State Supreme Court Decks Tim Eyman

The Washington State Supreme Court has struck down the two-thirds super-majority requirement in the state legislature for raising taxes.  It must be nice to be on the side that only needs to win 34% of the vote.

Tim Eyman's cult can try amending the Washington State Constitution, but this will require a two-thirds vote in both houses of the legislature and the approval of two thirds of the state's voters.  Good luck with that.  The shoe will be on the other foot for a change.

New "Grass Roots Nonprofit" Group Seeks Changes in Dungeness Valley Water Rule

3,000 post cards will be mailed out to Clallam County residents, asking them to help change the new water rule for the Dungeness Valley.  These cards are being sent by the Olympic Resource Protection Council, which is funded by the North Peninsula Building Association.

Monster Garages in Sequim

We've all heard of monster homes that dwarf all the other homes in a neighborhood and block people's views.  Now Sequim apparently has a problem with monster garages.

The Sequim Planning Commission will be discussing the possibility of limiting garage sizes at their 6 p.m. meeting tonight.  Any new size limits would apply only within the Sequim city limits.

Sheriff Bill Benedict to Speak at PABA meeting

Clallam County Sheriff Bill Benedict will be the guest at this Tuesday's meeting of the Port Angeles Business Association.  He will be discussing law-and-justice funding.

New Frequency for KONP

KONP has changed its FM frequency from 102.1 to 101.7.  The station's AM broadcast frequency is still 1450.

The KONP general manager said:

“We were able to increase our authorized power for the FM by moving to another frequency.  We felt it was a good opportunity to increase our service to the area, especially with so many people listening on our FM channel.”

Patty Murray to Reintroduce Wild Olympics Legislation

The link at the PDN website isn't working at the moment, but according to the headline on their main page, Sen. Patty Murray is re-introducing legislation to expand the Olympic National Forest by more than 126,000 acres.  And this new acreage would serve as a buffer around Olympic National Park.

Presumably, by the time you're reading this, the link will either be working or the article will have been deleted.

Heroin Partly Responsible for Increase in Local Burglaries

Law enforcement officials think heroin, among other drugs, has sparked an increase in burglaries in Clallam and Jefferson Counties.  Burglaries increased 33% in Clallam County from 2011 to 2012. 

Another Notch in PDN Owner's Bedpost

Sound Publishing, owner of the Peninsula Daily News, Sequim Gazette, Forks Forum and the Seattle Weekly, will also be purchasing the Everett Daily Herald.  The deal is expected to be closed in early March.

Sound Publishing is a subsidiary of Black Press, Ltd., which publishes over 170 newspapers and other publications.

All Three County Commissioners to Speak at PABA meeting

Mike Doherty, Mike Chapman and Jim McEntire will all be featured at this Tuesday's meeting of the Port Angeles Business Association.