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Thursday, October 31

Legislators, educators seek fixes for WA’s struggling system to educate incarcerated youth
Green Hill, along with Echo Glen, a juvenile detention center in Snoqualmie where students are 11 to 25 years old, are Washington’s two major schools for its state-run juvenile detention facilities. Outcomes at both are dismal. Despite all the challenges that come with institutional education, the field is woefully underfunded by the state. No state agency has a strong role overseeing the state’s 31 institutional education facilities, leaving a patchwork of school districts and educational service districts, which provide services to school districts, in charge of student outcomes. Continue reading at the WA State Standard. (DCYF)

Millions of low-cost homes are deteriorating, making the U.S. housing shortage worse
Millions of people across the U.S. live in places that are falling into disrepair, even becoming uninhabitable, making a massive shortage of affordable housing worse. They are disproportionately lower-income and Black or Hispanic, and many are seniors on fixed incomes. But a patchwork of repair programs — federal, state, local and nonprofit — are largely underfunded, with years-long waitlists. It’s a crisis that threatens people’s health and lives, yet can be invisible from the outside. Continue reading at KUOW. (NPR)

Potential defense workload changes could have ripple effects
A change is in the air for the state criminal justice system; whether it will be positive or negative is the topic of conversation for Clallam and Jefferson counties. The state Supreme Court is deliberating mandating reductions for indigent (public) defense workloads, to be phased in over a three-year period. Currently, full-time public defenders can handle either 150 felonies or between 300 and 400 misdemeanors, as well as limits for other types of cases, according to the state Office of Public Defense. Many argue those caseload standards lead to overworked public defenders and a lower quality of defense. Continue reading at the Daily News.

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Associated Press
Police say the man behind ballot box fires might plan more attacks

Axios
Washington home prices have soared in recent decades
How ballot boxes in Washington state protect your vote
What to know about ballot box fires in Washington and Oregon
With abortion on the ballot, reports show how bans lead to preventable deaths

Everett Herald
Boeing, union hold ‘productive’ talks in attempt to end strike

The Inlander
NEWS BRIEFS: Community Colleges of Spokane partner with Whitworth for admissions.
Spokane’s largest homeless shelter is closing. There aren’t enough places for its clients to go.

News Tribune
Immigration officials identify man who died at Tacoma facility as Mexican national
Tacoma teacher’s discrimination case settled for $3K. She claims attorney defrauded her

Peninsula Daily News
Port of Port Angeles awarded $9.4M in funds
Potential defense workload changes could have ripple effects

Puget Sound Business Journal
SBA Seattle District lending rate hits 15-year high
$1B regional workforce housing proposal advances from committee

Seattle Times
Parents, students rally against proposed Seattle school closure
Congress protests ‘revolving door’ to Boeing while rushing through it

Spokesman Review
Federal agency sets new standards for allowable PCB discharges into Spokane River
Spokane police officer who kicked handcuffed man in genitals is de-certified by state

Washington Post
Apple told TikTok it’s unfit for young teens, new lawsuit details allege
Gun death rates in some U.S. states comparable to conflict zones, study finds
Road rage has soared in an increasingly angry nation: ‘People are just overwhelmed’

WA State Standard
Police describe ballot box arson suspect
Legislators, educators seek fixes for WA’s struggling system to educate incarcerated youth (Callan)
Iowa AG leads two dozen other states backing Port of Tacoma appeal in Clean Water Act case

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Quileute Tribe has two totem poles stolen from building in Forks
Boeing, machinists union hold first meeting since last contract rejection
Pressure mounting for Boeing strike to end from Washington business leaders
‘What needs to be done?’: Community members mourn teen fatally shot in Seattle’s Central District

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Students, parents rally over planned closure of Seattle schools
Police investigate Halloween threat at Mount Si High, suspect identified
Former Seattle police chief Adrian Diaz files $10 million claim against the city
New rules require airlines to issue automatic refunds for delayed or canceled flights
Washington tested: Under scrutiny amid burned and missing ballots, voter confusion
Police say man behind ballot box arsons has metalworking experience and may be planning more attacks

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
City of Ruston proposes new ordinance to cap alcohol sales past midnight
Sea-Tac airport likely to see record number of guns seized at TSA checkpoints
Lighthouse Mission’s innovative shelter in Bellingham combines housing with job training

KNKX Public Radio
ICE releases identity of latest death at Tacoma detention center

