"America at 250" features eminent historian and Western Washington University scholar Johann Neem and journalist Ron Judd discussing the search for a common narrative to describe what our county means to us. The event is a fundraiser supporting Salish Current, and features live and silent auctions of fine art from local artists curated by artist Chris Moench and a paddle-raising led by guest auctioneer Frank Catalano. Appetizers and no-host bar are available. Wednesday, Oct. 7, Hotel Leo, Bellingham. Early reservations encouraged. salishcurrent.rsvp@gmail.com
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| Douglas squirrel |
Douglas squirrel Tamiasciurus douglasii
The Douglas squirrel is a pine squirrel found in western North America,
from the Pacific Northwest (including the northwestern coastal states of
the United States as well as the southwestern coast of British
Columbia) to central California, with an isolated subspecies in northern
Baja California. John Muir described the Douglas squirrel as "by far
the most interesting and influential of the California Sciuridæ".
(Wikipedia)
Today's top story in Salish Current: Guided by faith: Finnish founder keeps Lynden’s musical heart beating
The U.S. Department of Energy on Friday issued its fourth emergency order requiring Washington’s only coal-burning power plant to stay open for another 90 days. John Ryan reports. (KUOW)
East Coast energy company announces geothermal plans for Oregon, Washington Weyerhaeuser lands
Hexagon Energy says it has reached an agreement to eventually develop as much as 3 gigawatts of geothermal power. Courtney Sherwood reports. (OPB)
‘Adrenaline pumping.’ It’s the time of year for bull elk to bugle in the PNW
It’s bugling elk season in Pierce County! It’s just regular elk, but this time of year, the bulls (males) transform into haunting ultra-soprano performance artists. Ultra-soprano because their bugle (calls) fly far beyond human capability. Gavin Feek reports. (Tacoma News Tribune)
Seattle cement plant blocked from burning more tires
Regulators have stopped a Seattle cement plant's push to burn more tires for fuel. John Ryan reports. (KUOW)
Hope remains for owl species despite no known wild population left in B.C., conservationist says
B.C. facility breeding northern spotted owls in captivity in hopes of returning species to wild. Amber Moniz reports. (CBC)
The only known woolly dog pelt has returned to Canada. It's a 'powerful moment' for Indigenous communities
For thousands of years, woolly dogs played an integral role in the lives of Salish and Makah peoples, who bred them and used their silky fur for weaving. But the beloved animals were driven to extinction under colonialism in the late 1800s. The only known woolly dog pelt has been in storage in a U.S. museum for 160 years. But now, it's back in Coast Salish territory, on loan at the University of British Columbia's Museum of Anthropology (MOA) in Vancouver. Sheena Goodyear reports. (CBC)
McClatchy, the media company that owns 30 newspapers nationwide, slashed jobs at dozens of publications on Thursday, including four in Washington and one in Idaho. McClatchy laid off a third of its unionized employees across its newspapers in Washington and Idaho — 10 at The Idaho Statesman and seven in total at The News-Tribune in Tacoma, The Olympian, The Bellingham Herald and The Tri-City Herald. Alexis Weisend reports. (Seattle Times)
- Alien Terrorist Removal Court deports legal US resident to Afghanistan in first-ever case (NPR)
- Amid uncertainty about mail-in ballots, WA leaders say they’re ready for what comes next (Washington State Standard)
- Contractor Blames Its Own Repairs, Not Vandals, for Reflecting Pool Failure (NY Times)
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 211 PM PDT Sun Sep 13 2026
MON NIGHT W wind around 5 kt. Seas around 3 ft. Wave Detail: W 3 ft at 8 seconds.






