eastern Washington
Plans take shape for eastern Washington tribute on state Capitol grounds
A ponderosa pine and a western larch, snowberry and camas, basalt rock columns and a bench made out of aspen wood. These elements are all part of a soon-to-be-installed landscape feature on the state Capitol Campus commemorating eastern Washington. The State Capitol Committee on Monday received an update on the new site, which came out […]
Dozens of structures burn in eastern Washington wildfire, as residents flee
Wildfires near Spokane have burned over 200 structures and left at least one person dead, authorities said Saturday. The Gray Fire, at around 8 a.m. Saturday morning, was 0% contained and roughly 9,500 acres, the state Department of Natural Resources said. A department spokesman said Saturday morning the fire had destroyed at least 185 structures. […]
Gluesenkamp Perez piles up campaign cash as reelection battle looms
Two Democratic House members expected to be Republican targets in next year’s congressional elections are outraising potential opponents by comfortable margins, newly released campaign finance reports show. U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, whose unexpected win in 2022 flipped a Republican-held seat, reported $705,000 raised in the three-month period ending June 30 in filings with the […]
In eastern WA, victims seeking protection avoid a judge accused of domestic violence himself
This article is the first in a three-part series from InvestigateWest. In 2021, Marie worried that her son was unsafe at her ex-husband’s home. She went into the county courthouse in Pasco, Washington, and filed a restraining order, thinking she had a good case: There was audio of an alleged assault of her 16-year-old son, […]
Two insurers cutting back in California. Is Washington next?
Two major insurers that stopped issuing new homeowners policies in California are showing no signs of doing the same in Washington, for now. State Farm General Insurance Co. last month ceased accepting new applications, saying the decision was due to “historic increases in construction costs outpacing inflation, rapidly growing catastrophe exposure and a challenging reinsurance […]
At Paris Air Show, Washington lands alternative jet fuel facility
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee used Monday’s launch of the Paris Air Show to reveal two firms at the forefront of developing sustainable aviation fuels and zero-emission propulsion systems are setting deeper roots in the state. Twelve, a California-based company, plans to construct its first commercial-scale production facility in Moses Lake where it will make jet […]
Washington’s heat pump push hits a snag
A controversial requirement that new homes and apartments built in Washington be warmed using electric heat pump systems rather than natural gas won’t take effect July 1 as planned. In an emergency meeting Wednesday, the Washington State Building Code Council delayed implementation of code changes until late October. The move came after a federal appeals […]
Washington looks to roll back wolf protections
For the first time in over 40 years, gray wolves in eastern Washington may soon lose some protections under state law that make it legally more difficult for people to kill them. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife announced on Thursday it was seeking public input through Aug. 16 on relaxing the classification of […]
An ode to eastern Washington’s trees on the state Capitol campus
There are many things that differentiate eastern Washington from the western part of the state: political leanings, geography, weather. But a new law promises to bring a dash of life from east of the Cascades here to Olympia. Gov. Jay Inslee signed a law last week that outlines plans for a “cultural landscape feature” on […]