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Why is Washington home to so many nuclear missile subs?

caption: The USS Maine submarine returning to its home port at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor in January 2012.
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The USS Maine submarine returning to its home port at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor in January 2012.

Eight of the nation’s 14 nuclear ballistic submarines are stationed at the U.S. Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor. Ross Reynolds talks with reporter Joshua Farley about the history of ballistic missiles in Washington and a revived, 40-year-old plan to build a peace pagoda near the naval base in Bangor. Plus, we hear about missing and “recreated” texts from Mayor Jenny Durkan in response to a KUOW records request during racial justice protests last June and we continue our weekly conversations with Seattle mayoral candidates.

Individual segments are available in our podcast stream or at www.kuow.org/record.

The strange tale of the mayor's missing and "recreated" texts

Last June, KUOW submitted a public records to obtain Mayor Jenny Durkan's text messages in the wake of the Seattle Police Deparment's decision to abandon the East precinct, triggering the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest. KUOW reporter Ashley Hiruko talks with Ross Reynolds about why the text messages she received in response to the request months later were not the actual text messages from the mayor but instead recreations of texts from two of her deputies.

Seattle mayoral candidate: Colleen Echohawk

We continue our series of introductory conversations with Seattle mayoral candidates this week with Colleen Echohawk, the Executive Director of the Chief Seattle Club. She spoke with Bill Radke about why she loves Seattle and what she thinks is the top issue facing the city. (Editor's note: Colleen Echohawk is a former member of KUOW's Board of Directors)

Seattle mayoral candidate: Henry Dennison

Bill Radke talks with Seattle mayoral candidate and longtime union member Henry Dennison about his decision to enter the race and why job creation, higher wages and labor rights are top priorities for him as a candidate.

Why does Washington have so many ballistic missiles?

Just 83 miles from downtown Seattle is one of the nation's largest stockpile of nuclear missiles located at a naval base on the Kitsap peninsula. Ross Reynolds talks to Kitsap Sun reporter Joshua Farley about the history of nuclear weapons in Washington and a recently revived plan to build a peace monument near the base after the original one mysteriously burned to the ground nearly 40 years ago.

A solar energy backlash in central Washington

Northwest News Network Correspondent Courney Flatt brings us this story from Goldendale in Klickitat county where local opposition is building to the development of massive solar farms that could play a key role to meeting the state's energy mandates to reduce dependence on fossil fuels.



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