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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Want to own a ferryboat? A former Washington state ferry is for sale again
Do you want to own an old ferryboat? A retired Washington car ferry is for sale again after the current owner's many ideas for the boat did not work out.
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What's in your wallet? It's time for air travelers to get real about Real ID
Effective this October, a standard Oregon or Washington driver's license won't pass muster with the Transportation Security Administration to board a...
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Who doesn't like free? Legislature ponders Washington state park entry fees
Remember back when it didn't cost anything to visit a state park for the day? A senior Republican in the Washington Legislature says the state's budget...
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At least 12 British Columbia residents among victims of Boeing 737 plane crash in Iran
The crash of a Boeing 737 airliner shortly after takeoff from the Iranian capital hit home in the Pacific Northwest Wednesday. The crash victims include...
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Chinook tribe goes to court to regain federal recognition
The decades-long quest of Chinook tribal members to regain federal recognition gets another airing in court on Monday. A U.S. District Court judge is...
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'Get on and go!' No bus fare needed anymore in this Northwest capital city
As of the New Year, no bus fare is needed to ride the Olympia area's Intercity Transit. On Wednesday, the transit agency became the largest in the...
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Plans to beef up Amtrak Cascades service in 2020 beset by multiple uncertainties
A holiday wish of many Pacific Northwest rail fans is more roundtrips on the Amtrak Cascades schedule with greater speed and reliability. But in order...
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2020 Census kicks into high gear next month with state taxpayer assist
The once-every-ten-years census count of everyone living in the United States starts next month, beginning with remote villages in Alaska. West Coast...
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Road ahead may charge by the mile, but change rolls slowly in Northwest
The panel that sets highway and bridge tolls in Washington is recommending the state follow Oregon's lead and phase in a pay-by-the-mile road tax to...
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It flew! All-electric seaplane completes milestone first flight near Vancouver
A fully electric seaplane has made its first flight over the mouth of the Fraser River near Vancouver. The maiden flight represents a milestone in the...