BURLINGTON - In the land where coffee is king, there's a new drink in town: locally grown tea. The Sakuma family harvested its first commercial crop this summer off five acres in the Skagit Valley. That gives the family farmers the distinction of having only the second tea plantation in the mainland United States, according to the Skagit Valley Herald. Americans drank 2.25 billion gallons of tea last year, only a fraction of it grown in the United States.

EVERETT - U.S. Figure Skating has invited Everett officials to submit a bid to host Skate America 2008 at the Comcast Arena. Backers told The Daily Herald that the three-day event could attract up to 40,000 visitors next October and generate $2.5 million in tourist spending. In 2002, Spokane hosted the event, which attracts top competitors in men's, women's and pairs figure skating, as well as in ice dancing.

MARYSVILLE - A decision is looming on where to put a third campus for the University of Washington. A committee held hearings this fall on nine potential sites in Snohomish County. The list, which was pared down from 73 initial proposals, includes six sites in Marysville, two in Everett and one in Arlington, The Daily Herald reported. The committee has till Nov. 15 to propose sites for the Legislature to consider.

OLYMPIA - When you bite into that buttery scone at your local fairgrounds, you're also helping the economy. A new study by the state Department of Agriculture shows an annual economic impact of more than $350 million from events at fairgrounds. The estimate includes direct and indirect purchases for all the goods and services produced for the fairs industry.