Click here for our Daily E-Clips policy.

Monday, August 28

After a shocking removal, WA capitol memorial honoring LGBTQ lawmaker reinstalled
A memorial at Washington’s capitol honoring the state’s first openly gay legislator was replaced Friday morning after a temporary removal that shocked lawmakers in Olympia. Just after sunrise, a handful of workers began planting a new tree and re-installing the memorial plaque honoring late state legislator Cal Anderson. Anderson, who served in both the House and Senate, was a decorated Vietnam War veteran and Washington’s first openly gay lawmaker – remembered for championing LGBTQ civil rights, as well as issues like low-income housing and gun control. Continue reading at KUOW. (NW News Network)

These 8 states will make free school breakfast and lunch permanent
When classes resume after Labor Day, Amber Lightfeather won’t have to worry about where her children’s next meals will be coming from. They’ll be free. Minnesota, New Mexico, Colorado, Vermont, Michigan, and Massachusetts will make school breakfasts and lunches permanently free to all students starting this academic year, regardless of family income, following in the footsteps of California and Maine. Several other states are considering similar changes and congressional supporters want to extend free meals to all kids nationwide. Continue reading at Fox 13. (Alejandra Villa Loarca/Newsday RM via Getty Images)

Police nearly beat this WA man to death. Six years later, will the prosecution against him continue?
In the coming weeks, a Grant County judge will decide whether the criminal case against Joseph Zamora will continue, 6 1/2 years after police nearly beat him to death, or whether charges should be dropped because the prosecution is vindictive. In a blistering brief alleging prosecutorial inconsistencies, misconduct, mismanagement and vindictiveness, lawyers for Zamora — the Moses Lake man who spent a month in the ICU after being beaten by police before being prosecuted and convicted of assault, then having his case dismissed for prosecutorial racial misconduct, then being charged with the same crimes all over again — are asking a Grant County judge to dismiss the case against him. Continue reading at The Seattle Times. (Erika Schultz/The Seattle Times)

Print

Capital Press
Potato exports hit record high
Washington farmers losing payments for providing fish habitat

Columbian
Camas teachers to strike Monday
Clark College receives $220K grant to train nLIGHT workers
Vancouver again removes homeless camp near Share House
Fort Vancouver brings in record number of tourist dollars
Editorial: Quick action needed on mental health system

Everett Herald
Youth mentorship program hopes to match more kids with an abundance of mentors
In Shoreline visit, CDC director spotlights vaccines, new COVID booster
Editorial: State, county overdose rates call for all-out effort

News Tribune
There are new park guides across Tacoma. Here’s who they are, what they’re doing and why

Olympian
Thurston County’s new voter services center may miss some key elections. Here’s why
Crews battle Twin Firs fire on Mount Rainier. Visitors asked to avoid these areas
State replaces legislator’s memorial tree, removed without warning because it was dying (Heck, Liias)

Peninsula Daily News
Clallam, Jefferson joins 22-county lawsuit

Puget Sound Business Journal
Why business leaders are recalibrating their approach to DEI
Sound Transit clears way for partial start of East Link service next spring

Seattle Times
Police nearly beat this WA man to death. Six years later, will the prosecution against him continue?
It’s nearly impossible for WA farmworkers to unionize. Here’s why that matters
How many in WA have gotten a COVID booster in past year
End of an epoch? King County may be down to its last glacier
Deterring violence, anchoring community: Nonprofit hopes for permanent Burien home
In shadow of Rainier Beach shooting, group works to reclaim ‘healing space’
A new report about college enrollment raises red flags for employers
Celebrating the life of Tokitae the orca on San Juan Island
What Seattle families want most from their schools
Editorial: WSDOT, partners must act to avoid calamity of encampment fire under I-5
Opinion: UW wasn’t wrong to charge students for online learning

The Skanner
Environmental Groups Recruit People of Color into Overwhelmingly White Conservation World

Washington Post
Biden’s course for U.S. on trade breaks with Clinton and Obama
Behind the AI boom, an army of overseas workers in ‘digital sweatshops’
How a small-town feud in Kansas sent a shock through American journalism
How a whistleblower says Booz Allen Hamilton defrauded the government
How the ‘urban doom loop’ could pose the next economic threat
The Montana climate kids’ lawsuit has energized activists, including this one
They invest in Black women. A lawsuit claims it’s discrimination.
5,000 pilots suspected of hiding major health issues. Most are still flying.
Ignored by police, twin sisters took down their cyberstalker themselves
Shooter in racist Jacksonville attack that killed 3 had bought guns legally
Opinion: We must keep marching toward Dr. King’s dream

