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Tuesday, August 13

WA state accuses physician assistant of failing to properly treat Eastern WA inmates
A physician assistant has permanently surrendered his license to practice in the state of Washington after being accused of failing to provide adequate care to prisoners at the Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla. Richard T. Oliver was accused of failing to evaluate and treat potentially life-threatening illnesses, such as malignant melanoma. He also failed to completely assess or follow up on the management of chronic medical illnesses, such as diabetes, according to allegations in state documents. Continue reading at The Olympian. (Bob Brawdy)

Washington’s fentanyl-sniffing dogs: The newest tool in the fight against opioids
In a prison north of Olympia, a deaf, all-white pit bull mix named Ghost searches visitors for drugs. Ghost is one of just a handful of working K-9s in Washington who can sniff out fentanyl. Like many of these dogs in the state, he was trained by the Department of Corrections. The agency only keeps eight dogs for its prisons but trains around 12 a year, many of whom go to local courts, jails and law enforcement agencies. Usually, only K-9s assigned to prisons are trained to detect fentanyl, but that’s about to change due to bipartisan state legislation passed this year that will allow Washington to create a model program for training and certifying dogs to detect fentanyl. Continue reading at The WA State Standard. (Grace Deng)

Facts vs. Perception: Nationally and in Spokane, violent crime is down
Across the U.S., major cities are seeing a 6% decrease in violent crime compared to last year as the ‘COVID-era’ crime-wave subsides. Locally, Spokane’s preliminary citywide crime report, also known as a Compstat report, showed violent crime is down over 6% and property crime is down over 16% so far this year. According to the crime report, ‘violent’ crime includes: criminal homicide, rape, robbery, and assault. Continue reading at KXLY. (Pexels)

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Auburn Reporter
KC Sheriff’s Office needs to modify use-of-force notifications, report says

Axios
Seattle sees higher unemployment, fewer tech jobs
Banner year for Bigg’s killer whales in Puget Sound

Capital Press
Washington Fish and Wildlife targets second wolf pack
‘Cheese trail’ promotes Washington artisan cheesemakers
East Low Canal resumes service to 100,000 acres after break
Pear, grape and apple harvests expected to be down for 2024

Columbian
Clark County residents up in arms over planned timber sale on state land in historic Yacolt Burn

Everett Herald
Marysville schools face ‘rare and alarming’ audit
Boeing’s manufacturing woes long preceded door-panel blowout
Everett Community College eases hurdles in medical assistant program
Comment: 988 helpline is saving lives, helping people

High Country News
Washington solar project paused amid concern about Indigenous sites

News Tribune
$20 million-plus will build the missing mile of this popular Pierce County trail
CNN called Rainier the US volcano troubling scientists the most. How would Tacoma fare?
This small western Washington town has seen a 46% increase in population. See where it is
Tacoma church might become shared youth housing. But no one’s happy with city’s decision

New York Times
U.S. Officials to Visit China for Economic Talks as Trade Tensions Rise

Olympian
WA state accuses physician assistant of failing to properly treat Eastern WA inmates
55k dump trucks of sediment and how much money? Details emerge on estuary restoration

Peninsula Daily News
Clallam County to receive $3.75M for Olympic Discovery Trail planning

Puget Sound Business Journal
How much office space have Seattle’s top employers shed since 2023?
Companies are spending billions for an employee benefit not being used
The National Observer: Watchers warn of vicious circle in U.S. economy

Seattle Times
Hackers may have stolen the Social Security numbers of every American. How to protect yourself
Pacific Northwest tribes are battered by climate change but fight to get money meant to help them

Spokesman Review
Washington will try to kill wolves in pack near Canadian border
Spokane City Council delays vote on homeless anti-discrimination law amid outrage
Getting There: One-way to two-way? City officials want public to weigh in on future of Spokane Falls Boulevard

WA State Standard
Washington’s fentanyl-sniffing dogs: The newest tool in the fight against opioids
Demolition looms for building that has hulked over WA Capitol campus for decades

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Thousands of Burien voters sign petition to raise minimum wage even further
Protestors call for Seattle police officer who hit, killed Jaahnavi Kandula to be fired
Teen who allegedly killed Kent man during chase was on ankle monitor days before

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Mudslide forces the closure of SR 20 in Winthrop
Woodland Park Zoo workers reach tentative agreement on new contract
Southwest Airlines flight from Spokane has harrowing landing in Denver
Sound Transit considers charging light rail passengers for using its parking lots
Belltown Hellcat back in court Monday after disregarding social media content ban
Report outlines financial challenges facing single moms & policies that would help them

