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Monday, September 12

Bolt Creek fire, Highway 2 closure and evacuations — Live updates
A major wildfire burning west of the Cascades since Saturday is now 2% contained — a welcome sign of progress as the blaze continues to burn in timber and brush. The Bolt Creek fire ignited early Saturday morning and spread rapidly to 7,600 acres by Sunday, prompting evacuations around the small town of Index in the western Cascade Mountain foothills. An 18-mile stretch of Highway 2 remains closed from east of Gold Bar to Skykomish. Evacuation orders remain in effect. Throughout Monday, on this page, updates will be provided on fires, air quality and evacuations. Continue reading at The Seattle Times. (Jennifer Buchanan)

Hottest August on record for Idaho, Oregon and Washington
Oregon, Idaho and Washington had their hottest Augusts in 128 years of record-keeping, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported Sept. 9. Heat records fell in all three states, topping old marks for the month by nearly a degree in Idaho and by more than a degree in Washington and Oregon. Temperatures were far above normal. Idaho’s average temperature was 5.67 degrees Fahrenheit above the norm, while Washington’s was 6.3 and Oregon’s 6.6. The three states also set records for average temperature over a two-month period, July and August. Continue reading at Capital Press. (Don Jenkins)

City to hand out meals to Seattle Public Schools students beginning Monday
The city of Seattle will begin distributing meals to Seattle Public Schools (SPS) students while an ongoing teacher strike continues to delay the first day of school. The city is partnering with PTSAs and community groups across the city to hand out meals prepared by the Seattle Public Schools’ culinary services team. Grab-and-go lunches will be available for students and families at nearly 50 locations between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. daily while the strike continues. In an update Sunday, SPS said the two sides had made progress during negotiations with a mediator, but still had not come to an agreement. Continue reading at KING 5.

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Associated Press
18 fires burning in Oregon, Washington lead to evacuations

Aberdeen Daily World
Solid salmon return numbers forecast for next several weeks in Grays Harbor

Bellingham Herald
‘Parents Bill of Rights’ targets CRT, sex ed, trans youth. Here’s what else it does
Many WA schools no longer give students free meals. Here are resources for families to save
Daylight-saving time ends in November. But didn’t WA decide to stop doing this?
Air quality remains unhealthy in Whatcom Sunday. Here’s where

Capital Press
Hottest August on record for Idaho, Oregon and Washington
La Nina settling in for third straight winter
Inslee champions alliance with California on climate

Columbian
Editorial: In Our View: COVID here to stay, no longer an emergency

The Daily News
U.S. Highway 12 opening, evacuations lifting as red flag warning ends
Cowlitz County ends summer with housing inventory increase

Everett Herald
Bolt Creek wildfire grows to nearly 8,000 acres; US 2 closed indefinitely
Snohomish County remote work study echoes national sentiment
COVID boosters targeting omicron are here, in limited supply

The Inlander
What we can learn from the 19 dead found over six years at Spokane’s Wolfe and New Washington apartments

News Tribune
‘Dangerous place to live’: Why state-run home for vulnerable adults is under fire again
Op-Ed: It’s time for free community college for students in Washington state. Here’s why

Olympian
U.S. 12 reopens over White Pass, Packwood evacuation levels reduced
State says it finds no wrongdoing in agency’s handling of Oakley Carlson’s case
Maps show possible new districts for expanded Thurston County, Port of Olympia boards
Corrections fined for violating safety rules amid tuberculosis outbreak at Stafford Creek
Lab results show Thurston has its first case of monkeypox, health officials announce
Editorial: Local equity groups are just getting under way, and already we are eager for results

Peninsula Daily News
Smoke clearing on North Olympic Peninsula
Courthouse security, state funding on county agendas

Seattle Medium
City of Seattle To Distribute Meals To Children At Nearly 50 Sites Across The City Starting Today

Seattle Times
Bolt Creek fire, Highway 2 closure and evacuations: Live updates
Cool marine breeze expected to clear air, dampen fires
WA utilities proactively turn off power as wildfires come west
King County proposes new hotline for victims of hate crimes
Wildfire smoke causes worst Seattle air quality in 2 years
No school as Seattle teachers, district keep talking; free meals available

Spokesman Review
In the Northwest and beyond, mature and old-growth trees remain under threat in spite of Biden’s move to protect them
Opinion: College costs are still sky high, but the debt picture is improving — at least a bit

Washington Post
Trump backers flood election offices with requests as 2022 vote nears
As U.S. rail strike looms, White House aides scramble to avert crisis
U.S. declares disaster for tribal salmon fisheries on the West Coast
Biden has achieved historic diversity. A new study says more can be done.

