State & Regional News | Thurston Chronicle

A woman searches for clams during a razor clam dig at Grayland Beach on March 8, 2024.

State Parks co-hosts annual Washington Coast Cleanup on April 25

Washington residents are invited to celebrate Earth Day weekend by helping protect Washington’s beaches and marine life by volunteering at a state park during the annual Washington Coast Cleanup. … more

4/10/26

Commissioner of Public Lands Dave Upthegrove answers questions during a Legislative Media Day at the Washington state Capitol on Thursday, Feb. 19, in Olympia.

New tool shows how Upthegrove’s 80,000-acre trust land layoff impacts rural Washington communities, American Forest Resource Council says

The American Forest Resource Council (AFRC) recently announced the availability of a new public online tool, the “Community Impact Calculator,” providing Washington communities and trust … more

By The Chronicle staff | 4/10/26

The first of Amtrak’s new “Airo” trains took a timeout from testing in February to show off its Northwest color scheme and modern features for suitably impressed federal officials and media in Washington, D.C.

New Amtrak trains coming soon to Pacific Northwest

The strained Amtrak Cascades rail service is on track to have limited capacity to carry the crowds expected to descend on the Pacific Northwest for the upcoming men’s World Cup. Sleek new, … more

By Tom Banse / The Washington State Standard | 4/10/26

The Snohomish County Superior Courthouse, in Everett, Wash., photographed January 2, 2025. The courthouse is where Gina Bloom initially lost custody of her kids in 2021 and where she's been fighting against corruption among guardian ad litem (GAL) appointees, attorneys and judges in family court.

Parents, Advocates Say Guardians Ad Litem Need More Guardrails. These Washington Reforms Could Help

In hundreds of custody disputes across Washington each year, judges appoint neutral court investigators to look into how parents’ issues like substance use, domestic violence and mental health … more

By Kelsey Turner / InvestigateWest | 4/10/26

Washington Sheriffs' group and candidate challenge "anti-democratic" sheriff law with lawsuits

Another lawsuit has been filed over the controversial new law that allows the Criminal Justice Training Commission to decertify a sitting sheriff and set new requirements for sheriff candidates. … more

By Carleen Johnson / The Center Square | 4/9/26

2012 FILE PHOTO — Rob McKenna looks out the window of the RV he was criss-crossing the state in the week before the gubernatorial election prior to making a stop at the Lewis County Republican headquarters in Centralia.

Constitutional heavyweights challenge legality of Washington’s new income tax

Former Washington State Attorney General Rob McKenna, Citizen Action Defense Fund (CADF) and former Supreme Court Justice and State Senator Phil Talmadge today filed a lawsuit in Klickitat County … more

By Carleen Johnson / The Center Square | 4/9/26

State Sen. Jamie Pedersen, D-Seattle, smiles at House Speaker Laurie Jinkins during a Legislative Media Day at the Washington state Capitol on Thursday, Feb. 19, in Olympia.

Court battle ignites over Washington’s new income tax

Opponents of Washington’s new income tax on high earners filed a lawsuit Thursday, arguing the controversial law is unconstitutional and in conflict with nearly a century of state Supreme Court … more

By Jerry Cornfield / The Washington State Standard | 4/9/26

The Seattle skyline is seen with the Space Needle and a ferris wheel near the waterfront.

City city council approves $490 million library tax

Seattle City Council members say the city’s aging library system is desperately in need of more money, voting Wednesday to add nearly $70 million to the mayor Katie Wilson’s proposed $410 million … more

By Randy Diamond | The Center Square | 4/9/26

A corrections officer secures handcuffs on an inmate in an orange uniform.

