The Tacoma School District and the Tacoma Fire Department would like parents to know about a dangerous new viral video “challenge” that targets young people.

It is called the TikTok Challenge, Penny Challenge or Outlet Challenge. The challenge encourages students to record a video of themselves placing the plug portion of a cell phone charger partially into an electrical socket and sliding a penny onto the prongs.

This action results in sparks, damage to the electrical system and sometimes fire.

The challenge concludes after the video is shared to a social media account such as TikTok, a short-form video platform popular with teens and tweens.

Students at one our middle schools participated in the challenge at school on Friday, Jan. 24.

Tacoma Fire Department Lt. Marja Stowell says the challenge now sweeping the country is an incredibly dangerous stunt that could result in injury or death from an electrical shock. Nationally, this challenge has caused several fires and damage to electrical systems.

“Most kids aren’t thinking about criminal charges or having to pay for the damage when they attempt these challenges,” Lt. Stowell said. “Most of them probably don’t think they could die from this either.”

Videos of the challenge are circulating on TikTok. While TikTok is meant for children and adults 13 and older, the company does not verify a user’s age. Parents can restrict or block apps like this through the parental control settings in the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store.

Tacoma Fire and Tacoma Public Schools encourage all parents to talk to their children about how dangerous these types of challenges can be.

As part of Dingell Act Implementation, BLM will publish priority list of land access issues, invite public review

As part of its efforts to implement the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is seeking public assistance in identifying lands managed by the agency on which the public is allowed to hunt, fish, or use the land for other recreational purposes, but to which  there is no legal public access or where access is significantly restricted. Recommendations from the public will aid the BLM in creating a report to Congress that provides options for reasonably providing access to such lands, such as by acquiring an easement, right-of-way or fee title from a willing owner.

The BLM plans to post its first priority list online at BLM’s ePlanning website by Thursday, March 12, 2020.  The BLM will update the priority list every two years for at least the next decade. The public nomination period to identify parcels for inclusion on the BLM’s priority list will open on January 31, 2020, and will close on Saturday, February 29, 2020. Subsequent updates on BLM’s efforts will be published prior to the release of future priority lists in order to seek additional information and suggestions from the public. 

“The BLM has worked tirelessly with other federal and state agencies, public and private partners to proactively identify and address public land access issues for many years. Our priority is to increase access to public lands wherever possible, and to increase public opportunities for hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation across the more than 245 million acres of lands we manage,” said William Perry Pendley, BLM Deputy Director for Programs and Policy. “The John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act will help us expand and improve these efforts, and we welcome information from the public that will help us pinpoint barriers to access.”

All lands nominated for inclusion on the BLM’s priority must be managed by the BLM, encompass at least 640 contiguous acres and have significantly restricted or have no public access. BLM must also consider the likelihood of resolving identified access issues when determining whether to include parcels on the list. When submitting nominations, the public must include the location of the nominated land or parcel, total acreage affected (if known), a description or narrative describing the lack of access, and any additional information the BLM should consider when determining if the land should be on BLM’s priority list. BLM will not include any personally identifying information concerning owners or ownership of any parcels in preparing the priority list or related congressional reports.  

Public nominations will be accepted via the BLM’s ePlanning website.

This effort advances a primary goal of the Dingell Act (S. 47), which was signed into law by President Trump in March 2019. Section 4105 of the Act directs the BLM to develop a priority list, which identifies the location and acreage of BLM-managed parcels over 640 acres open to hunting, fishing, or other recreational purposes, and which have no legal public access or where access is significantly restricted.   

The BLM is working to implement Dingell Act tasks assigned in Alaska, Arizona, California, Idaho, Utah, Montana/Dakotas, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon/Washington, and the Eastern States Office (Louisiana and Minnesota).  Implementing the Dingell Act is a top priority for Secretary of the Interior, David Bernhardt.  Implementing the Dingell Act will continue the Department of the Interior’s work to strike proper balance for land and resources management, increase access for hunting, fishing, and recreation, and create economic prosperity while protecting and preserving America’s treasures.   

To learn more about the Dingell Act and how it affects your public lands, please visit https://www.blm.gov/about/laws-and-regulations/dingell-act. 

A campaign urging consumers to consider credit unions as the best financial partner has launched throughout the Northwest.

SeaTac, Washington (Jan. 23, 2020) — Not-for-profit, cooperative credit unions operate to serve the people and businesses of Main Street, not shareholders on Wall Street. Those who join credit unions become member-owners, which means they get to keep their money where it belongs – in their wallets.

Consumers across the nation are choosing credit unions as their financial partners because they see the difference in service and savings. But for many, there are misconceptions about credit union membership. Some believe they can’t join because they don’t meet a membership requirement. Others fear it’s difficult to access funds while traveling, or that mobile banking, for example, won’t be available to them. All of these misconceptions couldn’t be further from the truth.

The credit union consumer consideration campaign, Open Your Eyes to a Credit Union®, dispels these myths. Earlier this month, the cooperative campaign – funded by Northwest credit unions – launched in the Northwest, joining 18 other regions across the country.

