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Monday, September 23

WA county to replicate Texas’ huge solution to homelessness
A 20-minute drive east of downtown Austin, past RV parks, a golf course and empty land, the city quickly fades into a suburban and rural landscape. There, within a 51-acre compound, sits Community First! Village, a 540-unit development that resembles a retirement community. Officials in Pierce County, with the second-largest homeless population in the state, are betting tens of millions of dollars this style of housing will bring people inside who would remain on the streets otherwise. They’ve purchased 90 acres to construct a 285-home community. It will be the largest housing development for homeless people in Washington. Continue reading at The Seattle Times. (Ilana Panich-Linsman)

How a tool built in Washington is helping schools fight absenteeism
With student absenteeism at record highs, more Washington districts are using a tool developed by researchers at Washington State University to help get kids back on track. It’s called “WARNS” — or the Washington Assessment of the Risks and Needs of Students. About half of Washington’s districts will use the tool this school year: a projected 146 of the state’s 295 districts, up from 90 in 2019. Continue reading at The WA State Standard. (Dan Forer)

Learning curve: WA schools grapple with new cell phone policiesPeninsula is part of a movement across the country toward school cell phone bans that seems to be accelerating this year. School districts are attempting to address parents’ and educators’ long-standing concerns about the harmful effects of devices on children. In the light of recent school shootings, however, the idea has attracted pushback from parents who would prefer students maintain constant contact with the outside world. In August, the state superintendent told school districts to make a plan to curtail classroom cell phone use by fall 2025. Continue reading at Crosscut. (Jason Redmond)

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Associated Press
Americans can order free COVID-19 tests beginning this month

Aberdeen Daily World
No charges after police standoff de-escalated

Axios
California to ban all plastic shopping bags at grocery stores

Capital Press
WDFW removes two wolves from NE Washington pack
Washington court scuttles King County’s law on wineries

Columbian
Vancouver ceremony to remember victims of homicide
“Moment of joy”: I-5 Bridge Replacement Program releases environmental impact statement
Clark County could see home prices go up as more buyers tempted by lower mortgage rates, experts say
“Give us the dollars to do the work, and we will do the work”: Clark County nonprofits balance transparency with trust”

Everett Herald
Bothell to host 12th annual Sustainamania
Free mobile clinic fills ‘huge need’ on Casino Road
Boeing girds for long strike as gig economy gives workers clout
‘Give them a chance’: The fight to bring salmon back to Edmonds stream
Comment: Fentanyl overwhelmed Oregon’s approach to addiction

Indian Country Today
Colville tribal citizens left on the hook when Indian Health Service doesn’t pay medical bills

Journal of the San Juan Islands
San Juan County Receives $1.5Million from Governor to Support Local Transportation Infrastructure

Kitsap Sun
Unemployment claims in Washington increased last week
Homes in Kitsap County sold for lower prices recently: See how much here

News Tribune
How much did AG Ferguson pay to prosecute the Manny Ellis case? Here’s what records show

Puget Sound Business Journal
Former Washington Gov. Dan Evans dies at 98

Seattle Times
The ‘gray ghost’ of WA’s rivers struggling to survive
WA county to replicate Texas’ huge solution to homelessness

South Whidbey Record
Oak Harbor police to receive State funding for gun storage

Spokesman Review
Spin Control: State’s highest court last stop for challenge to homeless camping law
Spokane County Commissioners to host three public roundtables on 2025 budgeting process
Spokane child psychiatrists are in short supply as the nation’s youth mental health crisis persists
The Spokane Fire Department cut its fire academy this year due to budget woes. Here’s why it saved future layoffs

Washington Post
The public health consequences of public housing failures
Dan Evans, Washington state governor and U.S. senator, dies at 98
House moves toward averting a shutdown, sidestepping a Trump demand
California lawsuit says ExxonMobil lied about plastics being recyclable in ‘decades-long campaign of deception’

WA State Standard
How a tool built in Washington is helping schools fight absenteeism
Replacing I-5 bridge will aid drivers, displace some homeowners in WA and Oregon

Yakima Herald-Republic
After two years of drought in the Yakima Basin, could relief be on the way?