Yakima Herald-Republic
Air quality in Yakima Valley deemed unhealthy amid wildfire smoke
U.S. 12 over White Pass reopens; fire evacuation levels reduced near Packwood

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
City to hand out meals to Seattle Public Schools students beginning Monday
Seattle’s air quality was among the worst in the world this weekend

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Severe weather shelter activated in King County in response to poor air quality
Bolt Creek Fire near Skykomish nears 8,000 acres; evacuations, road closures remain in effect
‘Moderate’ air quality amid high smoke, haze but conditions expected to improve

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
No school on Monday for SPS
Danger from Bolt Creek fire displaces local families in Skykomish area
Gas prices drop in Seattle, Washington state, nation for 13th straight week

KNKX Public Radio
Port of Everett unveils Blue Heron Slough – one of the region’s largest estuary restorations

KUOW Public Radio
Go now (we’re serious), Snohomish County tells smoked-out residents near Bolt Creek fire

Q13 TV (FOX)
Bolt Creek Fire: Evacuations still in place for wildfire burning near Skykomish
Goat Rocks Fire: Fire burns nearly 3,000 acres; Highway 12, SR-123 reopen
FEMA authorizes emergency funds for Bolt Creek Fire

Web

Crosscut
How some low-income buyers can afford a home in pricey Seattle
A Washingtonian’s guide to living among volcanoes

The Stranger
How Can We Fix the King County Jail Crisis?

Friday, September 9

Washington’s COVID-19 state of emergency to end Oct. 31
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee announced Thursday that the state of emergency sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic will end Oct. 31, nearly three years after the Democratic governor first issued the order. A vast majority of the 85 orders issued – including most mask requirements, restrictions on commerce and restaurants – had already been previously lifted. An additional 13 health care related orders are set to end Oct. 27, including one that offered flexibility for locations pharmacies could store vaccines. Ten remaining orders, including the underlying emergency order and vaccination requirements for health care and education workers, will remain in place until the emergency order is lifted Oct. 31. Continue reading at The Associated Press. (Ted S. Warren)

All Washington state students would receive free meals under new OSPI proposal
All K-12 students in Washington would receive free school lunches under a new proposal announced by the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction Thursday morning. The proposal will be brought to the Legislature during the upcoming session, which begins in January. If passed, students will have free meals at school starting in the 2023-24 school year. The superintendent said about 47% of students in the state are already eligible for free or reduced-price meals. Additionally, more than half of Washington students attend schools that participate in the Community Eligibility Provision, which means that all students enrolled at schools in low-income areas are eligible for free breakfast and lunch. Continue reading at The Bellingham Herald. (Cheyenne Boone)

Unpacking the complexities of teacher strikes
Tens of thousands of Seattle students are getting an extended summer break after Seattle Public Schools educators went on strike Wednesday. It’s the latest in a long line of school interruptions since the beginning of the pandemic, from school closures and remote learning to school bus shortages. Instead of going back to the classroom this week, more than 50,000 Seattle Public School students were informed Tuesday that the start of school would be delayed because teachers were on strike. Along with salary, one of the main focuses of the contract negotiations underway between the Seattle Education Association and the district is special education. Continue reading at KUOW. (Megan Farmer)

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Associated Press
Washington’s COVID-19 state of emergency to end Oct. 31

Bellingham Herald
Wildfires near Baker mean smoky skies for Whatcom. Here’s what to expect
All Washington state students would receive free meals under new OSPI proposal (Nobles, Riccelli)

Bothell-Kenmore Reporter
Funding secured for behavioral health crisis stabilization facility in King County

