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The Centralia Downtown Association stopped by Centralia High School Friday morning to honor and reward students following the CDA's recent Spring Clean-up event downtown. "BIG congrats to the Senior Class of 2025 for winning this year’s Spring Clean-up Class Competition!" the CDA wrote. "Your teamwork, dedication and community pride really showed — and it paid off! You’re walking away with $500 for your class fund and the bragging rights as this year’s clean-up champions of downtown. Huge thanks to every class that participated — you all made a BIG impact in making our downtown shine. Stay rooted, stay involved, and stay awesome." Pictured from left to right are Centralia High School CTE teacher and CDA Board Member Levi Rodriguez, senior and CDA Junior Board Member Brianna Hernandez, CDA Executive Director MacKenzie McGee, CDA Board President Hallie Ralls and Centralia senior class President Trinity Burleson.

In focus: CDA awards check to Centralia High School senior class after spring clean-up event

5/19/25

Trump cuts halt local overnight weather forecasts for Eastern Washington, Oregon

The National Weather Service office providing forecasts and hazardous weather warnings for the greater Tri-Cities area will no longer be staffed at night because of Trump administration job cuts and … more

Annette Cary / The Peninsula Gateway (TNS) | 5/19/25

Man, 31, died in the Pierce County Jail Friday afternoon, sheriff’s office says

A 31-year-old man in custody at the Pierce County Jail suffered a medical emergency and died Friday afternoon, a spokesperson for the sheriff’s department said Sunday. The man’s name … more

Rolf Boone / The News Tribune (TNS) | 5/19/25

‘Too fast for conditions’: Mason County woman injured in rollover crash

A 30-year-old Mason County woman was taken to an area hospital Saturday morning after a rollover crash on state Route 302, according to the Washington State Patrol. The crash took place opposite … more

Rolf Boone / The Olympian (TNS) | 5/19/25

Thurston County Sheriff Derek Sanders shared two images of injured deputies from an area hospital on Tuesday, May 13, 2025. The deputies fought a man suspected of felony harassment, Sanders said.

Prosecutors charge Thurston County man accused of harassing attorney, assaulting deputies

A 26-year-old Thurston County man accused of assaulting deputies is being held in the county jail in lieu of $50,000 bail. Garett Francis Merlino attended his preliminary appearance in Thurston … more

Martín Bilbao / The Olympian (TNS) | 5/19/25

North Fork Survivors owner Joe Bongiovanni poses for a portrait by his museum sign Tuesday, May 6 in Toutle. Bongiovanni says the Washington State Department of Transportation's signage for road closure has impacted his business, not the actual road closure.

Business on the road to Mount St. Helens say closure signs hurting traffic

Sitting in the gravel parking lot of North Fork Survivors in Toutle is a camouflage Humvee. The military doesn’t use it, but rather museum and shop owner Joe Bongiovanni. He bought … more

Andrew Lwowski / The Daily News | 5/19/25

Litter is seen alongside an Interstate 5 off ramp near Lacey, Washington. (Bill Lucia/Washington State Standard)

New Washington state law increases penalties for litter, delays plastic bag requirements

Washington residents will soon face heftier fines for littering and higher prices for plastic grocery bags. A new law signed by Gov. Bob Ferguson on Saturday toughens the punishment for … more

By Jacquelyn Jimenez Romero / The Washington State Standard | 5/18/25

U.S. Sen. Murray says Trump zeroes out $500M for Washington state fish passage project

Washington's U.S. Sen. Patty Murray is raising the alarm over a new spending plan by the Trump administration that doesn't include $500 million in funding for a fish-passage project on the Green … more

Lynda V. Mapes / The Seattle Times (TNS) | 5/17/25

Tumwater School District to hire investigator after students protest alleged sexual harassment

Students at Tumwater Middle School protested Friday morning at the start of school against alleged incidents of student-to-student sexual harassment. As a result, Principal John Neal said the … more

Ty Vinson / The Olympian (TNS) | 5/17/25

Judge orders probe in information leak on NBC 'Dateline' episode about Bryan Kohberger

An Ada County judge has ordered a probe into leaked information to media about the ongoing murder case of four University of Idaho students. The information leaked to NBC's "Dateline" about … more

Alexandra Duggan / The Spokesman-Review (TNS) | 5/17/25

Sharon Van Gilder, pictured center in an undated family photo, was murdered in Spanaway in March 2002. Her alleged killer was arrested March 14, 2023.

