News | The Daily Chronicle

The Port of Seattle's container ship terminals at the south end of Elliott Bay as seen from the top of the Columbia Center in Seattle.

Washington state ports await sharp drop in cargo as Trump’s tariff battle with China drags on

Western Washington’s ports are bracing for a deep slump later this month, as the president’s standoff with China over tariffs is expected to stifle the flow of goods. Port of Seattle … more

By Jake Goldstein-Street / The Washington State Standard | 5/1/25

Jeffrey Tye Murphy, 39, of Winlock, appears in Lewis County Superior Court on Thursday.

‘I didn’t attempt to elude’: Winlock man arrested Wednesday for allegedly fleeing police last year

A Winlock man accused of fleeing from police in the Centralia area in September 2024 was arrested and booked into the Lewis County Jail on Wednesday. Jeffrey Tye Murphy, 39, was charged … more

By Emily Fitzgerald / emily@chronline.com | 5/1/25

Contestant Zeanna Zavodsky is crowned as the new Lewis County Dairy Ambassador during the 2025 Lewis County Dairy Ambassador Coronation Ceremony at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Chehalis on Wednesday, April 30.

In focus: Zeanna Zavodsky crowned 2025 Lewis County Dairy Ambassador

Zeanna Zavodsky was crowned as the new Lewis County Dairy Ambassador during the 2025 coronation ceremony at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Chehalis on Wednesday, April 30. Addie Hodel was … more

5/1/25

Former Morton Police Chief Roger Morningstar enters a courtroom at the Lewis County Law and Justice Center in Chehalis on Tuesday, Jan. 7.

Former Morton Police Chief Roger Morningstar’s trial set in Lewis County Superior Court

Due to a full Lewis County Superior Court trial calendar next week, the trial for former Morton Police Chief Roger Morningstar has been pushed to the week of May 12. A trial confirmation … more

By Emily Fitzgerald / emily@chronline.com | 5/1/25

Former Cowlitz Tribal Public Safety Interim Chief Charles Gardiner

Cowlitz Tribe’s interim police chief, who died by suicide, now suspected of sex offenses against minor

The Cowlitz Indian Tribal Public Safety Department’s former interim chief Charles Gardiner is now being investigated for several sex offenses against a juvenile victim. Gardiner was found … more

Cade Barker / cade@thereflector.com | 5/1/25

Steam rises from Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad's 28-span trestle bridge between Mineral and Morton as firefighting efforts continue on Thursday, May 1.

Fire destroys Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad trestle bridge

Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad’s wooden trestle bridge between Mineral and Morton caught fire Wednesday night and collapsed on Thursday afternoon in a blaze investigators say was … more

By Emily Fitzgerald / emily@chronline.com | 5/1/25

Gov. Bob Ferguson takes part in an exclusive interview with The Daily World in March.

Gov. Ferguson implores FEMA to fund levees for Chehalis River Basin project

On Friday, April 4, the Federal Emergency Management Agency sent shockwaves across the country with the abrupt cancellation of the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program. … more

By Jerry Knaak / The Daily World | 5/1/25

Airlift Northwest transported a person to a hospital Wednesday after fire crews rescued them from underneath a forklift in west Thurston County.

One person airlifted after being pinned by forklift in west Thurston County Wednesday

One person was airlifted and hospitalized Wednesday after being pinned under a forklift in west Thurston County. The incident occurred on the 12000 block of Marksman Street Southwest, … more

By Martín Bilbao / The Olympian | 5/1/25

Feds launch Title IX investigation into Washington State Superintendent’s Office

(The Center Square) – The U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Justice have launched a formal investigation into the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction … more

By Carleen Johnson | The Center Square | 5/1/25

Mom kills 12-year-old son in crash and blames it on his girlfriend, Washington state cops say

A mom crashed her vehicle, killing her 12-year-old son, and blamed it on his girlfriend who wasn’t at the scene, Washington deputies said. Authorities responded to the wreck at about 1:45 … more

Helena Wegner / The Bellingham Herald (TNS) | 5/1/25

Feds formally launch investigation into Washington state’s OSPI over gender-inclusive schools law

The federal government announced Wednesday that it has formally opened an investigation into Washington state’s Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. The U.S. departments of … more

Simone Carter / The Olympian (TNS) | 5/1/25

Flagger Luca Pisani holds a stop sign at the end of Chilvers Road in Claquato as WSDOT crews work to repave Highway 6 from Interstate 5 to Adna on Thursday, Aug 1, 2024.