Courier-Herald
Tribes, legislators, local leaders celebrate revival of Howard Hanson Dam project

The Daily News
Officials warn of fire danger, prepare for Gifford Pinchot wildfires to spread

Everett Herald
Everett settles $860K claim over ‘inadequate’ design of Grand Ave bridge
Comment: Abortion bans with medical exceptions present threat
Comment: Strong job market buoys hopes to avoid recession

Olympian
Gov. Inslee will rescind remaining COVID-19 emergency orders effective Oct. 31
Tumwater Starbucks workers announce they will strike Friday and Saturday

Puget Sound Business Journal
Tribal economic activity yields $1.2 billion in state and local taxes
Amazon still has no plan to require workers to come back to the office

Seattle Medium
New Measure Allows All Youth Under 18 To Ride Metro Buses For Free

Seattle Times
Federal survey delivers more bad news to Bering Sea crab fleet
Seattle-area home prices trend down. See what’s happening near you
Seattle in for smoky, hot stretch, but it won’t last long
WA’s COVID state of emergency will lift on Oct. 31, Inslee says
UW Regents vote to divest from fossil fuels by 2027
City of Seattle announces 3 finalists for police chief

Snoqualmie Valley Record
Carnation Mayor, community advocate steps down after nearly 30 years of service

Spokesman Review
Washington’s remaining COVID-19 emergency orders to end on Oct. 31 (Ormsby)
Air quality reaches unhealthy levels in Eastern Washington as wind pushes smoke across region

Washington Post
Britain mourns a life of duty, service
In ruling for Trump, low-profile judge Aileen Cannon invites scrutiny

Yakima Herald-Republic
‘Critical’ fire weather in forecast for this weekend; smoke visible in Yakima
Editorial: Yakima can’t afford to lose Memorial Hospital

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Inslee to remove remaining COVID-19 orders, state of emergency by Oct. 31
Most of western Washington under Red Flag Warning starting Friday
Organizers hope to honor Japanese-Americans imprisoned at Puyallup fairgrounds with gallery
An antidote for meth addiction? Doctors in Everett say it’s quite possible
No classes for Seattle Public Schools Friday as teacher strike continues

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Red flag warning: Poor air quality expected as wildfire smoke surges into Puget Sound
Bruce Harrell announces three finalists in nationwide search for Seattle Police Chief
No school in Eatonville tomorrow as bargaining continues

KUOW Public Radio
Unpacking the complexities of teacher strikes
Inslee announces Covid-19 state of emergency will end Oct. 31

NW Public Radio
Biden Administration Launches Website To Provide Real-Time Climate Data, Predict Future Scenarios

Q13 TV (FOX)
All Washington students could receive free school meals under new proposal (Riccelli)
Washington communities brace for wildfire danger with strong winds and hot temps ahead
18 Washington nature sites renamed to remove Indigenous slur after federal order

Thursday, September 8

New Covid-19 boosters coming to a site near you
Doses of the new omicron-specific Covid-19 boosters should become available at pharmacies and health-care sites around King County starting this week. Roughly 92,000 doses of the updated shots will be arriving in the county this week and next, according to Public Health – Seattle & King County. Statewide, an initial allocation of 191,100 doses is expected, according to the state Department of Health. You can also use the state’s vaccine locator website. Language assistance is available via the state’s Covid information hotline, 800-525-0127. Continue reading at KUOW. (Pfizer)

A WA town’s proactive approach to mental health care starts on the street
The problems of Mount Vernon, population 35,000, are mirrored in communities large and small across Washington. Still, [Erin] von Fempe and a handful of other influential people in the Skagit County town are transfixed by the idea that their labor and creative ideas may actually make a difference. Her work, and that of many others across Skagit, help illustrate the potential of a collaborative approach to mental health crises — one that, in an ideal world, would involve intensive coordination between social workers, behavioral health agencies, law enforcement and the courts. Continue reading at The Seattle Times. (Ramon Dompor)