WA State Standard
Violence against staff rises sharply at Washington psychiatric hospital
‘Blindsided’ by a Washington prison closure
Blood donations ‘urgently needed’ ahead of Labor Day, Washington officials say
Why Washington left millions in lead pipe replacement dollars uptapped

Wenatchee World
Douglas County among counties to claim DSHS is ‘refusing’ to treat patients not competent for trial

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Second lawsuit filed after Listeria outbreak at Tacoma Frugals kills 3
Sourdough and Blue Lake wildfires force another closure of SR 20

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Sourdough and Blue Lake fires force another closure of North Cascades Highway
Lightning strike sparks small fire in Mount Rainier National Park
WSDOT vehicle struck while helping motorist on SR 18 near Auburn

KUOW Public Radio
Are kids in danger when wildfire smoke hits, even on ‘moderate’ days?
King County Sheriff’s data shows misconduct down, excessive force up
One way to help coho salmon survive NW pollution
Grace periods, protection from cancellations: WA shields insurance policyholders amid wildfires
After a shocking removal, WA capitol memorial honoring LGBTQ lawmaker reinstalled (Macri, Jinkins)

KXLY (ABC)
Containment increases for Oregon Road Fire near Elk
Gray Fire in Medical Lake now 85% contained

Q13 TV (FOX)
These 8 states will make free school breakfast and lunch permanent

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Skagit levee repairs reduce anxiety for residents before next flood season

MyNorthwest
Bare electrical wire and poles in need of replacement on Maui were little match for strong winds
Celebration of life for Tokitae to take place in Friday Harbor
Correction: SpaceX-Discrimination Lawsuit story

Friday, August 25

Legislator’s memorial tree, removed without warning because it was dying, will be replaced Friday
A memorial plaque and tree honoring the late state Sen. Cal Anderson will be replaced on the Capitol Campus Friday, Aug. 25, after the original flowering cherry tree was removed for safety purposes and sparked an uproar. Anderson was the first openly-gay state legislator in Washington, and one of his priorities included extending civil rights to the LGBTQ+ community. Continue reading at News Tribune. (Jerry Cornfield)

Editorial: Schools must connect students to college, careers
Between 2019 and 2022, 70,000 fewer students enrolled in technical and community colleges or four-year institutions. Washington is back down to the 40% post-high school credential rate that originally prompted business leaders to sound an alarm. The drop-off is concentrated among low-income and students of color, which only perpetuates future income disparities. It’s time for schools to get real about that message, and for Washington’s education system to promote structural answers that can guide more kids into post-high school training Continue reading at Seattle Times. (Donna Grethen)

Contract awarded to retrofit ferry with hybrid electric propulsion
Washington State Ferries has awarded a $100 million contract to Vigor to retrofit hybrid electric propulsion systems into two of its Jumbo Mark II ferries with an option to retrofit the third for an additional $50 million, according to a Department of Transportation press release. The Jumbo Mark II-class ferries are the largest vessels in service with the ferry system and contribute 26 percent of the system’s greenhouse gas emissions. Continue reading at Peninsula Daily News.

Print

Axios
New study shows value of letting fires burn

Capital Press
Washington wheat farmer fined for crop insurance scam
Ag stakeholders lead dam tour as federal mediation deadline nears

Everett Herald
Everett Pallet shelter village can keep going with $700K in state funds

News Tribune
New apartments planned near Tacoma Mall gain tax break; here are proposed rent details
Legislator’s memorial tree, removed without warning because it was dying, will be replaced Friday (Heck, Liias)

Olympian
Family of man shot by police wants Olympia to pay $21 million for his death. Here’s why

Peninsula Daily News
Sequim approves moratorium on manufactured home redevelopment
Contract awarded to retrofit ferry with hybrid electric propulsion

Puget Sound Business Journal
Stricter non-compete agreements cut down on innovation

Seattle Times
Eastside-only light rail should open in March, Sound Transit says
It’s nearly impossible for WA farmworkers to unionize. Here’s why that matters
Editorial: Schools must connect students to college, careers
Opinion: Book banning has consequences

Washington Post
This latest covid variant could be the best yet at evading immunity

WA State Standard
Tough choices ahead as costs soar for Washington transportation projects (Liias)
WA treasurer joins call for FTC to oppose supermarket merger
Death counts remain high in some states even as COVID fatalities wane
Federal, state regulators prod utilities to consider technology for grid upgrade

Yakima Herald-Republic
WA Medical Commission fines Yakima physician who prescribed ivermectin to COVID-19 patients

