For homeless parents, search for housing is long and traumatic
Melinda Parke is tired of heating chicken nuggets in a microwave. Living in a motel isn’t ideal, but at least the last one had a little kitchen. Parke and her son Elijah, 8, are on multiple waiting lists for some type of permanent housing. Elijah, who has severe autism, isn’t handling the disruptions well. It’s noisy at the south Everett motel and strangers knock on their door late at night. “This has been such a gut-wrenching thing to go through,” Parke said. “I’m watching my son get worse and worse every day.” Continue reading at The Everett Herald. (Ryan Berry)
Abandoned in the ER: When kids are left at hospitals, the state is no longer taking charge of their care
In 2021, emergency room social workers at Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital in Tacoma called Child Protective Services 11 times asking for assistance. Each time, a child had been left in the ER — abandoned, as far as the hospital was concerned — by their parent or guardian. And each time, when asked to help find the child someone to care for them, the agency said no. The experience at Mary Bridge is an example of what hospital staff describe as a new and concerning trend across the state’s pediatric emergency rooms. Continue reading at The Seattle Times. (Amanda Snyder)
Thousands of elective surgeries set to continue in Washington as moratorium is lifted
Despite all the full hospital beds, the ban on elective and non-urgent surgeries in Washington has been lifted. And now, the big question is how will hospitals begin to clear away the backlog of tens of thousands of cases? Since the beginning of the pandemic, the UW Medicine system has had about 18,000 backlogged procedures. Health care experts agree it’s going to take time to clear it all. Cassie Johnson ended up in the ER and having emergency surgery last summer after her tonsillectomy was postponed twice. Continue reading at KOMO News.
Auburn Reporter
After evidence of racist and discriminatory enforcement, King County repeals bike helmet law
Bainbridge Island Review
BI ferry terminal to get $33 million facelift
Bellingham Herald
Regardless what a red-light camera sees, the law actually decides what is a full stop
With end to mask mandate in sight, Whatcom health officials ask for continued vigilance
With prices soaring, a power agreement could bring these 700 jobs back to Whatcom
Man charged with shooting two Whatcom County deputies appears in court
Capital Press
Washington farm groups gird for Round 2 of ergonomics fight
Washington lawmakers consider ‘net ecological gain’ requirement
Columbian
Opinion: In Our View: Share state’s revenue bounty with taxpayers
Opinion: In Our View: Cheers & Jeers: Backing bodycams; map mess
The Daily News
After deaths of Cowlitz County tow truck drivers, change coming in state Legislature
Capitol Dispatch: As Legislature enters final third, here is where local and major bills stand (Ryu)
Kalama City Council directs Planning Commission to review multi-family parking code
Everett Herald
For homeless parents, search for housing is long and traumatic
Q&A: Lynnwood’s coming mental health center
As Lake Stevens braces for Costco traffic, Highway 9 gets new roundabout
Lofty goals find high hurdles in county’s Office of Social Justice
Flu season stats: 5 deaths reported in Washington
Letter: Anti-abortion pregnancy services are about control
Letter: Are we seeing a regression in women’s roles in U.S.
