Tulalip News

Interior Approves Large-Scale Wind Energy Project on Arizona Public Lands

Source: Indian Country Today Media Network

On June 28, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell announced the approval of a major wind energy project in Arizona that, when built, will provide up to 500 megawatts to the electricity grid—enough energy to power up to 175,000 houses—and create approximately 750 jobs through construction and operations.

The project advances President Obama’s comprehensive plan to reduce carbon pollution and move the country’s economy toward domestic-made clean energy sources, thus hopefully slowing the effects of climate change.

As part of his comprehensive climate action plan, Obama challenged the U.S. Department of the Interior to approve an additional 10,000 above the original goal of 10,000 megawatts of renewable energy production on public lands by 2020.

The project, proposed by BP Wind Energy North America, Inc., would erect up to 243 wind turbines on federal lands for the Mohave County Wind Farm, which would be located in northwestern Arizona about 40 miles northwest of Kingman.

“These are exactly the kind of responsible steps that we need to take to expand homegrown, clean energy on our public lands and cut carbon pollution that affects public health,” said Secretary Jewell. “This wind energy project shows that reducing our carbon pollution can also generate jobs and cut our reliance on foreign oil.”

With this recent announcement, Interior has approved 46 wind, solar and geothermal utility-scale projects on public lands since 2009, including associated transmission corridors and infrastructure to connect to established power grids. When built, these projects could provide enough electricity to power more than 4.4 million homes and support over 17,000 construction and operations jobs.

Interior’s Bureau of Land Management has identified an additional 14 active renewable energy proposals slated for review this year and next. The Bureau recognized these projects through a process that emphasizes early consultation and collaboration with its sister agencies at Interior—the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the National Park Service—demonstrating President Obama’s and Interior’s ongoing commitment to “smart from the start” planning.

The decision to approve the Mohave County Wind Farm paves the way for right-of-way grants for use of approximately 35,000 acres of Bureau of Land Management land and 2,800 acres of Bureau of Reclamation land.

The company agreed to undertake significant mitigation efforts to minimize impacts to wildlife and other resources, including reducing the project’s footprint by about 20 percent from the original proposal. The smaller footprint will protect golden eagle habitat and reduce visual and noise impacts to the Lake Mead National Recreational Area. In particular, the Interior’s decision bars the installation of turbines within designated sensitive areas to avoid golden eagle nesting locations, as well as provides for a 1.2-mile buffer zone to protect the nests.

Additionally, no turbine will be closer than a quarter-mile to private property. “The project reflects exemplary cooperation between our Bureau of Land Management and Bureau of Reclamation and other federal, state and local agencies, enabling a thorough environmental review and robust mitigation provisions,” said Bureau of Land Management Principal Deputy Director Neil Kornze. “This decision represents a responsible balance between the need for renewable energy and our mandate to protect the public’s natural resources.”

“I added my signature of approval for this vital project on the same week that President Obama challenged Interior to intensify its development of clean, renewable energy,” Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Michael L. Connor said. “Reclamation’s hydropower resources are a centerpiece of the nation’s renewable energy strategy. We are pleased to also play a significant role in this important wind energy project.”

Unselfish Leader, Shoni Schimmel Creates Path to Stardom

John Holt, Indian Country Today Media Network

Shoni Schimmel still smiles whenever someone approaches her with a compliment about the run that she and her Louisville teammates experienced during the 2013 NCAA Tournament.

The magical journey, which began with a 74-49 first-round win over Middle Tennessee on March 24, ended 16 days later in the national championship game with an upsetting loss to Connecticut.

Although Schimmel and Louisville didn’t ultimately win the crown, she is still proud of what was accomplished during the Cardinals’ historic 2012-13 season.

“As a team, we came together and really understood what basketball was about, and that’s what got us to the Final Four and to that national championship game,” Schimmel said. “We believed in ourselves and believed in one another and had each other’s back.”

