in back, is the last hope for the Northwest to bring home a medal from PyeongChang. CREDIT: SAM MICHENER

The four-man bobsled competition at the Winter Olympics this weekend offers the last realistic chance for a Pacific Northwest athlete to bring home a medal. None of the 12 Northwest Olympians in South Korea has stood on the podium so far in these Winter Games. Read More

With Less Snow, Can Color-Changing Northwest Hares Adapt To Avoid Predators?

By Tom Banse February 22, 2018

Snowshoe hares at a University of Montana research facility.

While you may be able to easily change your coat when the snow melts, it’s not so simple for animals whose fur turns white in winter for camouflage. A new study finds they'll need to rapidly evolve to match a climate with less snow. Continue Read More

Northwest Raised And Trained, But Competing Under Foreign Flags At Olympics

By Tom Banse February 20, 2018

File photo of PyeongChang Olympic Plaza. CREDIT: KOREA.NET

If you've been watching the Winter Olympics, you may have noticed athletes native to one country competing for a different country's team. In fact, there are three Northwest-raised and trained Olympians who are competing under foreign flags. Read More

Not Just For Olympians: Luge Sledding Comes To The Northwest

By Tom Banse February 16, 2018

Recreational luge sledding happens on groomed trails rather than an icy chute as used in the Winter Olympics. CREDIT: LOUP LOUP SKI BOWL

Now that the Winter Olympics have you pumped about snow sports, you might head into the hills for some real, live athletic feats. Conveniently, a ski area in north central Washington state has set up a luge sledding course. Continue Reading Not Just For Read More

Not Just For Olympians: Northwest’s Ski Jumping Heritage Alive In Leavenworth

By Tom Banse February 14, 2018

In the heyday of ski jumping at the Leavenworth Ski Hill, competitors climbed a walkway to the top of the large ski jump. CREDIT: SKI HERITAGE FOUNDATION

If you're looking for an adrenaline-packed event to watch on TV during this year’s Winter Games, you’ll almost certainly be drawn to ski jumping. It’s a sport where the competitors speed down a ramp at nearly 60 mph before soaring hundreds of feet through the air. Read More

Atlantic Salmon Grower Calls Banning Fish Farms In Puget Sound ‘Foolishness’

By Tom Banse February 9, 2018

Cooke Aquaculture's Atlantic salmon farm near Bainbridge Island, Washington. CREDIT: WASHINGTON DNR

The head of Cooke Aquaculture says he's furious about "scare tactics" that he says are driving a push to end Atlantic salmon farming in Puget Sound. The Washington Senate voted 35-12 Thursday to phase out aquatic leases for net pens holding non-native fish. Read More

Worthy Causes Want To Get Their Solo Drivers Into Washington Carpool Lanes

By Tom Banse February 7, 2018

WSDOT says 10 out of 12 stretches of carpool lanes in the Seattle metro area are failing to meet performance standards. CREDIT: TOM BANSE

With traffic congestion getting ever worse in the Seattle metro area, two classes of solo drivers are asking for permission to use the carpool lanes. But it's a hard sell in Olympia. Continue Reading Worthy Causes Want To Get Their Solo Drivers Read More

Robo Air Taxi Makes First Flight At Oregon Airport

By Tom Banse February 5, 2018

A prototype of a self-flying air taxi designed by an Airbus subsidiary made its first flight at Eastern Oregon Regional Airport in Pendleton last Wednesday. CREDIT: AIRBUS A^3

The Airbus subsidiary behind a self-flying, battery-powered passenger drone says the prototype has made its first flight at Eastern Oregon Regional Airport in Pendleton. Continue Reading Robo Air Taxi Makes First Flight At Oregon AirportRead More

Washington State Terminates Lease For Atlantic Salmon Farm In Puget Sound

By Tom Banse February 5, 2018

Washington state has tightened the screws—again—on an Atlantic salmon farming operation. The state Department of Natural Resources Saturday terminated the lease for Cooke Aquaculture's Cypress Island fish farm near Anacortes. Continue Read More