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Yes, the federal government is bringing back its free COVID-19 test program
Boeing angers another union by asking to include SPEEA employees in furloughs
Police say several groups responsible for over 10 recent robberies in South Seattle

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Zip Shuttle pilot coming to the City of Arlington
First electric firetruck in the state coming to Redmond
Alaska Airlines outage causes brief ground stop in Seattle
Dan Evans, three-term Washington governor and U.S. senator, dies at 98
Hydrofoil ferry? Kitsap Transit’s vision to replace diesel ferries gets state funding
Pierce County warns of false school threats circulating online, urges public to report

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Boeing employees continue strike as negotiations stall
Climate change impacts apple quality, ripening times across US
Aerospace engineers union rejects Boeing furlough request during strike
Washington mourns loss of Dan Evans, former governor and U.S. senator

KNKX Public Radio
Limited impact seen on Whatcom housing market from new real estate rules
Woman’s lost testimony raises concerns about King County sexual assault cases
Pierce County’s system for delivering homeless services is a mess, a consultant says

KUOW Public Radio
Kids targeted in string of south Seattle muggings
How rich Seattleites can lease public land through a program meant to protect it
Off the Charts: More people are returning to the office. Is Seattle traffic about to get worse?

KXLY (ABC)
Spokane community embraces new bike bus program for West Central kids

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Fifth judge helps, but judicial needs still exist in Whatcom County
Inside the conflict office dedicated to finding attorneys for jailed clients
A decision from the state Supreme Court could turn justice system into legal chaos

Crosscut
Learning curve: WA schools grapple with new cell phone policies
Climate Pledge Arena to pay over $477K to settle hidden fees case

MyNorthwest
WA Employment Security Dept. wants to hire nearly 100 workers as paid leave applications skyrocket

The Urbanist
Seattle’s Trolleybus Fleet To Get New Supercharged Batteries
Home in Tacoma Rezone Advances, Comment Period Nears End
Opinion: Seattle’s Banishment Zones Are Misguided, Public Space Guardianship Offers Fix

Friday, September 20

King County inquests into killings by police remain broken, critics say
A King County program meant to provide answers for families of those killed by police — revised in 2018 to broaden its scope and address inequities — remains broken and should be fixed, replaced or abandoned, say prosecutors and private attorneys involved in the process. The county has completed 17 inquests since the program was upheld by the Washington Supreme Court and reinstated in 2021, with another underway and five more scheduled. Continue reading at The Seattle Times. (Ellen M. Banner)

July recorded the highest number of calls to 988 in Washington since its launch
September is National Suicide Prevention Month and Washington state is seeing an increased demand for help when it comes to the national suicide and crisis line: 988. Since launching in 2022, calls to 988 in Washington have doubled in two years and continue to increase. July showed the highest number of calls received at 10,202. The Washington Department of Public Health attributes the increase to a campaign that aired through July bringing more awareness to the 988 program. Continue reading at King5.

New report says solitary confinement widely, ‘subjectively’ used in Washington prisons
Solitary confinement is still “widely used” in Washington prisons, despite an agency promise to reduce its use over the next five years. That’s according to a report released Thursday by the Office of the Corrections Ombudsman. State lawmakers created the agency in 2018 to resolve complaints against the Department of Corrections and to identify problems within the system. The new report is the second of three that the OCO will produce. Lawmakers will now review the report and the third of three that will come out later this year. That report will examine solutions and a suggested path forward for DOC. Continue reading at KXLY. (KXLY)

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Axios
America’s new election shields: panic buttons, bulletproof glass

Bellingham Herald
Counties with the most assisted-living facilities in Washington
Bellingham city officials ask court to order Walmart encampment be cleared by new year
Bellingham’s new medical respite shelter will have a 2.5-block protection zone for safety
Bellingham City Council votes to formally oppose Kroger-Albertsons supermarket merger

Capital Press
Wanted: Ideas to improve harvesting apples

Everett Herald
More I-405 closures ahead near Bothell
Everett sub hearing upends earlier expert theories on crew deaths

High Country News
The Department of Energy promised Yakama Nation $32 million for solar. It’s nearly impossible to access.

