State & Regional News | The Daily Chronicle

Missing deaf girl dies after being pulled from canal

A missing girl found unconscious in a canal near Prosser on Friday has died. The Benton County Sheriff’s Office said Saturday that the 7-year-old who was pulled from the irrigation canal was … more

Cory McCoy / Tri-City Herald (TNS) | 4/12/26

A member of the Guemes Island Fire Department collects canine carcasses from the beach on March 31. (Olivia Cole / Guemes Island Fire Department)

Corpses washed ashore were foxes, Skagit County sheriff’s office says

Investigators believe the 20 dead canines that washed ashore in Skagit County — some found skinned, missing front paws and with twine wrapped around their necks — were foxes used for commercial … more

By Lauren Girgis / The Seattle Times | 4/11/26

A foggy morning at Calispell Meadows on the Colville National Forest in northeast Washington. (Photo courtesy of U.S. Forest Service)

Forest Service plans to close two research labs in Washington state

The U.S. Forest Service research labs in Seattle and Wenatchee are targeted for closure, part of a broader restructuring of the agency that is housed in the Department of Agriculture. Of … more

By Aspen Ford / The Washington State Standard | 4/11/26

Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal speaks during a Legislative Media Day at the Washington state Capitol on Thursday, Feb. 19, in Olympia.

Reykdal: Washington behind as lawmakers study school phone limits

The state’s school chief says Washington is falling behind a national push to restrict smartphones in schools, arguing the state should move to a statewide standard rather than continue studying … more

By Paul W. Taylor / TVW | 4/11/26

The Cowlitz River runs against the edge of homes off of Slalom Way in Packwood on Thursday, Dec. 11.

Trump approves disaster declaration for Washington flooding

President Donald Trump has approved opening up federal funding to deal with the aftermath of historic flooding that hit Washington in December, the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced … more

By:Jake Goldstein-Street / The Washington State Standard | 4/11/26

Washington State Department of Transportation and members of the Washington State Patrol respond to the scene of a landslide along Spirit Lake Highway on Monday, May 15, 2023.

WSDOT: Work to begin on section of Spirit Lake Highway hit by landslide in 2023

Three years after a landslide cut off access to the upper stretch of state Route 504, also known as Spirit Lake Memorial Highway, work is set to restore a key connection to one of Washington’s most … more

4/10/26

Gov. Bob Ferguson holds up Senate Bill 5974, which sets heightened standards for sheriffs, alongside lawmakers and advocates after signing it on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, in Olympia, Washington. (Photo by Jake Goldstein-Street/Washington State Standard)

New Washington sheriff standards law faces another lawsuit

Washington’s new law that seeks to hold sheriffs to higher standards and paves the way for their removal from office is the target of a second lawsuit. This one comes from the Washington … more

By Jake Goldstein-Street / The Washington State Standard | 4/10/26

State moves forward with hiring blitz as lawsuits target Washington income tax

As Washington state prepares to collect its first-ever income tax on millionaires, one state agency is gearing up for a major hiring blitz to handle the administrative workload of ensuring … more

By Carleen Johnson / The Center Square | 4/10/26

Lawmakers, friends and families celebrate the final gavel on the last day of the legislative session on the House floor on Thursday, March 12, in Olympia.

Washington charter schools funding cut dramatically even as graduates outperform peers

Despite a recent report showing Washington’s charter school graduates are outperforming their peers in traditional public schools, state lawmakers cut about $7.5 million in enrichment funding for … more

By Carleen Johnson | The Center Square | 4/10/26

A first responder drives up to Rochester High School to respond to a mock crash to bring awareness to distracted and impaired driving on Thursday, April 2.

Only 41% of Washington drivers comply with ignition interlock mandate after DUIs

Less than half of the drivers required to install ignition interlock devices in their vehicles did so between 2018 and 2025, despite $14.5 million in state spending to bolster compliance. … more

Tim Clouser / The Center Square | 4/10/26

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

In this image from video provided by NASA, Artemis II astronauts, from left, Reid Wiseman, Jeremy Hansen, Christina Koch and Victor Glover gather for an interview en route to the moon on Saturday. The group spoke to U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., and a group of lawmakers during a conference call Thursday.

Sen. Cantwell talks ‘human connection’ with Artemis II astronauts

As the crew of Artemis II continued their journey back to Earth — after a historic mission to circle the moon for the first time in more than 50 years — U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., and a … more

By Lauren Rosenblatt /The Seattle Times (TNS) | 4/10/26

Jim Whittaker, the first American man to climb Mount Everest, in his home office. Pictures pinned to a cork board reflect his life, from playing basketball as a young man to discovering mountaineering and meeting several United States presidents. He became good friends with Robert F. Kennedy and was a pallbearer at his 1968 funeral.

Jim Whittaker, Washington mountaineer who was first American to summit Everest, dies at 97

Jim Whittaker, a Seattle-born-and-raised mountaineer who achieved legendary status when he became the first American to summit the world’s tallest peak in 1963, died Tuesday in Port Townsend at the … more

By Gregory Scruggs / The Seattle Times (TNS) | 4/10/26

Decapitated cougar stirs questions on Lake Pend Oreille

Peering over a cliff at Farragut State Park, Carol Mendoza was stunned at what she saw below her, partially submerged in Lake Pend Oreille. At the lakeshore visible from Macdonald Viewpoint was … more

Elena Perry / The Spokesman-Review (TNS) | 4/10/26

Washington state Supreme Court removes judge for faking document to get cheap parking

The Washington Supreme Court weighed in on a judge's forging of a document to secure cheaper parking, deciding on Thursday to remove him from the bench. David Ruzumna was working as a pro tem, … more

Lauren Girgis / The Seattle Times (TNS) | 4/10/26

Washington state will hire 300 employees as it enacts high-earners income tax

Washington's new income tax on millionaires won't go into effect until 2029, but preparing for its implementation will require the state to hire hundreds of employees in the coming years. … more

Shauna Sowers / The Seattle Times (TNS) | 4/10/26

Sen. Cantwell talks ‘human connection’ with Artemis II astronauts

As the crew of Artemis II continued their journey back to Earth — after a historic mission to circle the moon for the first time in more than 50 years — U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., and a … more

Lauren Rosenblatt / The Seattle Times (TNS) | 4/10/26

Another gray whale mourned in Washington state as population struggles

Their paddles sliced through the water’s surface, pulling the canoes below a refinery skyline. The canoes from the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community paused near the Holly Frontier oil refinery … more

Isabella Breda / The Seattle Times (TNS) | 4/10/26