Building a stronger, more just & transparent democracy
Building a stronger, more just & transparent democracy
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Most of us have seen poor little critters on the road smashed, bashed or otherwise mutilated. Roadkill, it seems, is a gruesome byproduct of the automobile age. So, it was heartening to meet Bellingham newbie Kai Wians, aka "Kai.ote Jack." We recently spent a morning at Lettered Streets Coffeehouse talking about roadkill harvesting and honoring animals who have perished on the highways through no fault of their own. Wians, 26, is mastering the art of roadkill harvesting for food and providing community service. Wians is one...
Washington state is experiencing unprecedented population growth, with the current estimate reaching 8 million residents, according to state officials. This surge is not only historic but also presents substantial challenges for the Evergreen State. State officials emphasized the significance of planning for the future, as an additional 1.8 million people are projected to move to Washington by 2050. To read more from this article, visit: https://thereflector.com/stories/washington-reaches-8-million-residen...
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) awarded $4.8 million to the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) to refurbish aging passenger spaces on six Issaquah-class ferries. The grant will pay for upgrades on all six of WSF’s Issaquah Class Vessels, originally constructed between 1979 and 1982 and currently serving travelers in Mukilteo, Fauntleroy, Vashon, Southworth, Clinton, Anacortes, and the San Juan Islands. Funds came from the FTA’s 2023 Ferry Programs Grants, which was reauthorized in the Bip...
PACIFIC COUNTY - Each autumn, as the leaves begin to change and children in Halloween costumes take to local streets, another fall tradition unfolds in the small streams and tributaries around Willapa Bay. Lured by their legendary fight and willingness to bite, chum salmon have earned a cult following among recreational fishermen who frequent a number of rivers and streams within the Willapa Bay watershed each fall. "We fish when we can," said Ilwaco-based Spawn Fly Fish shop...
People on both sides of the debate about a metal recycling business in Bellingham might agree on one thing. It feels like Cherry Point all over again. Over the past 15 years at least, Whatcom County's industrial zone along the Salish Sea has been the subject of a turf war between labor leaders and others who insist the county should be a home to heavy industry, and residents calling for a relatively pristine playground for families, retirees and wildlife. Among those who live...
WINONA – Trains are running over Rebel Flat Creek only two months after the Winona Fire destroyed the train trestle here. On Friday, Oct. 20, state officials announced that the trestle has been replaced and the trains are running. The trestle is a vital link connecting wheat farmers and suppliers in Adams and Whitman Counties. The 197-foot wooden trestle over the creek was destroyed Aug. 19 in the Winona Fire, which burned 2,525 acres as well as several buildings. "The b...
Grants are available to support the rehabilitation and restoration of historic barns, cemeteries and theaters across the state because of funding from the Washington state Legislature. The legislature's approval of the 2023-25 state budget earlier this year included reauthorization of four state capital grant programs operated by the Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation (DAHP): the Heritage Barn Grant Program, Historic County Courthouse Grant Program, Historic...
One of the largest sources of funding to replace the aging Interstate 5 bridge over the Columbia River will tax travelers a few bucks as they cross the water. During its meeting July 18, the Washington Transportation Commission heard from officials involved with the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program (IBRP), a multi-billion-dollar project set to fix a major infrastructure issue at Clark County's southern border. The major development for the project was the Oregon state...
As the Chinook Observer went to press this week, word reached the newsroom that Rick Nelson, publisher of the Wahkiakum County Eagle, succumbed to cancer on June 2. Nelson would have laughed to have been called a legend or an institution. But he epitomized all the qualities most admired in community journalists. He provided a forum for all shades of political persuasions. His pages were always full with names and details as he and his dedicated staff celebrated the achievements and marked the milestones of the residents of Wa...
The North Cascades National Scenic Highway opened last Wednesday (May 10), just in time for Winthrop's '49ers Days festivities. Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) staff Jason Newman and Jesse Gurney swung the open gates at the Silver Star Sno-park at precisely 10 a.m., and the 20 vehicles waiting in line began the first ascents up to Washington Pass. There wasn't any pomp or circumstance on the east side of the 48-mile corridor of winter closure, just a...