Letter: Snohomish OK of apartments vote against small-town values
Letter: Policy debates need sunshine, not corporate sugar
Letter: Transportation bill moves us ahead to greener future (Liias, Fey)
The Facts Newspaper
COVID-19 trends give leaders the confidence to look towards next phase of pandemic response
Islands’ Weekly
Child mental health gets attention in state Legislature (Callan)
Journal of the San Juan Islands
Statewide COVID-19 restrictions begin to relax
News Tribune
Bethel School District cancels job fair as failed levies impact ability to make job offers
Should Gig Harbor be in the PenMet Parks District? This person wants voters to decide
Unauthorized Puyallup school to close. Parents complain of mold, shoddy instruction
New York Times
A Key to Returning to Normal Is Paid Sick Leave, Democrats Say
Black Farmers Fear Foreclosure as Debt Relief Remains Frozen
Uproar Over ‘Crack Pipes’ Puts Biden Drug Strategy at Risk
Olympian
State agency alleges new and repeated safety violations at school bus company
Homelessness is a challenging topic. A Lacey group found it just as hard, members say
Lacey moves forward with project to stabilize lives of 4 adult teens
What American cities can learn from Britain’s once-vast public housing system
Peninsula Daily News
Kingston Express connects Port Townsend to Seattle
County governments aim for return to hybrid meetings
Three-way divide on nurse staffing bill (Chapman, Tharinger, Van De Wege)
Puget Sound Business Journal
Report: Seattle among few metros to build most offices in urban areas
As tensions rise at picket lines, King County judge to limit Teamsters’ activity
Seattle Medium
Citizens Tired Of Shootings In Seattle’s Little Saigon
Seattle Times
How to prolong the life of your N95 and KN95 masks
More buses idled as supply chain issues hit Seattle-area transit
Abandoned in the ER: When kids are left at hospitals, the state is no longer taking charge of their care
Construction work has been the domain of white men, that could be changing
Civil rights groups seek retroactive application of police decertification statute (Pedersen)
Health care advocate Deborah Senn, Washington’s first woman insurance commissioner, dies at 72
WA Senate bill aims to lower rising cost of insulin for some diabetes patients (Sulivan)
Seattle residents drive movement to tear out Highway 99 in South Park (Liias)
Skagit Valley Herald
New COVID-19 cases down to 203 for the week
Snoqualmie Valley Record
Valley cities receive funds to look at future housing needs
South Seattle Emerald
The 80th Anniversary of EO 9066 and Japanese Americans’ Seattle Legacy
First Annual Kwanzaa Awards Recognizes Black Organizations and Individuals
South Whidbey Record
State funding package may pay for green buses for Island Transit
Washington Post
Where Trump’s border wall left deep scars and open gaps, Biden plans repair job
U.S. claims Russia has list of Ukrainians ‘to be killed or sent to camps’ following a military occupation
Police regain control of most of Canada’s capital, say protesters will continue to be identified and charged as holdouts persist
A year after Texas cold spell, study shows renewable energy could help prevent blackouts
Yakima Herald-Republic
Yakima Valley senators vote no on WA voting rights law changes (Saldaña)
A simple watch helped connect Yakima Valley woman to her late husband during WWII Japanese incarceration
Letter: Support wildland firefighters by supporting Tim’s Act
Letter: History won’t remember Trump kindly
Families and advocates stress importance of sharing stories of missing and murdered Indigenous people
Broadcast
KING 5 TV (NBC)
‘Easy to melt’: Snowpack in Cascades, Olympics is at serious risk
Mobile police precinct having positive impact in Little Saigon, neighbors say
Crews begin clearing tents from sidewalk near Seattle City Hall
End to mask mandates: Oregon, Washington doctors ‘cautiously optimistic’
KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Snow falls in North Sound lowlands
Seattle City Hall encampment sweep thwarted by advocates
Striking concrete workers urged to return to mediation, strike deal
Hundreds still homeless from November floods in Whatcom County
Homeless camps, crime hot spots getting cleared out in Seattle
Students hold walkout at South Sound high school to protest attack on autistic classmate
KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Thousands of elective surgeries set to continue in Washington as moratorium is lifted
Oregon, Washington lawmakers discuss steps toward replacing Interstate Bridge
City of Seattle clears homeless encampment across from City Hall
12th and Jackson in Little Saigon Seattle cleared; Businesses relieved but wonder how long
KNKX Public Radio
King County repeals bicycle helmet law, citing equity
KUOW Public Radio
Pandemic blog: Mask mandates phasing out in Washington
Washington says goodbye to its mask mandate, but not its state of emergency…yet
Mixed reactions as Washington plans to ease mask restrictions
KXLY (ABC)
King County Board of Health gets rid of bike helmet law
Web
Crosscut
Banning toxic chemicals in cosmetics moves forward in WA (Das)
The light rail is coming to Bellevue. Will a vibrant arts scene follow?
WA proposed budget funds stipends to attract low-income board members (Wilson)
The Stranger
The Seattle City Council Could Extend the Eviction Moratorium