News Tribune
This Tacoma behavioral healthcare campus is one step closer to opening its doors
Big changes coming to Tacoma Dome Station. Would you like more parking or better biking?

Puget Sound Business Journal
Bellevue rolls out new incentive to boost affordable housing
Inflation is no longer the No. 1 concern for business executives
Newly filed bill aims to repeal lucrative small-business tax credit
Cost of attending a Seahawks game is on the rise. Here’s how much.

Seattle Times
New COVID-19 XEC variant circulating just before fall
King County inquests into killings by police remain broken, critics say
How a $32M solar grant to the Yakama Nation got tied up in bureaucracy
Hit by strike, Boeing flies in out-of-state janitors, applies furloughs broadly
Opinion: To protect the public, we must reduce public defender caseloads
Opinion: A powerful tool exists to treat youth drug abuse. Why don’t we use it?

Spokesman Review
Fairchild Air Force Base airmen conduct 24-hour vigil march to honor POW, MIA veterans
A Spokane police officer put a ‘Let’s Go Brandon’ sticker on his department car. He was fired

Washington Post
Microsoft deal would reopen Three Mile Island nuclear plant to power AI
Scientists have captured Earth’s climate over the last 485 million years. Here’s the surprising place we stand now.

WA State Standard
Some states want to make it easier to cancel subscriptions
Gluesenkamp Perez joins Republicans in vote for failed government funding measure

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
July recorded the highest number of calls to 988 in Washington since its launch
West Seattle neighbors say $2 billion increase for light rail extension is ‘astronomical’
King County executive proposes temporary funding fix to keep public health clinics open

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Jesse Jones: Hidden fees at Climate Pledge Arena
Large affordable housing complex planned in Tacoma
Another threat at a local school, what are the consequences?
A new life is proposed for Three Mile Island supplying power to Microsoft data centers

KUOW Public Radio
Mayor Harrell wants to triple Seattle’s spending on opioid treatment
FAA investigating cabin pressure problem that injured passengers aboard Boeing plane

KXLY (ABC)
New report says solitary confinement widely, ‘subjectively’ used in Washington prisons

Web

Cascadia Daily News
WWU expects layoffs, president says scope of operations ‘not sustainable’
A month lost in the North Cascades without food or shelter: Hiker details improbable rescue

MyNorthwest
Seattle City Council president: Stay out zones are ‘better than nothing’

The Urbanist
Seattle Design Commission Not On Board with Sidewalk Ad Kiosk Proposal
Opinion: Sound Transit Should Rethink Light Rail Extensions Beset with Overruns

Thursday, September 19

Overdose deaths are falling fast
Fatal drug overdoses, which fell in the U.S. last year for the first time since before the pandemic, are continuing to decline, according to preliminary CDC data. Overdoses kill more than 100,000 people a year, but the number appears to be dropping rapidly. We need more data and more research to determine what’s driving the decline in deaths, but experts have theories. Continue reading at Axios. (Axios Visuals)

Washington has the best public education on west coast, top five in US, new study says
Washington students have access to some of the best public education in the country, according to a new study. In a study published last week, market research outlet Consumer Affairs looked at statewide test scores, graduation rates and school funding, among other metrics, to determine which states offer the best public education. Washington took fourth place in the country, far outranking any of its west coast neighbors. Continue reading at The Olympian. (Getty Images)

Washington launches Simple As That to combat littering
Each year, approximately 38 million pounds of litter are discarded on Washington’s highways, roads, and public areas — a statistic reflecting about five pounds of trash for every resident in the state, according to the Washington State Department of Ecology. Litter poses threats to water quality and presents safety risks for motorists, according to the DOE. In response to these challenges, the department is collaborating with the Department of Transportation, State Patrol and other agencies to launch the “Simple As That” campaign. Continue reading at The Columbian.