Nearly three months since that NCAA title game defeat, the rising senior guard today is back in Colorado Springs, Colorado, for USA Women’s World University Games Team training camp.

Shoni returns to Louisville for her senior season this fall.

“It’s been great, just being able to get back and get back in the flow of things with everybody and get everything going,” Schimmel said. “Last night we played our first scrimmage together. It was pretty fun, but at the same time we weren’t all together yet.”

During the five weeks in between the conclusion of trials and the start of training camp, Schimmel was back at Louisville enrolled in two summer school sessions.

“I took an American Sign Language class,” she said. “It was actually a lot of fun.”

On the hardwood, from Schimmel’s point of view, dishing out an assist is more rewarding than scoring two points. Her favorite part of the game is distributing and she’s always had an unselfish mentality that is built around getting her teammates involved before herself.

“It’s easier for me to sit there and pass the ball and watch someone make an easy shot,” she noted. “I like to make that spectacular pass.”

Growing up in Mission, Oregon, Schimmel first picked up a basketball at the age of four. All seven of her siblings play the sport, and whenever she returns home, the entire family engages in pick-up games, even her four-year old little brother.

“I’m the competitive one out of all of them,” Schimmel said of the family basketball battles. “I’ll be getting mad and yelling at them and stuff like that just because I’m so competitive. My dad knows how to push my buttons a little bit, so me and him bump heads a little bit. But it’s always fun, and very competitive.”

Following her freshman season at Louisville, Schimmel’s sister, Jude, joined the Cardinal program. Originally, the plan was never for she and her sister to attend the same school, but Schimmel admitted as the pair grew older, the idea of playing together in college became more intriguing. She states that when she and Jude were kids, they watched the Disney Channel original film titled Double Teamed, which was based on the life stories of professional basketball players Heather and Heidi Burge, who are twins. The movie inspired Shoni and Jude that someday they could have the same level of success as the Heather and Heidi.

“We were like, ‘oh that’s us to a tee because they both played together, and then, they went off into the WNBA and played against each other,”’ Schimmel recalled.

The Cardinals’ sensational sister act: Jude, left, and Shoni Schimmel (courtesy Schimmel family)

These days, the sisters communicate all the time and even live together at school. At the same time, however, they rarely are allowed to room with each other during team road trips.

“She knows my every move when it comes to basketball,” Schimmel said of Jude. “Off the court we’re just as close.”

The best moment of Schimmel’s time at Louisville occurred during this season’s memorable NCAA Tournament run. In the regional semifinal, she and her Louisville teammates faced defending national champion Baylor. Heading into the game, analysts didn’t believe the Cardinals stood a chance. And honestly, could anyone blame them? Louisville had put together an impressive regular season, but Baylor appeared unstoppable. They entered the tournament as the top overall seed, featured the reigning National Player of the Year in Brittney Griner and were winners of 74 of their last 75 contests.

Yet despite what outsiders were saying and predicting, Louisville wouldn’t be fazed. The Cardinals led by 10 points at the intermission and extended their lead to 17 with 7 ½ minutes to play, before holding on for an 82-81 upset win for the ages. Schimmel, the Oklahoma City Regional Most Outstanding Player, led the way with 22 points, connecting on 5-of-8 3-pointers and also contributing a trio of steals.

“You still get that excitement,” Schimmel said looking back on the biggest win in Louisville women’s basketball history. “You still think about it, and it’s still there. I’ve only watched (the game) once. It was pretty crazy though.

“It was exciting. I was grinning the whole time watching it.”

Watch Louisville upset Baylor

On July 1, the USA World University Games Team departed for competition in Kazan, Russia. Having won gold at the World University Games the last four times USA Basketball sent an entry, Schimmel believes the USA has what it takes to keep its streak alive.

“It’s not really much pressure,” she said. “It’s more you want to go out there and keep doing it.”

