Washington Archives | Northwest Public Broadcasting

Bricks Could Rain Down On Your Head During The Next Major Quake. These Proposals Want To Fix That

By Tom Banse February 22, 2019

Brick or unreinforced concrete buildings could crumble in an earthquake, like this one in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 2011. CREDIT: SCHWEDE66 VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS - TINYURL.COM/YCFSUL7Z

Thousands of old brick, stone and concrete buildings in the Pacific Northwest could crumble in the next strong earthquake. To face that challenge, measures pending in the Oregon and Washington legislatures would set up grant programs to help owners of dangerous buildings make seismic safety upgrades. Read More

Washington Anti-Tax Activist Tim Eyman Tries To Return The Office Chair He Is Accused Of Stealing

By Austin Jenkins February 22, 2019

In this file photo, Tim Eyman sits in a legislative committee hearing. AUSTIN JENKINS / NORTHWEST NEWS NETWORK

First, he was caught on store surveillance allegedly stealing a $70 office chair. Now Washington anti-tax activist Tim Eyman has produced his own video. It shows him returning to the scene of the alleged crime. Continue Read More

Amid Measles Outbreak, Washington Lawmakers Look To Change Who Can Opt Out Of Vaccines

By Derek Wang January 31, 2019

Jocelyn Smith cares for her 11-month-old son, Mason at their home in Camas, Washington, on Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2019. Smith has been afraid to take Mason out of the house during a measles outbreak in southwest Washington because he is too young to receive the measles vaccine. CREDIT: GILLIAN FLACCUS/AP

As the number of cases and geographic reach expands in Southwest Washington’s measles crisis, state lawmakers are looking to revisit who can opt out of vaccinations. Continue Reading Amid Measles Outbreak, Washington Read More

Jay Inslee Wants More High-Speed Internet In Washington. It’s Needed In Rural And Tribal Communities

By Paige Browning January 17, 2019

Sign at headquarters of Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation

Washington's governor wants the state to start treating the internet the same way it treats electricity. That is, as a necessity. For example, many areas of the reservation of the Colville Tribes lacks broadband and therefore can't communicate with doctors through telemedicine. Read More

Banned Fish Trap Returns To Columbia As Sustainable Way To Catch Salmon

By Cassandra Profita January 16, 2019

Fish trap operators can pick out the hatchery salmon for harvest and release the wild salmon so they can return to their spawning grounds. CREDIT: CASSANDRA PROFITA/OPB

For years, Oregon and Washington have been searching for the best way to catch more hatchery fish while letting the wild fish return unharmed to their spawning grounds. Now, one group says they’ve found it. Continue Reading Banned Fish Read More

School Closures & Delays

By NWPB News January 7, 2019

Latest school closures and delays from our area. You can also report closures and delays on this page by filling out the form located at the bottom of the page. Continue Reading School Closures & DelaysRead More

Vancouver Fined $60,000 For 2017 Columbia River Sewage Spills

By Molly Solomon January 6, 2019

Allies and members of Yakama Nation hold a rally at the Vancouver Landing Amphitheater along the Columbia River. CREDIT: ERICKA CRUZ GUEVARRA/OPB

The city of Vancouver has been fined $60,000 after raw sewage was accidentally released into the Columbia River in 2017. The discharged sewage from Vancouver’s Westside Wastewater Treatment Plant happened during two separate spills in September and October of 2017 Read More

Jay Inslee To Pardon Washington Marijuana Convictions Dating Back To 1998

By Paige Browning January 4, 2019

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee declared a third special session on Wednesday and said it was time to ''crack the whip'' on lawmakers to get a budget deal and avoid a July 1 government shutdown. AUSTIN JENKINS / NORTHWEST NEWS NETWORK

Governor Jay Inslee will pardon people under his new Marijuana Justice Initiative. People convicted of minor marijuana possession in Washington can now have their record cleared. Continue Reading Jay Inslee To Pardon Washington Read More

For Undocumented Immigrants, Getting A Driver’s License Could Spell Trouble With ICE

By NWPB News January 1, 2019

Enrique Balcazar, a leader of a local group called Migrant Justice, faces deportation. He says records show his immigration status was flagged to ICE by a DMV worker in emails. ICE says it does not target political activists. CREDIT: John Dillon/VPR

