Seattle mayor silent on police chief’s lucrative exit package
(The Center Square) – Although former Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes served only 18 months in office, he’s taking away a lucrative severance package worth around $700,000 as questions remain about his departure. The package is well
WATCH: Water rights group slams state Ecology office for permit gridlock
(The Center Square) – A fight over water rights is heating up in south-central Washington. The Columbia–Snake River Irrigators Association is calling on state leaders including Governor Bob Ferguson to intervene and force the Washington State Department
Spokane mayor: ‘Could be weeks’ before people can return home after fires
(The Center Square) – Gov. Bob Ferguson said Monday that federal support is en route to Spokane, as roughly 1,000 personnel fight three fires, which he called among the worst in the history of the region. Ferguson
SNAP benefits for immigrants lawsuit launches in blue states
(The Center Square) — New York Attorney General Leticia James is leading a group of Democrats suing the Trump administration over a requirement to turn over personal information about SNAP recipients. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District
U.S. Senate forges own path forward on government funding
(The Center Square) – U.S. senators are forging ahead on a bipartisan plan to avert a government shutdown in October rather than following House Republicans’ lead. Unlike the House-passed continuing resolution, which simply freezes government funding across
Three Spokane fires total $3.45M in firefighting costs so far as feds step in
(The Center Square) – With three fires in northern Spokane costing an estimated $3.45 million to fight as of Monday morning, Gov. Bob Ferguson has requested additional emergency assistance from the Trump Administration after the flames destroyed
Washington’s own forestry experts warned its forests were becoming tinderboxes months before devastating Spokane wildfires
Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) officials said Eastern Washington forests were “overstocked” as catastrophic wildfires force thousands from their homes and trigger a massive state and federal response Among the countless images emerging from the devastating
La Center superintendent rebukes Reykdal, says OSPI—not Trump administration—putting federal education funding at risk
The superintendent of the La Center School District is publicly pushing back against Washington State Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal, arguing that it is the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction’s (OSPI) policies—not the Trump administration’s
Embattled Police Chief Shon Barnes received over $700,000 severance package for resigning
Seattle taxpayers could be on the hook for more than $700,000 after Mayor Katie Wilson asked embattled Police Chief Shon Barnes to resign just days after the city’s handling of the deadly Bite of Seattle mass shooting
Washington weekly drug overdose tracker July 27-31
(The Center Square) – The following is a list of drug-related deaths as reported by the King County Medical Examiner. The Center Square does not independently verify this information. The full list can be found here. Total