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Reducing collisions between ships and whales? There’s apps for that, but they need work

By Tom Banse
A way to prevent large ships from striking and killing whales is to transmit alerts to the officers at the helm when whales are nearby.
Fortunately, it doesn't happen very often in the Pacific Northwest that ships collide with whales. But when it does, it's upsetting, tragic and the whale probably dies. Three separate teams have developed smartphone-based systems that can alert commercial mariners to watch out, slow down or change course when whales have been sighted nearby. A recent ride-along on a big Read More

See Ya! Washington Police Say Drivers Aren’t Stopping For Them; Cite Pursuit Restrictions

By Austin Jenkins
This Washington State Patrol dashcam video from April captures a white BMW with a stolen license plate failing to stop for a trooper in Olympia. The driver took off at a high rate of speed, but the trooper didn't give chase. Police in Washington say they're seeing a big spike in drivers failing to stop for their lights and sirens following passage of a law that severely restricts when police can engage in a pursuit.
Since January of this year, more than 900 drivers have failed to stop for a Washington State Patrol trooper trying to pull them over. The patrol and other police agencies around the state say they’ve never seen such blatant disregard for their lights and sirens. The change in driver behavior comes after state lawmakers passed strict new rules on when police can engage in Read More

To ‘Honor The Shoulders We Stand On:’ Big Band Premieres With Nod To History Of Native Jazz Musicians

By Tom Banse
The Julia Keefe Indigenous Big Band posed for a commemorative photo after their premiere in Olympia on May 19, 2022.
A scheme to entertain a 4-year-old youngster in Spokane by playing a jazz album nearly three decades ago produced a cascade of aftereffects that culminated on stage in Olympia, Washington, this month with crescendos of horns and multiple standing ovations. During the debut of a 16-piece, all-Indigenous big band, the performers on stage hearkened even further back in Read More

Reeder’ Movie Reviews: Dune: Part One

By Steve Reeder
Dune
The risk of the project was destined to match the scale of journalist-turned-author Frank Herbert's Dune. Denis Villeneuve's conception has arrived in theatres (and HBO Max), and its sequel has already been greenlighted by Warner Bros. After two viewings, his intentions have become more clear and convincing.Read More
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