Tom Banse
Stories
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What'd you do on summer vacation? Oh, just scaled Washington's 100 highest peaks
One of the premier peak bagging objectives in the Pacific Northwest is to scale the 100 highest mountains in Washington state. That challenge is called the Bulger List. Two years ago, an Oregon man became the first to conquer all 100 peaks in a single season. Just in the past few days, a duo from Ellensburg, Washington, repeated the feat — not quite as fast, but with an extra-hard twist.
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Would you leave grandma with a companion robot? Care bots and robot pets find favor in Pacific NW
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KUOW salutes reporter Tom Banse
It's a bittersweet day for us here at KUOW as we say goodbye to a legend. For the last 37 years, one reporter has brought listeners to what’s felt like every corner of the state – as he’s broken news, covered politics, the environment, and told countless stories about the fascinating people around us. But after 37 years of diligent reporting, Tom is retiring.
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Private flying for regular people? A WA startup wants to widen the net
For a few years now, aviation enthusiasts have teased the idea of a Jetsons-style future in which small electric aircraft whisk us to work or across the state and region. That future is not here yet, though a handful of companies, including one based in the Pacific Northwest, are trying to get a head start on the future of flying using conventional planes.
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Retired Alaska Airlines turboprop to get new life as 'world's largest' hydrogen-powered plane
Alaska Airlines ceremonially handed over a surplus turboprop airliner on Monday to a company that aims to turn it into the largest hydrogen-powered plane yet to fly.
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Shellfish growers in Northwest's oyster capital want 'blitz' against invasive green crabs
Shellfish growers in Willapa Bay in southwest Washington, the self-styled "Oyster Capital of the World," are alarmed by an invasion of potentially destructive non-native European green crabs. Some are asking for an all-out trapping offensive to corral the invasive species.
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'Build in Washington' rule may be cast overboard to obtain new ferries affordably and quickly
Every new car ferry added to the Washington State Ferries fleet over the past fifty years was built at a Puget Sound shipyard. Now, state lawmakers are considering a break from past policy in order to obtain new vessels faster and cheaper for the troubled state ferry system.
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Stockpile of Boeing 737 MAX jets assures Moses Lake years of work
When the MAX was grounded in 2019 after two deadly accidents, Boeing kept on manufacturing the airplane. Today, 100 or more undelivered MAX’s are still parked at an airfield in Moses Lake, Washington, awaiting modifications. The work is lasting so long that some technicians and machinists who were sent there from Boeing’s Puget Sound facilities are now buying homes and putting down roots.
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Hydrogen-powered airliner makes first flight at Moses Lake
The largest aircraft yet to fly on hydrogen-electric power made a successful first flight Thursday at Moses Lake, Washington. The maiden flight of a converted turboprop airliner offered a preview of one possible pathway for how to make your future flights more eco-friendly. Hydrogen fuel is one of several options the aviation industry is testing to reduce its carbon footprint, but the technology still attracts notable skepticism.
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Struggling Northwest kelp forests sending out an SOS. Help is coming
There's a rallying cry at various bays and beaches up and down the West Coast; it's "Help the kelp!" The towering brown seaweed with the floating bulb on top is in steep decline. That's alarming because underwater kelp forests provide shelter and food for a wide variety of sea life. The crew answering the call runs the gamut from seaweed farmers to hammer-wielding scuba divers and might some day include sea otters and octopuses.