When the team returns home on July 16, there won’t be any relaxation time for Schimmel. Instead, she’ll be boarding another flight. This time: to Los Angeles where she will meet her Louisville teammates at the 2013 ESPYS (the Cardinals’ win over Baylor has been nominated in the award ceremony’s Best Upset category).

“It’s a pretty hectic summer,” Schimmel said, “but at the same time, it’s very exciting and very thrilling.”

While the recent months have seen Schimmel evolve into someone with whom everyone surrounding women’s college basketball is now familiar, her No. 1 focus remains true.

“It’s awesome to be able to sit there and someone to say, ‘Hey you’re Shoni Schimmel or something like that,’” Schimmel acknowledged. “It’s cool. But at the same time, I’m just out there to play basketball.”

With one more collegiate season to go, expect Schimmel to continue progressing as well as to develop plenty more moments for her supporters to smile about. And if she’s fortunate enough to come home with a gold medal, anticipate the smiles to be bigger than ever before.

This story was first published on June 28 by USA Basketball and is reprinted here with permission of USA Basketball. To read the original story and to learn more about USA Basketball and the World University Games, click here.

Guiding Your Business Into Government Contracting

July 9, 2013 9:00 am to 3:00 pm

Tribal Administration Bldg. Room 162

6406 Marine Drive, Tulalip, WA

This FREE, one day event will cover the basics of government contracting. Come learn about corporate structure, financing and bonding, certification forms, finding and responding to solicitations, teaming and partnering, networking and marketing. Business owners will have the opportunity to ask questions about their specific companies and industries. Lunch is provided, with many thanks to the Tulalip Tribal Employment Rights Office. Registration required. Register here.

Two Rivers CDC, a non-profit 501c3 organization, provides FREE assistance through Native PTAC to individual and Tribal owned Native firms looking to become more successful in contracting with federal, state, local and tribal governments. Come learn about how we can help your business grow.

Fisherman Catches Record-breaking, Amazingly Old Rockfish; Kills It

Associated PressSeattle insurance adjuster Henry Liebman with his possibly 200-year-old, nearly 40-pound rockfish caught off Alaska. — Associated Press
Seattle insurance adjuster Henry Liebman with his possibly 200-year-old, nearly 40-pound rockfish caught off Alaska.

Source: Indian Country Today Media Network

This fish tale is no lie: A Seattle fisherman plying the waters off Sitka, Alaska, snagged a record rockfish that might be as much as 200 years old.

Besides being 40 pounds it was at least a century old, and quite probably two.

Weighing in at 39.08 pounds, the shortraker broke the previous record of 38.69 pounds, which had been the biggest such fish ever caught on sportfishing gear, the Sitka Sentinel reported. To boot, it might have been as much as 200 years old, said Troy Tidingco, Sitka area manager for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, to the Sitka Sentinel.

“The rougheye is the oldest-aged fish at 205,” Tydingco said, adding that shortrakers don’t tend to live longer than 175 years, but that this fish was much bigger than the previous record so has a shot at being older.

“I knew it was abnormally big [but I] didn’t know it was a record until on the way back we looked in the Alaska guide book that was on the boat,” said Henry Liebman, the Seattle insurance adjuster who caught the fish, speaking to the Sitka Sentinel.

Liebman caught the long-lived animal in about 900 feet of water, the newspaper said. It was probably dead by the time he brought it to the surface, the Los Angeles Times reported.

“When a rockfish caught in 900 feet of water is brought to the surface it usually dies,” said Julie Speegle, a spokesperson for the Alaska region of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), to the Los Angeles Times.

The reason, the L.A. Times said, is that the fish’s swim bladder, a gas-filled organ that helps them remain buoyant, bursts when the gas expands as they are brought toward the surface. This can kill the fish.

The fish’s exact age is being determined by studying the otolith ear bones, which are housed in a cavity just under the fish’s brain and contain formations akin to tree rings that help determine age, according to LiveScience.com.

