South Whidbey RecordBy Brian KellyJanuary 25, 2012With three of her four children getting ready to retire over the next decade, Delores in Marysville wanted to chat about Social Security and Medicare.Walter in Mount Vernon wondered about insider trading in Congress.And Jack in Anacortes wanted to talk about the controversial Keystone XL pipeline project.Borrowing the style of a call-in… Read more »
Whidbey News TimesBy JUSTIN BURNETTJanuary 19, 2012President Barack Obama’s plan to keep a closer eye on Asia may mean good things for Whidbey Island Naval Air Station.At least, it has some elected officials buzzing about what the new defense strategy will mean for both Oak Harbor and the region. U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen spent time last week visiting groups and newspapers across his… Read more »
Washignton Post Blog By Felicia SonmezJanuary 18, 2012House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) acknowledged Wednesday that there’s a lack of agreement among lawmakers on how to progress on the Stop Online Piracy Act, one of two recent anti-piracy bills that have spurred online companies such as Wikipedia and others to black out their Web sites in protest.“Listen, this bill is in… Read more »
Whidbey CrosswindBy: Kathy ReedJanuary 18, 2012Plans to bring the P-8A Poseidon to Naval Air Station Whidbey Island fit perfectly into the defense strategy President Obama unveiled earlier this month, according to U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen.The Second District Democrat sent a letter to Adm. Jonathan Greenert, Chief of Naval Operations, on Jan. 11, which emphasized NASWI’s strategic… Read more »
Skagit Valley HeraldBy Whitney PipkinJanuary 14, 2012U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen said Friday that a shift in the country’s defense focus from the Middle East to the Asia-Pacific region could help confirm the future of the sub-hunting P-8A planes at Whidbey Island Naval Air Station.Larsen, D-Wash., along with Democratic Sen. Patty Murray, wrote a letter to the chief of Naval Operations in… Read more »
Everett HeraldBy Gale FiegeJanuary 13, 2012EVERETT -- Mayor Ray Stephanson believes the Navy's presence in Everett will remain strong in the future, despite major cuts to the Pentagon's budget that seem likely in the coming years.In Oak Harbor, however, Chamber of Commerce executive director Jill Johnson said her community already has been watching the slow erosion of the number of air… Read more »
Western TodayBy Western Today staffJanuary 11, 2012Local children are invited to gather at Village Books in Bellingham to hear stories from throughout the world about tolerance, the civil rights movement and diversity in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.Sponsored by Western Washington University's Center for Service-Learning, Village Books and Western's Associated Students Bookstore,… Read more »
Whidbey News TimesBy Rebecca OlsonJanuary 5, 2012 While no increase in Federal Impact Aid funding is expected for the Oak Harbor School District in 2012, a new bill in Congress will help the district receive its funding in a more timely manner, according to Oak Harbor School District Superintendent Rick Schulte.The Impact Aid Timely Repayment Act of 2011, introduced by Second… Read more »
Everett HeraldBy Mike BenbowDecember 20, 2011Workers at Everett's Kimberly-Clark Corp. will be eligible for special help in job training, job searches, health insurance and unemployment pay, Rep. Rick Larsen said today."This vital assistance could not have come at a better time for the workers at Kimberly-Clark who are in a time of great uncertainty," Larsen said. "These… Read more »
Whidbey News TimesBy Justin BurnettDecember 16, 2011Local and federal legislators aren’t declaring outright victory, but efforts to insure the new P-8A Poseidon aircraft come to Whidbey Island took a big step forward this week.On Thursday, U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen and Sen. Patty Murray announced that they had both received letters from Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jonathan Greenert… Read more »