In Washington and 11 other states, and Washington, D.C., undocumented people can still get a license to drive. The idea is that roads are safer if everyone using them has passed a driver's test. But that licensing process may put undocumented people at risk of deportation. Read More

West Coast Fishery Rebounds After Years Of Conservation Efforts

By Cassandra Profita December 16, 2018

Groundfish trawlers will soon be allowed to catch more fish as depleted populations recover from overfishing. CREDIT: MICHAEL BENDIXEN/OPB

Federal fishery managers are increasing the catch limits for several West Coast species that were overfished and severely restricted for years. Surveys show depleted populations of yellow eye and bocaccio rockfish, cow cod and ocean perch — all classified as groundfish — are rebounding decades ahead of schedule. Read More

Jay Inslee Proposes Big Boost In State Spending, New Taxes In Two-Year Washington Budget

By Austin Jenkins December 13, 2018

Gov. Jay Inslee announced his proposed budget for the 2019-21 biennium at a Capitol news conference Dec. 13, 2018. CREDIT: AUSTIN JENKINS/N3

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee is proposing a hefty $10 billion increase in state spending over the next two years to maintain current services and fund new priorities, including mental health and orca recovery. To pay for it, Inslee is once again pushing for a new state capital gains tax on high income earners as well as an increase in the business and occupation tax on Read More

Bill To Allow Killing Columbia River Sea Lions To Help Salmon Heads To President Trump’s Desk

By Cassandra Profita December 12, 2018

Sea lions have been eating steelhead and other fish at Willamette Falls in ever greater numbers.Photo courtesy of ODFW

Congress has agreed to make it easier to kill sea lions threatening fragile runs of salmon in the Northwest. A bill approved by the House this week changes the Marine Mammal Protection Act to lift some of the restrictions on killing sea lions to protect salmon and steelhead in the Columbia River and its tributaries. Read More

Scent Research Could Help More Salmon Find Their Way Home

By Jes Burns December 6, 2018

OSU's Maryam Kamran is conducting research on salmon olfactory homing in an effort to prevent hatchery fish on the Elk River from straying. CREDIT: JES BURNS/OPB

Apparently, salmon don’t like the smell of watercress. The aroma of shrimp doesn’t pique their interest either. And the fragrance, eu de steelhead? A definite no-go. Continue Reading Scent Research Could Help More Salmon Find Their Way HomeRead More

Washington Utility Regulators Deny Acquisition Of Avista By Canadian Firm

By Doug Nadvornick December 6, 2018

Washington utility regulators say the Canadian utility Hydro One may not acquire the Spokane-based utility Avista. In a statement, the state Utilities and Transportation Commission said "the proposed merger does not serve the public interest." Read More

Washington Had High Voter Turnout This Year, But Lower In Counties Like Yakima. Why?

By Esmy Jimenez November 30, 2018

If Washington voters don't mail in ballots, they can return them in person to drop boxes like this one at the Yakima County Elections Office. CREDIT: ESMY JIMENEZ/NWPB

In 2018, San Juan County had the highest voter turnout at nearly 84 percent, while Yakima County had the lowest at 61 percent. One major reason for that gap: demographics.Continue Reading Washington Had High Voter Turnout Read More

Report: Climate Change Is Already Bringing Problems To Northwest — And It Will Get Worse

By Cassandra Profita November 28, 2018

The Eagle Creek Fire as seen from the Cascade Locks Hatchery. To keep hatchery fall chinook from dying because of the fire, Oregon officials released them early. CREDIT: OREGON DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE

The Northwest is already seeing the effects of climate change, according to a new national climate assessment. Continue Reading Report: Climate Change Is Already Bringing Problems To Northwest — And It Will Get WorseRead More

Dread The Dark? West Coast Lawmakers Say It’s Time To Stop The Clock ‘Fall Back’ Routine

By Tom Banse November 20, 2018

Changing the clock for the first Daylight Saving Time in 1918. CREDIT: U.S. SENATE HISTORICAL OFFICE

According to some Oregon and Washington legislators, it's high time to get rid of the twice-yearly ritual of changing clocks. This past month, 60 percent of California voters approved Proposition 7, a ballot proposition to make daylight saving time permanent. Read More

