WASHINGTON STATE

Washington State House Democrats

HOUSE DEMOCRATS

Tuesday, August 29

A new Washington state office to scrutinize police uses of force is still not fully up and running, but it's taking suggestions from the public for past police killings that should be reinvestigated.

Washington office weighs which police deadly force cases to reopen
A new Washington state office to scrutinize police uses of force is still not fully up and running, but it’s taking suggestions from the public for past police killings that should be reinvestigated. The Legislature voted in 2021 to create the Office of Independent Investigations to help hold police accountable when they kill someone on the job. The idea was to ensure officers aren’t investigated solely by other officers. The office announced last month that it is accepting requests to review past investigations of deadly force cases. Continue reading at Axios. (Maura Losch)


Larch Corrections Center, seen here, is slated to close in fall of 2023. The minimum security facility is located in Yacolt

‘Blindsided’ by a Washington prison closure
When the state Department of Corrections said in June it would close Larch Corrections Center by October, workers, prisoners, and lawmakers were all among those caught off guard. Corrections says changes to drug possession laws earlier this year mean the state needs less minimum security prison space. Larch’s remote location and the cost for needed upgrades also made it a good candidate for closure, according to the department. Continue reading at WA State Standard. (WA Dept. of Corrections)


 A drug user prepares heroin, placing a fentanyl test strip into a solution to check for contamination, in August 2018 in New York. Strips that test for the presence of fentanyl and xylazine are now legal in Washington state.

Editorial: State, county overdose rates call for all-out effort
The most recent data from national drug overdose death counts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that overdose deaths in Washington state were growing at the highest percentage for all 50 states. Key to slowing, then reversing the current rate of overdoses and deaths — and returning lives to health and happiness and communities to safety and productivity — will be harm reduction in the short-term and treatment for the long-term. More opportunities for programs and facilities will follow, often backed with the funding and experience necessary for success, but they will require the support and participation of communities and local officials. Continue reading at Everett Herald. (Bebeto Matthews)


Print

Associated Press
Research is growing into how best to stop gun violence. One city looks to science for help
Native nations on front lines of climate change share knowledge and find support at intensive camps

Axios
One third of Seattle homes are worth at least $1 million
Washington office weighs which police deadly force cases to reopen
Building a lid to support a park over I-5 gains traction (Liias)

Capital Press
Washington to rebuild train trestle destroyed by wildfire
WDFW kills two wolves in southeast Washington

Columbian
Camas teachers to strike for second day
Ridgefield City Council OKs $5M contract for South Royle Road project
Ecology awards Clark County grant to pursue water pollution source control effects
Northern Pike remains top invasive species in Columbia River system

The Daily News
Man ejected from two Longview City Council meetings for interruptions sues the city
Dozens of small fires burning in Gifford Pinchot forest after lightning strikes

Everett Herald
In Shoreline visit, CDC director spotlights vaccines, new COVID booster
Editorial: State, county overdose rates call for all-out effort

News Tribune
Pierce County and the opioid crisis: What data tells us about fentanyl’s local stranglehold
A formerly proposed drug rehab center in Pierce County is now a family-owned produce farm

Olympian
Olympia council approves plan for investing millions of tax dollars into arts, culture

Peninsula Daily News
Wildfire danger high into October
Fish passage project completed, but only one of many

Seattle Medium
Washington Capital Gains Tax May Get U.S. Supreme Court Review
Seattle Workers Demanding More Pay, Safety

Seattle Times
HUD secretary says ‘Seattle gets it’ on homelessness
How two local tutoring groups are helping students catch up in math
Fentanyl gets into WA in ‘any manner you can think of’
Why students are so far behind in math, and what schools are doing about it

Skagit Valley Herald
COVID-19 numbers rising again, but hospitalizations stay low

Spokesman Review
Wildfire seasons in Washington are lasting longer and burning differently
Medical supplier Lincare reaches $29 million settlement for overbilling Medicare, largest ever for health fraud in the region

Washington Post
Biden administration names 10 prescription drugs for price negotiations
How the Inflation Reduction Act might affect you — and change the U.S.

WA State Standard
‘Blindsided’ by a Washington prison closure
WA Supreme Court Justice Whitener returning to work
Western companies settle with EPA for sale of equipment used to disable car pollution controls

Yakima Herald-Republic
Yakima fruit packer, property management company fined for ammonia rule violations

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Haines Index, wildfire risk scale, explained
Victoria Clipper workers could strike over Labor Day if contract not met

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Teen carjacking suspects crash in Black Diamond during police pursuit

KNKX Public Radio
Coronavirus FAQs: How worrisome is the new variant? How long do boosters last?

KUOW Public Radio
Pink salmon are having a great 2023 return in Puget Sound
Tokitae’s final song: A celebration of life for the last captive southern resident orca
Stop flying drones near wildfires. Firefighters are grounding planes as result
Voting Rights in the Yakima Valley — Redrawing the 15th Legislative District
Multiyear canoe journey highlights the value of Indigenous knowhow to fight climate change

KXLY (ABC)
Medical Lake community determined to rebuild following Gray Fire destruction
Department of Licensing to provide IDs to local wildfire victims who lost theirs
Maple Street Bridge construction project now underway

NW Public Radio
Helping refugees build new life paths through education
WestRock Paper Mill closing in Tacoma — job losses, utility impacts and the end of the Tacoma Aroma?

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Small wildfire burning Monday night on South Lake Whatcom slope

Crosscut
Amid heavy smoke, wildfire crews work without practical respirators

MyNorthwest
Marysville Schools approve budget amid $18 million deficit
UW helps create new tool that may lead to fewer Northwest wildfires

West Seattle Blog
SCHOOLS: Four-week delay for online ‘well-resourced schools’ meeting