Northwest-Raised Skiers Among 3 Sets Of Siblings On U.S. Olympic X-C Team

By Tom Banse February 2, 2018

Athletic talent runs in the family on the U.S. Olympic team headed to South Korea for the 2018 Winter Games. There are three sets of siblings on this year's Olympic cross-country skiing squad—two of which have Northwest roots. Continue Read More

Where’s The Wheat? Bringing Grains Back To The ‘Wet’ Side Of The Cascades

By Tom Banse February 1, 2018

Farmer Evan Mulvaney in a soggy field of triticale, a hybrid of wheat and rye grown for fodder. CREDIT: TOM BANSE / NORTHWEST NEWS NETWORK

Nowadays the vast fields of grain in eastern Washington, northeastern Oregon, and north Idaho feed the world. But once upon a time—1825 to be exact—the first crop of wheat in the Northwest was planted at Fort Vancouver. Continue Reading Read More

Landslide Experts Walk Back Time Estimate For Rattlesnake Ridge Slide

By Tom Banse January 29, 2018

Geology experts with Washington's Department of Natural Resource have quit making predictions for when a slow-moving landslide might break loose. About 20 acres of the hillside are in motion near Union Gap, just south of Yakima. Continue Read More

The Northwest Athletes At 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics

By Tom Banse January 29, 2018

Ten athletes from Oregon and Washington made the cut for the PyeongChang Olympic games in South Korea. Additionally, two snowboarders raised in the Pacific Northwest will compete. Continue Reading The Northwest Athletes At 2018 PyeongChang Winter Read More

Washington Hemp Growers In Limbo, Some Cast Eyes To Oregon

By Tom Banse January 26, 2018

A regulatory snafu in Washington has industrial hemp farmers in limbo over planting a crop in 2018. Some of them are looking to shift acreage to Oregon. Continue Reading Washington Hemp Growers In Limbo, Some Cast Eyes To OregonRead More

Testimony Points To Human Error As Cause Of Deadly Amtrak Derailment In DuPont

By Tom Banse January 26, 2018

Federal investigators have interviewed the engineer who was at the controls of Amtrak Cascades Train 501 that derailed last month south of Tacoma. The interview summary points more strongly to human error as the cause of the deadly wreck. Read More

Mind Your Boat Speed, Leave Drone At Home Around Endangered Killer Whales

By Tom Banse January 24, 2018

File photo. A bill in the Washington Senate would require boats to slow down when they are in the vicinity of endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales. CREDIT: RUTH HARTNUP

In Olympia, state lawmakers are considering stronger protections for the critically endangered population of resident killer whales. Continue Reading Mind Your Boat Speed, Leave Drone At Home Around Endangered Killer WhalesRead More

Team USA To Wear Northwest Wool At Winter Olympics Ceremonies

By Tom Banse January 23, 2018

When Team USA marches into a South Korean stadium for the Winter Olympics opening and closing ceremonies next month, they'll be swathed in Northwest wool. Team sponsor Ralph Lauren used wool from an Oregon ranch for the patriotic sweaters, mittens and hats. Read More

How Will A Government Shutdown Affect Public Lands?

By Tom Banse January 19, 2018

Uncertainty reigns about what federal public lands will be open if the congressional budget standoff leads to a partial government shutdown. Closed national parks and forest campgrounds were among the most visible effects the last time the federal government partially shut down in October 2013. Read More

Northwest Companies Raise Big Dough With Virtual Currencies Amid Security Warnings

By Tom Banse January 19, 2018

A quartet of companies from the Seattle area have raised tens of millions of dollars by tapping into a hot tech trend: virtual currency and digital coins. These token sales are largely unregulated and are sparking increasingly frequent government warnings. Read More

Electric Car Tax Incentive Expires Soon In Washington, Just Starting In Oregon

By Tom Banse January 15, 2018

If you’re considering buying an electric car in Oregon or Washington, you might want to pay attention to possible changes in tax policy. There’s uncertainty about the tax incentives meant to spur electric car sales. Continue Reading Read More

Recent Posts