If voters approve a proposal on the ballot later this year, several Sound Transit light rail projects would be arriving sooner than envisioned in an earlier version of the proposal, KIRO 7 reports. Admittedly, it will be a long wait for most of them, but it should be a slightly shorter wait thanks to an extra $4 billion in funding that Sound Transit found after it crunched a new financial model. The extra funding comes from the possibility of extra bonding. As a result:
If you’re heading to Portland for Memorial Day weekend and wondering where to find the best burger in the city, The Oregonian has you covered. Two Oregonian staffers taste-tested two of the best burgers in the city and decided their favorite was a double pimento cheeseburger from a place called Trifecta. The Oregonian critics liked the double patty, soft brioche bun and melted tangy pimento cheese. They thought the other contender, from The Loyal Legion, made a great second place. If you’re looking for more choices, The Oregonian counted down their top ten favorite burgers last year.
At the University of Washington’s 19th annual Business Plan Competition, 12 teams collectively took home $85,000 in prizes for their innovative business ideas, Geekwire reports. The biggest prize of $25,000 went to a company researching ways to use excess electricity from stoves to charge electronic devices. Other ideas included ways to quickly decaffeinate coffee and tea without using chemicals, developing efficient medical technology for developing countries, a GPS implant for pets that can help their owners find them, and more.
Yesterday a whistleblower from Arlington who was dismissed in 2010 from his job at BNSF Railways was awarded more than $1.6 million by a federal jury, the Seattle Times reports. Six years ago, Curtis Rookaird took time to check on the brakes of 42 train cars at the railway, which carries freight including crude oil. After his supervisor objected, he called the Federal Railroad Administration to relay his safety concerns to them. He was fired soon afterward. A spokesperson from BNSF Railways told the Seattle Times that the firing was justified, but an investigation from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) concluded that Rookaird’s whistleblowing contributed to his firing. This is not the first time an employee of BNSF has been punished for being a whistleblower. Last year another BNSF employee in Washington was awarded $1.25 million (though the railway has appealed, and he hasn’t received any yet). In 2013, OSHA reached a settlement with BNSF and concluded that 36 employees who had filed whistleblower complaints should be given settlements.
