Regional Correspondent, Northwest News Network
Tom Banse
Tom Banse is a regional correspondent for the Northwest News Network, covering business, environment, public policy, human interest and national news across the Northwest.
Tom has covered state government and the Washington Legislature for more than a decade. He got his start in radio at a public radio station in southern Minnesota, WCAL.
Reared in Seattle, Tom graduated from Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota with a degree in American Studies.
Tom enjoys exploring the Olympic Peninsula backcountry and cooking dinner with his wife and friends.
Recent Articles
News | local
Coastal Beach Communities Brace For Fourth Of July Revelers — And Their Trash
A favorable weather forecast and the Fourth of July falling on a weekend has beach communities in the Pacific Northwest bracing for an onslaught despite the ongoing pandemic.
News | Business | NW Life | local
Want A Really Big Houseboat? Former Washington Ferry May Head To Auction ... Again
A former state ferry now moored on the Olympia waterfront may be headed for auction for the third time in about three years, this time to remedy months of unpaid port bills.
local
As Washington Eases COVID-19 Limits, State Leaders Worry About The Final Phase
Washington state leaders are expressing hesitancy about opening the door to the final phase of the governor's four-phase reopening plan.
News | Water | Animals | Environment | Fish & Wildlife | local | Science | Sustainability | Pacific Ocean
Good News For Sea Otter Fans: A Cost-benefit Analysis Encourages Oregon Return
A study of sea otter restoration in British Columbia is giving encouragement to a group that wants to bring sea otters back to the Oregon Coast.
News | local
Washington State Ferries To Stay On Reduced Schedule As Summer Begins
Washington state's ferry system, the largest in the country, will remain on a reduced service schedule through the normally busy summer season.
News | Education | local
Now Showing At The Drive-in: Class Of 2020 High School Graduations
An iconic, but disappearing American institution -- the drive-in movie theater — came to the rescue of the senior classes in several Pacific Northwest communities this month.
News | Health | local
Impaired Driving Arrests Declined During Pandemic, Though You're Not Drinking Less
Citations for DUIs in Oregon and Washington dropped dramatically since the start of the pandemic. No, it's not because people were using less alcohol and marijuana.
News | Business | Transportation | Energy | Environment | Technology | Renewable energy | local
All-electric Commuter Plane Begins Flight Testing In Moses Lake
A Cessna commuter plane retrofitted in Washington has taken the crown of the biggest all-electric airplane now flying.
local
Summer camp cancellations multiply, but some hold out hope for late start
The coronavirus is spreading a pandemic of disappointment among Pacific Northwest families and camp counselors via the widespread cancellation of...
News | History | Environment | NW Life | local | Land
Mount St. Helens Eruption 40th Anniversary Plans Move Online
There were once big plans for many public events to mark the 40th anniversary of the catastrophic 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens. The coronavirus pandemic blew up those plans, but many are resurfacing online.
local
The Pandemic Gives PNW Whales A Break From The Din Of Underwater Noise
The coronavirus-induced lull in marine traffic may be short-lived, meaning researchers have to act fast to document if the quieter seas make happier, healthier whales.
Economy | Business | Health | local | News
Rural Washington Counties Seize Opportunity To Accelerate Reopening
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee has come around to the idea of a county-by-county approach to relaxing the statewide stay-at-home order. Ten rural counties get to ask first to reopen at an accelerated pace. Those counties aren't wasting any time getting their plans submitted.
News | Environment | Health | local
Some Washington Parks To Reopen, But Coast, Gorge Excluded
More than 100 Washington state parks made the cut to reopen for day use beginning Tuesday, but aficionados of Pacific Coast and Columbia River Gorge getaways will have to wait a while longer.
local
Locals Only, Please. Reopening Of Some Washington State Parks Greeted By Concern
Outdoor enthusiasts in Washington may be looking forward to the reopening of many state parks and public lands next week. But a few of Washington's most popular state parks could stay closed because the surrounding communities are worried about crowds and renewed disease spread.
News | Economy | Technology | Education | local | Health
'Drive-By Wi-Fi': Hotspots Pop Up To Bridge Digital Divide
Distance learning, ordering groceries online or applying for unemployment, those are all kind of difficult without a good internet connection. So, at least five public utility districts in Washington are setting up drive-up Wi-Fi hotspots amid the coronavirus pandemic.
News | Health | local
A Washington Firefighter Recovering From COVID-19 Describes His Experience
More than 500 firefighters and EMTs in the Pacific Northwest have been temporarily quarantined after suspected exposure to the coronavirus over the past two months. South King Fire & Rescue Capt. Shane Smith is one of them. He tested positive.
News | Health | local
PNW First Responders Improvise In The Face Of COVID-19 Threat
Coronavirus risk and ongoing shortages of personal protective equipment are leading fire departments around the region to rediscover the enduring truth of the idiom "Necessity is the mother of invention."
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