Maintenance work begins this week on highways across Southwest Washington

Washington State Department of Transportation maintenance crews will began work across Clark, Cowlitz, Klickitat, Lewis, Pacific, Skamania and Wahkiakum counties on April 28, according to a news … more

By The Chronicle staff | 5/1/25

Centralia College to host ‘An Evening With the Authors’ May 2

Centralia College’s Wickstrom Theatre in Washington Hall will welcome three Pacific Northwest authors for “An Evening With the Authors” at 6 p.m. on Friday, May 2. Matthew … more

By The Chronicle staff | 5/1/25

Washington state Democrats include ‘devastating’ $8.5M abortion-access cut in final budget

Washington has been heralded as a leader on access to abortion care. But reproductive-rights advocates are sounding the alarm after state lawmakers approved their final budget last weekend. The … more

Simone Carter / The Olympian (TNS) | 5/1/25

The Chehalis School District home and garden show is pictured from above at W.F. West High School on Thursday, May 2, 2024.

W.F. West career and technical education Home & Garden Show runs May 1-2

W.F. West High School’s career and technical education (CTE) students will host the annual Home & Garden Show on Thursday, May 1, and Friday, May 2. The sale runs 3 to 6:30 p.m. each … more

By The Chronicle staff | 5/1/25

Kent Preston, who said he graduated from Toutle Lake in 1998, speaks on Tuesday, April 29 in favor of adopting a policy to create inclusion for transgender students at the Toutle Lake School District board meeting. He said adopting the policy would be "standing up to bigotry."

Toutle Lake School Board passes state-mandated transgender policy, but prepares for litigation to fight it

Immediately after Toutle Lake School Board passed on Tuesday a state-mandated policy to create inclusion for transgender students, the board voted to enter a lawsuit against the policy whenever they … more

Hayley Day / The Daily News | 5/1/25

Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal

Feds launch Title IX investigation into Washington State Office of Superintendent Public Instruction

The U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Justice have launched a formal investigation into the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction over concerns that the … more

By Carleen Johnson / The Center Square | 4/30/25

U.S. President Donald Trump signs an executive order in the East Room at the White House in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025.

Trump uses Washington state kidnapping case to justify Alien Enemies Act deportations

Celebrating his 100th day in office Tuesday, President Donald Trump invoked a recent brutal kidnapping case in western Washington to justify his rush to deport Venezuelan immigrants. The day … more

By Jake Goldstein-Street / The Washington State Standard | 4/30/25

Gov. Bob Ferguson speaks to lawmakers and other officials at the state Capitol on Jan. 15, 2025, during his inaugural address. Throughout the legislative session, Ferguson indicated he would support legislation to cap rent increases, but he never voiced public support for the bill. (Photo courtesy of Legislative Support Services)

Behind the scenes, Gov. Bob Ferguson backed bill to cap rent increases for months

State Sen. Yasmin Trudeau, one of the chief architects of legislation to cap rent hikes across Washington, says Gov. Bob Ferguson’s team has made clear to lawmakers since the second week of the … more

By: Jake Goldstein-Street / The Washington State Standard | 4/30/25

Morton City Clerk LuAnn Ward, on the right end of the table, takes questions from the Morton City Council during the council's Monday, April 28, meeting, concerning a proposal to pay Office of the Washington State Auditor fees using the city's Local Government Investment Poll funds.

Morton adjusts as insurance denies claim for $938K stolen by former clerk; city owes $100,000 for state audit work

Among the many business items on the Morton City Council’s agenda for its monthly meeting on Monday, April 28, were several items brought about as continued fallout from the nearly … more

By Owen Sexton / owen@chronline.com | 4/30/25