1/12 Elwha ride, J50, drink poop, Jim Unsworth, native?, bird flu, Clean Samish, Keystone XL, Kitsap shores

(F2V/Peninsula Daily News)

If you like to watch: Here's how you can take a virtual ride down the newly freed Elwha River — right now!
Anyone with a computer or mobile device can take a virtual ride on the Elwha River from the former Lake Mills to the mouth as the river empties into the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Users of the Google Street View-style project by Flying Fish Views, a Seattle-based startup also known as F2V, can see rapids and even dive underwater to see the “fish view” version of the trip. The “travel” is via 30,000 individual photographs stitched together to create a 360-degree view of the lower third of the river and valley around a river raft. Arwyn Rice reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

If you like to watch: Newborn orca J50 spotted swimming with JPod family in Puget Sound
U.S. whale watcher Alisa Lemire Brookes captures encounter in three-minute YouTube video. Newborn female orca calf J50 was captured on video Saturday swimming with her JPod family in Puget Sound, Washington. (CBC)

If you like to watch: Bill Gates Raises A Glass To (And Of) Water Made From Poop
In places where fresh water is hard to come by, how do you come up with clean drinking water? Easy — get the water from poop. It's a scientifically sound idea, and Bill Gates has a video to prove it. In the video, released this week, he stands in front of the Janicki Omniprocessor, a giant new machine that can turn human waste into clean drinking water in minutes. He waits patiently as Peter Janicki — the engineer who invented the contraption — fills his glass with crystal-clear water from the machine. Linda Poon reports. (NPR)

Idaho official picked to lead Washington wildlife agency
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has a new director Jim Unsworth will lead the agency of more than 1,600 employees and a two-year operating budget of $376 million. The 57-year-old recently served as deputy director of the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. He will replace Phil Anderson. (Associated Press)

If you weren’t born in Seattle or the Northwest, you’ll never be one of us
Northwest native and Pacific NW writer Ron Judd offers up a primer for figuring out the Northwest native. (Seattle Times)

Swabs taken from 500 birds in Whatcom County to test for bird flu
Swabs were taken from about 500 wild birds in Whatcom County by officials who want to know how widespread a highly pathogenic bird flu is among the region’s wild birds. They were among more than 1,000 samples taken within the past month from birds killed by hunters, with most of those coming from Whatcom, Skagit and Clark counties, according to Don Kraege, waterfowl section manager for the Washington state Department of Fish and Wildlife. Kie Relyea reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Initiative to clean the Samish continues
Reflecting on a year of challenges and successes, Skagit County staff with the Clean Samish Initiative say they will try new strategies in the years ahead while remaining focused on the target. Challenges included a failed state pollution evaluation, but use of a sewage-detecting dog in collecting data provided useful information. This year, Skagit County staff will continue to work toward developing new pollution identification and correction methods. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Shoreline program for Kitsap County approved
The Washington Department of Ecology has approved Kitsap County's updated shoreline master program which will result in significant improvements in the protection, use, development and restoration of over 290 miles of lake, stream and marine shorelines throughout the county. (Central Kitsap Reporter)

House OKs Keystone XL Pipeline Despite Obama Veto Threat
The GOP-controlled House of Representatives has voted 266-153 to approve the Keystone XL pipeline despite a presidential veto threat, just hours after Nebraska's Supreme Court, in a split decision, cleared the way for the controversial project. The Senate, which also has a Republican majority, is considering similar legislation. Krishnadev Calamur reports. (NPR)  See also: Nebraska court upholds Keystone XL pipeline. It's all up to Obama now.  Brad Plumer reports. (Vox)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 245 AM PST MON JAN 12 2015
TODAY
SE WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 13 SECONDS. A SLIGHT CHANCE OF LIGHT RAIN IN THE MORNING.
TONIGHT
SE WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 12 SECONDS.

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