Aberdeen- Grays Harbor PUD plans to conduct a planned overnight power outage estimated to last about five-and-a-half hours on Wednesday, August 5, 2009. The planned outage is scheduled from 12:01am Wednesday morning (just after midnight) until approximately 5:30am Wednesday morning. The outage is necessary for crews to replace and relocate power poles along Highway 109 and to replace equipment as part of system maintenance along Highway 115.

Customers that will be affected are those located south of Highway 115 and west of North Beach High School (the high school will NOT be impacted by the outage). The outage area includes all of the City of Ocean Shores.

ASTORIA, Ore. - The Coast Guard is searching for an overdue 39-foot boat with three people onboard Friday.

The fishing boat Kay Ann departed Newport, Ore., Saturday, July 18, 2009, to fish for tuna. The boat was due to return to Warrenton, Ore., Wednesday.  The co-owner of the Kay Anne reported the boat overdue late Thursday at Coast Guard Station Coos Bay, Ore.

The Coast Guard Cutter Mellon, homeported in Seattle, was diverted 70 miles due west of Siuslaw River, Ore., to help in the search.  A C-130 Hercules search plane crew was launched from Coast Guard Air Station Sacramento, Calif., to assist.

The Kay Ann is described as having a white hull with red and blue trim.  Anyone with information on the whereabouts of the Kay Ann and its crew should contact the 13^th Coast Guard District command center at (206) 220-7001.

OLYMPIA - With the black bear hunting season opening throughout most of the state Aug. 1, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) reminds hunters and others recreating outdoors to be safety conscious. 

"A variety of people, including hunters, hikers, anglers and campers, share the outdoors in Washington," said Bruce Bjork, chief of WDFW enforcement. "We all must do our part to stay safe, as well as ensure the safety of others." 

While fatal hunting incidents involving non-hunters are rare, last August in Skagit County a hiker was shot and killed by a hunter who mistook her for a bear. That incident was the state's first hunting-related fatality involving a non-hunter in at least a quarter-century. 

TUMWATER - With temperatures warmer than normal in many parts of the state this week, the Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) is reminding everyone that working outdoors in hot weather can put you at risk of heat-related illness.

If you work outdoors in hot weather:

• Drink as much as one cup of water every 15 minutes.
• Know the signs and symptoms of heat-related illness.
• Pace your work and take breaks.
• Wear lightweight, light-colored clothing.
• Avoid alcohol, caffeine and heavy meals.

Heat-related illness can cause serious medical conditions, including disability and death.

       OLYMPIA - The state's largest dangerous waste processor will fund two years of audits designed to support major reforms at its Tacoma and Kent facilities under a settlement agreement with the Department of Ecology (Ecology).  Burlington Environmental LLC (Burlington) also will pay $58,000 of a $288,000 penalty for waste-handling violations. 

    The company will apply the remaining $230,000 towards hiring a third-party firm to conduct audits of Burlington's facilities every other month for two years.  The audit firm will evaluate Burlington's facilities and practices as well as monitor its progress in correcting 15 past dangerous waste violations. Certain violations, if discovered during the audits, may be subject to stipulated penalties agreed to by Ecology and Burlington.