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Thursday, August 15

Whatcom County launches 24/7 Narcan dispenser program with first location operational
A new county initiative to increase access to opioid overdose reversal medication naloxone, known by the brand name Narcan, launched this week. On Tuesday, Whatcom County Health and Community Services announced that it had opened the first of a series of naloxone dispensers to be placed across the county. The dispensers can be accessed 24 hours a day, and are free to use. According to WCHCS Health Officer Amy Harley, they’re designed to increase access to the potentially life-saving drug even at times when it wouldn’t otherwise be available. Continue reading at The Bellingham Herald. (Rachel Showalter)

Behavioral health grants from the state Department of Commerce will fund new and renovated Inland Northwest facilities
Last week, the state Department of Commerce announced it would be disbursing nearly $13 million in behavioral health grants to the Inland Northwest. This funding, which comes from the state’s capital budget, will allow health providers to build or renovate behavioral health facilities to increase capacity in the region. This year, grants were distributed to projects that would fulfill regional needs, increase access to those under age 18, or build intensive treatment facilities that could support individuals needing long-term placements. Continue reading at The Inlander. (Young Kwak)

Possible price hike on personalized plates would help WA wildlife
If you’ve got a personalized license plate, it may surprise you to know that the money you paid for it went toward caring for and protecting wildlife in Washington. That may help soften the blow of a price hike on plate renewals that the state Department of Fish and Wildlife will ask lawmakers to approve next year. Today, it costs $52 to buy a personalized license plate and $42 to renew each year. The agency will seek to boost the renewal fee to $52. A hike of $10 a year would generate an estimated $1.6 million per biennium, according to agency staff. Continue reading at The WA State Standard. (WA Dept. of Fish & Wildlife)

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Axios
Medicare drug talks yielded $6 billion in savings
Seattle’s young adults face economic setbacks, but some make gains

Bellingham Herald
Whatcom County launches 24/7 Narcan dispenser program with first location operational

Capital Press
Commentary: Bipartisan Fix Our Forests Act offers a lifeline for forests
Editorial: Removing ‘burdensome impediments’ to renewable energy projects

Everett Herald
Boeing faces steep climb in catching up to Airbus
Larsen tours Whidbey Island transit facility with eyes on expansion
New $50M rehab hospital near Lynnwood is ‘more than just a building’
Council approves Paine Field plan with $297M in potential improvements
DelBene presents $960K check for Snohomish County work on Chinook Marsh

High Country News
Indigenous celebration of Hanford remembers the site before nuclear contamination

The Inlander
A pilot program in Spokane is addressing the mental wellness of students and teachers in child care centers
Behavioral health grants from the state Department of Commerce will fund new and renovated Inland Northwest facilities
“Pedestrian interference” tickets spiked during Expo celebrations; meanwhile, Spokane Police are now enforcing the Proposition 1 camping ban

International Examiner
“From The Heart of a Dragon” documentary highlights past and present entrepreneurs and cultural workers creating community in the CID

News Tribune
There’s a plan to replace I-5 bridges over Nisqually delta. Here’s how to give input
Train clips tanker truck on Tacoma’s Tideflats. Here’s what we know about fuel spill
Rigging the system.’ Is Tacoma’s grease-trap policy killing its small-restaurant scene?
Opinion: My experience as a Black and Asian woman informs and improves my work in the House

New York Times
Wind Beat Coal Two Months in a Row for U.S. Electricity Generation
U.S. Announces Prices for First Drugs Picked for Medicare Negotiations
Canceling Subscriptions Could Get Easier Under New Biden Administration Rules

Olympian
There’s a plan to replace I-5 bridges over Nisqually delta. Here’s how to give input

Puget Sound Business Journal
Federal judge overturns $72M verdict against Boeing
‘First-of-its-kind’ housing project breaks ground at JBLM

Seattle Times
Does light rail solve I-5’s traffic congestion?
White House says deals struck to cut prices of popular Medicare drugs that cost $50 billion yearly