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Teens accused of shooting Tacoma police officer highlights rise in juvenile crime
Puget Sound Energy not permitted to notify customers of rate hike

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Sound Transit board approves Eastside light rail starter line to open next spring
Enhanced security measures welcome students back at Sumner-Bonney Lake School District
Washington OKs killing 2 wolves in southeastern part of state after cattle attacks

KUOW Public Radio
From needles to pipes. Seattle outreach adapts to morphing drug crisis
Red flag warning for central Cascades; smoke returns Western WA
Who just paid $45 million to connect Seattle’s waterfront?
Changes are coming to Seattle Public Schools sex education courses

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Is Whatcom County prepared for a wildfire disaster?
Arboretum does not have fire plan, but one anticipated ‘in near future’
Tokitae’s ashes to return to Lummi Nation after necropsy

Crosscut
$1.1M in COVID relief steered to Auburn horse racing track (Mullet)
How wildfires are impacting outdoor recreation in Washington

Thursday, August 24

New hotline has connected kids to lawyers more than 3,000 times
A new legal hotline has helped minors in Washington state consult with lawyers more than 3,000 times before being questioned or searched by police. The new hotline, a product of a law passed in 2021, aims to ensure young people are informed before they waive those rights. The big picture: One goal is to reduce the chance of kids being pressured into making false confessions, Jesse Johnson, a former state representative who sponsored the new law, told Axios. Continue reading at Axios. (Annelise Capossela)

Hansen will succeed Rolfes in Washington state Senate
Democratic state Rep. Drew Hansen of Bainbridge Island was appointed to the state Senate Wednesday by the Kitsap County Commission. Hansen will serve the remainder of her term, which runs through the end of 2024. He represents the 23rd Legislative District, which includes Poulsbo, Port Gamble, Kingston and part of Bremerton. Hansen, who has served in the state House of Representatives since 2011, chaired the House Civil Rights & Judiciary Committee and, before that, led the Higher Education Committee. Continue reading at WA State Standard. (LSS)

Inslee Names Megan Matthews As New Director Of The Washington State Office Of Equity
Today, Washington State Gov. Jay Inslee announced his appointment of Megan Matthews as the new director of the Washington State Office of Equity. Matthews, who has worked as an assistant director in the Office of Equity since April 2021, has been serving as the acting director of the agency since May. Continue reading at Seattle Medium.

Print

Axios
New hotline has connected kids to lawyers more than 3,000 times

Columbian
Clark County Council OKs hearing on $8M in federal pandemic relief fund requests
Community solar project set for Camas-Washougal port
Editorial: Research gun violence reduction strategies

The Daily News
Editorial: Thumbs up to WA gun law changes, thumbs down to state ferry troubles

Everett Herald
Edmonds tables decision on 10 acres of public space near Highway 99
At Casino Road ‘village,’ immigrants navigate complex new American lives

The Inlander
Destructive and powerful fires swept through Spokane County last weekend, destroying dozens of homes, killing two people, and choking the region with the worst air quality in the world

News Tribune
Tacoma police officer shot Wednesday in area of city notorious for criminal activity
Washington steakhouse fires newly hired worker after learning they’re pregnant, feds say
Comment: Tacoma City Council is getting a big raise. Think they don’t deserve it? Think again

Olympian
More than half of WA counties have filed suit against the state for behavioral health failures
The secret is out. Olympia ranks among top 25 places to live in the West. Here’s why
Feds fine Eastern WA farmer $600,000+ for ‘unconscionable’ wheat crop insurance scam

Port Townsend Leader
First electric bus soon to be on the streets

Puget Sound Business Journal
Covid, RSV and flu: What to expect when it comes to fall vaccines
SBA details more changes to major program after court ruling
Health care staffing firm to lay off workers in Seattle
T-Mobile to lay off 5,000 employees, mainly corporate roles

Seattle Medium
Mass Shooting At Rainier Hookah Lounge
Inslee Names Megan Matthews As New Director Of The Washington State Office Of Equity
King County Awards Highline School District and City of SeaTac $800,000 For Priority Hire Projects

Seattle Times
WA State Parks unveils new logo
Special education school accused of harming kids barred from new admissions
Orca Tokitae’s necropsy shocks Northwest tribe as it works to bring remains home
Group sues Kenmore over city’s renter-protection ordinances
New report on King County Sheriff’s Office represents ‘progress,’ watchdog says
Editorial: Improve Seattle parks safety by listening to affected residents
Opinion: 60 years of progress, and our unfinished journey toward justice