When a man with a pistol shows up outside a congresswoman’s house
Everyone could hear the men on the street. The car, a black Dodge Challenger with gold rims, sped down the block, just past the congresswoman’s house. Two voices shot through the dark. “HEY, PRAMILA,” the first man shouted. “F— YOUUUUU.” Then came the second: “F— you, c—!” The neighbors knew the car. It was the same Dodge Challenger they had seen several times that summer. [Brett] Forsell said he would come back to Jayapal’s house. “I’ll keep doin’ it. And you can let her know that I will in no way physically harm her,” he said, unless she harmed him. “But I will continue to drive by here and voice my opinion, until she goes back to India — or something else.” Continue reading at The Washington Post. (Jovelle Tamayo)

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Associated Press
Queen Elizabeth II dead at 96 after 70 years on the throne
Seattle Council OKs plan to ban gas-powered leaf blowers
Seattle teachers on strike over pay, staffing issues
King County health officials urge new COVID-19 booster, flu shot

Auburn Reporter
King County Council wants to look at ways to support food banks amid rising inflation
Washington healthcare providers will begin offering COVID vaccine boosters

Bellevue Reporter
First time in history: DSHS increases cash assistance grants for Aged, Blind or Disabled program

Bellingham Herald
Whatcom’s summer has been free of wildfire smoke. That’s about to change

Capital Press
Court rules in favor of Washington raspberry farmers

Courier-Herald
No, Mount Rainier is not erupting

Everett Herald
Snohomish County signs on for share of mega opioid settlement
Mukilteo restores stolen plaque at site of fateful Point Elliott Treaty
Diesel prices stay high for truckers, farmers

The Inlander
Wilbur Tankersley’s mental challenges led to a tragedy at the Wolfe Apartments. His family is still trying to make sense of it all.
As some in Idaho aim to villainize librarians (of all people), here’s one personal tally of the many good things Idaho educators do

Kent Reporter
Kent teachers, district reach tentative contract agreement

Kitsap Sun
Kitsap’s board of health is expanding. Who is expected to join?

News Tribune
As gas prices continue to drop, here are the areas in Washington you can save at the pump

Olympian
Cloud over Mount Rainier stirs up panic after people mistake it for sign of eruption
Thurston County commissioners join hundreds outside DNR in rally to save WA ‘legacy forests’

Peninsula Daily News
Port Townsend City Council continues to hear about trans issues
Waters near Whidbey Island will be dyed red for wastewater study

Puget Sound Business Journal
Survey: How construction companies are navigating labor issues
SBA unveils new labor union toolkit for small-business owners

Seattle Times
Witnesses recall Whidbey Island plane crash, rescue efforts
Here’s what you need to know about the Seattle teachers strike
Striking Seattle teachers, aides explain why they are on the picket line
Seattle City Council approves plan to ban gas-powered leaf blowers
A WA town’s proactive approach to mental health care starts on the street

Skagit Valley Herald
More arguments heard in debate over environmental mitigation
Skagit County protects more farmland

Spokesman Review
Spokane’s new homeless shelter on Trent Avenue drew several dozens on opening day
$60 million Gonzaga-UW medical school building opens in Spokane (Riccelli)

Washington Post
When a man with a pistol shows up outside a congresswoman’s house
Rising seas could swallow millions of U.S. acres within decades
Bannon charged with fraud, money laundering, conspiracy in ‘We Build the Wall’
People worried Mount Rainier may be erupting. It was just a cloud.

Yakima Herald-Republic
Rental assistance fair is planned for Yakima County renters on Sept. 14
Yakima School District consolidates early learning with push for kindergarten readiness

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
No classes for Seattle Public Schools Thursday as teacher strike continues
Kent teachers ratify new contract, classes set to begin Sept. 8

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Most Amazon tech workers will not be required to return to office
Federal audit finds many Coast Guard units in Northwest lack tsunami evacuation plans

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Kent schools return to the classroom Thursday after agreement is reached

KUOW Public Radio
What happened and why? Federal investigators begin search of seaplane wreckage
What will happen when Mount Rainier erupts?
New Covid-19 boosters coming to a site near you
‘New opportunities we didn’t have before’ – Gov. Inslee talks climate policy
What WA families need to know now that federal universal free lunch is gone