Seahawks legend Walter Jones joined Gov. Jay Inslee and Secretary of State Steve Hobbs in raising the 12th-man flag at the capitol Jan. 11 to promote this weekend's playoff game. The Seahawks will face the San Francisco 49ers in the NFL wild card game on Saturday. Lawmakers wore Seahawks jerseys and carried 12 th-man banners as Jones raised the flag. Jones said meeting Washington lawmakers in the Capitol was a great way to kick off the legislative session. "To get a chance to...
Area pet owners who try to schedule veterinary appointments often encounter a phone that rings off the hook or an automated message saying the clinic will get back to them as soon as possible. When clients do connect, they often find the next available appointment can be weeks or months out. This frustrating situation is not just happening in the Stanwood and Camano area, but it is a problem vexing many pet care-related businesses nationwide. Pandemic game changer During the...
From afar, the questions surrounding his every public-stage movement are fascinating political theater playing out in a decidedly Other Washington: What's motivating Bob Woodward? From this Washington, it's less immediate, but equally tantalizing, especially given Woodward's scheduled Nov. 12 Mount Baker Theatre appearance - a few days after what promises to be a momentous national midterm election. His most recent release, "The Trump Tapes," an annotated audiobook version of...
SEATTLE - Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell announced on Oct. 27 detailed elements of his One Seattle Graffiti Plan to beautify Seattle and address a surge in graffiti. "Not only does tagging and graffiti detract from the vibrancy of our city, there are tangible impacts on communities targeted by hate speech, small business owners whose shops are defaced, and residents who rely on City signage for information and guidance," said Harrell in a news release. "Incidents of graffiti...
Six years after the Edmonds Fishing Pier was reopened following extensive renovations, some of the popular structure's top railings appear to be failing. Meant to carry the weight of adults and children leaning over to count starfish along the marina's breakwater, many of the upright wood composite boards along the east-west walkway sport cracks where they are screwed onto metal supporting posts. While some of these cracks are merely hairline fractures, others are...
In less than a year, those who want to board a flight or enter some federal buildings will be required to present a REAL ID. Starting on May 3, 2023, passengers will be required to have the new enhanced ID. The Real ID Act was passed by Congress in 2005, which put new minimum security standards in place for state-issued driver's licenses and ID cards. The original deadline to have a REAL ID was set for 2016 but it was delayed several times, most recently in April of 2021,...
It was, on the face of it, just another Saturday in which the sounds and smells of agriculture wafted from the Ardell Pavilion at the Grant County Fairgrounds. But the bleats and the grunts filling the pavilion came from animals you don't often see in the Columbia Basin - alpacas. And there were scores of the South American camelids at the fairgrounds on Saturday. They were part of a two-day long Alpacafest show organized by the Alpaca Association of Western Washington along...
The Canadian government has announced that effective Saturday, October 1, it will be dropping its Covid-19 vaccination requirement and end random Covid-19 testing for people entering the country. The current Covid-19 emergency order in council is set to expire at midnight on Friday, September 30. Effective October 1, 2022, all travelers, regardless of citizenship, will no longer have to: • Submit public health information through the ArriveCAN app or website; • Provide pro...
Even before the North Cascades Scenic Highway opened on Sept. 2, 1972, after 13 years of actual construction and many more of surveying, the road had been the dream of entrepreneurially minded visionaries for a century. "[The opening of the highway] may well have been the final great break-through in the western movement that had been surging against the last Pacific Coast barrier since emigrant days," wrote Charles Kerr in a history of the highway published in 1972 in...
Four employees of the Methow Valley Ranger District safely navigated the rocky, narrow Harts Pass Road in treacherous conditions as torrential rains sent rocks cascading onto the road and seriously limited visibility on Aug. 22. The work crew was coming down the mountain in three pick-up trucks when they hit a blinding rainstorm near Deadhorse Point, Methow Valley District Ranger Chris Furr said. "Rocks were falling down as they were passing through. There was nothing to do...