“Consumers are ready for a change,” said Danielle Sittu, Northwest Credit Union Association SVP of Marketing and Communications. “They want a financial partner that makes them the number-one priority. Anyone can join a credit union. In the Northwest, the credit union industry is robust and growing stronger every day.”

Consumers across Idaho, Oregon, and Washington are now beginning to see the campaign’s bold, black-and-white digital ads on Facebook and Instagram telling them about the credit union difference. They’re also watching high-energy videos on YouTube that urge them to take their money to the next level. The ads guide consumers to YourMoneyFurther.com, a website that educates them on the benefits of membership and helps them locate a nearby credit union.

As of last month, 9.2 million people have seen the ads on social media and 28.2 million have watched videos on YouTube, with more than 426 million total impressions. And the buzz is only growing.

“The interaction we’re seeing from across the United States is impressive,” Sittu said. “We’re proud of our strong Credit Union Movement here in the Northwest, where cooperative values are held in high regard. And we are so excited to share, with consumers, why and how credit unions are the better financial services choice.”

To learn more about the Open Your Eyes to a Credit Union® campaign, visit YourMoneyFurther.com, and check it out on Twitter and Facebook.

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The Northwest Credit Union Association is the trade association representing more than 175 not-for-profit, cooperative credit unions in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington, and their 7.3  million consumer members. Those members are served by a professional workforce of 18,700 professionals. According to an independent analysis by economists at ECONorthwest, Northwest credit unions drove a positive economic impact of $7.8 billion last year. For information on how to join a credit union, please visit: https://yourmoneyfurther.com

January 23, 2020

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Partners in Science Celebrates 30 Years of Hands-On Training for High School Educators

Program marks three decades of service, honors Salem-Keizer teacher

Vancouver, WA – The M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust celebrated the 30th anniversary of Partners in Science this week at the professional development program’s annual conference.

Partners in Science is a unique opportunity for high school science educators from around the Pacific Northwest to work one-on-one with a mentor conducting cutting-edge science research in an academic lab, a lab associated with another nonprofit institution or a national lab. Participants spend two summers in this environment, bringing their experiences back to their classrooms during the school year to help facilitate hands-on research to inspire and engage students from all backgrounds.

“Our benefactor, Jack Murdock, believed strongly in the power of hands-on research to inspire learning and spark innovation, particularly in the areas of STEM subjects that are so critical in our modern world,” said Dr. Moses Lee, senior program director for scientific research and enrichment programs, M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust. “We hear from educators regularly that this type of professional development opportunity is incredibly valuable in helping grow and enrich their teaching experience. We are grateful to play a small role in supporting educators in all communities across the Pacific Northwest.”

Partners in Science

Since it was founded in 1990, nearly 600 teachers from public and private high schools in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington have had the opportunity to grow their professional experience by collaborating on science research with researcher mentors through the Partners in Science program. Nearly 340 educators have returned for an additional session and continued mentorship.

Participation in the two-year program is funded entirely through a Murdock Trust grant. In addition to the two-year mentorship program, participants also attend an annual conference, where they have the opportunity to present their work to their peers. Following the original grant, partners can apply for a two-year supplemental grant to translate their research experiences back to their classroom; thus, directly transforming their habits of teaching and student learning.

“Science can’t just be taught with a text book and lecture notes. Teachers and students need to have an opportunity to see how the work comes to life in real-world scenarios,” said Kim Newman, program director, M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust. Newman oversees the Partners in Science program and was a former participant when she was a biology and technology teacher at Camas High School. She notes that the impact of Partners in Science can be felt both by students and by the participants themselves.

“Many of our educators report feeling an increased confidence in their teaching after completing the program,” Newman added. “But we also see it in the classroom. Many Partners alumni transition from a ‘recipe’ style of lesson planning—where students are told to follow specific steps that will lead to a specific result—to an inquiry- based lesson plan, where students are given an opportunity to experiment with no defined path and the opportunity to hypothesize and discover the outcome themselves.”

Honoring Excellence

As part of the Partners in Science 30-year anniversary, the Murdock Trust introduced the new Murdock Exemplary Teacher-Researcher Award (META), honoring outstanding service by a Partners participant. This year’s winner, Dr. Jason Niedermeyer, is a biology teacher at South Salem High School and adjunct professor at Western Oregon University. 

“Dr. Niedermeyer is the definition of what the Partners in Science program is about as he is regularly praised by faculty and students for finding ways to bring science to life and get his students excited about research,” said Newman. “We are so pleased we can honor his outstanding work at this year’s conference and that we will be able to recognize more educators at future conferences.”

META includes an $8,000 cash award that is shared between the recipient and their school to support future, hands-on research opportunities.

For more information on the Partners in Science Program, please visit our website murdocktrust.org.

About M. J. Murdock Charitable Trust

The Murdock Trust, created by the will of the late Melvin J. (Jack) Murdock, provides grants to organizations in five states of the Pacific Northwest—Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington—that seek to strengthen the region’s educational, spiritual and cultural base in creative and sustainable ways. Since its inception in 1975, the Trust has awarded more than 6,800 grants totaling more than $1 billion. For more information, find the Murdock Trust on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube and on our website.

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