KXLY (ABC)
Gov. Inslee appoints Marla Polin to Spokane County Superior Court
‘Just as bad as Seattle’: City of Spokane will enforce sit-and-lie ordinance as people ask for change

Web

The Stranger
Seattle Teachers Strike

Wednesday, September 7

Seattle teachers strike, delaying first day of school
Seattle educators are on strike Wednesday after negotiating late into the night Tuesday, with classes canceled in the state’s largest school district on what would have been the first school day of the year. Teachers, paraprofessionals and certificated teaching staff began picketing at their schools at 7:30 a.m. and will stay on the picket lines until 3:30 p.m. each day until educators ratify a contract agreement, WEA said. Teachers have been negotiating with the district for months, with leadership mainly focused on pay increases and support for special education and multilingual students. Continue reading at The Seattle Times. (Erika Schultz)

A ‘doomsday glacier’ the size of Florida is disintegrating faster than thought
A large glacier in Antarctica that could raise sea levels several feet is disintegrating faster than last predicted, according to a new study published Monday in the journal Nature Geoscience. The Thwaites Glacier — dubbed the “doomsday glacier” because scientists estimate that without it and its supporting ice shelves, sea levels could rise more than 3 to 10 feet — lies in the western part of the continent. After recently mapping it in high-resolution, a group of international researchers found that the glacial expanse experienced a phase of “rapid retreat” sometime in the past two centuries — over a duration of less than six months. Continue reading at The Washington Post. (Alexandra Mazur)

This weekend could bring critical fire danger to WA Cascades and lowlands
This weekend’s combination of high heat, low humidity and wind has prompted the National Weather Service to issue a red flag warning, meaning that wildfire danger is at a critical level. The danger extends from the Cascades to the Western Washington lowlands, the Weather Service said Tuesday. Gusty winds of 15-25 miles per hour from the north combined with humidity levels of 15-30 percent will make Friday and Saturday afternoons and evenings dangerous, the Weather Service said. Smoke from existing and new wildfires across the region could impact air quality Friday and Saturday in Puget Sound. Continue reading at The News Tribune.

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Associated Press
Seattle cancels 1st day of school as teachers OK strike

Bellevue Reporter
COVID-19 boosters targeting Omicron now authorized for certain individuals

Bellingham Herald
Twenty percent of WA suicides are veterans, here’s where veterans can find help
Some Whatcom residents smelling this wildfire smoke, as air quality drops
Four lightning-caused fires burning in Whatcom County east of Mt. Baker Ski area
Smoke in the air? Washington health department offers these tips to stay safe

Columbian
Editorial: In Our View: Democracy vouchers return power to voters

The Daily News
Omicron COVID-19 vaccine boosters in limited supply in Cowlitz County
Wahkiakum schools’ lawsuit seeking money for aging buildings presses on
Wildfire in northeast Gifford Pinchot grows; Oregon fires prompt evacuations

Everett Herald
Just as MLB, NFL seasons overlap, Tulalip Tribes open sportsbooks
Comment: COLA raise for seniors helps them, but not inflation
Comment: For many workers, ‘quiet quitting’ isn’t an option
Editorial: Google, Facebook ought to pay for news they use

Islands’ Weekly
Lopez Island School is getting an electric school bus

Journal of the San Juan Islands
OPALCO announces planned county wide outage

Kirkland Reporter
Kirkland man appointed to senior position in Biden Administration

News Tribune
This weekend could bring critical fire danger to WA Cascades and lowlands

New York Times
Europe Is Sacrificing Its Ancient Forests for Energy
How to Save a Forest by Burning It
The Supply Chain Broke. Robots Are Supposed to Help Fix It.
They Have Debt but No Degree. Could Loan Forgiveness Send Them Back to School?

Olympian
80-acre Goat Rocks Wilderness fire expected to grow this week
‘This place is sacred to us.’ Offut Lake landowners want higher taxes to fix water quality

Peninsula Daily News
Port Angeles School District, union reach agreement; school resumes

Puget Sound Business Journal
Pay transparency changes are coming. Many workers are unaware.