5 Inslee goals that stalled in Olympia

Mike Baker, Associated Press

OLYMPIA — Gov. Jay Inslee had some lofty goals during his first legislative session, including broad plans to expand government revenue, a transportation funding package and policy bills related to abortion, gun control and immigrant access to financial aid.

None of them passed, and even some of the successes that Inslee had over nearly six months of work were watered down versions of what he initially sought.

Looking back on the session, Inslee touted that the state was able to add $1 billion to the education system — something that was a goal of political leaders in both parties and part of a Supreme Court mandate. He also cited new investments in clean energy and a climate bill as successes, although his primary climate bill was amended to remove language about the human impact on climate change.

Perhaps the purest success that Inslee had was the advancement of a plan to protect water supplies in the Yakima River Basin, something he said combined the priorities of economic development and environmental protection. The state also adopted the Medicaid expansion under President Barack Obama’s health care law, with little resistance.

Inslee spokesman David Postman also pointed to three bills that were part of the governor’s jobs package. One creates an advisory panel that will provide guidance to the governor on education issues in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math. One is a technical fix to ensure ongoing work for the Joint Center for Aerospace Technology Innovation. A third bill monitors the previously launched development of a one-stop portal for business interactions with state government.

Inslee said some of his priorities were thwarted by a Senate majority that is comprised of two conservative Democrats and 23 Republicans. Inslee, for example, had pushed for the passage of a bill that would have required insurers to cover abortions.

A majority of senators had signed a letter supporting the abortion measure, but it never got a vote in the chamber. Inslee said that was an indication of how Senate leaders wouldn’t allow the philosophical middle to develop.

“To me, this is exhibit ‘A’ about how the majority coalition has failed in its commitment to bring moderation, and bipartisanship and consensus-building to the Washington state Senate,” Inslee said.

Here’s a look at the areas where Inslee didn’t win over lawmakers:

Transportation: Inslee said this week that you can’t overstate the economic impact of not having a new transportation funding package, and the failure of the plan also irked officials in Oregon who had wanted to see the package pay the state’s share for the new Columbia River Crossing. The House had passed a $10 billion package, but the Senate declined to take it up for a vote.

Gun control: Inslee lobbied on the floor of the state House to build support for a plan that would expand background checks on gun sales. The measure didn’t get a vote in the chamber, and one Republican bemoaned the fact that Inslee had given out her personal cell number so that former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords could also make a pitch.

Dream Act: Democrats sought to build momentum for a plan that would make young immigrants living in the country without legal permission eligible for college financial aid. While it passed the House, it also didn’t get a vote in the Senate.

Drunken driving: Lawmakers did pass a measure strengthening laws targeting repeat violators of Washington’s impaired driving law, but it was substantially scaled back from a plan Inslee had put forward that the governor had deemed the “most aggressive, the most effective, the most ambitious program to reduce drunk driving on our roads.” Lawmakers declined to increase mandatory minimum jail times, citing cost constraints, and did not adopt Inslee’s proposal that would have prohibited people from purchasing alcohol for 10 years after a third conviction on drunken driving.

Taxes: Inslee proposed some $1 billion in revenue from tax changes, including the permanent extension of business and beer taxes that were about to expire. He also proposed eliminating or limiting a variety of tax exemptions. Neither of those packages passed. Lawmakers did raise revenue from changes in estate and phone taxes, but those alterations were largely in response to court rulings.

Inslee touted that the final budget restores social services cuts that were initially in the Senate budget. He said lawmakers still need to find a sustainable funding source as they look to add more money to the education system in the future.

“I would consider this a good start, but we have a long ways to go,” Inslee said.

Pirates, goats and more weekend fun

Watch the Go-Go’s and B-52’s perform at the Tulalip Amphitheatre Saturday, July 6

Source: The Herald

Goat-see-do: Watch goats and their owners compete in foot races, obstacle courses, costume and other contests during the third annual Goatalympics, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at the Evergreen State Fairgrounds. The event is open to adults and kids, both goat and human type, and includes a raffle, silent auction and opportunities to adopt your own goat. It’s free but donations for New Moon Goat Rescue and Sanctuary are accepted. Get more information here.

