Tech Companies, New and Old, Clamor to Entice Cloud Computing Experts

New York Times | Quentin Hardy | March 6

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/07/technology/tech-companies-new-and-old-clamor-to-entice-cloud-computing-experts.html?_r=2

“Amazon Web Services, a globe-spanning cloud computing network that is part of the online retailing giant Amazon, has rapidly become one of the most powerful forces in technology. It has also become a target for poachers…Seattle and its surrounding towns are a hot spot for this kind of tech talent because they are home to A.W.S., which runs the biggest cloud computing service, and Microsoft, which has a large cloud business called Azure. Google also has a cloud computing office in the area.”

 

Seattle Mayor Unveils Comprehensive Plan to Electrify Transportation in the City, Improve Air Quality

GeekWire | Kurt Schlosser | March 10

http://www.geekwire.com/2016/seattle-mayor-electric-vehicles/

“Mayor Ed Murray attempted to electrify the Climate Leadership Conference in Seattle in more ways than one on Thursday with a new transportation initiative called Drive Clean Seattle. The aim is to increase and promote the use of electric vehicles in the city. “Drive Clean Seattle is an aggressive plan to electrify our transportation at a broad scale,” Murray was quoted as saying in a news release, which billed the plan as among the most comprehensive in the nation….“Transportation is Seattle’s leading source of greenhouse gasses and this plan will allow us to work aggressively to reduce climate impacts.” ”

 

Bellevue among ‘Top 10 Downtowns’

Seattle PI | Lynsi Burton | March 9

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/Bellevue-among-top-10-downtowns-6877971.php

“Despite all the snark from the big-city folks, Bellevue has its charms — and Livability.com says those charms make it one of America’s best cities. The city-ranking site, which assessed small- to mid-size towns, recently counted Bellevue as featuring one of America’s best downtowns because of its entertainment, amenities, and growth. Livability.com has previously listed the burgeoning city as one of America’s best places to live, as well.”

 

Washington Leaps Ahead in Patents Granted

Seattle Times | Jon Talton | March 9

http://www.seattletimes.com/business/economy/washingtons-leaps-ahead-in-patents-granted/

“I’ve come across a useful interactive site, Compare 50, run by Next 10, a California non-profit focused on innovation, the economy and environment (with data analysis by Beacon Economics)…The look at patents granted per 1 million persons is interesting. Washington ranked third in the nation in 2014, behind California and Massachusetts…Still, Washington’s rank shows a state with strong innovation happening.”

See Compare50.org here

 

New Way to Pay for College: A Washington State 529 Plan

Seattle Times | Katherine Long | March 9

http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/education/washington-parents-to-have-new-way-to-pay-for-college-529-plan/

“Washington parents will have a new way to save for college later this year when the state opens its first-ever 529 plan, a type of college savings plan offered by many other states. They’ll also still be able to pay tuition in advance, through the state’s Guaranteed Education Tuition plan, or GET, when the plan reopens. The new legislation stipulates that GET must open again to new investments by July 2017. The Washington College Savings Plan was passed by legislators with strong bipartisan support this week and is expected to be signed into law by Gov. Jay Inslee.”

 

Seattle Now Part of Obama Program to Train People for Tech Jobs

Seattle Times | Rachel Lerman | March 8

http://www.seattletimes.com/business/technology/seattle-now-part-of-obama-program-to-train-people-for-tech-jobs/

“The city of Seattle is the latest member of President Obama’s TechHire program, a push to get more people working in tech jobs through college and nontraditional training programs. Obama announced the program in 2015 with 20 communities. The cities work with universities, coding boot camps and other educational programs to train people for the many tech jobs available…Seattle’s booming tech economy imports most of its technical talent, and coding programs have launched across the region to train people with little or no technical skills to fill the jobs.”

 

Washington STEM Doles Out $4M in Grants

Puget Sound Business Journal | Rob Smith | March 8

http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2016/03/08/washington-stem-doles-out-4m-in-grants.html

“Washington STEM has released $4 million in grants to support computer science education. The Seattle nonprofit, in partnership with Washington’s Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, said the grants will help 28 education organizations across the state train teachers, buy technology and expand access to girls and other groups under-represented in STEM education. The Bellevue, Renton, Everett and Seattle school districts were among the organizations receiving money. Fifteen of the organizations receiving grants are based in Eastern Washington.”