KXLY (ABC)
Facts vs. Perception: Nationally and in Spokane, violent crime is down

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Better raspberry plants with fewer pests? Skagit scientists are working on it

Crosscut
For some Idaho sexual assault survivors, there is no Plan B

MyNorthwest
Light rail to Lynnwood means big changes for Community Transit
Woodland Park Zoo, workers union come to tentative agreement; strike stalled

The Urbanist
Bellevue Council Tries to Salvage Pieces of Imperiled Bike Network
Seattle’s MLK Way Safety Project Takes Step Toward Fulfilling Longstanding Promise

Monday, August 12

Lawmakers want to expand drug endangerment law
In 2021, there were 25 Vancouver police reports involving children and fentanyl. In 2022, that number jumped to 46, an 84 percent increase year-over-year, according to Vancouver police Cpl. Gunnar Skollingsberg, who testified on the issue at a public hearing in March 2023. Proposals to change the drug endangerment law lost traction during the last two legislative sessions. The Legislature created the law in 2002 to address the issue of people cooking methamphetamine around children. But in recent years, law enforcement is seeing a troubling new trend: children being exposed to or overdosing on fentanyl. Continue reading at The Columbian. (DEA/TNS)

Dozens of pregnant women, some bleeding or in labor, being turned away from ERs despite federal law
More than 100 pregnant women in medical distress who sought help from emergency rooms were turned away or negligently treated since 2022, an Associated Press analysis of federal hospital investigations has found. Even as the Biden administration publicly warned hospitals to treat pregnant patients in emergencies, facilities continue to violate the federal law. The issue became a focus for the administration following reports of women being improperly treated in emergency rooms after the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the constitutional right to an abortion more than two years ago. Continue reading at The Seattle Times. (Eric Gay)

Admissions restart, crowding persists at WA juvenile detention facilities
Two state juvenile detention facilities in Washington are once again admitting youth sentenced for crimes, after a pause that began last month. The Department of Children, Youth, and Families said Friday it had reached an agreement with counties ending the freeze on admissions, which the agency said was a necessary safety measure due to overcrowding. The Washington Association of Counties sued in response to the pause. Continue reading at The Washington State Standard. (DCYF)

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Aberdeen Daily World
County firefighters sent forward to combat wildfires statewide
City staff and other organizations clean up unhoused encampment

Axios
July temperatures point to record hottest year
New data shows violent crime dropping sharply in major U.S. cities

Bellingham Herald
Invasive species with potential for $100 million in infrastructure damage detected in WA
Rules of the Road: There’s no law against drinking and mowing, but what if you hit the road?

Columbian
As teen employment rises in WA, so do youth labor violations
‘We can’t idly stand by and let children be harmed’: Lawmakers want to expand drug endangerment law (Goodman)
The victim in a Vancouver murder-suicide had a protection order but Clark County judges say the law doesn’t let them take guns from abusers

The Daily News
Longview needs more affordable housing. Residents say Highlands can’t fit any more.

Everett Herald
Washington prisons delayed nearly a third of release dates last year

Kitsap Sun
Poulsbo set to address the age-old question of parking downtown

News Tribune
People in mental health crisis have nowhere to go in parts of Pierce County. Here’s why

Peninsula Daily News
Coalition celebrates $35M federal grant award
Beaches in Jefferson County close to shellfish harvesting

Seattle Medium
Legislation To Combat Commercial Sexual Exploitation Linked To Gun Violence Proposed

Seattle Times
WA health department sues over denied entry to Tacoma ICE facility
Dozens of pregnant women, some bleeding or in labor, being turned away from ERs despite federal law

Skagit Valley Herald
Several people die in home fire near Rockport
Public input sought on State Wildlife Action Plan

Tri-City Herald
1,100 workers at Tri-Cities’ largest hospital plan 8-day strike
Homeless camping bans vs. sit-lie laws in WA. What’s the difference?
Longtime Tri-Cities defense leader leaving. WA courts can’t handle what’s coming, he says

Washington Post
Which states get too much attention? Which ones are truly forgotten?
Insurance lobbyists block federal crackdown on costly retirement advice

WA State Standard
Admissions restart, crowding persists at WA juvenile detention facilities
High energy costs, delayed tax credit pose hurdles for PNW hydrogen hub

Wenatchee World
Pioneer Fire grows, high winds and lightning possible
Chelan, Douglas counties seek exemptions from new organic waste law as state mandate looms