Want to see photos from past events? Check out our galleries from the2011 and 2012 games.

Jetty: Explore and enjoy two miles of scenic beaches and trails during Jetty Island Days’ opening weekend. Score the bounty during a pirate’s treasure hunt at 11:30 a.m. and sail a sunset harbor cruise from 7 to 8 p.m. Friday, gather around a native flute campfire at 7 p.m. Saturday or enter a volleyball tournament between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. Sunday. Free ferries run from 10 a.m. to 8:50 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6:50 p.m. Sunday. Find out more in our story.

Razzle Dazzle: It’s opening weekend for the Village Theater production of “Chicago.” Performances are at 8 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Sunday at the Everett Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $24 to $53. Find out more here.

Pirates: Throw on a pirate costume and join the Seafair Pirates as they kick off the 64th annual Seafair from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at Alki Beach in Seattle. Shop, eat and dance with pirates, listen to live music and enter the kids in a pirate look-a-like contest. Get more information here.

Music: Watch the Go-Go’s and B-52’s perform at the Tulalip Amphitheatre Saturday (tickets from $25) or check out Pat Benatar’s “Girl’s Night Out!” ($45 to $65) at the Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery Saturday. Check for ticket availability here.

Outdoors: Join kayakers, rock climbers, mountain bikers and others for four days of outdoor fun during Sky Fest from July 4 to 7 at the Wild Sky River House and Outdoor Adventure Center in Index. Watch fireworks, take a hike, compete for prizes and more. Find out more here.

History: Experience life in early Alderwood Manor during Heritage Park’s first summer open house from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Lynnwood. View recreated historic rooms, vintage furnishing and artifacts from the 1930s in Wickers Museum or hop on Interurban Car No. 55 for a tour. Get more information here.

Outdoor movie: Head to Granite Falls’ Perrigoue Memorial Park on Jordan Road just off W. Stanley Street at dusk to catch “Madagascar 3” on a big screen under the stars during the free Flick at the Falls.

Elsipogtog War Chief John Levi jailed until Monday

Sock and supporters of John Levi in front of Moncton Courthouse. Photo: Miles Howe

Mike Howe, Halifax Media Co-op

Elsipogtog War Chief John Levi was today sent to jail until Monday morning at 9:30am, which, according to the presiding judge, was the “earliest convenient time” to set bail.

Levi stands accused of two charges, both related to an anti-shale gas action that took place on June 21st. The first, mischief, is most likely related to the actions of four people, three of whom went out onto highway 126 into the path of SWN Resources Canada’s seismic testing trucks. These four people were arrested – along with eight others on that day – and Levi stands accused of telling protesters to “stand their ground”.

It was three later arrests that broke through an RCMP line and attempted to halt the moving trucks. One woman was also arrested and subsequently punched in the mouth by RCMP, as she attempted to get to her partner, who had thrown himself under the bumper of a moving truck.

Levi also stands accused of obstructing justice, which, actually, is allegedly related to him and I leaving highway 126 together in his truck on June 21st. For that day, I stand accused of ‘threatening’ an RCMP officer. Yesterday, when I was first charged at RCMP ‘Codiac’ station in Moncton, I was also charged with ‘resisting arrest’. This was later changed to ‘evading arrest’ and then subsequently to ‘obstruction of justice’ for alllegedly walking away from the officer that I allegedly threatened, who then allegedly arrested me.

That I was not charged with anything until yesterday, July 4th, suggests that officer Richard Bernard, who allegedly did the arresting, kept the matter of my charges – and subsequently at least one of John Levi’s charges – totally to himself.

There have been ample opportunities to charge me – and Levi – with whatever the RCMP might have liked. Why they chose not to do so, and then arrest us two weeks later, must remain in the realm of conjecture for the moment.