Man extradited from Mexico for 2002 murder of Western Washington woman, FBI says

A suspect arrested in Mexico by the FBI for the 2002 murder and rape of 39-year-old Sharon Van Gilder and the rapes of three other people was booked into Pierce County Jail on Thursday following his … more

Peter Talbot / The Peninsula Gateway (TNS) | 5/17/25

Hunting advocates petition for removal of four Washington Fish and Wildlife commissioners

A national hunting advocacy group wants four Washington Fish and Wildlife commissioners gone, citing a trove of internal documents that the group says shows the commissioners acted improperly. … more

Michael Wright / The Spokesman-Review (TNS) | 5/17/25

State Rep. Jim Walsh walks with other tour attendees during the Chehalis Basin Strategy Legislative Site Tour at China Creek in Centralia on Friday, Sept. 27.

Gov. Ferguson accuses President Trump of ‘constitutional crisis;’ GOP leader calls that ‘hysterical’

In a brooding speech made Thursday to fundraisers, Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson blasted the Trump administration for its alleged assault on the U.S. Constitution. “I’m pretty careful … more

Eric Rosane / The Bellingham Herald (TNS) | 5/17/25

Roughly 50 people pose for a photon at the start of a remembrance walk during an overdose awareness event held at George Washington Park in Centralia on Thursday, Aug. 39.

Washington state sees largest drop in overdose deaths in a decade

Last year, Washington recorded the state's largest decline in drug overdose deaths in almost a decade, preliminary federal data shows. Nearly 3,200 Washingtonians died from overdoses in 2024, … more

Elise Takahama / The Seattle Times (TNS) | 5/17/25

Washington Sen. Patty Murray blasts Trump over plan to ‘blatantly rob blue states’

U.S. Sen. Patty Murray on Friday blasted the Trump administration over its plan to rip hundreds of millions of dollars away from construction-project funding in blue states. Among the major … more

Simone Carter / The Peninsula Gateway (TNS) | 5/17/25

Trump cuts to Western Washington dam project likely to affect housing, water supply

Washington state water utility officials spoke Friday of the threats posed by the elimination of federal funding eliminated for a regional dam project, including potential housing moratoriums and … more

Debbie Cockrell / The Peninsula Gateway (TNS) | 5/17/25

Troopers find dangerous pesticides at illicit Western Washington marijuana grows

Washington State Patrol troopers found what they believe are illegally imported deadly pesticides in two Pierce County marijuana busts Wednesday. The Washington State Patrol Cannabis Enforcement … more

Constanza Montemayor / The Peninsula Gateway (TNS) | 5/17/25

A zoo worker shows off a lynx cub to a group of visitors in the demonstration area at the West Coast Game Park Safari near Bandon on the Oregon coast.

Oregon wildlife park raided after years of disturbing reports about starving animals, dead tiger

Police descended on a wildlife park near Bandon on Thursday, the Oregon State Police said. The move came after years of agricultural inspections documented animals in poor condition and other … more

Tatum Todd, Carlos Fuentes / oregonlive.com (TNS) | 5/17/25

Rite Aid to sell dozens of Pacific Northwest pharmacies to rival chain, close hundreds nationwide

Rite Aid plans to close hundreds of its U.S. pharmacies but said it would sell some in the Pacific Northwest to CVS Pharmacy. The Philadelphia-based Rite Aid has faced a slew of financial … more

Veronica Nocera / oregonlive.com (TNS) | 5/17/25

Skyline CDL School’s training site in Hillsboro, pictured April 23, 2025, was suspended by Oregon regulators.

Oregon regulators suspend trucking school linked to alleged bribery scheme in Washington state

Oregon regulators have suspended the operating license of a trucking academy in Hillsboro following revelations that Skyline CDL School was linked to alleged involvement in a bribery scheme to obtain … more

Ted Sickinger / oregonlive.com (TNS) | 5/17/25