KUOW Public Radio
Why abortion referendums are also about the economy
Washington man dies at Tacoma ICE facility, days after human rights group visit
Caregiving can be a tough, lonely mission. One daughter found ways to reconnect
Vancouver couple recasts votes after ballots destroyed in Washington drop box arson
Millions of low-cost homes are deteriorating, making the U.S. housing shortage worse
Seattle Schools pays former student record $16 million to settle Garfield coach sex abuse lawsuit
‘Untruthful information’ cited as reason former Seattle Police Chief Diaz placed on leave, sources say

KXLY (ABC)
Spokane’s TRAC shelter officially shuts down
Meet MIKE, the new Pullman Police Department robot dog
Hundreds of voters in Whitman County still haven’t received ballots

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Bellingham’s 2025 budget is a ‘temporary bridge,’ mayor says
Proposed Port of Bellingham 2025 budget includes property tax increase

Washington Observer
Debts come due for the Department of Corrections

Wednesday, October 30

Spokane families may be leaving thousands of dollars on the table when filing their taxes. Here’s how to get your share
Thousands of households in Spokane County are eligible for a tax credit that they aren’t applying for, according to Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown, who helped design the credit when she served in the state Senate. The Working Families Tax Credit is an annual tax refund worth between $50 and $1,255 depending on income level, number of qualifying children and whether an individual is single or files their taxes jointly with a partner. Income eligibility is based on federal tax returns, but the credit is funded by state sales taxes. Continue reading at the Spokesman Review. (Emry Dinman)

Overdose deaths are rising among Black and Indigenous Americans
The recent decline in overdose deaths hides a tremendous disparity by race: Deaths have fallen only among white people while continuing to rise among people of color, according to a new Stateline analysis of federal data. Health experts in nonwhite communities say they’re finding strategies that work in their areas, but that they still struggle for recognition and funding to address the problems, especially among Black and Native people. Between 2021 and 2023, overdose deaths among white people dropped in all but a dozen states, most of them in the West. But few states saw any decline in deaths among Black or Native American populations. Continue reading at the WA State Standard. (Connecticut Harm Reduction Alliance)

New ferry sailing schedule designed to cut delays, frustration in San Juan Islands
Island life may be idyllic, but getting to and from the San Juan Islands from Anacortes takes planning for both locals and tourists. Now, for the first time in more than a decade, Washington State Ferries (WSF) is rolling out new sailing schedules for the Anacortes-San Juan Island route. “The current schedules have not been revised in 10 to 15 years and are so out of date that it causes delays and frustration for all involved,” Steve Nevey, the head at WSF, wrote in announcing this new change. Continue reading at KOMO. (KOMO)

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Capital Press
Hazardous trees defended as sound conservation
Reward offered in Washington wolf poaching cases
Rains bring end to Oregon’s history-making wildfire season

News Tribune
Apex predators — under federal protection — found illegally killed in WA, officials say
East Pierce County is becoming more and more diverse. How about its elected leaders?
A woman reported an assault in a Puyallup park. Why she was charged with a hate crime
Locals want to save popular Pierce County forest from logging. Their plan’s hit roadblock
Person was declared dead at Tacoma immigration detention center on Sunday, officials say

New York Times
Consumers keep U.S. economy growing at healthy pace
E.P.A., just rebounding from Trump years, faces an uncertain future

Olympian
Thurston County takes extra precautions for ballot security after recent dropbox fires

Puget Sound Business Journal
Property tax bills are on the rise, growing in these cities the most

Seattle Times
WA program to address housing discrimination faces lawsuit
Second person this year dies at WA immigrant detention center

Skagit Valley Herald
Burlington road project still short on funding
County commissioners approve Skagit Conservation District rates and charges

Spokesman Review
WSDOT worker removing roadkill in Spokane County hit by pickup
Spokane County unveils new Bigelow Gulch connector decades in the making
Spokane families may be leaving thousands of dollars on the table when filing their taxes. Here’s how to get your share

Washington Post
This green housing trend is booming
Economy shows continued strength in third quarter, with pockets of softness
A young couple’s dream home was infested with thousands of bats and their skeletons

Washington State Standard
Overdose deaths are rising among Black and Indigenous Americans

Wenatchee World
Douglas County Hearing Examiner reviews applications for 31-lot development

Yakima Herald-Republic
Meet Megan Papuzza, new director of Noah’s Ark Homeless Shelter in Wapato
Federal authorities offer reward for information about gray wolf deaths near Goldendale and Twisp