For example:

On June 22nd I was pulled over and my licence was run by the RCMP. There was no charge against me.

On June 24th I was highly visible at an anti-shale gas action in Browns Yard, New Brunswick. No officer approached me to inform me of my arrest.

On June 30th, I gave two RCMP officers a statement in relation to a fire to which I was the first responder. Not only was there no charge at this time, but these RCMP officers then offered me “financial compensation” if I would alert them to information related to the fire or any plans I might hear of that might endanger people or equipment.

This does raise the question:

If no one in the RCMP, save perhaps officer Rick Bernard, knew that I was charged with anything, then how could John Levi have possibly known that he was obstructing justice by having me in his truck when we drove away from the site of the 12 arrests on June 21st?

Levi, for his part, has also suffered numerous threats from the RCMP since June 21st.

“He’s received a lot of phone calls and texts from RCMP, demanding and even threatening him.” said Amy Sock, one of the encampment’s spokespeople, outside of the Moncton courthouse.

“[The RCMP have been saying] they want to see him today, and if not today then they’re going to catch him one day.”

It is also important to note that Levi was never charged with anything until I was charged yesterday. I was arrested at 12:34pm; Levi’s parole officer was served with a notice to appear at approximately 2pm.

Levi is currently on probation for attempting to exercise Treaty fishing rights.

It is also important to note that both my arrest and Levi’s arrest just so happen to have occured yesterday, July 4th. This is the first day that SWN Resources Canada has worked in over a week.

In court this morning, Norma Augustine, Levi’s aunt, attempted to plead with the judge to overturn the decision to imprison her nephew until Monday. The presiding judge stood up while Augustine – an Elder in the Elsipogtog community – was in mid-sentence, and walked away. Many in the nearly packed courtroom turned their backs on the judge as he exited.

“Just because he’s in jail does not mean that this fight will be over. In fact it means more support. More people will be here,” said Sock. “Look at all these people that came here and left at 8 o’clock this morning for John Levi. Because we believe in him and we believe in what he’s doing.”

SWN work update

Unconfirmed sources say that SWN Resource Canada has halted work for the day on ‘Line 5′, the back woods seismic line west of highway 126. The work stoppage is apparently related to a threat for workers’ safety.

Voter registration deadlines fast approaching for August 6 Primary

EVERETT – Monday, July 8 is the last day to register to vote online or by mail or to transfer an existing registration to a new address for the upcoming August 6, 2013 Primary Election. Individuals who have never registered to vote in Washington State may register through Monday, July 29 and must register in-person at the Snohomish County Auditor’s Office.

In order to register to vote in the state of Washington, a person must:

· be a citizen of the United States;

· have lived in Washington State for at least 30 days;

· be at least 18 years old by Election Day;

· not disqualified due to a court order; and

· not currently under Department of Corrections supervision for a felony conviction.

Individuals with a state issued driver’s license or ID may register to vote online at www.vote.wa.gov. Mail-in voter registration forms can be found online as well. Voter registration forms are also available at local libraries, post offices, and at the Snohomish County Auditor’s Office. Mail-in forms must be post-marked by Monday, July 8.

First time voters wanting to vote in this election may register in person at the Snohomish County Auditor’s Office through Monday, July 29. The Snohomish County Auditor’s Office is located on the first floor of the Snohomish County Administration West Building, 3000 Rockefeller Avenue, Everett. The office is open to the public Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Voters may check and update their registration status online at www.vote.wa.gov . Updating your registration information ensures your ballot can be delivered without delay. If you are currently registered as an active voter, you do not need to register again.

Complete information on what races will be voted upon in the August 6 Primary can be found on the Snohomish County Auditor’s Website at www.snoco.org/elections.

For additional information contact Snohomish County Elections at (425) 388-3444.

Trial postponed in Tulalip child’s death

Diana Hefley, The Herald

TULALIP — The trial of a Tulalip woman whose young daughter died of neglect has been rescheduled for later this year in part to give the defense more time to explore whether Christina Carlson has mental health issues.

