Morning News Roundup — Posted: 6:26 AM (Pacific)

---

Jump to a specific section using these bookmarks: State | Local | POTUS 44 | Economy | Education | Environment & Land Use | Health Care | Public Safety | Transportation | Other

---

STATE (top)

Washington gets some Race to the Top money after all, sort of A consortium of 31 states including Washington has been awarded a $160 million Race to the Top grant, officials announced today in Olympia. JUDY LIGHTFOOT with Crosscut — 9.3.10

State wrongly says privatized booze would hurt enforcement Foes of two initiatives that would get Washington out of the liquor business warn of many ills that could befall the state: Increased numbers of liquor stores, decimated local budgets and the likelihood that minors could more easily buy spirits. CHRIS GRYGIEL with Strange Bedfellows — 9.3.10

Maybe There’s an Income Tax Business Can Support – But Not This One AWB’s Argument on I-1098 is More Nuanced Than You Might Think. ERIK SMITH with Washington State Wire — 9.3.10

A Washington State Smear Campaign A trial lawyer’s familiar attempt to bring down Republican Senate candidate Dino Rossi.  KIMBERLY STRASSEL with Wall Street Journal — 9.3.10

Democrats glad to save GOP House candidate Hans Zeiger’s writings from going out of print Democrats can’t help but be worried about the political future of Rep. Dawn Morrell, who despite her four terms in the Legislature garnered just a hair over 40 percent of the primary vote.  The News Tribune — 9.3.10

Murray ad touts saving Wenatchee hospital U.S. Sen. Patty Murray closed the week by releasing a new positive TV ad about her role in saving a Wenatchee hospital from potential closure. JIM BRUNNER with Politics Northwest — 9.3.10

Attorneys for WA death row inmate file for appeal Attorneys for a death row inmate who is scheduled to be executed this month are looking to a federal appeals court for a stay. AP in The Bellingham Herald — 9.3.10

Criteria to set free sexually violent predators broadened. A divided Washington state Supreme Court issued a ruling Thursday that makes it easier for sexually violent predators confined to the state’s Special Commitment Center to seek their release. ADAM LYNN with TNT – 9.3.10

More phony outrage over state’s overseas ballot plan Shame, shame on Sam Reed. Washington’s secretary of state obviously despises the voting rights of our men and women in uniform. The News Tribune opinion– 9.3.10

---

And, locally … (top)

Dick’s corrects voting numbers, asks for video pitches The poll that has arguably drawn as much interest as senatorial election polls – one that will influence where the new Dick’s Drive-In location will be built – has cleared fraudulent votes, the company spokeswoman said. SEATTLE PI — 9.3.10

Feds uncover opium poppy smuggling operation at Bellingham discount store Six men were arrested Wednesday, Sept. 1, on suspicion of intending to smuggle into Canada opium poppies that they allegedly picked up at a Bellingham discount store. PETER JENSEN with The Bellingham Herald — 9.3.10

Cuts loom as council pushes for reserves The city now has a financial plan on how to stop the bleeding. DENNIS ANSTINE with Bainbridge Island Review — 9.3.10

Sammamish Kiwanis to meet with political candidates Following last month’s primary elections, the candidate race for local representatives in the various state and federal seats now begins in earnest, ahead of November’s general election. Issaquah Reporter — 9.3.10

Workers on layoff list: Lynnwood could eliminate 102 of 460 positions as of January. LYNNWOOD — The city this week notified 102 of its full and part-time employees they are on a list for possible staff reductions next January. OSCAR HALPERT with Everett Herald – 9.3.10

Base officers will patrol bars. Commanders from Joint Base Lewis-McChord are taking their concerns for the welfare of soldiers from the barracks to the bars. MIKE ARCHIBOLD with TNT – 9.3.10

---

POTUS 44 (top)

White House considers pre-midterm package of business tax breaks to spur hiring. With just two months until the November elections, the White House is seriously weighing a package of business tax breaks – potentially worth hundreds of billions of dollars – to spur hiring and combat Republican charges that Democratic tax policies hurt small businesses, according to people with knowledge of the deliberations. ANNE E. KORNBLUT and LORI MONTGOMERY with Washington Post – 9.3.10

President Obama visits Bob Dole at Walter Reed. When President Barack Obama visited wounded troops at Walter Reed Army Medical Center earlier this week, he saw another veteran as well: Bob Dole, the former Kansas senator and 1996 GOP presidential nominee. MEREDITH SHINER with Politico – 9.3.10

President Obama flexes muscles. The launch of new direct talks between Israeli and Palestinian leaders Thursday was the result of a rare flexing of U.S. muscle by President Barack Obama, whose extended hand has left him with fewer opportunities for foreign policy chest thumping than his predecessor had.  BEN SMITH with Politico – 9.3.10

---

ECONOMY (top)