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
New marker in Pioneer Square honors local LGBTQ+ history
Boeing, machinists union hold first meeting since last contract rejection
‘Egregious’: Fife police chief calls out juvenile detention center after ‘refusal’ to book teen
Bellevue woman receives 16 ballots addressed to her apartment number with different names
About 475 damaged ballots retrieved from burned drop box in Washington state, auditor says
Military families take on Washington school district for ‘dehumanizing’ medically fragile children

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Starbucks steps up return-to-office policy
Clogged culvert likely caused landslide that closed I-5 in Bellingham
Auditor says hundreds of Eastern WA ballots never made it to voters
Puyallup company built ballot drop box that was set on fire in Portland, Oregon
Former Seattle Police Chief Diaz, Director of Communications, placed on leave

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Starbucks mandates in-person work for corporate staff 3 days a week
Tacoma motel to be converted into supportive housing, respite services
Fife police chief claims juvenile detention center is failing officers and families
New ferry sailing schedule designed to cut delays, frustration in San Juan Islands
Former crime-ridden motel in Everett to be transformed into residential townhomes
City officials quiet on why former SPD chief, communications director placed on leave

KUOW Public Radio
Seattle Archdiocese to address Catholic Church’s Indigenous boarding school legacy

KXLY (ABC)
Hundreds of voters in Whitman County still haven’t received ballots
Is your family one of the thousands eligible for a tax credit in Spokane?
Mayor Brown pushes to make illegal dumping a misdemeanor in Spokane

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Anacortes, Bellingham ports awarded millions for pollution reduction projects

Tuesday, October 29

Why manufacturing recovery lags in Washington
Washington’s manufacturing sector, particularly aerospace, is still struggling to recover pre-pandemic job levels, lagging behind the national trend. Washington saw the steepest drop in manufacturing jobs in the nation in recent years, per a new analysis of government data by the Economic Innovation Group (EIG). Manufacturing jobs are back across much of the U.S., especially in the Sun Belt, where employment in the sector is now slightly above pre-pandemic levels, Meanwhile, Washington lost 6.7% of its manufacturing workforce — more than 19,000 jobs — between 2019 and 2023, per EIG. Continue reading at Axios. (Alex Fitzpatrick)

Rural dentist education to grow in Spokane under Legislature funding and new space
Education to train dentists mainly for rural work is expanding this summer in Spokane in facility size and student numbers. The University of Washington School of Dentistry will lease space for a new oral health training center in the UW-Gonzaga University Health Partnership’s building, 840 E. Spokane Falls Blvd., to grow its Regional Initiatives in Dental Education program. This spring, it received $2.5 million from the Legislature along with federal grants to expand the four-year program, doubling the number of students per year from eight to 16 – or 64 students once all cohorts are filled – and creating space for a second year in Spokane. Continue reading at the Spokesman Review. (Tyler Tjomsland)

Department of Corrections to spend $1.3 million of welfare fund for prisoners
Washington’s Department of Corrections has outlined new plans to spend $1.3 million collected from incarcerated people for phone calls and other fees — money that they’ve been criticized for sitting on, as the dollars are meant to go to improving prisoner welfare. Under the department’s plan, the dollars will primarily go to facility beautification projects, music programs and the “Washington Way” program, which focuses on making prison life similar to life on the outside. Continue reading at the WA State Standard. (Getty)

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Axios
Why manufacturing recovery lags in Washington
Fires at election drop boxes destroy hundreds of ballots in Washington, Oregon

Bellingham Herald
Just how big was the landslide that closed I-5 in Bellingham Sunday? Here are the numbers

Capital Press
Feds fund expansion of Washington grain terminal
USDA gives $167M for Northwest conservation projects

Everett Herald
Boeing launches $19B share sale to thwart downgrade

News Tribune
Tacoma motel near I-5 to convert to medical respite, supportive housing after acquisition

Spokesman Review
Arson burns hundreds of ballots in a southwest Washington ballot box
Rural dentist education to grow in Spokane under Legislature funding and new space
Most Gray and Oregon Road fire victims were underinsured, insurance commissioner says
All Spokane School Board members live in the same school’s boundary, but that could soon change
Matt Shea demands $24 million from city of Spokane over council’s condemnation of former mayor

Washington Post
The AI boom may unleash a global surge in electronic waste
On Elon Musk’s X, Republicans go viral as Democrats disappear
How the Inflation Reduction Act has remade America over the past two years
Planet-warming pollution is growing at the fastest rate in history, scientists say