‘A Necessary Precaution.’ Washington’s Blind Lieutenant Governor Wants Security At Public Events

By Austin Jenkins November 20, 2018

Lt. Gov Cyrus Habib is requesting money in the next two year state budget to hire security. JEANIE LINDSAY / N3

Washington Lt. Gov. Cyrus Habib, who is blind and has faced vitriol online, is requesting funding in the next two-year state budget to hire security when he attends large, public events. The request is contained in an agency "decision package" submitted by Habib's office to the Office of Financial Management as part of the lead-up to the budget writing process. Read More

Professional Initiative Sponsor Tim Eyman Is Back With Another Proposed $30 Car Tabs Measure

By Austin Jenkins November 14, 2018

Professional initiative sponsor Tim Eyman, right, holds a photo from his first successful $30 car tabs initiative in 1999. Eyman says he has collected almost enough signatures to qualify a 2019 car tabs rollback initiative to the 2019 Legislature. CREDIT: AUSTIN JENKINS/N3

Nearly 20 years after Washington voters passed Initiative 695, which repealed Washington's motor vehicle excise tax, anti-tax activist Tim Eyman says he's close to qualifying a new initiative to repeal taxes to support Sound Transit and restrict car tabs to $30. Read More

Democrats Make Gains In Washington Legislature, Many Races Too Close To Call

By Austin Jenkins November 7, 2018

Washington state Sen. Doug Ericksen was among the Republicans fighting to keep his seat after Tuesday’s election. AUSTIN JENKINS / N3 Listen It wasn’t a sweeping blue wave, but Democrats were poised to pick up several seats in the Washington Legislature based on the first tally of ballots Tuesday evening as many of the most… Read More

The Washington Election (And Others) Decided By A Single Vote (Or A Little More)

By NPR News November 4, 2018

Ballot drop boxes are stored for future use in a warehouse area of the King County Elections office in Renton, Wash. While Washington is one of just three states that conduct all of their elections by mail, it's the only one of those three that allows ballots to be postmarked by election day. CREDIT: ELAINE THOMPSON

Many Americans say they are disaffected with the system of politics and sit on the sidelines, especially in midterms. But not voting can have consequences: Just look at these races. Continue Reading The Washington Election (And Read More

Washington Supreme Court Upholds Most Of Charter School Law

By NWPB News October 25, 2018

children hold signs during a rally in support of charter schools at the Capitol in Olympia . CREDIT: AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File

The Washington Supreme Court upheld most of the state's charter school law Thursday, eliminating the specter that a dozen schools serving about 3,400 students might have to close. Continue Reading Washington Supreme Court Upholds Most Of Charter Read More

Opponents Of Washington Carbon Fee Ballot Measure Break Initiative Fundraising Record

By NWPB News October 23, 2018

In this 2016, file photo, piles of wood chips sit near the RockTenn paper mill in Tacoma, Wash. Another ambitious effort to pass a carbon tax in Washington state has faltered as both Gov. Jay Inslee and the bill's prime sponsor conceded Thursday. CREDIT: TED S. WARREN, FILE / AP PHOTO

The campaign against a ballot measure creating a carbon pollution fee has set a fundraising record for statewide initiatives. Continue Reading Opponents Of Washington Carbon Fee Ballot Measure Break Initiative Fundraising Read More

Report Describes ‘Abusive Restraint Practices’ For Washington Foster Youth Sent Out Of State

By Austin Jenkins October 18, 2018

A new report by Disability Rights Washington finds that Washington foster youth sent to Clarinda Academy in Iowa were subjected to abusive restraint practices. CREDIT: DISABILITY RIGHTS WASHINGTON

The state of Washington sent high-needs foster youth to a residential facility in Iowa where they were isolated, held in a restrictive setting and at times subject to “abusive restraint practices," according to a scathing report released Wednesday by the advocacy group Disability Rights Washington. Read More

Public Lands Grazing Helps Ranchers, Sage Grouse, Study Says

By Courtney Flatt October 6, 2018

A male greater sage grouse struts its stuff on Bureau of Land Management land in this April 21, 2012, photo. Bureau of Land Management

Grazing restrictions on public lands may have unintended consequences for greater sage grouse, according to a recent study. The imperiled birds depend on habitat on both public and private lands, and much of that habitat can be lost when ranching operations go under. Read More

Does Washington Need New Guardianship Rules For Adults With Severe Mental Illness Or Addiction?