Mayor McGinn’s jobs plan could jump-start Seattle’s economy. Mayor Mike McGinn’s new “Seattle Jobs Plan” offers some intriguing ideas. He is commended for finally focusing on the top issue. He also has to be careful not to try to help the economy with one hand while shooting it in the foot with the other. Seattle Times opinion – 9.3.10

AAA: Washington gas prices up 14 cents over year. The AAA auto club says drivers hitting the road this Labor Day weekend in Washington will find gasoline prices 14 cents a gallon higher than they were this time last year. AP in Seattle Times – 9.3.10

---

EDUCATION (top)

Education’s less-than-certain windfall It sounded at first like the best of news for South Carolina. The $26 billion jobs bill passed by Congress earlier this month would send $143.7 million to the state, which has lost between 2,800 and 3,900 teaching jobs over the past two years. DAVID HARRISON with Stateline — 9.3.10

School test scores mixed locally Reflecting a statewide pattern, test results released Tuesday for students in Kittitas County were a mixed bag: some up from a year ago, some down, some leaving school officials scratching their heads. MARY SWIFT with The Daily Record — 9.3.10

Volunteer Opportunities for High School Students Military families new to Washington State will discover that like any other duty station, the public schools have a number of requirements exclusive to graduation in their districts. CASSANDRA FORTIN with Northwest Military — 9.3.10

A breakthrough in education reform in Seattle All of a sudden, Seattle Public Schools have joined the national parade. DAVID BREWSTER with Crosscut — 9.3.10

---

ENVIRONMENT & LAND USE (top)

County targets dumpers. An average of 140,000 pounds of toxic chemicals enters Puget Sound each day, according to the Department of Ecology. An estimated 75 percent of those arrive in the Sound through stormwater that runs off roads, driveways and homes. NATE HULINGS with Olympian – 9.3.10

Federal judge orders revised spotted owl plan A federal judge is requiring the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to revise a Bush administration recovery plan for the northern spotted owl, and the federal agency said Thursday it plans to release a draft next week. AP in KING 5 News — 9.3.10

Whatcom County beaches reopened to recreational shellfish harvesting Recreational harvesting of shellfish – with the exception of butter clams – is being allowed again in Whatcom County because levels of a marine biotoxin have dropped in recent weeks. The News Tribune — 9.3.10

Dash Point State Park will close for 8 months to rebuild sewer system The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission announced that Dash Point State Park will close for about eight months, beginning Sept. 7, to complete construction of a new sewer system. Federal Way Mirror — 9.3.10

Developer addresses Highlands TDR deal Working together to preserve valuable open space enhances the quality of life for all.  Issaquah Reporter — 9.3.10

---

HEALTH CARE (top)

Empire Health Foundation awards grants. The Empire Health Foundation has awarded $424,000 to nonprofit organizations. The grants are the first from the foundation, created in 2008 from the sales proceeds of Deaconess Medical Center and Valley Hospital and Medical Center. JOHN STUCKE with Spokesman Review – 9.3.10

---

PUBLIC SAFETY (top)

Rock throwing incidents from overpasses surging. SPANAWAY, Wash. — The Washington State Patrol is issuing an alert for drivers to be careful under overpasses. They’re investigating a recent surge in rock throwing incidents. VANESSA VAN HYFTE with KING 5 – 9.3.10

New temporary police chief named in Granite Falls Sgt. Dennis Taylor of the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office has been named interim police chief until the status of city Police Chief Tony Domish is resolved. Everett Herald — 9.3.10

Jury quickly convicts Seattle cop of drunken driving in Ocean Shores. A Seattle police officer has been convicted of drunken driving in Grays Harbor County, where a jury deliberated just 36 minutes before convicting him even after he successfully suppressed evidence showing his blood-alcohol level was nearly twice the legal limit. SARA JEAN GREEN with Seattle Times – 9.3.10

---

TRANSPORTATION (top)

Seattle, museum fighting over SR 520 money. SEATTLE – The Museum of History and Industry is in a cash clash with the City of Seattle after the museum managed to negotiate a better deal with the state over the right to build the new SR 520 floating bridge on museum property. GARY CHITTIM with KING 5 – 9.3.10

---

OTHER (top)

Glenn Beck: Theologian in Chief? Glenn Beck has undertaken a long personal journey from his troubled beginnings in Mount Vernon, Washington, to the promised land of Cable TV and hallowed ground of the Lincoln Memorial. JOEL CONNELLY with Strange Bedfellows — 9.3.10

And finally, from the bottom of the WashBUcket: Homeless man calls 911 from hot tub, seeks cocoa. BEAVERTON, Ore. – A homeless man who called 911 from the hot tub of a suburban Portland home and asked for towels, hot chocolate and a hug got arrested for trespassing instead. AP in Olympian – 9.3.10