Carlson is charged with second-degree murder for the death of her 19-month-old daughter Chantel Craig. The toddler and her older sister, 3, were all but abandoned in a car on the Tulalip Indian Reservation in October.

They were buckled in their car seats for hours. The girls had sores all over their bodies and were covered in feces, lice and maggots. Investigators believe they likely had gone days without food or water.

Chantel wasn’t breathing when paramedics reached her. An autopsy determined that she suffered from severe malnutrition. Her sister was treated for dehydration and skin sores for prolonged exposure to feces and urine.

Along with murder, Carlson, 37, is charged with two counts of criminal mistreatment. She faces a minimum 30 years in prison if convicted as charged.

Carlson pleaded not guilty to the charges in May.

Her federal public defender last month requested additional time to prepare for trial.

The investigation into Chantel’s death includes more than 3,000 pages of reports and numerous video and audio files.

Carlson also has been undergoing a neuropsychological examination. So far, a doctor has determined that Carlson has a low IQ, her attorney wrote. The defense also plans to have a doctor, who specializes in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, examine Carlson.

“Given the severity of the charges in this case, and the need for assessment of competency and mental health issues, additional time is needed,” federal public defender Paula Deutsch wrote.

Deutsch wrote more time will allow her to conduct an investigation and “possibly negotiate a resolution short of a trial.”

Carlson now is scheduled to go to trial on Nov. 12.

Prosecutors allege that Carlson withheld basic necessities of life from her children. In the hours before Chantel died, Carlson allegedly was sending text messages, attempting to buy drugs, court papers said. Witnesses reported seeing Carlson smoking heroin days earlier in the car while the girls were in the backseat.

Tests conducted on the older girl’s hair showed evidence that the child had been exposed to opiates.

Carlson and the girls had for months been the focus of on-again, off-again searches by state and tribal child welfare workers. Their grandmother called Child Protective Services in December 2011 with concerns that the girls were being neglected.

Carlson had lost custody of at least three other children because of her drug use and neglect, court papers said.

In a terrible coincidence, state social workers closed the investigation hours before Chantel died. They hadn’t been able to find her or Carlson. The woman and her daughters had for weeks been living in her car down a dirt road on the reservation.

Pepsi: Cancer for a new generation?

John Upton, Grist

Please don’t take this as an endorsement. But when it comes to avoiding cancer while you gulp down a sugar-blasting brand-name cola, Coke is it.

Pepsi has been lagging behind its main competitor in removing carcinogenic meth from its flagship cola product. Well, 4-methylimidazole, to be precise.

The chemical can form in trace amounts when caramel coloring used in cola is cooked. It has been found to cause cancer in rats.

Everybody who drinks corporate soda has been drinking the stuff for years. That was supposed to come to an end after California began requiring cancer warnings on products containing elevated levels of 4-methylimidazole. The new regulations prompted Coke and Pepsi to announce early last year that they would take steps to remove the chemical from their products nationwide.

But the Center for Environmental Health tested colas and found that while Californians are drinking safer sodas than they were before, some of the colas sold outside of California still contain high levels of the substance. From the nonprofit’s website:

If you live in California, Coke and Pepsi products are made without 4-MEI, a chemical known to cause cancer. But in testing of cola products from ten states, CEH found high levels of 4-MEI in ALL Pepsi cola products, while 9 out of ten Coke products were found without 4-MEI problems.

Pepsi swears it’s on it. From the AP:

Pepsi said its caramel coloring suppliers are changing their manufacturing process to cut the amount of 4-Mel in its caramel. That process is complete in California and will be finished in February 2014 in the rest of the country. Pepsi said it will also be taken out globally, but did not indicate a timeline.

You know, Pepsi and Coke, you could also just stop using caramel food coloring in your colas. But, then, clear cola would just be caffeinated sugar water. And that would be much harder to market as a sexy elixir.