Seattle Times
Seattle teachers strike, delaying first day of school
Friday Harbor, where seaplanes are a familiar presence, reels after crash
Get a flu shot with your updated COVID booster, King County health officials urge
Kent teachers strike could end as union reaches tentative deal
Why is union organizing at a modern peak in WA? Starbucks workers

Spokesman Review
Forecast for hot, dry, windy Wednesday prompts National Weather Service to issue red flag warning
Spokane County Superior Court Judge Bjelkengren nominated by Biden to fill post on U.S. District Court for Eastern Washington
Sandy Williams remembered after plane crash as passionate journalist, community advocate

Washington Post
Material on foreign nation’s nuclear capabilities seized at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago
A ‘doomsday glacier’ the size of Florida is disintegrating faster than thought

Yakima Herald-Republic
Yakima County enters $2.5 million settlement regarding teen struck by sheriff deputy’s vehicle

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Kent teachers reach tentative agreement with school district
Eatonville School District delays first day of school as teachers go on strike
Parents fear Seattle Public Schools enrollment drop could impact quality of education
First day of classes delayed for Seattle Public Schools due to teacher strike
Child care center and families feel impacts of Seattle Public Schools’ first-day delay

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Seattle City Council passes legislation to regulate so-called ‘crisis pregnancy centers’
Cash America to pay nearly $380K to Seattle employees over minimum wage, wage theft allegations

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Strike over? Kent teachers reportedly reach tentative agreement with school district
Tumwater Association of Paraprofessionals vote to authorize strike
First day of classes canceled for Seattle Public Schools due to strike. What’s next?
Health officials: Get updated COVID-19 booster, flu shot

KNKX Public Radio
The new COVID booster could be the last you’ll need for a year, federal officials say

KUOW Public Radio
Omicron-targeted Covid boosters arriving in Washington state this week
Can’t we just eat those invasive crabs until they’re gone? (Probably not)

KXLY (ABC)
Level 3 Evacuations issued for fast-moving wildfire burning in Stevens County

Web

Crosscut
Four years later, voter-approved WA gun law hasn’t been implemented (Hansen)

Tuesday, September 6

10 presumed dead in seaplane crash off Whidbey Island, rescue efforts suspended
Rescue efforts were suspended midday Monday for nine people still missing after a floatplane crashed off Whidbey Island the day before, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. All ten people who were aboard the plane when it crashed Sunday shortly after 3 p.m. are presumed dead. A woman’s body was recovered Sunday shortly after the crash by the first crews to respond, while the other nine people, including a child, remain unaccounted for. The plane, a de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Turbine Otter owned by the charter service Northwest Seaplanes and operated by Friday Harbor Seaplanes, was traveling from Friday Harbor to Renton. Continue reading at The Seattle Times. (Ken Lambert)

‘Tragic outcomes’: Mentally ill face fatal risk with police
Time and time again across the U.S., people experiencing mental health crises are being killed by police, but the exact number remains unknown because of a yawning governmental information gap. The 21st Century Cures Act, passed by Congress with bipartisan votes in 2016, requires the Department of Justice to collect and publish data on how often federal, state and local officers use force, how many times that force ends up being fatal and how often the deceased had a mental illness. But the law doesn’t require police departments to tell the DOJ how many people their officers killed. The FBI tries to collect the statistics, but for the first quarter of this year it estimated that only 40% of all sworn law enforcement agencies submitted use-of-force numbers. That figure is far below the participation level necessary to justify policy changes. Continue reading at The Associated Press. (Craig Mitchelldyer)

Hiring and retaining K-12 teachers: Washington state schools battle shortage
The U.S. Department of Education reports the demand for teachers in special education, technology, bilingual education and math has been constant, but the COVID-19 pandemic only made the shortage worse and upped the competition to recruit teachers. On Aug. 31, U.S. Secretary of Labor Martin Walsh and U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona sent a joint letter to education and workforce leaders with an outline of three recommendations to address the teacher shortage. The letter includes information about establishing high quality paid apprenticeship programs, the benefits of increasing partnerships with workforce and education systems and ensuring teachers are paid a livable and competitive wage. Continue reading at KING5.