Yakima approves six-month moratorium on facilities for sexually violent predators

The Yakima City Council passed a six-month moratorium on halfway houses and secure transition facilities Tuesday as the state considers where to place sexually violent predators. Washington … more

Tim Clouser | The Center Square | 4/9/26

The Yakima River flows south of Roza. (Photo courtesy of U.S. Bureau of Land Management)

‘Our new normal’: Washington state confronts another year of drought

Washington’s Department of Ecology announced a statewide drought emergency Wednesday, marking the fourth consecutive year that part or all of the state has been in a drought. “We … more

By Aspen Ford / The Washington State Standard | 4/9/26

Boxes of allegedly unreported pollock roe harvested by the catcher-processor vessel Northern Edge are stacked together. The crew of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Waesche seized approximately 5.4 metric tons of allegedly unreported pollock roe from the catcher-processor vessel. The Coast Guard crew boarded the Northern Eagle on March 26, 2026, about 17 miles north of Dutch Harbor and stayed with vessel as it sailed to that Aleutian Island port. In all, 11,524 boxes of pollock roe were offloaded, which was 241 boxes more than what had been declared in the vessel’s production report, according to the Coast Guard. (Photo provided by the U.S. Coast Guard)

Washington-based company accused of fishing violations in Alaska’s Bering Sea

The U.S. Coast Guard said it has seized 5.4 metric tons of allegedly unreported pollock roe and discovered several significant fishing violations aboard one of the biggest factory trawlers operating … more

By Yereth Rosen / Alaska Beacon | 4/9/26

Supporters of Washington’s new income tax on millionaires celebrate after Gov. Bob Ferguson signs the bill into law on Monday March 30, 2026. (Aspen Ford/Washington State Standard)

Court battle set to begin over Washington state’s new income tax

Opponents of Washington’s new income tax law plan Thursday to formally launch their legal challenge to the constitutionality of the controversial statute. Attorneys and plaintiffs have … more

By Jerry Cornfield / The Washington State Standard | 4/9/26

Gov. Bob Ferguson answers questions from the press during a legislative session preview in a Senate Hearing room in Olympia on Friday, Jan. 9.

Frustration boils up after Ferguson vetoes two tiny grants in Washington budget

A week after Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson signed a nearly $80 billion budget, questions remain as to why he vetoed two grants that amounted to a molecule of the spending plan. Ferguson and … more

By Jerry Cornfield / The Washington State Standard | 4/9/26

The Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, which is one of the largest immigrant detention facilities in the western U.S. (Photo by Grace Deng/Washington State Standard)

Despite court ruling, Washington still blocked from inspecting immigrant detention center

Washington state health inspectors have been trying for months to enter the Tacoma immigrant detention center amid longstanding concerns about the conditions there. A federal appeals court … more

By Jake Goldstein-Street / The Washington State Standard | 4/8/26

Spokane Valley considers banning crypto kiosks to address scams following suicide

The Spokane Valley City Council will consider banning cryptocurrency kiosks on Tuesday night as fraudsters scam victims out of their hard-earned savings with made-up emergencies. The proposal … more

Tim Clouser | The Center Square | 4/8/26

Schools expect minimal impact with Title IX pacts rescinded

Following the U.S. Department of Education’s rescission of multiple resolution agreements - based on claims that prior administrations broadened Title IX beyond its original scope - affected school … more

By Esther Wickham | The Center Square | 4/8/26

Ballot envelopes sit in the Thurston County elections center. (Photo by Laurel Demkovich/Washington State Standard)

Months later, DOJ lawsuit to obtain Washington voter rolls can move forward

It took the federal government months to properly serve attorneys for Washington in the Trump administration’s litigation to force the state to turn over its voter rolls. But now the lawsuit … more

By Jake Goldstein-Street / The Washington State Standard | 4/7/26

The courtroom in the Temple of Justice is pictured on Thursday, Feb. 19, in Olympia.

Former Washington Supreme Court justice joins legal effort against income tax

Former Washington State Supreme Court Justice Phil Talmadge, a prominent Democrat, has joined a legal team preparing to challenge the newly-enacted income tax on households making $1 million or more, … more

By TJ Martinell / The Center Square | 4/7/26

Romanian car theft ring busted by Grays Harbor County detectives

Over the past month Grays Harbor Sheriff’s Office detectives have been working diligently to dismantle an organized theft ring centered around the Renton area. Last month … more

By The Daily World | 4/7/26

Rural Washington state schools struggle with drop in logging dollars

Nestled in the foothills of the North Cascades, where logging has long fueled the economy, the Mount Baker School District is facing a budget deficit exceeding $1 million, which local officials say … more

By Aspen Ford / The Washington State Standard | 4/7/26