Yakima Herald-Republic
Retreat Fire 68% contained as of Saturday morning

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Saving a species: UW scientists release first lab-grown sea stars
Federal Way HOA installs license plate reader cameras to deter crime

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
‘Pure hell’: Residents stay back to guard homes from Pioneer Fire
‘We are hemorrhaging:’ Woodland Park Zoo workers prepare to strike
Island County closes beaches to shellfish harvesting amid biotoxin alert
Alaskan Way Safety Project ready for bids, protected bike lanes coming soon
Caught on Video: Thieves hit Redmond cannabis shop for the fourth time in less than a year
Suspect in alleged stolen vehicle takes police on three county chase with young son in car seat

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Shoreline to introduce first parking enforcement team amid city growth
PNW tribes are battered by climate change but fight to get money meant to help them
Grant Pass, heart of Supreme Court homelessness ruling, bans camping except in some areas

KUOW Public Radio
Seattle leaders fall short on promised $20 million for student mental health
Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe poised to help manage key Salish Sea wildlife refuges
Here’s what we know about the grocer buying Kroger and Albertsons stores in Washington state

KXLY (ABC)
Moses Lake community raises money to give students extracurriculars in the upcoming school year

NW Public Radio
Sniffing out invasive mussels to protect Washington’s waters
Land trusts are helping with land conservation on the Palouse

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Comment period open for DNR timber sale in Whatcom County

MyNorthwest
‘Prolific’ car thief evades police in three-county chase with girlfriend, 4-year-old son inside

West Seattle Blog
CRIME WATCH: Man shot at 15th/Roxbury

Friday, August 9

WA renters say unregulated ‘junk fees’ are being used to retaliate, discriminate
The Biden administration announced a national crackdown on rental housing “junk fees” last year, calling on states to take legislative action against fees for applications, online payments, trash collection and other mandatory services. While Washington law requires renters to follow all “reasonable” rules set by landlords and restricts certain tenant screening fees, most other fees…are not regulated at all by state law. Advocates and attorneys say that creates an opening for housing providers to use excessive fees to target certain renters…pressuring them to pay or move. Continue reading at KUOW. (Amanda Loman)

WA rolls out one of the nation’s most generous EV rebate programs
Washington’s new $45 million Electric Vehicle Instant Rebate Program for buying or leasing electric vehicles, announced at an Aug. 1 press conference in Seattle, appears to be second only to California’s as the most generous in the nation. Washington’s program is aimed at low- and moderate-income buyers, potentially increasing the number of EVs on the roads. The program expects to provide between 6,500 and 8,000 rebates during its first year. Prospective buyers have until June 2025 to apply for their rebates, which is when the $45 million appropriation – about 0.6% of the state’s general fund – expires. Continue reading at Crosscut. (Lizz Giordano)

Passenger in car pursued by WA State Patrol dies in crash
A woman in her 50s — a passenger in a vehicle pursued by the Washington State Patrol — was killed Thursday morning in Seattle when the pursuit ended in a crash. According to Seattle police, a state trooper tried to stop the driver of the vehicle, a woman in her 30s, near Boeing Access Road. The woman drove away. Another trooper who was nearby heard radio traffic about the driver fleeing and located the fleeing car, according to Seattle police. Continue reading at The Seattle Times.

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Aberdeen Daily World
Hoquiam police investigating suspicious death
Grays Harbor General Election ballots are mostly set
City staff and other organizations clean up unhoused encampment

Axios
Seattleites can vote for which park projects they want built

Capital Press
Chumrau, Henry appointed to national trade committee
July sets heat record in California, just misses in Oregon, Washington

Everett Herald
Snohomish River climate projects get $21M federal boost
NTSB chair: Boeing reassigning workers to Everett was retaliation
Whatcom County authorities arrest suspected Everett drug kingpin
Three Snohomish County hospitals recognized by American Heart Association

Indian Country Today
Youth and tradition unite at this year’s Canoe Journey

International Examiner
Little Saigon’s new park, Hoa Mai, blooms between Jackson and King Street

News Tribune
CA-based blood bank is moving into Pierce County. Will it send our blood out of state?
Neighbors want to buy public-access point on this Pierce County lake. Cue local firestorm
What’s up with that cartoon billboard on 6th Ave. in Tacoma warning of nuclear weapons?
How about sending homeless folks to live on McNeil Island? The TNT examines the question

New York Times
Why White Supremacists Are Trying to Attack Energy Grids
Where (and How) Americans Are Taking Advantage of Clean Energy Tax Credits

Puget Sound Business Journal
The Great Migration is largely over. Here’s what did it in.
A casual revolution is hitting the office. Gen Z is leading the way.
Amazon reports economic impacts by state with WA topping the list
Here’s when King County may seek developers for major campus overhaul

Seattle Times
Passenger in car pursued by WA State Patrol dies in crash
King County report proposes downtown redevelopment, new jail in Sodo
Op-Ed: Auburn officer’s trial shows how I-940 was designed to work

Spokesman Review
Does Uncle Sam want her? Veterans and politicians weigh idea of women in the draft
Construction workers are at a higher risk of suicide; a local man is making it his mission to intervene

Washington Post
The world’s priciest drug may save lives. Can kids get it in time?
When does DEI training discriminate against White people? Courts will decide.