RAYMOND — It’s not an everyday occurrence that a man walks into the police department with what he thinks is a human foot, but that’s what happened Aug. 1 at 10:12 a.m. at the Raymond Police Department. “Please, I don’t want to see it,” the clerk at the police department told the man before learning that he found it near the swimming hole on Trap Creek, which is a popular summer destination for locals to escape the summer heat. The spot along U.S. Highway 101 attracts dozens of people daily and has a gravel parking spo...
Anyone exploring the byways of the Key Peninsula has seen them, and maybe even been startled. Wooden bear cubs clinging to a tree, an enormous eagle perched atop a roof peak, a life-sized Sasquatch looming up at the end of a driveway. Chainsaw woodcarvings are a Pacific Northwest tradition. But there's one hideaway on the KP where these creations come to life. Next to a stack of cedar trees stands a series of upright logs, roughly cut into vaguely familiar shapes. Further on,...
Thirteen NEXUS enrollment centers in Canada remain closed even though the U.S. centers have been open since April 19. One reason why is because the Canadians do not want U.S. officers to bear arms while on duty processing NEXUS applicants, according to U.S Customs and Border Protection (CBP) spokesperson Rhonda Lawson who was quoted by The Canadian Press in a July 23 story. The issue of legal protections for U.S. officers was raised in an April 28 story in The Northern Light...
The parking lot at East Cranberry Lake was filled with cars, pedestrians and shuttle buses this past Saturday as folks from across the region came to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Deception Pass State Park. Included in the bustling crowds were volunteers and park rangers to make sure the day's activities went smoothly, vendors lined along the road selling food, knick-knacks and local art and people of all ages admiring the scenery. Performances from jugglers to local...
LONG BEACH - All you need is sand and water - and a little bit of aardvark snot. The multi-day summer Sandsations event delighted onlookers last week as several sand artists created one-of-a-kind sculptures, particularly along the Bolstad Beach approach, where the week-long contest culminated Saturday afternoon. Among the incredible array of artwork was everything from buffalo to an ever-popular Christmas postcard scene. "It's Santa Claus in a sports car, part of the holidays...
Spokane International Airport officials have solidified expansion plans to keep up with the needs of the continually growing city. The first expansion of the Spokane International Airport in two decades, the project, known as TREX, will cost a total of $150 million. "It [funding] is going to come from a combination of grant funds and a number of other things," Spokane International Airport CEO Larry Krauter said. "Between all the different sources of funding we felt confident...
KNAPPTON COVE - A pair of moccasins might only last a couple days and buffalo meat was much desired after a diet too rich with roots and salmon. The daily lives and dining practices of the Lewis and Clark Expedition came to life during a reenactment at an encampment last Saturday and Sunday at Knappton Cove Heritage Center along the banks of the Columbia River, just up river from Dismal Nitch historical site, where the expedition famously struggled to survive in November...
Boatloads of crabbers hope to kick off the Fourth of July holiday weekend with a bang when the season officially opens Friday, July 1. "Crabbing seasons should be similar to recent years around most of Puget Sound," said Don Velasquez, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife crustacean biologist. "Still, some areas with continued low abundance will see limited seasons or remain closed this year to promote Dungeness population recovery." To read more from this article,...
Travel between Anacortes and Sidney, B.C., via ferry won't be happening until at least next summer, according to Washington State Ferries staff. During a community meeting last week, Ferries staff talked about the plan to return all routes to their normal, pre-pandemic service. Domestic routes are the top priority, and there is no way to reopen the route to Canada this year, staff said. That doesn't mean that route is going away, said Ferries Director of Planning, Customer...
The project to replace the aging Interstate 5 bridge over the Columbia River is set to hit a milestone next month with endorsements from key stakeholder groups, though legislators on the Washington side aren't sure their priorities are being addressed in the project's current form. During a meeting of the Joint Oregon-Washington Legislative Action Committee on June 17, lawmakers from both states heard from project staff on the current "locally preferred alternative" (LPA) for...
