Tom Banse
Regional Correspondent
About
Tom Banse covers national news, business, science, public policy, Olympic sports, and human interest stories across Washington state. Now semi-retired, Banse is an Olympia-based reporter with more than three decades of experience covering the Pacific Northwest. Most of his career was spent with public radio's Northwest News Network, but now in semi-retirement his work appears on multiple nonprofit news outlets including KUOW. His recent areas of focus range from transportation, U.S.-Canada borderlands, the Northwest region's planned hydrogen hub, and emergency preparedness.
Previously, Tom covered state government and the Washington Legislature for 12 years. He got his start in radio at WCAL-FM, a public station in southern Minnesota. Reared in Seattle, Tom graduated from Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota with a degree in American Studies.
Location: Olympia
Languages: English, German
Stories
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Historic US-Canada ferry route will miss its 100th anniversary
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Environment
Exploring North America's first free-standing tsunami tower
If you spend any time driving along the coast of Washington, you’ll see Tsunami Escape Route signs leading the way to higher ground. Tokeland, WA is one of the communities in a tsunami risk zone, it's about 30 miles southwest of Aberdeen on the Washington Coast. It's ALSO home to a brand-new tsunami tower.
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First-of-its-kind tsunami shelter opens on Washington coast
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Coastal Washington tribe creates higher ground by building tsunami tower, first of its type here
There is a new option to escape a tsunami if you’re on the southwest coast of Washington when the Big One strikes. The Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe on Friday dedicated a 50-foot tall evacuation tower in Tokeland, Washington. Tribal leaders and the Federal Emergency Management Agency said the new tsunami refuge platform should be an example and inspiration for other vulnerable coastal communities.
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Some otterly pleased by new report on bringing sea otters back to Oregon coast, others paws down
A federal study ordered by Congress concluded it would be feasible to reintroduce sea otters to the Oregon and northern California coasts. However, that finding doesn't mean the super-cute predators will be relocated into their former ocean habitat anytime soon.
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Science
Archaeologists on surprising trail of Japanese families who lived in vanished Oregon lumber company town
The classic black-and-white photos from early decades of the American West often fail to capture the diversity of the people who came here. Chinese migrants helped build the railroads and were big in gold mining. Basque people from Spain became known for sheep herding. The first Filipino cannery workers arrived around the turn of the last century. Now, Oregon archaeologists are on the surprising trail of Japanese families who lived in a now-vanished lumber company town.
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Environment
Beware of polar bears! Washington adventurer aims to be 1st through Northwest Passage on paddleboard
An adventurer from Western Washington cast off this week trying to become the first person to traverse the Northwest Passage on a standup paddleboard. The passage is the fabled, but normally frozen, sea route between the Atlantic and the Pacific across the top of Canada.
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World Track Championships wrap up with more golds for USA, praise for host city Eugene
The first World Outdoor Track and Field Championships held on American soil sprinted to a joyful conclusion Sunday night in Eugene with back-to-back U.S. victories in the 4x400 relays. The full stadium was also treated to a new world record in the women’s 100-meter hurdles by Nigeria's Tobi Asuman and a new world record in men's pole vault by Sweden's Mondo Duplantis. The twin relay gold medals padded a commanding U.S. lead in the final medal standings — 33 medals total, of which 13 were gold. Ethiopia captured 10 total medals (4 gold) as did Jamaica (10 total, 2 gold) for second and third place overall.
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7 Northwest athletes to watch at upcoming World Track & Field Championships in Eugene
Nearly 2,000 of the world's best runners, jumpers and throwers from 192 countries have arrived in Oregon for the 2022 World Outdoor Track and Field Championships. The big event, Oregon 22, is happening on U.S. soil for the first time and in a smaller host city than ever before, Eugene. More than 30 athletes who are from the Pacific Northwest or who were collegiate standouts here secured berths in these World Champs.
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Arts & Life
Age is just a number for some elite marathoners at World Track & Field Championships in Eugene
An elite field featuring most of the world's best marathoners has arrived in Oregon for this year's World Track and Field Championships. Competitors from 34 countries will race through the streets of Eugene and neighboring Springfield this coming Sunday morning for the men and Monday for the women. Some of the marathoners are trying to outrun both their rivals and Father Time.