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Associated Press
Hackers demand $6 million for files stolen from Seattle airport operator in cyberattack

Axios
Overdose deaths are falling fast
School absence linked to higher youth gun crimes

Capital Press
Judge dismisses Clean Water Act lawsuit against Idaho ranch
Suit seeks to halt Biden administration’s H-2A rule in all 50 states
Editorial: When a rule isn’t a rule

Columbian
Washington launches Simple As That to combat littering
Vancouver receives $10M loan to remove ‘forever chemicals’ from water supply
Migrants held at Tacoma detention facility spend longer in detention, more likely to be deported
Let’s Go Washington faces charges: Political group behind initiatives accused of violating campaign law

Covington-Maple Valley Reporter
Commerce invests $37 million in clean energy projects in South King County and state

The Daily News
Aberdeen city reps explain hiring freeze

Everett Herald
Boeing to furlough thousands of workers
Whooping cough is on the rise in Snohomish County

The Inlander
Spokane makes headway on bicycle infrastructure
People with HIV are living longer, creating a new demographic with unique health care needs
In November, Idaho voters will decide whether to open their primaries and switch to ranked-choice voting

Kitsap Sun
New fast ferry could come to Kingston-Seattle route by 2027 at the earliest

News Tribune
WA GOP, Franklin auditor sue over ‘devious’ change to voter residency waiting period
Good news for commuters: Cars can again drive across this Tacoma bridge after repairs

New York Times
F.T.C. Study Finds ‘Vast Surveillance’ of Social Media Users

Olympian
Washington has the best public education on west coast, top five in US, new study says

Puget Sound Business Journal
Kroger-Albertsons hearing wraps with closing arguments
The Fed finally cut rates. Here’s how it will affect businesses.
Seattle council OKs drug, prostitution laws over experts’ objections
With $1.9B merger complete, Alaska and Hawaiian roll out changes
Boeing to furlough tens of thousands of employees as strike continues

Seattle Times
Demand for WA paid leave program overwhelms staff, agency says
King County Regional Homelessness Authority’s new CEO is ‘undaunted’

Spokesman Review
New manufacturing plant slotted for airport area
Spokane Valley councilman Al Merkel appeals most recent investigation findings
Spokane Valley to enter mediation in City Hall lawsuit, total costs expected to rise
Transport of radioactive liquid waste from Hanford Site draws concern from Spokane, Oregon officials

Washington Post
Abortion clinics — and patients — are on the move as state laws shift
Mortgage rates are coming down, and home buyers are ready to pounce

WA State Standard
Biden administration seeks to remove gray wolf protections in Lower 48
States, hospital systems try less punitive drug testing of pregnant women and newborns

Wenatchee World
Committee explores 2 sites for $166.7M regional sports complex
Washington nonprofit offers up to $3,000 to farmworkers who win innovative apple harvest contest

Yakima Herald-Republic
Yakima County NAACP to celebrate 80th anniversary Friday
Reykdal seeks $3B injection for WA public schools in next budget
Yakima Council approves smaller Terrace Heights annexation area

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
I-5 shooting spree suspect to undergo competency evaluation
SPS considers closing its only K-8 school for the deaf, public meeting lacks ASL interpreter
Cantwell: Russian criminal organization requested $6 million of Bitcoin from Port of Seattle in ransomware attack

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Jesse Jones: What a rate cut means to you
Alaska Airlines officially purchases Hawaiian Airlines for $1 billion
Parents furious as Seattle Public Schools considers closing 21 schools
Online threats cause fear in Bonney Lake as mental health crisis grows
‘No meaningful progress’: Second full day of mediation ends between Boeing, union
Federal agency approves transforming miles of abandoned railroad for a Snohomish County trail

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Will Boeing’s furlough strategy during the strike ensure its financial stability?
WA state superintendent asks Gov. Inslee for $3 billion to boost K-12 education
Sen. Maria Cantwell convenes Senate hearing to investigate airport cyberattacks
‘Better off without it’: Washington closes execution chamber at state penitentiary
Seattle’s 3rd Avenue sees new overhead lights as part of Downtown Activation Plan
Seattle Public School parents rally outside district headquarters in protest of closures
Questions linger over enforcement of Seattle’s newly passed SOAP and SODA measures

KNKX Public Radio
Machinists strike comes at perilous time for Boeing
Here are 4 ways the Federal Reserve’s big rate cut could change the housing market

