Washington news

• Dunleavy administration denies resignation details request

  14-01-2019 23:51
  JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s administration has denied a request for information on employee resignations after Dunleavy took office. The Associated Press requested the number and a list of employees whose resignations were accepted and details on any owed severance. After Dunleavy’s election, his transition said it asked at-will employees to resign […]
  
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• Gov. Brown focuses on health care, environment and housing

  14-01-2019 23:50
  SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Oregon needs to shore up health care, the environment, the education system and housing, Gov. Kate Brown said during her State of the State address Monday. Speaking in the House of Representatives after she was sworn in, Brown said Oregon’s unemployment rate is the lowest on record and has one of […]
  
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• Yakima County recorded in 2018 the highest homicide total in 38 years

  14-01-2019 23:34
  While police either closed or made arrests in nearly 70 percent of the cases, officials are still trying to figure out why the numbers spiked as they examine the crime statistics.
  
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• Police: Man fatally shot in Tacoma had pointed gun at motorcycle-club guards

  14-01-2019 23:29
  A police spokeswoman says both guards fired after the man allegedly threatened to shoot the guards and refused to lower his gun. He died at the scene.
  
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• Idaho officials want to cap hundreds of artesian wells

  14-01-2019 22:27
  BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Lawmakers have advanced legislation to help state officials cap what are thought to be hundreds of artesian wells across southern Idaho in a plan that could help irrigators and a federally protected snail. The Senate Resources and Environment Committee on Monday unanimously approved moving ahead with legislation that will alter a […]
  
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• Post-viaduct traffic: Monday’s commute was manageable, but longer delays expected

  14-01-2019 22:17
  After a relatively smooth opening day Monday, transportation officials warned the public to brace for gridlock midweek, as the Seattle area reacts to the permanent closure of the Alaskan Way Viaduct.
  
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• Post-viaduct traffic: Monday’s commute was manageable, but longer delays are expected

  14-01-2019 22:17
  After a relatively smooth opening day Monday, transportation officials warned the public to brace for gridlock midweek, as the Seattle area reacts to the permanent closure of the Alaskan Way Viaduct.
  
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• Post-viaduct traffic: Freeway congestion on Monday started early, ended early

  14-01-2019 22:17
  After a relatively smooth opening day Monday, transportation officials warned the public to brace for gridlock midweek, as the Seattle area reacts to the permanent closure of the Alaskan Way Viaduct.
  
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• Man hit, killed by train in Mount Vernon

  14-01-2019 22:00
  The train operator sounded the horn and attempted to use emergency brakes, but the man did not move out of the way and the train was unable to avoid hitting him, police said.
  
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• Man hit, killed by freight train in Mount Vernon

  14-01-2019 22:00
  The train operator sounded the horn and attempted to use emergency brakes, but the man did not move out of the way and the train was unable to avoid hitting him, police said.
  
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• Ice loss from Antarctica has increased sixfold since the 1970s, research finds

  14-01-2019 21:22
  Antarctic glaciers have been melting at an accelerating pace over the past four decades due to an influx of warm ocean water — a startling new finding that researchers say could mean sea levels are poised to rise more quickly than predicted in coming decades. The Antarctic lost 40 billion tons of melting ice to […]
  
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• Cantwell, Murray among Dems pressing Trump to end shutdown so wildfire preparations, training can begin again

  14-01-2019 21:15
  The senators said the annual winter hiring and training of firefighters is halted, as are forest restoration programs, and that the president is "needlessly putting people and rural forested communities at risk."
  
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• Cause of marina fire in Seattle’s Lakewood neighborhood a mystery

  14-01-2019 21:11
  The fire, which broke out Sunday night on a large pleasure boat and quickly spread to a live-aboard boat and a smaller boat, caused an estimated $200,000 damage and sent a man to the hospital.
  