WA State Standard
Arson destroys hundreds of ballots inside a Washington state drop box
Department of Corrections to spend $1.3 million of welfare fund for prisoners

Wenatchee World
Chelan, Douglas, Grant PUDs cease sending power to Canada; US, Canada reach tentative deal
USDA awards Chelan County Housing Authority $4.2M for agriculture workforce housing upgrades

Yakima Herald-Republic
Wautoma solar proposal moves ahead as Inslee tours Yakima County solar project

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Survivor has message for those dealing with domestic violence
Former Seattle police Chief Adrian Diaz on paid administrative leave
Seattle residents concerned about illegal street racing events over the weekend
Woman who allegedly yelled racial slurs, shoved teen in Puyallup charged with hate crime

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
King County Elections says local ballots ‘are safe’
WSDOT employee life-flighted after being hit on SR-206
More than 50 cars broken into in U-District near campus
Bipartisan proposal aim to crack down on organized retail crime nationwide
Man arrested for threatening LGBTQ nightclub, punching worker in Capitol Hill
Police say fires set at ballot boxes in Oregon and Washington are connected; ‘suspect vehicle’ ID’d
Ballot drop box fires highlight concerns that election conspiracy theories are making them a target

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Starbucks warns employees who continue to defy return to office order could be fired
Could Marysville School District closures be the key to solving their $3 million deficit
ACLU sues Seattle City Attorney’s Office for ‘misuse of power’ following judge removal
Former SPD Chief Adrian Diaz, communications director placed on paid administrative leave

KUOW Public Radio
Seattle Public Schools enrollment ticks up slightly as district moves ahead with closures
Former Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz placed on paid leave amid watchdog investigations

KXLY (ABC)
Two endangered gray wolves killed in WA, Fish and Wildlife investigating
Spokane County Elections Office steps up security during WA ballot box arson investigation
Researchers find PFAs in Medical Lake as West Plains neighbors still dealing with contaminated wells
“A violent attack on democracy:” Governor Inslee vows 24-hour security in response to WA ballot box arson

Web

Cascadia Daily News
As Bellingham weighs whether to replace a bridge, residents left in limbo
Carpet padding blocking a culvert caused interstate landslide in Bellingham

Crosscut
Seattle Veterans Affairs staffer alleges whistleblower retaliation

The Urbanist
Bellevue reveals initial designs for pedestrian bridge over I-405

Monday, October 28

Seattle becomes first U.S. city where EMTs can administer buprenorphine
Starting November, Seattle will become the first U.S. city where emergency medical technicians and firefighters in the field can use buprenorphine to treat people who have overdosed on fentanyl, according to city officials. The announcement follows the success the city has had with its paramedics administering the medication since February. If used regularly, experts say, buprenorphine can reduce fatal overdoses by nearly 70% and help people recover from opioid use disorder. The Washington Department of Health is collaborating on the pilot and granted approval to administer the drug. Continue reading at the Seattle Times. (Daniel Kim)

How much does your school district spend on special education per student?
The amount of money spent on special education students in Washington varies widely by district. That’s according to a new analysis of state data from July 2022 to June 2023 of Washington districts where there are over 2,500 students. According to the data, the amount each district spends per special education student ranges from $8,708 in Goldendale School District to $33,056 in Bellevue School District. Washington has steadily increased its cap on the percentage of a district’s population that can receive special education funding. Some lawmakers and advocates have pushed for the Legislature to end the cap entirely, as many districts have identified more special education students than they’re funded for. Continue reading at the WA State Standard. (Getty Images)

WA police get one hour of hate-crime training despite rising cases
Training records show the state’s Criminal Justice Training Commission requires just one hour of hate-crime-specific training as part of the 720-hour basic law enforcement academy that every officer must complete for certification. Experts argue more in-depth training could help officers better identify bias-motivated crimes and work more effectively with marginalized communities. In 2020, the state Office of the Attorney General released an advisory report recommending police departments adopt periodic training as part of their standard in-service requirements. Continue reading at Crosscut. (Genna Martin)

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Axios
Loneliness looms for Seattle’s remote workers

Bellingham Herald
Update: Interstate 5 in Bellingham opens after landslide is cleared
Bellingham will have a new public beach area next spring. Here’s what the city is planning

Capital Press
Washington case tests timberland owner’s immunity

Columbian
Washougal schools transportation director says school year off to a smooth start
Why don’t many WA highways have reflectors if the state gets so much rain? We asked WSDOT
Ballot drop boxes in Vancouver and Portland targeted by arson this morning, hundreds of ballots damaged
Electricity equilibrium? Finding power for the Pacific Northwest in the future ‘will be a significant challenge’