Spokesman Review
State authorizes killing of up to two wolves in southeastern Washington
Spokane Public Schools approves $768 million budget, bracing for pullback in federal COVID support

Washington Post
Schools are hiring ‘under-qualified’ teachers as vacancies rise, researchers find

WA State Standard
22 counties sue state over lack of mental health care
Governor Inslee orders Cal Anderson tree memorial restored
Hansen will succeed Rolfes in Washington state Senate (Hansen)
After firing first equity director, Inslee appoints a replacement

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
‘Devastating’ death of Seattle woman stabbed over 100 times highlights domestic violence statistics
Amid a fentanyl crisis, Layne Staley’s mother still drumming up support for addiction recovery resources
Port Angeles runs out of room to store derelict RVs

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Washington counties sue DSHS over alleged failure to provide behavioral health services
Tacoma paper mill to halt operations after 90 years, 400 jobs impacted
San Juan County adopts 32-hour workweek for most employees
North Cascades Highway reopens to traffic as wildfires continue to burn

KNKX Public Radio
22 Washington counties sue state for ‘refusing’ to provide mental health services
Schools could be getting millions more from Medicaid. Why aren’t they?
Community remembers Timothy Green one year after police killing (Farivar)

KUOW Public Radio
Climate-friendly heat pumps are not cheap. Rebates can help
Will US Supreme Court weigh in on WA capital gains tax?
Why does the US drug czar think WA schools should stock Narcan like fire extinguishers?
Fuel, heat, drought, wind: Recipe for big Spokane wildfires

KXLY (ABC)
Nearly 1,000 firefighters working to control Oregon Road Fire, remains 4% contained
Local officials address Medical Lake community in wake of Gray Fire
Veterans of Foreign Wars Post in Elk provides for evacuees, first responders
Silver Lake community returns home to witness destruction of Gray Fire

NW Public Radio
Rain, soft and wonderful, comes too late for many near Spokane

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Bellingham rally highlights goal to protect ‘legacy mature’ forests
New school year, new safety protocols for some Whatcom schools

Wednesday, August 23

Washington state to cut down greenhouse gas emissions with electric ferry conversions
The Washington state ferry system is taking concrete steps to reduce carbon emissions with an announcement that three ferry boats will be converted to electric. Transportation in the United States contributes the largest share of greenhouse gas emissions across a single sector. Between trucks, planes, boats and other modes of getting from place to place, transportation generated 28% of emissions in 2021, the most recent data from the Environmental Protection Agency. Continue reading at The Bellingham Herald. (Steve Bloom)

‘Ready, Set, Go’ is the new ‘1, 2, 3’ for emergency evacuations
Four Western Washington counties, including Snohomish, are pushing a new evacuation messaging campaign to the public. The goal, county officials said, is to simplify phrasing to save lives. Called “Ready, Set, Go,” it provides three levels of action for the public. The messaging is new, while the levels are not. Continue reading at The Everett Herald. (Snohomish County Emergency Management)

Guns killed a record number of U.S. children in 2021, study finds
Guns killed a record number of children in the United States in 2021, exceeding the peak registered in the first year of the pandemic, according to a new analysis of CDC data.The report said 4,752 children died from a firearm injury in 2021 — an increase of almost 42 percent from 2018. The study, published in the journal American Academy of Pediatrics, found nearly half of those who died in 2021 were Black and about 85 percent were males. Continue reading at The Washington Post. (Jeff Kowalsky/AFP/Getty Images)

Print

Associated Press
Europe’s sweeping rules for tech like Amazon, Microsoft are about to kick in
Washington among states that declined federal funds to find and replace dangerous lead pipes

Aberdeen Daily World
Location is biggest hurdle as county moves to provide winter homeless shelters

Bellingham Herald
Washington state to cut down greenhouse gas emissions with electric ferry conversions
This small county in WA state just announced a 32-hour work week. Here’s what will happen

Columbian
City Play for Kids in east Vancouver provides fun space for children
Clark County sheriff’s deputies earn bonuses
Vancouver say Heights District will create about 900 affordable housing units

Everett Herald
‘Ready, Set, Go’ is the new ‘1, 2, 3’ for emergency evacuations
Letter: U.S., Canada owe it to world to take lead on climate solutions

High Country News
Washington to adopt rules protecting farmworkers from wildfire smoke

News Tribune
Was Pierce County homeless village ‘cooked’? Questions dogged $62M project from start
It passed but can it last? Hurdles remain for Pierce County homeless village project
How behind-the-scenes politics helped win approval for Pierce County homeless village
In rare move, Pierce County Council overrides executive veto on homeless village zoning
Adopted, then institutionalized: Did undisclosed records set up a local teen to fail?