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• Woman who protested at Portland’s ICE office gets probation

  14-01-2019 21:10
  PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A protester who spit at federal officers as they arrested her during a demonstration outside Portland’s U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building last summer has been sentenced to six months of probation. The Oregonian/OregonLive reports that 22-year-old Cole Holland Buford was sentenced Monday after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor count of […]
  
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• Antarctica is losing ice 6 times faster today than in 1980s

  14-01-2019 21:00
  WASHINGTON (AP) — Antarctica is melting more than six times faster than it did in the 1980s, a new study shows. Scientists used aerial photographs, satellite measurements and computer models to track how fast the southern-most continent has been melting since 1979 in 176 individual basins. They found the ice loss to be accelerating dramatically […]
  
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• Wasilla woman may have died from carbon monoxide poisoning

  14-01-2019 20:59
  ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A Wasilla woman found dead in her home may have died of carbon monoxide poisoning. Anchorage television station KTUU reports 44-year-old Michelle Ahern was found dead Jan. 5. Alaska State Troopers say Ahern appeared to have died of carbon monoxide poisoning. An autopsy was scheduled. Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless […]
  
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• Aide to Courtney resigns after report on harassment

  14-01-2019 20:54
  SALEM, Ore. (AP) — A top aide to Senate President Peter Courtney has resigned, citing an investigation into workplace harassment at the Oregon Capitol that was “disruptive.” Communications director Robin Maxey, who stepped down Sunday, had worked for Salem’s Democratic senator for 11 years. In his resignation letter Maxey said a complaint made against him […]
  
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• Homeowner confronts teenage burglary suspect, fires gunshot

  14-01-2019 20:28
  ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Alaska State Troopers say a homeowner confronted a teenage theft suspect and fired a shot when the young man came at him. Troopers at about 10:30 a.m. Sunday took a call of a home invasion northwest of North Pole. Troopers say 18-year-old Raymond Koonaloak of Utqiagvik (oot-kay-AH’-vik) climbed through a dog […]
  
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• Ex-prosecutor to lead health care firm’s rape investigation

  14-01-2019 20:01
  PHOENIX (AP) — A former top prosecutor in Phoenix was hired Monday by a health care facility to investigate the circumstances into how a patient in a vegetative state gave birth after she was sexually assaulted. Police are conducting a separate criminal investigation. Former Maricopa County Attorney Rick Romley said Monday that his review for […]
  
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• Lawmakers consider money request for math, science training

  14-01-2019 19:50
  BOISE, Idaho (AP) — The top official of a state program to boost student participation in science and technology learning to keep Idaho competitive in those fields says there are thousands of openings for jobs requiring those skills. Idaho STEM Action Center Executive Director Angela Hemingway on Monday told members of the budget-setting Joint Finance-Appropriations […]
  
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• Report: Saudi students disappear while facing Oregon charges

  14-01-2019 19:41
  PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — In December 2014, a university student from Saudi Arabia was arrested in Monmouth and accused of raping a classmate after giving her marijuana and shots of Jack Daniel’s. Bail was set at a half-million dollars. The judge ordered the student, Abdulaziz Al Duways, to turn over his passport to the private […]
  
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• Veteran seeks to reunite burial flag with rightful owners

  14-01-2019 19:30
  HOMEDALE, Idaho (AP) — A veteran is hoping to return a military burial flag to its rightful owners, but first he has to find them. David Slawson Sr. was cleaning out a home in Nampa, Idaho when he found the flag. Slawson tells Boise television station KIVI that the flag was dirty but he knew […]
  
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• Shutdown threatens state’s hatchery-based steelhead season

  14-01-2019 19:22
  BOISE, Idaho (AP) — An Idaho nonprofit says the federal government shutdown is threatening the state’s ability to keep hatchery-based steelhead season open, and thus affecting local families and businesses that depend on the fish for their livelihoods. The Idaho Press-Tribune reports the Idaho Conservation League, in a letter to Gov. Brad Little, calls on […]
  
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• Claim: Ex-Snohomish County prosecutor ran hostile office

  14-01-2019 19:12
  The claim alleges that former prosecutor Mark Roe and other workplace managers did not rein in employees who were out of line, then retaliated when an employee tried to take action.
  
