News

The shift to private liquor sales in Washington is affecting some 1,200 state employees. But they’re not all out of a job. Olympia Correspondent Austin Jenkins checked in on how workers at one former state liquor store are doing under new system.

Oregon's elected state schools superintendent is leaving her job. Susan Castillo announced Monday that she'll step down by the end of this month to work for an education non-profit.

Castillo is a former Democratic state lawmaker who's in her third term as Superintendent of Public Instruction. Her current term doesn't end until 2015, but she had no chance of winning re-election.

Oregon lawmakers decided last year to do away with the office of state school superintendent. They chose instead to give the governor more direct authority over schools.

The federal government is fining a north Idaho mining company $360,000 for unsafe practices that killed a miner last year. That’s about a third of the penalties that were expected.

Last year federal inspectors said the Hecla Mining Company engaged in “aggravated conduct” when it allowed miners to extract silver ore from a mass of unstable rock. It happened about a mile underground at the Lucky Friday Mine near Mullan, Idaho. The practices led to a tunnel collapse that killed 53 year old Larry Marek, according to a investigation.

The Northwest cherry harvest is set to begin next week, but farmers are a bit glum. That’s because the National Weather Service says this month’s temperatures will be near or below average across Washington, Oregon and Idaho.

Cool weather and rain and can delay ripening and compress the cherry growing season. That means that markets have less time to sell the perishable fruit. Plus, farmers may have a harder time recruiting enough labor in a shortened season.

And there’s another problem according to the Washington Fruit Commission's B.J. Thurlby. He says rain can spoil the fruit on the branch.

Elite Northwest runners and throwers tested themselves against Olympic-caliber competition this weekend in Eugene. Some athletes found the experience sobering, while others drew encouragement with about two months to go before the Summer Olympics. Correspondent Tom Banse reports from Eugene.

Gold mining with small dredges is popular in the rural Northwest. Today, the 9th circuit court ruled that the Forest Service has to strengthen its regulation of this kind of mining in salmon streams. Amelia Templeton of Earthfix reports.

This week, same-sex marriage opponents in Washington state plan to turn in signatures for Referendum 74. The measure seeks to rollback the state’s recent legalization of gay marriage.

Conservative churches are a key base for the Referendum campaign, including many African American churches. Numerous polls show black voters, compared to whites, are more opposed to gay marriage.

Now, some wonder how these voters’ views might shift given President Obama’s support for marriage equality.

In the first of our two-part series about same-sex marriage and the church, Liz Jones visits two Baptist churches in the Puget Sound area.

Ah, summer time... when you can smell barbecue cooking and see picnic baskets on blankets in the grass.  These are the times in the northwest when we gather with friends and family to enjoy the great outdoors, good company, and good food.  With this in mind we asked the diligent folks at Northwest Public Radio to let you in on some of their favorite delicacies they like to take to a bbq or picnic:

____________________________

Beer Can Chicken

By Sandi Billings, Major Gifts Officer

1 whole chicken

The state of Washington has officially bid good riddance to its state run liquor stores. About five times as many stores will now sell hard liquor, and the new law that went into effect Friday means shoppers can head to supermarkets to buy vodka or rum. It’s a welcome change for some people, but not for everyone.

Shoppers gave their reactions outside of a Costco warehouse in Seattle.

Alyssa Royse was loading up bottles.

"I came here just to by liquor. We've got tequila, vodka, gin and of course vermouth."

A high level whistleblower at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation is moving ahead with a lawsuit against a federal contractor. But Walt Tamosaitis would have to appeal in order to take the federal government to court. At issue is the safety culture at Hanford.

Walt Tamosaitis sued the U.S. Department of Energy and contractor URS after he was removed from his job. He claims it was retaliation for raising safety concerns about the $12 billion waste treatment plant going up in southeast Washington.