KUOW Public Radio
Seattle Schools forces parents to pay ‘junk fees’ to access school lunch
‘Don’t do this to our kids’: Hundreds of Seattle parents rally against school closures
Russian hackers posted Sea-Tac files to ‘dark website,’ airport director tells Congress

KXLY (ABC)
Spokane saw less smoke this summer than it has in eight years
East Central residents weigh in on plans for new I-90 pedestrian bridges
Health officials warn Deer Park dental patients of potential HIV and Hepatitis exposures
North Hill community worries about street safety and parking challenges posed by new apartments

Web

MyNorthwest
‘A very serious situation:’ WSP warns of ‘bump-jackings’
WA State Patrol sees rise in freeway shootings, citing gang activity: ‘More guns, more anger’

The Urbanist
Metro Works to Smooth Out Bumpy RapidRide G Launch
Habitat for Humanity Touts Its Largest Building Ever in Columbia City Groundbreaking

Wednesday, September 18

Washington’s sockeye runs are smashing records
Washington is seeing a record-breaking sockeye salmon run this year despite a July heatwave that threatened a kill-off in the Okanogan River. The surge is a tangible sign of success for a water management plan adopted in 2014 that has Indian tribes, dam operators and fish managers in the U.S. and Canada working together to ensure optimum river water levels as fish cross nine dams. Continue reading at Axios. (DeAgostini)

Demand for WA paid family leave benefits is overwhelming staff, agency says
Washington’s Paid Family and Medical Leave program keeps growing, but its staff and resources do not, leaving applicants with delays for benefits and long waits for customer service. The Employment Security Department wants to hire 98 new employees over the next two years in response. It’s a roughly $23 million ask. The new employees will help answer phones, process applications and assist employers with paperwork and questions.“ Despite recent staffing increases, the program is not adequately staffed based on current application volumes,” department officials wrote in a budget request to the governor. Continue reading at The WA State Standard. (Getty Images)

Inslee announces $1.5M emergency funding for San Juan ferries
Gov. Jay Inslee is providing $1.5 million in emergency funding to restore critical ferry transportation throughout the San Juan Islands, he announced during a meeting with county leaders Tuesday, Sept. 17. The interisland route has been the least reliable in the Washington State Ferries (WSF) system, Inslee said in a Tuesday news release. The challenges, caused by crew shortages, have created life and safety issues for island residents and service providers. Continue reading at Cascadia Daily News. (Andy Bronson)

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Associated Press
Russia goes all-out with covert disinformation aimed at Harris, Microsoft report says

Axios
Washington’s sockeye runs are smashing records
Suspicious packages mailed to election officials across U.S.
Downtown Seattle pins big hopes on Amazon workers’ return

Capital Press
Analysts: Global beef supplies shrinking
U.S., Japan try again on fresh-potato access
USDA approves field study of bird flu vaccine for cattle

Columbian
Disability advocates challenge Vancouver’s elected leaders to go a week without driving
Vancouver City Council OKs $900K loan, tax breaks for developer to remodel building for mixed-income housing
Vancouver City Council expresses collective decision on five ballot initiatives to appear before voters in November

Everett Herald
Feds OK key stretch of Eastrail in Snohomish County
Now a cooling center, Mill Creek Library gets big upgrades
Generations coveted Boeing jobs. Strike reveals how much has changed.

Indian Country Today
So few old trees, so much logging

News Tribune
Stalled Tacoma apartment project is for sale. Who will take on transit-oriented site?
Pierce County dam blocks salmon passage. Watch a crew of volunteers help fish move along
More than 500 units of affordable housing planned in Tacoma. Here’s when they might open

New York Times
Live Updates: Fed Expected to Cut Rates, but by How Much?

