Shelton, WA - Now that winter cold weather has come to Mason County, bitter cold and wetness can seriously affect your pets.  Mason County Sheriff’s Office Animal Control Officer, Cindy Brewer urges pet owners to take extra precautions during winter weather to ensure the safety of their companion animals.

"Pets rely almost exclusively on their human caregivers for safety and comfort.  That is particularly true during the cold winter months," said Brewer. "Our pets are particularly vulnerable during this frigid weather we are experiencing and with just a few extra precautions you can make sure that they stay safe, warm and healthy."

According to Officer Brewer “Pet owners should keep your dog or cat inside with the family.  Owners should also remember the happiest dogs are those who are taken out for walks and exercise frequently, but kept inside the rest of the time.”

Dogs and cats are social animals who crave human companionship. Your animal companions deserve to live indoors with you and your family.

Montesano, WA - On Saturday Dec 12, 2009 Grays Harbor County Emergency Management with the assistance from the Grays Harbor Amateur Radio Club, Washington State Emergency Management Division, Lewis County, Mason County, Pacific County, Bay Center, Wa Fire Station, the American Red Cross, Centralia EOC and the District 3 Net Control held a disaster communications drill.

SEATTLE – DIRECTV has generated more consumer complaints to the Washington Attorney General’s Office than any other business in 2009. Those complaints from Washington residents signal a serious problem, said Attorney General Rob McKenna, who today announced the office is suing the nation’s largest satellite television company for unfair sales practices.

California-based DIRECTV is accused of wooing new viewers with ads for low prices while hiding a multitude of fees, planned rate changes and terms that call for automatic renewals. Following a year-long investigation by its Consumer Protection Division, the Attorney General’s Office filed documents today in King County Superior Court that allege the company has repeatedly violated the state’s Consumer Protection Act.

“The miniscule 5.5 point fine print at the bottom of a DIRECTV advertisement is enough to give someone a migraine,” McKenna said. “Even if consumers used a magnifying glass, they still wouldn’t discover that the ‘good deal’ they were promised came with potential expensive pitfalls.”

OLYMPIA - Vessels and ships doing business at Washington's 16 busiest ports in Puget Sound, Columbia River and Grays Harbor generate an estimated $150 billion a year in water-borne trade.

Protecting state waters, aquatic resources, recreation and water-dependent economy is a high priority under Washington state law.

Toward that end, the state Department of Ecology (Ecology) has revied fines totaling $33,250 against two companies whose ships spilled oil while loading and unloading cargo at state ports in March 2009.

"Oil spills are unlike other environmental threats to Washington's waters," said Ecology Spills Program Manager Dale Jensen. "In just a few minutes, poor judgment, faulty equipment or other human mistakes can have disastrous economic, environmental and emotional consequences. Our top priority is preventing spills and for years, we have worked closely with industry to meet the Legislative mandate of 'zero spills' to our waters."

Ecology has issued a $17,250 penalty to DS Schiffahrt GmbH & Co. KG of Hamburg, Germany, because its 997-foot containership Hyundai Republic, spilled 159 gallons of hydraulic oil in Tacoma's Blair Waterway on March 17, 2009.