WA State Standard
Washington prepares for more fires as dry season peaks
Telehealth abortion still on the rise, especially in states with shield laws, report shows

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Problematic parts discovered in several Boeing passenger planes
State fined $114,000 for ‘willful serious’ violations in workplace drowning
Redmond pot shop suffers 4th smash-and-grab, owner says city won’t allow bollards to be installed

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Boater fined after close call with orca
One dead after high-speed car chase next to Boeing Airfield
New federal proposal would require hotels, rentals to display fees
Invasive zebra mussels found in moss balls at Renton aquarium company
Whidbey Island bat tests positive for rabies, public health advisory issued
‘Very discouraging:’ Budget cuts in Pullman may mean final chapter for 96-year-old WSU Press
Report: Two bodies found decomposing while in custody of Whatcom County Medical Examiner
Boeing’s new CEO visits factory that makes the 737 Max, including jet that lost door plug in flight

KNKX Public Radio
NTSB wraps up ‘door plug’ hearing as new Boeing CEO takes over
Housing relief? Mortgage rates drop to their lowest level in over a year

KUOW Public Radio
WA renters say unregulated ‘junk fees’ are being used to retaliate, discriminate (Macri)

KXLY (ABC)
Spokane’s budget deficit could affect your pool time

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Whatcom County finds solution for Search & Rescue’s future home
Illegal campfire in North Cascades causes loss of culturally significant cedars
Whatcom County Auditor’s office conducts hand count to ensure election integrity

Crosscut
WA rolls out one of the nation’s most generous EV rebate programs

Thursday, August 8

As wildfire season becomes more threatening, experts are turning to AI
With climate change driving hotter, drier summers across the West, the intensity of recent fire seasons is outpacing workers’ ability to track and analyze fires with traditional methods. But government agencies and private sector companies are adapting artificial intelligence technologies in their wildfire monitoring and fighting strategies. Continue reading at WA State Standard. (NOAA)

‘We’re at a breaking point.’ Washington ferry workers demand 20% raise
Unionized ferry workers who keep Washington state’s ailing fleet afloat are calling for higher pay and better staffing. Last year, Washington State Ferries had to delay or cancel hundreds of sailings due to crew shortages. “They’re building new ferries, but who’s going to work on those ferries?” asked Brandi Bennett, chief engineer on the MV Tillikum that serves the San Juan Islands. Continue reading at KUOW. (Megan Farmer)

As teen employment rises in WA, so do youth labor violations
Between 2014 and 2022, complaints about working conditions for minors doubled — and one expert thinks this might be just the tip of the iceberg. More than a third of violations involved minors working too many hours, too late on a school night or when they were supposed to be in school, the data shows. The second-largest category of violations, 17%, resulted from workers missing meal or rest breaks. Violations for performing prohibitive tasks ranked fourth on the list of most common violations. Continue reading at Crosscut. (Lizz Giordano)

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Associated Press
Boeing’s new CEO visits factory that makes the 737 MAX, including jet that lost door plug in flight

Aberdeen Daily World
Riley Carter resigns from Aberdeen City Council while locked up

Axios
Too few Seattle-area kids are vaccinated, officials warn
Abortions exceed pre-Roe numbers as telehealth access grows

Capital Press
Goldendale energy project picks up federal critic

Columbian
Dollar Tree required to reform testing process after WA finds toxic children’s products
OHSU study finds wildfire smoke impacts fertility; Clark County residents included in research

Everett Herald
Edmonds College to offer 2 new four-year degree programs
Everett worker criticizes Boeing instructions as complicated, confusing

The Inlander
Washington has fallen behind when it comes to cannabis policy
Eastern WA now has a dedicated federal attorney for Missing or Murdered Indigenous People cases
Gonzaga’s Climate Institute plans to make Spokane more bearable in extreme climate events with $20 million EPA grant

Kitsap Sun
All 5 fire agencies’ ballot measures appear to pass
Washington gas prices fell from last week: See how much here