Puget Sound Business Journal
Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian cleared to seal merger
Former Zulily employees file lawsuit over handling of layoffs
Seattle’s social housing initiative faces alternate funding measure
Seattle moves to comply with state law to allow more backyard cottages

Seattle Times
West Seattle’s light rail estimate soars past $6 billion
Troopers caution I-5 drivers after 3 carjackings south of Seattle
Congress is gridlocked. These members are convinced AI legislation could break through

Skagit Valley Herald
Skagit River to temporarily close to recreational fishing

Spokesman Review
Spokane just sweltered through the city’s third-hottest summer on record
After a decade of steady increases, Spokane utility rates may jump next two years
BLM lifts fire restrictions; Spokane County and DNR still upholding theirs for now

Tri-City Herald
See inside Richland’s newest $7.4M fire station. It’s all about location, location location

Washington Post
Here’s how much water ChatGPT uses to help you write an email
House looks poised to reject GOP bill to avert government shutdown
How a rate cut would affect hiring, inflation, housing and the stock market
The Fed is poised to cut rates for the first time since 2020. The question is how much.

WA State Standard
Demand for WA paid family leave benefits is overwhelming staff, agency says

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Historic cabins at beloved state park may be closed forever
New Amazon return-to-office policy expected to impact traffic
Washington state’s cannabis industry braces for change as federal reclassification considered

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Seattle’s Downtown shines brighter with new lighting initiative
3 Bonney Lake schools targeted with threatening social media posts
New orca birth makes a big splash from San Juan Islands to Bothell
Inmate program rebuilds 30-year-old boardwalk in Whatcom County
Washington receives $300,000 for landslide research and prevention
State Patrol investigating multiple carjackings on I-5, suspects arrested
Washington man sentenced for joining violent attack on Capitol police line
Seattle City Council approves controversial drug and prostitution buffer zones
Tech employees are divided over Amazon’s decision to bring workers back to the office
It’s official: Boeing CEO announces temporary layoffs for ‘large number’ of US workers
The Biden administration is letting Alaska Airlines buy Hawaiian Air but with conditions

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Washington State Patrol to increase I-5 patrols after series of carjackings
Boeing CEO says company will begin furloughs to save cash during labor strike
Seattle City Council passes new measures to combat sex trafficking and drug related crimes

KNKX Public Radio
U.S. overdose deaths plummet, saving thousands of lives

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Ferndale School District tightens cell phone policy
Inslee announces $1.5M emergency funding for San Juan ferries
A new era of ADUs results in unprecedented move of a historic Bellingham home

Crosscut
Seattle enacts controversial drug, prostitution “stay out” zones

MyNorthwest
Seattle City Council passes legislation creating SODA, SOAP zones

The Urbanist
Harrell Proposal Would Relax Accessory Dwelling Unit Rules, Implement State Law

Tuesday, September 17

Almost 700,000 WA households receive $200 credit for electric bills
Nearly 700,000 Washington households received a $200 credit on their electricity bills in recent weeks — one of the state’s most visible investments to date under a climate law that is now in the hands of voters. State Department of Commerce officials estimated 685,113 low- and moderate-income households got the one-time credit as of Thursday, roughly 10,000 more than predicted when Gov. Jay Inslee launched the program in July.
Continue reading at The Seattle Times. (Ken Lambert)

Washington joins national campaign to curb recidivism among people exiting prison
Gov. Jay Inslee issued an executive order Monday to deepen and expand Washington’s efforts to prepare individuals for successful reentry in communities upon leaving prison. His order calls for developing “a comprehensive entry and exit process” tailored to each person’s needs in areas such as housing, employment, health care, substance use treatment, and mental health services. It also seeks to ensure each person has a Washington identification card or driver’s license and information on how to access social services. Continue reading at The WA State Standard. (Office of the Governor)

After budget cuts, juvenile probation counselors struggle to keep up with youth crime surge
In Washington state, every youth charged with a crime gets a juvenile probation counselor whose job is to figure out how they ended up in trouble — and how to keep them out of it. In King County, juvenile probation counselors say they are buckling under the weight of unmanageable caseloads following recent budget cuts and an increase in serious youth crime. Court staff say the caseloads ballooned after the county created a new program in 2021 meant to keep more young people out of the court system. It sent kids accused of first-time misdemeanors and lower-level felonies to community groups for intervention, rather than to diversion overseen by the court and probation counselors. Continue reading at KUOW. (Megan Farmer)