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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School sports make comeback in Northwest, with mask rules adding level of difficulty
Rescheduled fall sports seasons for high school athletes are kicking off this month in large parts of Washington state and Oregon. The general happiness this brought came with a dose of consternation among some coaches and families over strict COVID-19 safety guidelines set down by state health authorities.
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Proposed statue swap of Billy Frank for Marcus Whitman signals changing of the guard
Leaders of seven Pacific Northwest tribes testified this week in favor of replacing a statue of Oregon Trail pioneer and missionary Marcus Whitman in...
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Washington lawmakers consider shifting all new car sales to electric-only by 2030
You may be used to hearing a pushy car salesperson say, "What can I do to get you in this car?" But one big thing could be different in Washington state...
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Goodbye, gas heat? Proposals in Washington state seek to phase out fossil fuel heating in buildings
A long goodbye to natural gas furnaces and water heating — and possibly other gas appliances — could begin with action by the Washington Legislature this winter.
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Mile-long line of cars as drive-thru vaccination clinic opens for seniors in Sequim
Hundreds of elderly drivers put their cars in line way before dawn for the opening day of a first come, first serve drive-thru COVID vaccination clinic in Sequim, Washington. The scene provided a dramatic illustration of eagerness among many seniors to get the coveted shots. Hospitals in other medium-sized and smaller Washington communities that have opened vaccination appointment lines to all seniors in recent days report being swamped as well.
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Elderly people sleep in cars to line up for coronavirus vaccine
Elderly people are sleeping in their cars to make sure they get a coronavirus vaccine. That's what Tom Banse saw in Sequim, Washington recently.
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Who goes next? Timeline, new tiers for COVID vaccine laid out for Washingtonians
People age 70 and older as well as some people living with an elder will be next in line for the COVID-19 vaccine in Washington. The state Department of...
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Sea otter reintroduction to more of the Pacific Coast gets a nudge from Congress
Bringing back sea otters to the Oregon Coast just got a high-level endorsement. The federal budget for this new year, which President Trump signed after...
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Arts & Life
Play us a memory, piano man, and recycle this old instrument
Sure, you're a good Pacific Northwesterner because you recycle your beer cans, cardboard boxes and plastic milk jugs. But what about that dust-collecting piano you have long wanted to unload? It doesn't fit into the recycling bin. Creative upcycling might be the answer.
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Health
Teachers, grocery workers, prison guards, and oldest Americans may be next in line for Covid vaccine
The initial deliveries of Covid-19 vaccines to Oregon, Washington state and Idaho are spoken for — at least well into next month. High-risk health care...