January 4, 2026 News Headlines for the Pacific Northwest

Описание: Good morning, Pacific Northwest, and happy January 4th from all of us at Volume Concrete. I'm your host, firing up today's brisk news rundown to keep your crews moving. Let's hit heavy equipment, construction, and land development first.

Topping the list: Sarkinen Industrial Pipelining expands trenchless repairs across Washington and Oregon, boosting efficiency for our pipelines. PNW projects rack up $51.2 million in bids, led by Oregon's $31.3 million St. Helens contract. Supply Post's January issue celebrates 55 years with fleet tips and show previews. Baker Technical Institute launches APEX Elite Line Academy for lineworkers, building on construction and heavy equipment programs. Spokane's 2026 activity holds steady despite rates. Hills Machinery's Skip Owen eyes economic pressures in equipment outlook. Jefferson County's budget kicks in, eyeing infrastructure. And Navy housing at Smokey Point starts construction soon.

Shifting to markets: Stocks wobble into 2026—S&P 500 up 0.19%, Dow 0.66%, Nasdaq down 0.3%. Analysts forecast 8-9% S&P gains amid tariffs and macro watches. Crypto rebounds: Market cap $3.12T up 1.89%, Bitcoin over $91K, Ether climbing. Monero mixed, ONDO and BlockDAG trending, extreme fear but institutional growth ahead.

Spotlight: Spokane's stable construction forecast—matching 2025 levels, a solid sign for regional stability amid uncertainties.

Weather quickie: Portland highs 48, lows 43, with rain likely. PNW sees ongoing showers, mid-40s temps, heavy rain risks in NorCal but minor here. NOAA's winter storm warning for parts of Hanford area, gusty winds up to 55 mph—watch advisories. ODOT notes wind advisory at northern Blue Mountains base, no major closures but debris possible. WSDOT reopens US 2 east of Skykomish today.

Sports wrap: Oregon Ducks close road trip at Rutgers after Maryland win; eyeing EDGE Jayden Woods in portal, prepping CFP semifinal vs. Indiana. Blazers roll: Deni Avdija's triple-double (29 pts) seals 115-110 over Spurs, plus lopsided Pelicans win. Mariners: Kazuma Okamoto to Toronto, ex-reliever Saucedo to Angels; eyeing rookies of 2025.

That's the quick hit, PNW—stay grounded. From Volume Concrete, tomorrow's another build.