Regional News

Seattle Proud Boys leader pleads not guilty in Capitol siege

A Seattle-area man and a leader of the far-right Proud Boys have pleaded not guilty to federal charges accusing him… Continue reading

Noriko Nasu, a high school teacher who was attacked earlier in the year while walking through Seattle’s Chinatown-International District, speaks about the possible hate crime Monda at a news conference at Renton City Hall. Nasu joined Gov. Jay Inslee and other leaders to denounce recent acts of violence and harassment targeted at Asians and Asian communities. (Ted S. Warren/The Associated Press)

Governor decries ‘horrendous surge’ of violence against Asians

Gov. Jay Inslee was joined Monday by community leaders to decry what he called a “horrendous surge” of violence against… Continue reading

Noriko Nasu, a high school teacher who was attacked earlier in the year while walking through Seattle’s Chinatown-International District, speaks about the possible hate crime Monda at a news conference at Renton City Hall. Nasu joined Gov. Jay Inslee and other leaders to denounce recent acts of violence and harassment targeted at Asians and Asian communities. (Ted S. Warren/The Associated Press)

State homelessness increased 6.2 percent from 2019-20

Washington state experienced one of the largest estimated increases in homelessness between 2019 and 2020 relative to other states in… Continue reading

Lawmakers get good news on state revenues

Washington’s economy continues to improve, with the latest state revenue forecast showing that lawmakers will have… Continue reading

FILE- This March 12, 2021, file photo released by Portland Police Bureau shows smashed windows left behind by people inside the perimeter of a march by a group of about 100 hundred protesters Friday night in Portland, Ore. Portland Mayor Wheeler on Monday, Mach 15, 2021 called for an end to violence and property destruction after businesses were damaged over the weekend. Oregon's largest city has seen a series of often violent protests following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. (Portland Police Department via AP, File)

Portland leaders condemn ongoing violence by ‘anarchists’

Leaders and elected officials are demanding an end to violence, criminal destruction and intimidation… Continue reading

FILE- This March 12, 2021, file photo released by Portland Police Bureau shows smashed windows left behind by people inside the perimeter of a march by a group of about 100 hundred protesters Friday night in Portland, Ore. Portland Mayor Wheeler on Monday, Mach 15, 2021 called for an end to violence and property destruction after businesses were damaged over the weekend. Oregon's largest city has seen a series of often violent protests following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. (Portland Police Department via AP, File)

Skykomish River hatchery to rely on native steelhead trout

Officials said a fish hatchery for the Skykomish River will stop importing steelhead trout from the Columbia River and instead rely on native… Continue reading

Next free Washington State Parks day is Friday

Washington State Parks is inviting the community to help celebrate the agency’s 108th birthday on Friday by enjoying a state park for free. The free… Continue reading

Inslee orders schools in-class hybrid option

Peninsula schools already on hybrid schedules

Washington State parks to start reopening later this month

Washington State Parks has said that many group camps, day-use rental shelters, interpretive centers and historic facilities will start opening March 22. North… Continue reading

FILE - In this June 6, 2014, file photo, Seattle Police SWAT team officers stand behind an armored vehicle in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood. Lawmakers are on the cusp of overhauling policing and police accountability in Washington state, acting with unusual urgency to curb bad behavior by officers following last year's turbulent protests for racial justice. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)

Lawmakers in Olympia on verge of major policing overhaul

Lawmakers are on the cusp of overhauling policing and police accountability in Washington state, acting with unusual… Continue reading

FILE - In this June 6, 2014, file photo, Seattle Police SWAT team officers stand behind an armored vehicle in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood. Lawmakers are on the cusp of overhauling policing and police accountability in Washington state, acting with unusual urgency to curb bad behavior by officers following last year's turbulent protests for racial justice. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)

State farm exports hampered by cargo-container shortage

Farm exporters in Washington state have been left with stockpiles of product and idle trucks as the pandemic has created… Continue reading

FILE - In this Jan. 3, 2019, file photo, a mobile phone customer looks at an earthquake warning application on an iPhone in Los Angeles. An earthquake early warning system operated by the U.S. Geological Survey has been activated in Oregon on the 10th anniversary of the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan. California already has the system. Washington state joins it in May, which will complete coverage of the West Coast of the contiguous United States. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File)

With ‘big one’ coming, quake alert system launches in Oregon

Washington state to join in May

FILE - In this Jan. 3, 2019, file photo, a mobile phone customer looks at an earthquake warning application on an iPhone in Los Angeles. An earthquake early warning system operated by the U.S. Geological Survey has been activated in Oregon on the 10th anniversary of the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan. California already has the system. Washington state joins it in May, which will complete coverage of the West Coast of the contiguous United States. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File)

King County approves grocery worker pandemic pay

The King County Council has approved $4-per-hour pay raises for grocery workers in unincorporated areas of the county during the… Continue reading

State House approves bill for Billy Frank Jr. statue

A statue honoring the late Billy Frank Jr., a Nisqually tribal member who championed treaty rights and protecting the environment,… Continue reading

Mass vaccination site to open in Seattle on Saturday

Gov. Jay Inslee and Seattle-area leaders on Wednesday touted the opening of a new mass COVID-19 vaccination site at an… Continue reading

Southern Resident orca born last year a female

A small barrel roll gave whale watchers a gender reveal over the weekend and reason to be hopeful about a… Continue reading

State House approves measure to limit evictions

The state House has approved a measure that would require landlords to provide a valid reason for ending certain leases… Continue reading

Jill Biden Photo by Emily Gilbert/Whidbey News-Times

First lady Jill Biden talks to families at Naval Air Station Whidbey

First lady Jill Biden arrived at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island late Tuesday morning,… Continue reading

Jill Biden Photo by Emily Gilbert/Whidbey News-Times

Pacific gray whales spotted in Puget Sound

A group of Pacific gray whales known as the Sounders because they stop over in Puget Sound during their coastal… Continue reading

State revenue forecast rosier than expected

Employment growth expected by mid-2021