OLYMPIA - Cougar hunters will begin the 2009 general season on Sept. 1 this year, while those interested in permit-only hunts held after the general season have until Aug. 31 to submit an application to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).

Under new rules adopted by the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission, the general cougar season will begin with a statewide archery-only season Sept. 1-25, followed by a muzzleloader-only season Sept. 26-Oct. 16. Beginning Oct. 17, hunters may use any legal weapon to target cougars in most areas of the state. 

In the past, the general cougar hunting season began Aug. 1 and hunters were allowed to use any legal weapon. The changes were adopted to better match cougar hunting with the early elk and deer seasons, said Donny Martorello, carnivore specialist for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). 

Portland, Ore. - In a Northwest twist on the X Prize, two research teams are about to begin competing to see which can best predict changes in the region's shifting winds as much as 36 hours ahead. The unusual technology contest is sponsored by the Bonneville Power Administration.

The team with the most accurate predictions will be in line for a BPA contract to develop a full-scale wind forecast model for the entire fleet of Northwest wind projects. Better forecasts benefit the booming wind energy sector and electric customers by anticipating sudden shifts in wind energy so power managers can smoothly incorporate it into the grid.

The Northwest forecast model would be the first created specifically to foresee sharp changes, or "ramps," in wind energy, with wide potential to help utilities meld wind with other power sources. BPA hopes the competition will help promote wind forecasting the way the X Prize advanced aerospace technology.

PORTLAND, Ore. - Coast Guard personnel are responding to a diesel and motor-oil sheen in the Westport Slough near Westport, Ore.

Coast Guard Sector Portland's Incident Management Division dispatched a team to the reported location at 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, to investigate and ensure appropriate cleanup efforts are coordinated.

The owners of the Kerry West Marina in the Westport Slough reported a 40-foot by 1,000-foot sheen at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, originating from a 30-foot boat that sank at the dock. Personnel from the marina initiated cleanup efforts by deploying containment-boom and absorbent pads but the sheen has not been contained.

SEATTLE - The Washington State Attorney General's Office has ventured to the Land Down Under to stop a pair of Aussies from using sexy stories to sell bogus cures for diseases ranging from Lyme disease to cancer.

"Scammers who hide behind foreign borders aren't out of justice's reach," McKenna said. "This case is proof that we're willing to go the extra mile - or in this case, nearly 8,000 miles - to protect consumers."

KALALOCH - Motorists can expect pilot-car led, one-way alternating this week on a 14-mile stretch of US 101 near Kalaloch beginning Thursday, Aug. 6.

Drivers can expect delays while crews prepare the roadway for a month-long chip-seal project that improves and preserves the pavement on US 101 from the Olympic National Park to the Lost Creek Bridge in Jefferson County.

The week of Aug. 17, actual chip-sealing work begins and WSDOT lowers the speed-limit from 55 to 35 mph. A speed-limit reduction is necessary during the chip-seal process to increase safety for motorists and workers. The speed-limit returns to 55 mph after project completion in September.