Skagit Valley Herald
Concerns expressed about proposed energy storage facility
Skagit County report shows water quality has improved since monitoring began

Spokesman Review
Spokane’s Proposition 1 is now being enforced
Low summer flows on the Spokane River prompt city’s water conservation rules

Washington Post
Surprise jump in retail sales casts aside recession fears
White House touts $6 billion in Medicare drug price savings
Internet giant’s foes on both coasts consider what it takes to crack a monopolist

WA State Standard
Possible price hike on personalized plates would help WA wildlife
Prisoners still routinely isolated in WA, despite efforts to cut solitary confinement
Can 230 new units of affordable housing curb displacement in this Tacoma neighborhood?

Yakima Herald-Republic
Federal Report on Indian boarding schools doesn’t tell full story, local experts say

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
SR 520 toll rate increase starts today. Here’s what you should know
Tacoma Police Department is dispatching unarmed officers to some calls
The new statewide approach to recruit more police officers in Washington
Back to school: Mental health is top of mind for Seattle students, advocates
Washington homeowners are paying the price for wildfires before they ignite
Downtown Seattle surpasses pre-pandemic hotel demand, total visitors nearing 2019

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
SR 520 bridge toll rates to increase Thursday
Southlake Union Streetcar could be offline until fall
Alaska Airlines flight attendants reject tentative contract
Olympia decriminalizes some psychedelic drugs like mushrooms
Whatcom County installs first 24/7 dispenser for opioid reversal medication
More states moving to green fleets for public transportation with help from federal funding
Pro-Palestinian protesters who blocked road near Sea-Tac Airport to have charges dropped
Justice Department defends Boeing plea deal against criticism by 737 Max crash victims’ families

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Audit finds Marysville School District’s future is ‘in doubt’
King County sees downturn in fentanyl-related deaths, yet the crisis persists
‘There are no quick fixes’: WSF director tackles long-standing issues in first 5 months

KNKX Public Radio
Shellfish harvesters have to consider biotoxins later in fall and winter
Grid storage research facility in Richland promotes better energy storage

KUOW Public Radio
FCC adopts an alert system for missing Indigenous people
Medicare negotiated drug prices for the first time. Here’s what it got
What’s an ‘entheogen’? Magic mushrooms are now a low priority in Olympia

KXLY (ABC)
Cheney teachers rally for better pay, smaller class sizes and more resources
Kalispel Tribe receives $130k grant to expand dental care in Pend Oreille County
Parking requirements in Spokane expected to change drastically over the next few years

Web

MyNorthwest
Alaska Airlines flight attendants reject tentative contract
Sound Transit preparing for Lynnwood light rail opening on Aug. 30

The Urbanist
Where Did King County Metro’s Ridership Go?

Washington Observer
A new look for ballot initiatives

Wednesday, August 14

‘I really don’t know where we go from here’: Analysis highlights Washington child care crisis
A statewide research analysis published in July revealed the lack of access to child care has resulted in a $6 billion loss to Washington’s economy. Despite state investments that kept child care businesses afloat during the pandemic, the child care crisis remains severe, according to the study by Child Care Aware of Washington. The study found challenges such as disruptions, turnover, absenteeism and lost income due to child care issues amounted to $6.9 billion in 2023 in Washington. Continue reading at The Columbian. (Amanda Cowan)

WA Supreme Court ruling in Amazon case sets ‘precedent’ on price gouging
Washington’s Supreme Court ruled last week in favor of consumers who say they were victims of price gouging on Amazon’s digital store at the start of COVID-19 lockdowns. That’s significant because, unlike most states, Washington does not have a statute preventing excessive price increases in times of emergency, like the aftermath of a natural disaster or a global pandemic. Continue reading at The Seattle Times. (Brandon Garcia)