By Austin Jenkins October 4, 2018

Western State is one of the largest psychiatric hospitals west of the Mississippi River. CREDIT: AUSTIN JENKINS

A Washington state senator who says he’s heard from “literally hundreds of parents” of adult children who are struggling with mental illness or addiction wants to allow families to petition for temporary guardianship. Read More

New U.S. – Mexico – Canada Trade Deal Helps Northwest Agriculture, With Much Uncertainty Remaining

By Anna King October 1, 2018

Winter wheat is harvested in a field farmed by Dalton and Carson North near McCracken, Kansas. CREDIT: CHARLIE RIEDEL/AP PHOTO

The new trade agreement signed Sunday at midnight called the USMCA short for the U.S. Mexico, Canada Agreement by the Trump Administration, could change things on some Northwest farms. Farmers are hopeful this new agreement will lift their commodity prices -- many of which are low right now. Read More

‘Done Being Silent’: Former Seattle Official Accuses Washington State Sen. Joe Fain Of Rape

By NWPB News September 28, 2018

Candace Faber, pictured here in the office of the Georgetown Journal of International Affairs, the weekend she says she was raped by Sen. Joe Fain. CREDIT: CANDACE FABER

Washington state Sen. Joe Fain denied Faber’s written allegations to The Seattle Times. “Any allegation of this serious nature deserves to be heard and investigated for all parties involved,” Fain told the Times. Continue Read More

Pasco Dairy Workers Take Labor Case – And A Motor Coach – To Seattle For Hunger Demonstration

By Esmy Jimenez September 20, 2018

Miguel Cuevas was on the bus in Pasco early Thursday, Sept. 20, heading to Seattle for a five-day hunger demonstration with his fellow "Darigold Dozen." CREDIT: ESMY JIMENEZ/NWPB

Dairy workers and members of the United Farm Workers union boarded a coach bus on their way to Seattle this week. It’s all for the start of a five-day fast to bring awareness to their Darigold Dozen campaign against the Ruby Ridge Dairy near Pasco. Read More

Washington’s Biggest Toxic Waste Polluter: A Mine (With Hanford Not Far Behind)

By Esmy Jimenez September 8, 2018

The Pend Oreille Mine operated by Teck is located in northeastern Washington near Metaline Falls. CREDIT: GOOGLE EARTH

Since the late 1980s, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has been keeping track of big polluters through their Toxic Waste Inventory or TRI. The EPA has released their latest data for 2017. We crunched some numbers for Washington, and here are the results. Read More

Washington Teachers Union Alleges ‘Wage Theft’ By Districts As Strikes Go On

By Austin Jenkins September 7, 2018

With 1,318 voting members in attendance at Thursday evening’s Evergreen Education Association union meeting, 95.9 percent voted to strike, starting Tuesday, Aug. 28, the first scheduled day of school. CREDIT: MOLLY SOLOMON

As teachers in a record number of Washington school districts strike this week, a top official with their union says the unwillingness of superintendents and school boards to negotiate higher pay raises for teachers is a crime. Continue Reading Read More

Insects Could Eat Twice As Much Wheat By The End Of The Century

By NWPB News August 30, 2018

A burn scar near Moro, Oregon, from the Substation Fire. CREDIT: ERICKA CRUZ GUEVARRA

Climate change might lead to bigger populations of hungrier insects. This could have serious consequences for grain-growing regions in the Northwest and across the world. Continue Reading Insects Could Eat Twice As Much Wheat By The End Of The Read More

Recycling Washington Ghost Ships Could Turn Trash Into Treasure

By NWPB News August 29, 2018

R/V Hero, a 125-foot wooden-hulled Antarctic research vessel, sank in March 2017 on the Palix River near Bay Center, Washington. Built in 1968, she was fitted with sails and labs for wildlife research but now poses a threat to oysters, other wildlife and navigation. CREDIT: MATT M. MCKNIGH