Everett Herald
Marysville schools HR director resigns, second since June

Kitsap Sun
Sedative now seen in East Coast fentanyl supply still rare in Kitsap

News Tribune
WA retailers lose $3 billion to theft each year. Here’s what Gig Harbor does to stop it

Seattle Times
Here’s how you can register online to vote Nov. 5 in WA
Seattle becomes first U.S. city where EMTs can administer buprenorphine

Skagit Valley Herald
PSE awarded $45 million for Skagit Valley project

Spokesman Review
Some snow forecast for mountain passes, but it won’t linger
Economists: Higher tariffs would hurt Washington farmers, consumers
Former Spokane HR director accused city leadership of racism and demanded a better payout. Now he wants $50 million

Washington Post
Supreme Court ignites wave of lawsuits against federal regulations
Many older Americans don’t trust AI-generated health information
The surprising winners — and losers — of America’s clean energy boom

WA State Standard
How much does your school district spend on special education per student?

Wenatchee World
WSU Wenatchee Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center to build $18M plant growth facility

Whidbey News-Times
State Ferries plans for charging infrastructure

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Ballot boxes in Portland and Vancouver lit on fire
Microsoft fires employees who organized vigil for Palestinians killed in Gaza
Boeing, in need of cash, looking to raise up to approximately $19B in offering
Care from medical staff who lack training, authority puts WA inmates at risk of injury, death, KING 5 investigation finds

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Massive landslide shuts down I-5 in Bellingham for hours
Ballot boxes in Vancouver, Portland set on fire Monday morning
Street chaos: Police battle a weekend of street takeovers in Tukwila, Seattle
Microsoft fires employees who organized vigil for Palestinians killed in Gaza
‘She tried to punch me’: Tenant accused of stabbing landlord to death over rent in White Center

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
School districts face closure amid significant budget crises
Washington sees 65% increase in car thefts, among highest in nation
Boeing, in need of cash, looks to raise up to approximately $19B in offering
Microsoft fires employees who organized vigil for Palestinians killed in Gaza

KNKX Public Radio
Commercial salmon fishers struggle with low prices

KUOW Public Radio
Mudslide shuts down I-5 North in Bellingham following extreme rain
Her journey through addiction and recovery came full circle in drug court
At the heart of the Boeing strike, an emotional fight over a lost pension plan

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Rep. Rick Larsen touts opioid-related legislation at Bellingham forum

Crosscut
WA police get one hour of hate-crime training despite rising cases

MyNorthwest
Street takeovers run rampant over weekend in multiple cities

Friday, October 25

Trump ignored disaster aid request from political rival
In early September 2020, wildfires tore through eastern Washington state, obliterating tens of millions of dollars of property, displacing hundreds of rural residents and killing a 1-year-old boy. But then-President Donald Trump refused to act on Gov. Jay Inslee’s request for $37 million in federal disaster aid because of a bitter personal dispute with the Democratic governor, an investigation by POLITICO’s E&E News shows. Trump sat on Inslee’s request for the final four months of his presidency, delaying recovery and leaving communities unsure about rebuilding because nobody knew if they would get federal help. Continue reading at EE News. (AP Photo)

Biden to issue landmark apology over Native American boarding schools
President Biden is expected to issue a formal apology for the federal government’s Native American boarding schools during a visit to Arizona on Friday. Biden’s message would be the first public apology from a sitting U.S. president in response to a federal policy that wreaked havoc on tribal communities. “In making this apology, the President acknowledges that we as a people who love our country must remember and teach our full history, even when it is painful,” the White House said in a statement. “And we must learn from that history so that it is never repeated.” Continue reading at KUOW. (Getty)

Senator Cantwell introduces new bill to help fight Spokane’s fentanyl crisis
Spokane’s fire engines are some of the busiest in the state and are prompting new legislation. A typical fire engine responds to about 2,000 calls per year. Spokane Fire Engine 1 is set to respond to 6,500 calls this year, according to Spokane Fire Department. U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell said the increased calls in Spokane are largely due to the city’s fentanyl crisis. She recently introduced a new bill in hopes of providing first responders better tools to fight against fentanyl. The legislation would fund and create new technology to detect fentanyl in a non-invasive way, in an attempt to crack down on drug smuggling. The technology would include using fentanyl-sniffing K9s and devices that can detect fentanyl vapor. Continue reading at KXLY. (KXLY)