Anna King

Washington Florist Sues State, Says She "Will Not Wilt"

Anna King — Fri, 17 May 2013 16:44:53 +0000

There’s a new development in the case of a Richland, Wash. florist who refused to sell flowers for a same sex couple’s wedding. The business owner’s lawyers announced a counter suit Thursday saying the florist “will not wilt.”

The owner of Arlene’s Flowers argues there are plenty of other shops in the Tri-Cities that could cater to a gay or lesbian wedding.

Northwest Nuclear Plant Scores Higher Safety Rating

Anna King — Thu, 16 May 2013 15:53:20 +0000

Federal regulators say the Northwest’s only commercial nuclear power plant is now back on course after an 11-year safety miscalculation. The new designation means the Columbia Generating Station in southeast Washington gets a more relaxed inspection and oversight status.

Between 2000 and 2011, workers at the nuclear plant used faulty estimates for how much radiation could escape during a crisis.

Some Hanford Water Cleanup Exceeds Expectations

Anna King — Tue, 14 May 2013 18:26:25 +0000

Cleanup of a hazardous chemical called hexavalent chromium in the groundwater at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in southeast Washington is going faster than expected.

Hexavalent chromium is the nasty stuff that made Erin Brockovich famous down in California. The chemical was used to inhibit rust in coolant water in Hanford’s reactors.

Fire Season Predicted To Be A Scorcher This Year

Anna King — Tue, 07 May 2013 15:55:33 +0000

Several forest fires are already burning in Western Washington and crews are mopping up a big one in central Oregon. There were also two grass fires that burned near Middleton, Idaho just west of Boise, this past weekend.

Dry winds and above average temperatures predicted this summer and fall, have fire managers preparing for an earlier than usual season.

A high-pressure ridge since winter has dried the Northwest’s timberlands and big sage stands this spring.

Arlene's Flowers Stirs Back-And-Forth On Social Media

Anna King — Fri, 03 May 2013 15:12:06 +0000

Business is bustling at the Richland florist who faces a lawsuit over same-sex marriage. The shop's owner says she was standing up for her Christian values when she refused to sell flowers for a gay couple’s wedding. Now, the case has become a focal point of intense debate on social media across the globe.

On Arlene’s Flower’s Facebook page, right alongside advertisements for corsages and boutonnieres, there are hundreds of posts for and against same-sex marriage.

Possible Leak At Hanford Nuclear Reservation

Anna King — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 22:03:00 +0000

RICHLAND, Wash. – A tank full of radioactive waste at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in southeast Washington may be leaking. Friday the U.S. Department of Energy and its contractors say liquid levels in an underground radioactive waste tank are going down.

The single-hulled tank is called T-111. It’s located in central Hanford in a group of tanks called T-farm.

Hanford Officials Prepare For Worst With Leaking Tank

Anna King — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 16:59:12 +0000

RICHLAND, Wash. – Workers the Hanford Nuclear Reservation are readying pumping equipment at a slow-leaking radioactive waste tank in case the leak gets worse. A newly released report details why the tank became unstable.

Hanford officials say so far they’ve found no waste leaking into the environment from the tank called AY-102.

The new report says many of the tanks original welds from 40 years ago didn’t meet standards and had to be fixed before it was filled.

Prehistoric 'Kennewick Man' Was All Beefcake

Anna King — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 17:44:00 +0000

For nearly a decade, scientists and Northwest tribes in Washington state fought bitterly over whether to bury or study the 9,500-year-old bones known as Kennewick Man. Scientists won the battle, and now, after years of careful examination, they're releasing some of their findings.

For starters, Kennewick Man was buff. I mean, really beefcake.

In Washington State, Picker Shortage Threatens Apple Boom

Anna King — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 07:25:00 +0000

In western Michigan, there aren't enough apples to pick because bad weather decimated 85 to 90 percent of the crop. But Washington state has the opposite problem — there's an abundance of apples, but not enough pickers.

This should be the happiest, busiest time of year in Washington apple orchards.