News Tribune
What will it cost to replace this major Pierce County bridge? The study alone is $1.8M
Opinion: Matt Driscoll made me a better writer. We could learn a lot from the example he set

New York Times
Opinion: A Dystopian Effort Is Underway in the Pacific Northwest to Pick Ecological Winners and Losers

Olympian
Thurston County Auditor’s office ramps up for a very busy 2024 election season

Puget Sound Business Journal
Seattle City Council quickly passes controversial jail pact

Seattle Medium
State Agencies Urge Public To Check Trees For Invasive Insects
NSF Grants $1.5 Million To North Seattle College To Boost Minority Participation In STEM
Metro To Boosts Transit Service With Over 3,700 New Weekly Bus Trips And RapidRide G Line Launch

Seattle Times
Stehekin residents prepare to defend their town as Pioneer fire nears

Skagit Valley Herald
Battery energy storage facility proposed in Skagit County

Spokesman Review
Melissa Bedford resigns from Spokane Public Schools Board
Everywhere and everlasting: How PFAS affect the human body
Spokane’s Upper Cemetery fire could’ve been worse if crews hadn’t treated the area just one week before

Washington Post
After social media outcry, CDC tells doctors to better manage IUD pain
‘I think I’ve been drinking poison’: Schools face no U.S. requirement to test for lead
Google monopoly ruling challenges the idea that the internet has outgrown antitrust law

WA State Standard
As wildfire season becomes more threatening, experts are turning to AI
U.S. Education Department to gradually roll out new FAFSA form by Dec. 1

Wenatchee World
Chelan County launches therapy court to help struggling offenders
Gov. Inslee proclaimed statewide emergency amid WA’s wildfire surge. Her’s what to know
Declining enrollment: What it means for NCW schools and communities | How are schools funded?

Yakima Herald-Republic
Yakima County presses Pacific Power on wildfire-related power outages
Wednesday update: Retreat Fire containment grows to 64%, new team coming in

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
A ferry special delivery: Woman gives birth on board WSF vessel
Pioneer Fire creeps close to Stehekin but residents remain resilient
What it will take for the Southern Resident orca population to bounce back
Smoky air from Canadian, eastern Washington fires to drift over Puget Sound
Boeing’s new CEO visits factory that makes the 737 Max, including jet that lost door plug in flight

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Sound Transit breaks ground at Sumner Station
State offers wildfire tax relief to those in affected areas
Yelm community rallies to try and save sports programs

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Local organizations in Thurston County enhance efforts to address homelessness

KUOW Public Radio
‘We’re at a breaking point.’ Washington ferry workers demand 20% raise
Seattle Archdiocese faces new sex abuse lawsuits naming known offenders
King County wants old homes taken apart carefully, not crushed and tossed
Seattle’s Kaiser midwifery practice shuts down, even as demand for midwives increases
Tips can’t go toward Seattle’s minimum wage after December. Restaurateurs, labor advocates clash over changes

KXLY (ABC)
City of Spokane says progress is being made on housing and homelessness initiatives

NW Public Radio
Shucks! It’s been a bad year for hot shellfish
U.S. Department of Labor says it has no control over farmworker’s prevailing wages

Web

Cascadia Daily News
National Weather Service issues heat advisory for Thursday and Friday

Crosscut
As teen employment rises in WA, so do youth labor violations
The Newsfeed: WA abortion providers, patients feel impact of Dobbs

MyNorthwest
Pioneer wildfire moves inside Stehekin city limits
2 contractors charged in carbon monoxide death of Evergreen college student

Wednesday, August 7

PFAS found near Edmonds school sparks concerns about wells
The state Department of Ecology is investigating contamination near Madrona K-8 School, after a consulting firm found so-called “forever chemicals” in the school’s stormwater management system. Continue reading at Everett Herald. (Stephanie Davey / The Herald)

High schoolers’ mental health shows small improvement in new survey
There are small signs of improvement in the mental health of U.S. teenagers, a government survey released Tuesday said, but the share of students — particularly girls — feeling sad and hopeless remained high. Continue reading at Associated Press. (AP Photo/Don Ryan)

WA audit finds Marysville School District in financial jeopardy
A new state audit found that the future of the Marysville School District could be in jeopardy as the financial condition of the district declines. The report from the Office of the Washington State Auditor, released on Monday, said the eroding financial situation in the district, with approximately 9,700 students, “raises substantial doubt about its ability to continue.” Continue reading at Cascade PBS. (Amanda Snyder/Cascade PBS)