Washington on Monday June 29, 2009

WA: Stimulus funds offer new life to well-traveled highways
By Mike Prager, The Spokesman-Review (Spokane)
A series of state highway projects worth more than $20 million is about to get started in northeast Washington as a result of the federal economic stimulus plan approved by Congress earlier this year.
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WA: U.S. ports ask Congress to help fight competition
By Les Blumenthal, The Olympian
WASHINGTON – Struggling to ride out the recession, West Coast ports face new competition as ports in Canada and Mexico, an expanded Panama Canal and even the Suez Canal could steal away some of the cross-Pacific shipping they've relied on.
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Tracking the recession: Budget deadline looms
By Stephen C. Fehr, Stateline.org Staff Writer
Unlike the federal government, states have to balance their budgets. But several states still have not completed spending plans for the fiscal year that begins July 1.
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WA: Wash. visitor info center closes to save money
By The Associated Press, The Seattle Times
The Washington state Visitor Information Center, which has guided people to tourism activities around the state for nearly years, is set to close starting Wednesday.
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US: National sex offender registry delayed a year
By The Associated Press, Argus Leader (Sioux Falls)
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder Jr. has given states and American Indian tribes another year to feed a national Internet database set up to protect children by showing where possible predators live and work.
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WA: Medical pot a challenge for law enforcement
By Meghann M. Cuniff, The Spokesman-Review (Spokane)
A thief kicked in his door, ransacked his kitchen and stole his eight-ounce marijuana stash. So the victim called police.
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WA: Wash. visitor info center closes to save money
By The Associated Press, seattlepi.com
The Washington state Visitor Information Center, which has guided people to tourism activities around the state for nearly years, is set to close starting Wednesday.
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WA: State to decide hospital row
By Adam Wilson and Rolf Boone, The Olympian
Olympia's two hospitals are locked in a dispute over whether Capital Medical Center should be able to perform a costly elective heart procedure.
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WA: Stimulus money creates jobs for youths
By Aaron Burkhalter, The Seattle Times
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act sent $19.9 million to Washington state to employ people ages 16 to 19 for seven weeks over the summer. There are 280 young adults in Skagit, Whatcom, San Juan and Island counties working minimum-wage jobs funded by the act.
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WA: Fewer inmates to fight fires due to state budget cuts
By Sara Leaming, The Seattle Times
Legislative budget cuts mean the state Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will have fewer inmate work crews trained to fight forest fires this year.
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