State & Regional News | The Daily Chronicle

King County shuttle-to-trails service begins Memorial Day weekend

King County's transit service that takes hikers out to trails is set to start up for the season on Saturday. Known as Trailhead Direct, the service will provide trips to the Mount Si and … more

Joseph O’Sullivan / The Seattle Times (TNS) | 5/19/26

A Starbucks Coffee sign and drive-thru sign are displayed on the side of a brick building.

Starbucks laying off 252 more Seattle employees

A new state regulatory filing on Monday revealed that Starbucks is laying off 252 more workers across its Seattle headquarters. The latest filing with the state Employment Security … more

By Randy Diamond | The Center Square | 5/19/26

Chief Justice declines comment on AG's office emails about millionaire tax referendum

Washington State Supreme Court Chief Justice Debra Stephens declined to comment on communications obtained by The Center Square from the State Attorney General’s Office speculating at the time that … more

By TJ Martinell | The Center Square | 5/19/26

Earlier this year, state staff and contractors viewed potential materials, like glass panels, for the restoration of skylights above the Washington state Capitol legislative chambers in Olympia.

More sunshine coming to Washington state government with Capitol skylight restoration

Let there be light. When Washington state lawmakers return to Olympia for the 2027 legislative session, natural light will again shine on the House and Senate chambers. Construction … more

By Jake Goldstein-Street / Washington State Standard | 5/19/26

A wrecked vehicle in Thurston County after it collided with a power pole, splitting the car in half on June 23, 2025. The driver was treated for minor injuries and was booked for DUI. The vehicle’s speedometer was stuck at 100 mph, according to the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office.

Deaths on Washington roads drop again

In an encouraging sign for road safety, traffic deaths in Washington fell significantly for the second year in a row in 2025, according to state data released Tuesday. Washington saw 659 … more

By Jake Goldstein-Street / Washington State Standard | 5/19/26

The Washington state Capitol on April 18, 2025. (Photo by Jacquelyn Jimenez Romero/Washington State Standard)

Federal judge rebuffs bid to toss Washington legislative maps

A federal judge has rejected a request to ditch political maps for Washington’s Legislature that he approved two years ago. Now, opponents are waiting to see if the U.S. Supreme Court will … more

5/18/26

Washington state Supreme Court Justice Theo Angelis dons his robe alongside wife Kim and children Katherine and John as he is sworn in as a justice at the Temple of Justice on Monday, May 18, 2026, in Olympia. (Photo by Jake Goldstein-Street/Washington State Standard)

Theo Angelis sworn in as Washington Supreme Court justice

Theo Angelis is Washington’s newest state Supreme Court justice. While he has been on the court for about six weeks, Angelis was formally sworn in Monday in a ceremony at the Temple of Justice … more

By Jake Goldstein-Street / The Washington State Standard | 5/18/26

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.

Architect of Washington’s income tax test case defends collaboration with AG's office

For the first time since The Center Square obtained exclusive documents revealing how Democratic supporters of Washington’s new income tax worked behind the scenes with the Washington Attorney … more

By Carleen Johnson / The Center Square | 5/18/26

Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Skamania, with the support of her dog, Uma Furman, speaks to a room of volunteers and constituents during a campaign kickoff event Sunday afternoon in Vancouver.

‘Let’s go win this’: MGP leans into record, pokes at opponents during campaign launch

True to the battleground nature of Washington's Third Congressional District and to the approach of its current congresswoman, U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez’s campaign launch attracted both … more

By Jacob Moore / jacob@chronline.com | 5/18/26

Congresswoman Marie Gluesenkamp Perez answers a question at a town hall in the TransAlta Commons at Centralia College on Tuesday, April 22, 2025.

Washington congressional members’ bill expands funding for local drug task forces to combat opioids

U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Skamania, last week joined with colleagues Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Sunnyside, and Rick Larsen, D-Bellingham, on the End Fentanyl Trafficking with Local Task Forces … more

By The Chronicle staff | 5/18/26

Gov. Bob Ferguson answers questions from reporters during a press conference on the Interstate Bridge Replacement project in Vancouver in March.