Olympian
Port’s Gibboney rates a 3 out of 5 in performance review. Here’s what the commission said

Puget Sound Business Journal
Long-awaited Tacoma light rail extension finally has an opening date
WA tech startups compete for cash in Army pitch competition

Seattle Times
Century-old paper mill once famous for wafting ‘Aroma of Tacoma’ to close
WA public water systems can access part of $1.2B PFAS settlement
Workers for this WA county are getting a 32-hour workweek
Burien moves toward both homeless shelter site and camping ban
Melinda French Gates, MacKenzie Scott to help transform Seattle waterfront
North Cascades Highway to reopen as Sourdough, Blue Lake fires burn
What to know about the new RSV immunizations
Editorial: A WA library at risk puts democracy at risk
Opinion: Ban irresponsible aquaculture in WA waters and beyond
Opinion: Golden retriever or werewolf? The divide on Seattle’s image tops nation

Tri-City Herald
Smoky Tri-Cities skies finally clearing. But shifting winds means it won’t last long
Comment: We’ve seen the harm caused by U.S. immigration policy firsthand. It’s heartbreaking

Washington Post
Why do Republicans disproportionately believe health misinformation?
Democrats and Republicans divided on causes of extreme weather, Post-UMD poll finds
Guns killed a record number of U.S. children in 2021, study finds
She found her calling by speaking bluntly about sex. Her career was no match for the nation’s culture wars.
Justice Dept. brings wave of cases over $836 million in alleged covid fraud

WA State Standard
Washington agency under fire for chopping down a memorial tree next to the Capitol (Liias)
Degrees and other credentials beyond high school slip for WA students, estimates show

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
First certified sustainable Washington wine grapes bottled by select vineyards
King County Council member reacts to south Seattle shooting that killed sister of staff member
Family of man killed by Olympia police urges change

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Man arrested after exchanging gunfire with Tacoma officer during pursuit
Western Washington counties stress having a wildfire evacuation plan amid rising concerns

KUOW Public Radio
This Washington county is moving to a 32-hour work week
Following Tokitae’s sudden death, Northwest tribes call for repatriation of orca’s remains
Believe it or not, rents are down in Washington state

KXLY (ABC)
Pillar in Medical Lake community lost in Gray Fire
Gray Fire evacuations downgraded again, two suspected looters arrested
Gray Fire burning in Medical Lake now 48% contained
More resources for victims of Gray Fire in Medical Lake
‘We provide a safety net’: Red Cross offers medical help for evacuees
‘We are a family’: Medical Lake School District supporting families impacted by Gray Fire
Fire, public safety officials to hold meeting with Medical Lake community on Wednesday
Maple Street Bridge construction project to begin August 27

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Can Skagit County farmlands and ag businesses coexist?
Whatcom school boards not immune to culture wars

Crosscut
Washington’s ‘smoke season’ is back. Here’s how to stay safe.
Does the U.S. Supreme Court ruling open a door to discrimination?

MyNorthwest
Coast Guard working to neutralize ammonia leak on ship in Tacoma
Service to the San Juan Islands resumes after weekend ferry accident
Tacoma’s T Line Hilltop extension sets mid-September opening
North Cascades Highway reopens, Sourdough fire to burn ‘many more weeks’

Tuesday, August 22

‘Be ready to leave’: Estimated 5,000 people displaced from Gray Fire in Spokane County
Upwards of 5,000 residents have been displaced due to the devastating fire burning southwest of Spokane. The Gray fire began around noon on Friday, prompting evacuations in the communities of Medical Lake and Four Lakes. The areas, less than 20 miles southwest of Spokane, have a combined population of more than 5,000. Continue reading at KOMO News. (Kristina Marie)

Washington plans to end hotel stays for foster kids by late next year
Washington will attempt to eliminate short-term stays in hotels and other locations for foster children by December 2024, according to a new plan from the state Department of Children, Youth, and Families. The plan, released in early August, comes after advocacy groups sued the state over placing foster youth in temporary locations such as hotels, offices and even cars. Continue reading at Washington State Standard. (Getty Images)

‘The internet is no longer a luxury’: $667M from USDA for rural broadband
The U.S. Department of Agriculture will spend another $667 million on rural broadband loans and grants, the department said Monday, marking the fourth round of Biden administration funding under a program that the 2021 infrastructure law invigorated. Continue reading at Washington State Standard. (John Lamb/Getty Images)