‘He’s definitely in shock’: WA high school employee detained by ICE, district confirms
An employee from Juanita High School has been taken into custody by immigration officials. The Lake Washington School District confirmed that Fernando Rocha, who manages the theater department at Juanita High School, was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). “We are aware that one of our employees appears to have been detained by ICE,” the district said in a prepared statement. “We have been in contact with the employee to provide appropriate employment documentation. Due to privacy considerations, we are limited in what we can share, but we are monitoring the situation closely.” Continue reading at MyNorthwest. (Lake Washington School District)
25 new or rare bee species reported by Washington Bee Atlas in first year
The Washington Bee Atlas has made significant progress in documenting the state’s native bees, discovering numerous state records and rare species in its first year. Volunteers with the Washington State Department of Agriculture’s Washington Bee Atlas collected over 17,000 bee specimens from more than 600 different host plants in 2024. Continue reading at KIRO 7. (Joshua A. Bickel)
Sneak Peek: New Airo Trains Coming to Amtrak Cascades in 2026
The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) this week provided railfans with a glimpse of the future of Amtrak Cascades, providing the first photos of the new “Airo” trainsets coming off the line as they head to Colorado for testing. Set to go into service along the Cascades corridor between Vancouver, B.C. and Eugene, Oregon by next year, these eight new trains will be the first to be delivered as part of a larger, nationwide order of 83 trainsets. Continue reading at The Urbanist. (WSDOT)
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