Olympia, WA - The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission and Keepers of the North Head Lighthouse invite the public to attend the 115th anniversary of the North Head Lighthouse at Cape Disappointment State Park in Ilwaco. 

The celebration commemorates the official title transfer of the lighthouse from U.S. Coast Guard ownership to Washington State Parks and also is in conjunction with Centennial 2013, the 100th birthday of the state park system in Washington. 

The celebration is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, June 8, at the North Head Lighthouse at Cape Disappointment State Park, 244 Robert Gray Drive, Ilwaco. At noon, visiting dignitaries and participants will gather on the grounds of the nearby historic lighthouse keepers’ residences to share remarks about the lighthouse and the title transfer. Following the speaker program, participants will move to the lighthouse for a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

“The North Head Lighthouse is an iconic structure, and we’re very excited to have this historical landmark in our care,” said State Parks Director Don Hoch. “We’re grateful to the Keepers group, which has worked hard to help preserve this significant piece of our state and national history.”

OLYMPIA – The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has allocated $250,000 to Washington State to address marine debris issues associated with the 2011 Japan tsunami.

The allocation comes from $5 million in funds provided to NOAA by the government of Japan in 2012 to help with clean up of marine debris from the tsunami. NOAA anticipates providing an initial sum of $250,000 to each of the impacted states (Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California and Hawaii), and will then hold the remaining funds in reserve. Remaining funds will be distributed on a case-by-case basis, as needs arise.

Washington Governor Jay Inslee said: “Our state deeply appreciates Japan’s friendship and the generous gift of $5 million in goodwill to the United States to support tsunami debris response efforts. We continue to offer our condolences for the March 11, 2011, tragedy that claimed so many lives in Japan, and admire the strength and resilience of the Japanese people. Japan is under absolutely no obligation to provide this type of assistance, and the nation's generous gift is yet another demonstration of Japan’s continued contributions to the international community.”

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Federal agriculture officials say chicken producer Foster Farms is recalling about 6,165 pounds of its ready-to-eat grilled chicken breast strips because the strips contain wheat and soy - known allergens - which are not listed on the labels of its packages.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service announced the recall Tuesday, saying the mislabeled packages were discovered when a customer complained. Food safety inspectors and officials at Foster Farms say the problem occurred when labels for another chicken product that does not contain wheat or soy were inadvertently used.

Officials say there have been no reports of adverse reactions from the sale of the mislabeled products.

The chicken breast strips being recalled were produced on April 23 and were distributed to retail establishments in Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Washington.

OLYMPIA - Gov. Jay Inslee today signed legislation that will provide state wildlife managers more resources to prevent wolf-livestock conflict and expand criteria for compensation to livestock owners for wolf-related losses.

Senate Bill 5193, requested by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and prime-sponsored by Sen. John Smith, R-Colville, was supported by a broad cross-section of interest groups.

"The gray wolf population is recovering quickly in Washington," said Inslee.  "This bill received bipartisan support from legislators across the state because it represents a practical, realistic approach to minimizing wolf-livestock conflict while recognizing the need for fair compensation to ranchers and farmers."

WDFW Director Phil Anderson said the department appreciates the Governor's support for the bill and the efforts of both Republican and Democratic legislators to get it passed.  "Washington state is committed to wolf recovery, but sustainable recovery requires that we address the legitimate needs of farmers, ranchers and other residents of the communities that are on the front line of wolf recovery," he said.  "This bill does that."