WA loses ground in bike ranking, despite new state investments
The bike world is determined to reclaim Washington’s title. It’s an achievable goal, they say, as millions of dollars in new spending on bike projects begin to flow from the state into communities in the coming years. The Legislature this year passed nearly $17 billion in new spending on transportation over the next 16 years. It was the fourth major transportation package in the last 20 years and passed mostly along party lines — in part due to Republican opposition to so much spending on bike infrastructure. Continue reading at The Seattle Times. (Ken Lambert)
Report: Record heat turned Washington’s evergreen trees red
Last summer, it got too hot for Washington’s trees. The needles of ubiquitous evergreens turned reddish hues. No, our famous and much loved conifers weren’t showing off an out-of-character autumnal wardrobe. They got singed, quite literally, during last year’s historic heat wave, when temperatures in Snohomish County reached triple digits. The damage was from something called “desiccation,” or the removal of moisture. Continue reading at The Everett Herald.
Pierce County launches mental health court program
Pierce County is launching its new mental health court on Monday morning. The program is designed to prevent people from going through the justice system with their mental illnesses going undiagnosed and ending up back on the street. Beginning Monday, anyone charged with a misdemeanor or gross misdemeanor, who also suffers from mood or thought disorders, can be referred into the program. Continue reading at KOMO News.
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