Month: September 2025

KTVZ

OLYMPIA, Wash. (KTVZ) – The Washington and Oregon Departments of Agriculture said Friday they have issued a recall of Signature Pet Care Songbird Blend Wild Bird Food 7 LB, sold at Albertsons, Safeway and Haggen stores in in both states, and manufactured by Global Harvest Foods.

The recalled product carries UPC 021130037629 and sell by date code 01/10/2027 M3D S3501, according to the two agencies’ joint announcement, which continues in full below:

Palmer amaranth was first detected in WA in 2023, and it was added to the state’s plant quarantine list on Aug. 9, 2025. The invasive plant was also detected in fields in Marion and Malheur Counties in 2024, which triggered its addition to Oregon’s noxious weed quarantine last year.

According to WSDA and ODA, this plant is highly invasive; can grow more than 10 feet tall; is resistant to many herbicides; and a single plant can produce hundreds of thousands of seeds. Left uncontrolled, it can choke out crops such as corn, soybeans, and small grains; reduce harvest yields; and drive up weed-control costs for farmers.

It also threatens native plant habitats and can quickly spread beyond managed areas. If consumed in large quantities Palmer amaranth can be toxic to ruminant livestock (cattle, sheep, goats).

This recall was initiated after a Spokane County Noxious Weed Board employee observed Palmer amaranth growing in a Safeway parking lot landscape area. The employee learned that birdseed from the store had been spread in the area and collected samples for testing. Genetic analysis confirmed the seed contained Palmer amaranth.

Albertsons, Safeway and Haggen in WA and OR have voluntarily recalled the affected birdseed and removed it from store shelves. Global Harvest Foods is cooperating fully with WSDA and ODA to ensure all affected product is removed from the market and to help prevent further spread of this invasive plant.

Customers who purchased the recalled birdseed are advised to:

Remove any remaining seed from bird feeders.• Return any unused seed to the store for a refund.• Double bag and dispose of any loose seed in the trash — do not compost.• Clean bird feeders thoroughly before reuse to remove remaining seeds.• Inspect areas under and near bird feeders for sprouted weeds, carefully remove any plants, place them in black plastic bags and dispose of them in the trash to prevent seed spread.

Detailed information on identifying Palmer amaranth is available on WSDA’s Palmer Amaranth Pest Alert, which can be found online at the link below.

Palmer amaranth

WSDA Palmer Amaranth Pest Alert

Customers should contact their local Safeway, Haggen or Albertsons store for assistance or refund information. Refunds are available for any unused recalled product returned to the store.

State contact: Washington State Department of Agriculture Plant Services Program: 360-902-1874General WSDA Information: 360-902-1800

Consumer contact: Global Harvest Foods Customer Support: cs@ghfoods.com

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Barney Lerten

REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Avelo Airlines, which announced this summer that it would be ending its flights out of Redmond on Dec. 1, confirmed Friday to KTVZ News that it will be leaving the West Coast over a month earlier than planned, leaving customers scrambling for new flights and refunds.

“We elected to end our services at RDM early, on October 20, due to aircraft needs elsewhere and lack of demand during our final month,” Avelo Communications Manager Courtney Goff told us.

“We have alerted all customers with their options and apologize for any inconvenience incurred,” Goff added.

Avelo Airlines had announced in July that it would be closing its base in Burbank and eventually cease services at the Redmond Airport, as it expands operations on the East Coast.

Avelo said at the time it would halt its Redmond flights to Sonoma County and Las Vegas in August, but continue its flights to Burbank until Dec. 1.

The early end to the final Burbank flights came as a surprise to many, including Redmond Airport Director Zachary Bass. 

“We just found out about it,” Bass told KTVZ News Thursday. “Other airports got a little head’s up. October 20th is their last day here and the West Coast.” 

Asked about refunds, Avelo’s Goff told us, “Customers have received an email stating their options to reaccommodate to an earlier flight or refunded to their original form of payment on their current booking.”

An upset customer from Bend who had booked an Avelo flight with his wife to visit family for three days in November contacted KTVZ News. He said he was told after long on-hold phone calls by a customer representative in Houston that they would not refund his credit card – instead only offering ‘Avelo Cash’ credit for future travel, valid for five years.

“They’re leaving the West Coast! How can we ever use those credits?” he asked.

KTVZ News asked Avelo’s Goff about the report and she could not provide specifics without knowing the customer’s name and details, again stating, “If their flight was canceled by us, they would be refunded to the payment method they used for their current booking.”

The customer, who asked that his name not be used, said he followed the email directions from the airline on how to get a refund, canceling the flight through the airline’s app.

“Our plan is down the drain,” he said.

Two weeks after Avelo’s announcement this summer, Alaska Airlines announced that it will be adding year-round daily flights between Redmond and Burbank, starting in October. Breeze Airways also announced that it will be serving Redmond starting next March, including flights to Burbank, Las Vegas and Provo-Salt Lake City.

The upset Avelo customer said the flight cancellation and refund situation “left such a bad taste in our mouth,” they will be sticking with established airlines like Alaska and Delta, not others who could be “here today and gone the next day.”

He also said he emailed Avelo’s customer relations – and cc’d his congressman. “This is horrible, what they are doing,” he said.

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