Distracted Driving Rate Falls in Washington

Art Shotwell 3 minutes read
Washington’s distracted driving rate fell in 2021, from 9.4 percent in 2020 to 6.9 percent, according to the Washington Traffic Safety Commission’s (WTSC) Annual Distracted Driving Observation Survey.  

I no longer grade my students’ work – and I wish I had stopped sooner

Art Shotwell 7 minutes read
I’ve been teaching college English for more than 30 years. Four years ago, I stopped putting grades on written work, and it has transformed my teaching and my students’ learning. My only regret is that I didn’t do it sooner.

As Red States Push Strident Abortion Bans, Other Restrictions Suddenly Look Less Extreme

Art Shotwell 5 minutes read
The Supreme Court’s conservative majority has yet to make clear its stand on Roe v. Wade. But state lawmakers aren’t waiting to consider a variety of extreme measures: bills that would ban abortions in cases of ectopic pregnancies, allow rapists’ families to object to terminating a victim’s pregnancy, or prohibit the procedure in the case of fetal disability. Do these proposals make the less extreme restrictions seem more mainstream?

Police Blotter, March 18 - 25, 2022

Anacortes Police 8 minutes read
Anacortes Police said that numerous people called to report a man being disorderly and in at least one instance was mooning people.

Soaring crude prices make the cost of pretty much everything else go up too because we almost literally eat oil

Art Shotwell 5 minutes read
The price of oil has been spiking in recent weeks in response to concerns that the war in Ukraine will significantly reduce supply. But what happens in oil markets never stays in oil markets.

Local governments are attractive targets for hackers and are ill-prepared

Art Shotwell 4 minutes read
President Joe Biden on March 21, 2022, warned that Russian cyberattacks on U.S. targets are likely, though the government has not identified a specific threat. Biden urged the private sector: “Harden your cyber defenses immediately.”