There’s an old saying that a boat is simply a hole in the water into which you dump your cash. They can be cheap to buy, but are expensive to maintain, insure, berth, repair and operate. They age, they weather, they often sink. When they do, they create another kind of money hole. The solution? Recycling. Read More

As Wildfire Seasons Worsen, Scientists Point To Summer Precipitation As Major Driving Factor

By Emily Schwing August 20, 2018

Washington fire managers responded to nearly 70 new fire starts August 11, 2018, including the Grass Valley Fire that threatened the Grand Coulee Dam area and forced hundreds of evacuations. CREDIT: INCIWEB

Wildfire activity in the American West is likely to get worse in coming years. A new study out in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences points to the lack of precipitation in the summer as the major driving factor when it comes to increasing fire severity. Read More

Listening For The Sound Of Silence In Washington’s Hoh Rain Forest

By NPR News August 16, 2018

Matt Mikkelsen carries "Fritz," his microphone system, to the path in the Hoh Rain Forest that leads to One Square Inch of Silence in Washington's Olympic National Park. CREDIT: SAMIR S. PATEL

In 2005, when Gordon Hempton founded One Square Inch of Silence, he designated a spot, a few miles up the Hoh River Trail into the rain forest, the quietest place in the U.S. and marked it with a small, red stone. "In a place like this your auditory horizon isn't just 1 or 2 miles," he says. "You can hear everything that's happening in this valley. Read More

Fires In Canada And California Add To Northwest’s Smoky Haze

By Emily Schwing August 14, 2018

Fires across the region have blanketed the Northwest in smoke. Blazes in California and British Columbia are also adding to the thick, reddish-gray haze. Continue Reading Fires In Canada And California Add To Northwest’s Smoky HazeRead More

A History Teacher, An Obsession With A Sunken Ship, And The Crew Searching For Its Wreck

By Tom Banse August 10, 2018

Shipwreck hunters Jeff Groth, right, and Scott Williams methodically towed a magnetometer back and forth over a search grid -- "mowing the lawn," as they called it. CREDIT: TOM BANSE / NW NEWS NETWORK

An Oregon-based group of shipwreck hunters wants to find the historic remains of the first steamship to provide service in the Puget Sound in the 1800's. The shipwreck search was inspired by one Port Townsend, Wash., man's obsession. Read More

The Entire Northwest Is Abnormally Dry, With Severe Drought In Parts Of Washington And Oregon

By Emily Schwing August 9, 2018

Washington map of U.S. Drought Monitor conditions for August 7, 2018.

The U.S. Drought Monitor says the entire state of Washington is abnormally dry. In Oregon, nearly 90 percent of the state is facing moderate to severe drought. Continue Reading The Entire Northwest Is Abnormally Dry, Read More

High Temps Across The Northwest Could Break Records, Add To Wildfire Concern

By Emily Schwing August 7, 2018

Firefighters from a Washington state Department of Natural Resources crew took this photo of the Boylston Fire Thursday, July 19, 2018.

Weather predictions across the West are calling for excessive heat and more dry weather this week. That forecast is anything but good news in the Northwest, where significant risk of wildfire continues to increase. Continue Reading Read More

When It Comes To Wildfire, Politics Lag Behind Science

By Cassandra Profita August 6, 2018

In this May 23, 2017 photo provided by Chelan County Fire District 3, logs burn near Leavenworth, Wash. The wildfire prompted evacuation orders for homes and cabins at a popular Washington state hiking and skiing destination. CREDIT: BEN TORKELSON

A variety of forest experts say that one of the best ways to reduce the threat of these mega-blazes is to use fire itself. They say we need to increase the pace of prescribed fire and let some wildfires continue to burn when it’s safe to do so.Of course, there’s not nearly as much political support for letting fires burn as there is for putting fires out. Read More

Resources Stretched Thin As Northwest Fire Season Intensifies; Pacific Crest Trail Closed In Places

By Emily Schwing August 1, 2018

The Ryegrass Coulee Fire began late Monday, July 9 and quickly spread between Ellensburg and Vantage, closing Interstate 90. CREDIT: WASHINGTON STATE DOT

Fire officials say this year is on par with 2014 and 2015 – two of the worst seasons on record in the Northwest. Things are ramping up nearly a month earlier than previous years, and resources are stretched thin. Continue Reading Resources Read More

Washington 5th District Race Draws Criticism For McMorris Rodgers Ads

By Zachary Garner July 28, 2018

The campaign of Cathy McMorris Rodgers sent this and similar ads to Washington 5th Congressional District voters ahead of the Aug. 7, 2018 primary.