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• Southeast man arrested with meth at Ketchikan airport

  14-01-2019 18:07
  KETCHIKAN, Alaska (AP) — A rural southeast Alaska man suspected of carrying methamphetamine was arrested at the Ketchikan airport. Alaska State Troopers say 50-year-old Stanley Lynch of Hollis was carrying 159 grams of meth when he was arrested at about 5 p.m. Friday. Hollis is a village on the east side of Prince of Wales […]
  
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• Body found near North Pole; man may have died of exposure

  14-01-2019 17:44
  ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — An autopsy has been ordered for the body of a man found near North Pole. Alaska State Troopers say the man may have died of exposure and that alcohol may have been a factor. Troopers shortly before 3 p.m. Sunday received a call of the man near Badger Road north of […]
  
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• Troopers release name of man killed in Tok Cutoff crash

  14-01-2019 17:32
  ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Alaska State Troopers have released the name of a man killed on a snowmobile as he crossed a rural highway. Anchorage television station KTUU reports 59-year-old-Robin Purvis of Gakona died Friday on the Tok (tohk) Cutoff. A semi traveling north struck Purvis at Mile 34 of the highway connecting the Richardson […]
  
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• Oregon proposal would require permits to buy guns, limit ammunition

  14-01-2019 16:53
  SALEM, Ore. (AP) — A bill set to appear in the Legislature this year would require Oregonians to obtain a permit before buying a gun, limit the amount of ammunition a person could buy, outlaw magazines with a capacity of more than five rounds and create gun locking and storage requirements. The Statesman Journal reports […]
  
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• Idaho arts commission seeks increase in operating budget

  14-01-2019 16:50
  BOISE, Idaho (AP) — The Idaho Commission on the Arts is requesting a budget committee accept Gov. Brad Little’s request that will result in an operating budget of just more than $2 million for fiscal year 2020. Commission Director Michael Faison on Monday told the Joint Finance-Appropriation Committee that the commission helps support such events […]
  
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• Supreme Court rejects appeal over military burn pits

  14-01-2019 16:01
  WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is rejecting appeals from military veterans who claim they suffer health problems because of open burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan. The justices on Monday left in place a federal appeals court ruling that more than 60 lawsuits over the burn pits could not go forward. The lawsuits said […]
  
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• Seattle’s unpaid air traffic controllers get special delivery from their Canadian counterparts

  14-01-2019 15:54
  Canadian air traffic controllers are buying pizzas for their American counterparts who are working but not getting paid due to the continued federal government shutdown, now the longest in U.S. history.
  
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• Canadian air traffic controllers send pizza to furloughed counterparts in U.S. — including Seattle

  14-01-2019 15:54
  Canadian air traffic controllers are buying pizzas for their American counterparts who are working but not getting paid due to the continued federal government shutdown, now the longest in U.S. history.
  
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• Man dies in Lynnwood crash; suspect driver tries to flee but is caught

  14-01-2019 15:31
  A man was killed Sunday afternoon in a crash in Lynnwood.
  
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• This new map of Washington shows us why environmental health is a justice issue

  14-01-2019 15:00
  The disparities revealed in a new, interactive mapping tool reinforce the need for environmental policies that suit the communities most at risk.
  
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• Seattle, police union delayed release of ruling to reinstate fired officer until after labor contract was approved

  14-01-2019 15:00
  A ruling in a highly publicized excessive-force case that was likely to be used by critics of the new police labor contract wasn't issued publicly until Nov. 20, a full week after the council approved the contract.
  
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• New Washington map shows why environmental health is a justice issue; see the risks in your area

  14-01-2019 15:00
  The disparities revealed in a new, interactive mapping tool reinforce the need for environmental policies that suit the communities most at risk.
  