Rising costs for Washington school districts outpace state funding, report finds
In recent years, districts are spending a lot more money to keep Washington’s schools running — but state funding isn’t keeping up. That’s according to a new report from the League of Education Voters, which found school districts have increased spending on staff by 19.7% between the 2019-20 and 2022-23 school years. Districts are spending well above state-funded levels for operating staff, especially for office support and custodians — 40% of whom are hired using more funds than allocated by state lawmakers. Districts are also spending about 5% more on teachers and 11% more on teachers’ aides, or paraeducators, than they’re funded for by the state. Continue reading at The WA State Standard. (Getty Images)

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Axios
Inflation drops below 3% for the first time since 2021
What to watch when Medicare releases first negotiated drug prices
What a “no taxes on tips” policy could mean for U.S. tipping culture
Climate change-worsened wildfires drastically increased odds, severity of 2023 wildfires

Capital Press
WDFW removes wolf in Dominion pack
Washington cap-and-trade rebates start Aug. 26
Washington Fish and Wildlife chair: Let’s look at moving wolves

Columbian
Biden grants UW-led team $21M to develop cancer surgery technology
‘I really don’t know where we go from here’: Analysis highlights Washington child care crisis

Everett Herald
New artwork will greet Lynnwood light rail riders
Snohomish County set to launch $1.4M mobile opioid treatment program

News Tribune
State seeks comment on plan to demolish the old General Administration building
Hundreds of trees are coming to one Tacoma neighborhood. But will the city water them?

New York Times
A California Bill to Regulate A.I. Causes Alarm in Silicon Valley
Live Updates: Inflation Falls Below 3% for First Time Since 2021
How Extreme Heat Is Threatening Education Progress Worldwide
U.S. Said to Consider a Breakup of Google to Address Search Monopoly

Port Townsend Leader
$35M to boost peninsula economy
State finds first case of wasting disease in deer

Puget Sound Business Journal
Apartment renters seeing price relief as landlords sweeten deals
Day care facility breaks ground in Seattle after nearly 4-year delay
King County exec responds to businesses’ beefs about jail operations

Seattle Times
Marysville schools in ‘alarming’ financial condition, WA auditor says
WA Supreme Court ruling in Amazon case sets ‘precedent’ on price gouging

The Skanner
Pacific Northwest Tribes Battle for Funds Meant to Help them Adapt to Climate Change

Spokesman Review
‘The stakes are really high here’: Spokane Public Schools bans cellphone use in class
Sen. Maria Cantwell tours health facilities in rural northeast Washington to highlight need for services

Washington Post
Record-setting heat waves are baking the Arctic region
Inflation hits lowest level since spring 2021, most likely teeing up rate cuts

WA State Standard
Rising costs for Washington school districts outpace state funding, report finds

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Olympia City Council effectively decriminalizes psychedelic plants, mushrooms
Frustrated neighbors say campers are leaving an ‘unprecedented amount of litter’ behind
‘They failed the families’: Amazon missed multiple chances to stop selling chemical used in suicides

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Bigg’s Killer Whale population growing
Puddles the dog sniffs out invasive mussels
Lynnwood City Transit Center opening soon
FDA approves first auto-injector to reverse opioid overdose
Seattle first city to glide on Lime’s new seated electric vehicle
Yelm community raises enough money to save high school sports programs
Seattle City Council approves $12.5M for student mental health services amid public plea for more
Starbucks CEO replaced by Brian Niccol, a fixer who revived Chipotle when the chain was in distress

KNKX Public Radio
Music therapy uses sounds, lyrics and emotions to help patients

KUOW Public Radio
Seattle City Council considers ‘prostitution loitering’ law amid intense debate
Seattle City Council votes against restoring student mental health funds back to $20 million again

KXLY (ABC)
Spokane prepares to move to scattered homeless shelter model
How the Idaho library law might affect your child’s school libraries
Spokane Schools board of trustees will discuss restrictive new cell phone policy

Web

Cascadia Daily News
WWU draws heat for sale of two properties, records show one was never to be sold

Crosscut
50 years later, WA still feels the cultural reverberations of 1974

MyNorthwest
Why didn’t Washington make the top 20 in best states to live?
2 women rescued from human trafficking at Bellingham massage parlor

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.