WASHINGTON, July 15, 2009 - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced Wednesday the selection of $250 million in water and environmental projects that are being funded immediately through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The 32 projects will help provide safe drinking water and improved wastewater treatment systems for rural towns and communities in 17 states, Guam, and Puerto Rico. This is the fifth wave of water and environmental projects that USDA has announced, with total funding of $1.134 billion.

In Hoquiam, Wash., the city has made its lagoon modernization project a high-capital improvement priority. The lagoon, as it is now, has a significant potential of leaching pollutants into the local water system, risking public health and jeopardizing area industry. The city will receive a $9.47 million loan to modify its 48-acre lagoon that stabilizes and stores waste and sludge, and serves as an emergency holding area for excess flow to the treatment plant. Funds also will help to remove waste that has built up for 30 years and poses a significant environmental risk.

History is in the making this Friday and Saturday Night at Grays Harbor Raceway located at the Fairgrounds in Elma, as the Lucas Oil ASCS National Sprint Tour presented by K & N Filters makes their first ever appearance west of the Rocky Mountains for the running of the 3^rd Annual Fred Brownfield Memorial event,  that will pay the winner $10,092 to win.  In the 17 years that the series has been in competition they have competed at over 100 tracks in 22 different states throughout the nation.

SPOKANE, Wash. - The Senate Health Committee's approval of a plan to require people to get health insurance - with government subsidies to help pay for it - gave folks in Spokane plenty to talk about last night. At a packed "Divided We Fail" public meeting, doctors, patients and small-business owners compared stories and stress levels about rising health care costs and dwindling coverage.

Ingrid McDonald, advocacy director with AARP Washington, says her group is especially concerned about people ages 50 to 64, as older workers are being laid off but are still years away from qualifying for Medicare.

"Here in Washington, for example, insurance companies can charge people in higher age brackets 3.75 times as much as they charge people in lower age brackets. So as people become older, unless they're part of a large employer plan, they find it increasingly difficult to find affordable coverage."

Raymond Senior High School began issuing computers to every freshman in 2007, with the goal of every student having a computer by 2010. In fact, the school will meet that goal one year early; every high school student will receive his or her computer in time for the 2009 school year. Dr. Steve Holland, superintendent of the district, expressed his satisfaction with the program and the ability to support each high school student's technology needs ahead of schedule.

"As we saw how the students who had laptops benefited from this tool, it became imperative to do everything we could to implement the program as quickly as possible," said Holland. "We found that by making using of some existing lab computers and buying just a few more than we normally would, we could both stay within our budget and meet all of our computer needs." The school has enough laptops for every 9th-12th-grade student, plus a few extra. "We anticipate that we will have a few students who are new to our school and we want to make sure we can take care of them as well," stated Dr. Holland.

The 29th Annual National Night Out is Tuesday, August 4th from 6pm until 9pm. The Aberdeen Police Department is asking residents to lock their doors, turn on outside lights and the evening outside with neighbors, law enforcement, fire departments, and emergency personel, joining forces with thousands of communities across the nation to wage war against crime.

On August 4th, many residents in neighborhoods throughout the city of Aberdeen will be hosting cookouts and block parties. Aberdeen Police Chief Bob Torgerson and his staff along with volunteers in Police Services, community leaders and the Aberdeen Fire Department will be visiting neighborhoods for the purpose of connecting with citizens, building citizen-law enforcement partnerships, and socializing to build a strong relationship between the community and law enforcement.

 For more information, or to host a block party in your area, contact Shirley Mathews at 360-532-8572