Emma Haruka Iwao started programming when she was in elementary school. Now, she's broken the world record for computing the most digits of pi-twice. On June 8, 2022, Iwao, a Japanese computer scientist and Cloud Developer Advocate at Google in Seattle, became the first person to calculate 100 trillion digits of pi, surpassing the previous world record of 62.8 trillion digits set by Swiss researcher Thomas Keller and Iwao's personal record of 31.4 trillion, which she achieved...
CHENEY- Michaela Friedrich is the newest addition to the Cheney Free Press. She is a junior in the Gonzaga journalism program and is looking forward to her new gig. "I'm really excited to be here-this is my first job in journalism outside of the Gonzaga Bulletin," Michaela said. "After I graduate, I plan on staying in the general area. I'm excited to start being a part of the Cheney community." Michaela was born and raised in Patterson, Calif., a small agricultural community...
Since its arrival in Washington state two weeks ago, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), also known as bird flu, has now hit nine backyard flocks in seven counties, with Thurston County confirming the most recent case as of Wednesday morning. The Washington state Department of Agriculture (WSDA) tested the flock after the owner contacted WSDA's Sick Bird Hotline reporting several dead and sick birds in the flock, which contains an unknown number of chicken, geese,...
In recent years, recruitment numbers have been trending downward, according to Major General Dennis LeMaster, who spoke at Cadet Hall on the Eastern Washington University campus on April 25. LeMaster is the Commanding General of the U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence and 19th Chief of the U.S. Army Medical Service Corps. He explained that only 4% of Americans are enlisted to serve, and that number has been trending down recently, with COVID exacerbating the issue and...
When President Joe Biden visited Seattle last Friday, Mayor Bruce Harrell's photos were all over in the media, more than other politicians. Never mind that Harrell is only a mayor, not the governor of Washington state. Never mind that he didn't wear blue, the Democrats' color. Never mind that he carries a lesser rank compared to the U.S. Senators and Congressional members, who were also present at Seward Park when Biden signed his executive order to celebrate Earth Day....
Solo circumnavigator Erden Eruç of Wauna, 60, made landfall at Legazpi City in the Philippines March 24, becoming the first person to row from North America to Asia after launching from Crescent City, Calif., June 22, with brief stops in Hawaii and Guam, on the first leg of his second human-powered trip alone around the world. Eruç was headed to Hong Kong and points west across Asia and Europe, but adverse weather significantly slowed his progress across the Pacific. After s...
The program to replace the aging Interstate 5 bridge inches closer to a final design as scenarios currently under consideration are likely to use light rail as its mass transit component. During meetings on April 21, the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program Executive Steering Group and the Joint Oregon-Washington Legislative Action Committee were briefed by program staff on what the bridge replacement could look like. Of the two options currently on the table, both will...
After a ban of more than two years on food and drink service on Washington State Ferries, those taking the Edmonds-Kingston run can now partake in gallery offerings. Clam chowder washed down with a Northwest beer? Yes, please! And, after this week's ruling by U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle in Florida, boat riders no longer have to strap their masks back on when not eating or drinking. Sodexo Live!, formerly known as Centerplate, on April 13 launched phase one of...
NASELLE - It's a simple snip that happens in seconds, a distinguishing mark that lasts a lifetime for salmon providing crucial insight for fishery management across the Pacific Northwest. Fin clippers wanted In Washington a constellation of more than 100 state, federal and tribal facilities comprise to raise more than 200 million juvenile fish each year, according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. The Naselle Hatchery is among four state facilities in Pacific...
It's now one of those dates where people ask you: Where were you on that famous day, when Senate Bill 5615 was signed into law? The screams you have been hearing wasn't due to the Seahawks, the Seattle Storm, Mariners or even the Kraken winning a game. Rather the high boisterous shrieks came about what three Mill Creekers accomplished. March 28, 2022, is now in Washington sports and pickleball history books. It's the day that Sen. John Lovick's Senate Bill 5615 became the law...