The race for U.S. House in eastern Washington has taken a negative turn. Despite criticism, 5th District Republican Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers has doubled down on a controversial ad campaign attacking her Democratic opponent, Lisa Brown, using information proven to be misleading and false. Read More

Efforts To Reduce Wildfire Risk Fall Short, Buck Science

By Tony Schick July 26, 2018

A member of the Wolf Creek Hotshots uses a drip torch to ignite the forest floor during a prescribed burn near Sisters, Oregon. CREDIT: JES BURNS

The West is way behind on reducing the buildup of hazardous fuels we created. And much of the work we do to reduce those fuels is missing the key ingredient: fire. Continue Reading Efforts To Reduce Wildfire Risk Fall Short, Buck ScienceRead More

Cougars In The News: Shift In Range Brings More Reported Encounters

By NWPB News July 26, 2018

Northwesterners are hearing a lot about mountain lions lately. Since May, an extremely rare fatal attack in the Washington Cascades, a Willamette Valley pool party interrupted by a wandering cat and a viral Facebook video of a mountain lion lounging in a southern Oregon woman’s living room have made headlines across the region. Are the Northwest’s mountain lions acting Read More

Backers Of Washington Gun Control Measure Submit Petitions For Ballot Initiative

By Austin Jenkins July 6, 2018

Washington legislature Gun Legislation Hearing - 011518

Backers of a proposed gun-control initiative in Washington plan to deliver their final batch of petitions July 6th to the Secretary of State. Continue Reading Backers Of Washington Gun Control Measure Submit Petitions For Read More

Big Wildfire Season And Summer Of Drought Await The Northwest

By Tony Schick June 26, 2018

The Chetco Bar Fire remained relatively quiet for its first month before exploding into Oregon's largest wildfire. Courtesy of Chetco Bar Fire incident command team

Federal officials anticipate a big wildfire season in the Northwest throughout July, August and possibly into September. Continue Reading Big Wildfire Season And Summer Of Drought Await The NorthwestRead More

Western State, Washington’s Largest Psychiatric Hospital, To Lose Certification And Federal Funds

By Austin Jenkins June 25, 2018

Western State Hospital is Washington state's largest psychiatric facility. CREDIT: AUSTIN JENKINS / NORTHWEST NEWS NETWORK

Despite a two year turnaround effort, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced Monday that it will strip Washington’s Western State Hospital of federal certification for failing to comply with standards. Read More

Today’s Northwest Wolves Have Roots In Coastal Rainforests And Rocky Mountains

By Courtney Flatt June 18, 2018

A wolf of the Wenaha Pack captured ona remote camera on U.S. Forest Service land in northern Wallowa County. CREDIT: OREGON DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE

New genetic research on the Northwest’s wolves finds they descended from a mix of two different types — some from the northern Rocky Mountains and some from coastal rain forests. That means the packs that form in our region have more genetic diversity — a key to survival. Read More

Changes Coming To Northwest Driver’s Licenses To Meet Federal Standards

By Tom Banse June 15, 2018

After July 1, standard Washington state driver's licenses will be marked as seen here. CREDIT: WASHINGTON DEPARTMENT OF LICENSING

Beginning next month, driver’s licenses in Washington state will be changing. Regular licenses and ID cards will be marked with the words “federal limits apply.” Oregon is going down this path too, but not until mid-2020. Continue Reading Read More

Supreme Court Gives Tribes A Victory Over Washington State In Salmon Case

By Eilís O'Neil June 11, 2018

A fish-friendly culvert in Washington state. CREDIT: FLICKR PHOTO/WASHINGTON DNR (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)/HTTPS://FLIC.KR/P/CCUMVY

A tie in the U.S. Supreme Court may cost Washington state $2 billion. The court split 4-4 June 11 in a long-running court battle between tribes and the state over salmon-blocking road culverts. Continue Reading Supreme Court Gives Read More