Washington gas prices hit all-time high as Ferguson points to Trump, urges residents to contact White House

As Washington’s average gas prices reached a new all-time high of $5.774 per gallon on Thursday, May 14, Gov. Bob Ferguson pointed to President Donald Trump and the war with Iran when asked whether … more

By Cade Barker / For The Chronicle | 5/18/26

Toilet clogged with 3-plus pounds of fentanyl pills leads to prison term in Eastern Washington

Clinton Paul Patterson has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after officers arrived to arrest him at his girlfriend’s Pasco house and found partially dissolved fentanyl pills he had attempted to … more

Annette Cary / Tri-City Herald (TNS) | 5/18/26

Washington man, 78, sent to prison for stealing Vietnam veteran's identity to obtain $860K in federal benefits

A federal judge sentenced a 78-year-old man to 2 1/2 years in prison for a fraudulent scheme spanning more than 25 years where he stole a Vietnam War veteran's identity to obtain Veterans … more

Garrett Cabeza / The Spokesman-Review (TNS) | 5/18/26

Man arrested after woman found dead, kids missing from Skamania County apartment

The Skamania County Sheriff’s Office on Saturday said a man had been arrested in connection with a homicide in Stevenson, Washington. On Friday, around 2 p.m., the sheriff’s office got a 911 … more

Matthew Kish / oregonlive.com (TNS) | 5/18/26

This photo from the Washington State Archives shows the eruption of Mount St. Helens on May 18, 1980.

A blast from the past: Mount St. Helens 46 years later

Mount St. Helens experienced a cataclysmic eruption on May 18, 1980. What once was referred to as the “Fujiyama of America” had transformed at 8:32 a.m. in Skamania County, Washington. A 5.1 … more

Jacob Graves / oregonlive.com (TNS) | 5/18/26

Trail cameras captured six coyote pups and their parents over several days in an overgrown Southeast Portland backyard in May of 2026.

Coyote pups turn a Portland backyard into their playground

Six coyote pups and their parents, denning in an overgrown Southeast Portland backyard, offer a first look at The Oregonian/OregonLive’s upcoming project on coyotes in Portland and across Oregon. … more

Mark Graves / oregonlive.com (TNS) | 5/18/26

Man with rare food-hoarding syndrome dies after eating spoiled food in Oregon’s care, spurring $5M lawsuit

Lee Massie-Hardy, 31, was born with a rare genetic condition that plagued him with an insatiable appetite and a drive to hoard food. It led to extreme weight gain and was one of the reasons he … more

Aimee Green / oregonlive.com (TNS) | 5/18/26

One hiker dead on Mount Si, another rescued in separate incident

A hiker died last week on Mount Si, and on Saturday another hiker had to be rescued in the same area after a 50-foot fall. The twin incidents are a reminder that even popular hiking spots like … more

By Joseph O’Sullivan / The Seattle Times (TNS) | 5/18/26

Chinook and Cayuse passes, seen from the west side of Highway 410, were closed due to avalanche risk. (Washington State Dept. of Transportation)

Mount Rainier passes to open for Memorial Day weekend

Chinook and Cayuse Passes through Mount Rainier National Park are opening in time for Memorial Day weekend. Otherwise known as Highways 410 and 123, the passes will open by 8 a.m. Friday, said … more

By Kai Uyehara / The Seattle Times (TNS) | 5/18/26

Another Gray Whale has died and washed up on the mudflats near Bay Center. Cascadia Research Collective, and the Chinook Indian Nation are aware of the dead Gray Whale and will conduct a necropsy to determine the cause of death and collecting baleen for cultural purposes.

‘Alarmingly high number’: 21st dead gray whale of the spring washes up at Bay Center

The Chinook Indian Nation notified the Cascadia Research Collective (CRC) and Pacific County Emergency Management Agency Friday morning, May 15, that a deceased gray whale has been discovered in Bay … more

By The Chinook Observer | 5/18/26