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• New milestone in King County: Immigrant population tops 500,000

  14-01-2019 15:00
  Almost half of the county's growth since 2010 is made up of people born outside of the United States. Only two other counties have seen a bigger increase.
  
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• City, police union delayed release of ruling to reinstate fired Seattle officer until after approval of contentious new police contract

  14-01-2019 15:00
  A ruling in a highly publicized excessive-force case that was likely to be used by critics of the new police labor contract wasn't issued publicly until Nov. 20, a full week after the council approved the contract.
  
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• Live updates: Smooth sailing on first rush-hour commute of Seattle Squeeze

  14-01-2019 14:36
  We're posting live updates throughout the first regular commuting day since the Alaskan Way Viaduct was permanently shut down. Check here all day for the latest news and information.
  
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• Live updates: A Seattle Squeeze on first rush-hour commute after Alaskan Way Viaduct closure

  14-01-2019 14:36
  We'll be posting live updates during the first regular commuting day since the Alaskan Way Viaduct was permanently shut down.
  
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• How was your post-viaduct commute? Let us know in an email or voicemail

  14-01-2019 14:00
  Did you change your routine? Was the trip harder or easier than expect? Will you change your commute in the days ahead? We'd like to know.
  
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• Classier name? Inslee wants new moniker and new money for college financial-aid program

  14-01-2019 14:00
  Gov. Jay Inslee has proposed a change to the state's most important financial-aid program for college students, changing the program's name and guaranteeing every student who qualifies will receive funding.
  
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• Some help, more needed for Florida girl with rare blood type

  14-01-2019 13:55
  MIAMI (AP) — A New York woman with a rare blood type is donating two units to help save a 2-year-old South Florida girl who is battling cancer. News outlets report the woman had donated her own blood while pregnant in case she needed a transfusion during her delivery. Luckily, she didn’t need it, and […]
  
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• Retired Rep. Dave Reichert joins lobbying firm, will work initially on anti-human trafficking project

  14-01-2019 13:00
  After decades in public office, former congressman and King County sheriff Dave Reichert is headed to the private sector, joining a local lobbying firm.
  
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• China says it exchanged data with NASA on far side of moon

  14-01-2019 11:21
  BEIJING (AP) — China’s space agency says it worked with NASA to collect data from the far side of the moon. The state-run China Daily said this was the first such collaboration since an American law banned joint space projects with China that do not have prior congressional approval. The deputy director of the national […]
  
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• China says it exchanged data with NASA on far-side landing

  14-01-2019 11:21
  BEIJING (AP) — China exchanged data with NASA on its recent mission to land a Chinese spacecraft on the far side of the moon, the Chinese space agency said Monday, in what was reportedly the first such collaboration since an American law banned joint space projects with China that do not have prior congressional approval. […]
  
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• Fire breaks out at marina in Seattle’s Lakewood neighborhood

  14-01-2019 06:55
  The fire began on one boat and quickly spread to at least two others. It is unclear whether anyone has been injured.
  
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• Alaska regulators review BP wells after oil, gas leak

  14-01-2019 06:10
  ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Officials say state oil and gas regulators are reviewing the mechanical integrity of BP wells in northern Alaska after a well released gas and a small amount of oil in manner that appears similar to a 2017 leak. BP in Alaska spokeswoman Megan Baldino tells the Anchorage Daily News that the […]
  
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• Bethel panel grants permit for first marijuana business

  14-01-2019 06:08
  BETHEL, Alaska (AP) — The owner of a marijuana store in Anchorage has cleared the first hurdle in his goal to open the first cannabis shop in a western Alaska city. KYUK-AM reports the Bethel Planning Commission granted ALASKAbuds owner Nick Miller a conditional use permit last week, finding the application met the city’s land […]
  
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• Seattle officials plead for help, patience as viaduct traffic problems loom

  14-01-2019 01:45
  Transportation officials urge commuters to telecommute, shift their schedules, walk, bike, take the bus or the train, carpool or try the water taxi — anything but drive into work alone.
  
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