Northwest News
Northwest News
Coronavirus Cases Rise Sharply In Yakima County Jail
The first person in the Yakima County jail tested positive for coronavirus in May — an inmate who transferred to the Yakima County jail from the city jail in Sunnyside, 35 miles southeast of Yakima. On July 6, the jail reported that 83 inmates had caught the virus, and this number continues to grow. Continue Reading Coronavirus Cases Rise Sharply In Yakima County Jail
Conspiracy Theories Aside, Here’s What Contact Tracers Really Do To Help End The Pandemic
Misinformation and conspiracy theories abound, from tales that people who talk to contact tracers will be sent to nonexistent “FEMA camps” — a rumor so prevalent that health officials in Washington state had to put out a statement in May debunking it — to elaborate theories that the efforts are somehow part of a plot by global elites. Continue Reading Conspiracy Theories Aside, Here’s What Contact Tracers Really Do To Help End The Pandemic
How Absentee Landowners Keep Farmers From Protecting Water And Soil
Cover crops are a vegetation that farmers can plant in the off-season to protect and enrich the soil. It’s great for the environment — and in the long run, for crops, too — but it costs money upfront. Farmers who rent land, and who may not have access to that land in the long run, are reluctant to spend that money. Continue Reading How Absentee Landowners Keep Farmers From Protecting Water And Soil
3 Things The U.S. Can Do Right Now To Slow Coronavirus Spread
Seven months since cases of the coronavirus were first reported, some countries have effectively combatted the virus and brought the spread under control. The United States is not one of them. But experts say it’s not too late. Continue Reading 3 Things The U.S. Can Do Right Now To Slow Coronavirus Spread
Déjà Vu All Over Again: Suit Alleges Latinx Voters Disenfranchised By Yakima County Election System
Yakima County is being sued over how it runs elections. In a lawsuit filed Monday, plaintiffs argue the current at-large voting system dilutes Latinx votes. That would violate the Washington State Voting Rights Act. A 2012 lawsuit against the city of Yakima claimed a similar disenfranchising voting system. Federal courts agreed in that case. Continue Reading Déjà Vu All Over Again: Suit Alleges Latinx Voters Disenfranchised By Yakima County Election System
Forest Service Considers Rule Change That Prevented Logging Of Some Northwest Old-Growth Trees
The land management plans, known as the “Eastside Screens,” came about in 1995 to protect old growth trees east of the Cascades. The rules were meant to be temporary. The Forest Service wants to amend a section of the policy called the “21-inch rule,” which prohibits harvesting trees that are greater than 21-inches in diameter. Continue Reading Forest Service Considers Rule Change That Prevented Logging Of Some Northwest Old-Growth Trees
Coronavirus FAQ: How Do I Protect Myself If The Coronavirus Can Linger In The Air?
For background, aerosols are tiny microdroplets containing the virus that can be expelled when we talk or breathe and can stay aloft and travel on air currents. It’s still unclear how much of a role they play in spreading the virus, but recently more than 200 scientists wrote an open letter asking the World Health Organization to pay more attention to them. Continue Reading Coronavirus FAQ: How Do I Protect Myself If The Coronavirus Can Linger In The Air?
Washington Supreme Court Reverses Itself In Century-Old Case, Affirms Yakama Nation Treaty Rights
The Washington State Supreme Court reversed a century-old ruling Friday against a Yakama Nation tribal member for fishing outside the reservation. The 1916 ruling mandated criminal charges against Alec Towessnute for fishing outside the Yakama reservation on traditional fishing grounds – a right assured by the Yakama’s Treaty of 1855 with the federal government. Continue Reading Washington Supreme Court Reverses Itself In Century-Old Case, Affirms Yakama Nation Treaty Rights
Take Your Horse (And Bike) To The Old Moscow-Pullman Town Road To See The Changes
The coronavirus pandemic has brought many changes to how our lives are lived, from working at home to the now-ubiquitous masks. Now roads are changing, too. Continue Reading Take Your Horse (And Bike) To The Old Moscow-Pullman Town Road To See The Changes
Idaho Group Wins Permission To Collect Online Signatures For School Funding Initiative
Reclaim Idaho hopes to put its initiative on the November ballot. It would require the state to raise state income taxes for corporations and people who make more than $250,000 a year. The money would be routed to public schools. Continue Reading Idaho Group Wins Permission To Collect Online Signatures For School Funding Initiative
ICYMI: Benton & Franklin Counties Candidate Forum Night 1
Full Episode Benton County Commissioner, District 1 Benton County Commissioner, District 3 Franklin County Commissioner, District 1 Franklin County Commissioner, District 2 Franklin County PUD… Continue Reading ICYMI: Benton & Franklin Counties Candidate Forum Night 1
‘Hogwash’: Jay Inslee Responds To President Trump On Pressure To Reopen Schools For Fall Term
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee is responding to President Donald Trump’s threat to penalize states that don’t reopen schools this fall. At a news conference Thursday, Inslee pushed back hard on the president and said the state won’t be bullied. Continue Reading ‘Hogwash’: Jay Inslee Responds To President Trump On Pressure To Reopen Schools For Fall Term
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