Washington news

• Idaho seeks to increase assessment for private forest owners

  23-01-2019 23:39
  BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Lawmakers have introduced legislation that will for the first time in 16 years raise the assessment private forest owners pay the state to make sure logging is done in a sustainable way and in compliance with Idaho laws. The House Resources and Conservation Committee on Tuesday unanimously advanced the legislation put […]
  
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• Idaho teacher charged with child rape pleads not guilty

  23-01-2019 23:33
  POCATELLO, Idaho (AP) — An eastern Idaho teacher has been indicted by a grand jury on charges of sexually abusing a first-grade boy ten years ago. The Idaho State Journal reports the teacher, 46-year-old Tiffany Marie Petersen of Pocatello, has pleaded not guilty to the charges. Her attorney, Shane Reichert, could not be immediately reached […]
  
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• Telescopes capture moment of impact during eclipse of moon

  23-01-2019 23:04
  CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Astronomers managed to capture the moment of an impact during this week’s eclipsed moon. Spanish astrophysicist Jose Maria Madiedo of the University of Huelva said Wednesday it appears a rock from a comet slammed into the moon during the total lunar eclipse late Sunday and early Monday. The strike was […]
  
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• Oregon to help amid federal government shutdown

  23-01-2019 22:37
  SALEM, Ore. (AP) — With the federal government shutdown in its second month, officials in Oregon are looking to help beleaguered federal employees, possibly with millions of dollars in assistance, authorities said Wednesday. Almost 10,000 federal employees in the state are not getting paid because of the shutdown, huge swaths of federal lands are unattended, […]
  
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• Oregon looking at ways to help amid fed government shutdown

  23-01-2019 22:37
  SALEM, Ore. (AP) — With the federal government shutdown in its second month, officials in Oregon are looking to help. Almost 10,000 federal employees in the state are going unpaid, food stamps for many citizens at risk if the shutdown persists, and huge swaths of federal lands are going unattended. Oregon Senate President Peter Courtney […]
  
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• Alaska man, son sentenced in bear killings case

  23-01-2019 22:17
  ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A judge in Alaska has ordered jail time for a man who skied with his son to a bear den, where they killed a mother bear and her two cubs, unaware that a research camera was recording them. Andrew Renner was sentenced Tuesday to three months in jail while his 18-year-old […]
  
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• Upstream Music Fest will be ‘taking a break’ in 2019

  23-01-2019 22:00
  After bringing 30,000 fans to Pioneer Square in each of its first two years, the startup festival backed by Paul Allen's Vulcan will not happen this year.
  
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• Doctor reprimanded for removing wrong man’s kidney

  23-01-2019 21:53
  WORCESTER, Mass. (AP) — A Massachusetts doctor who removed a kidney from the wrong patient has received a reprimand from the state. The Telegram & Gazette reports Tuesday that the state Board of Registration in Medicine issued its reprimand to Dr. Ankur Parikh last month after he admitted to the error. The board says in […]
  
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• New study: Cellphone use by Washington state drivers is down, but other distractions are up

  23-01-2019 21:52
  Sure, it’s frustrating to be stuck at a green light because the driver in front of you is not paying attention. But the delay — whether due to someone texting, changing the radio station, or simply being lost in thought — may not occur as often as you think. “Lots of drivers believe distracted driving […]
  
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• Dunleavy picks shake up board regulating Alaska marijuana

  23-01-2019 21:47
  JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The board that regulates Alaska’s legal marijuana industry could be shifting right, with appointments by Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy of a marijuana critic and a law enforcement officer who would like to revisit onsite use rules. Dunleavy’s appointments of Vivian Stiver and Lt. Christopher Jaime are subject to legislative confirmation. Stiver […]
  
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• AP NewsBreak: Onsite use rules concern new pot board member

  23-01-2019 21:47
  JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The newest member of the board that regulates marijuana in Alaska has concerns about onsite consumption. Lt. Christopher Jaime (HI’-mee), an Alaska Wildlife Trooper from Soldotna, acknowledges that Alaskans voted to legalize so-called recreational use of cannabis. He tells The Associated Press that respecting the wishes of the people is important […]
  
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• Boeing pilotless air taxi lifts off the ground, but passenger service is years away

  23-01-2019 21:13
  Boeing's prototype autonomous air taxi — essentially a flying car with no driver — lifted off the ground for the first time on a test takeoff in Manassas, Va., Wednesday. Still, while the technology is advancing, the regulatory and safety barriers are considerable.
  
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• Family, Portland police need help solving cold case murder

  23-01-2019 20:45
  PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The Portland Police Bureau and the family of 28-year-old Andrew Patrick Hathaway are asking for the public’s help to solve his murder. Hathaway’s body was found on Sept. 5, 2018 in the trunk of a white 2003 Chevy Impala that was engulfed in flames. The medical examiner’s office determined that Hathaway, […]
  
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• Parent company of The Bulletin files for bankruptcy

  23-01-2019 20:19
  BEND, Ore. (AP) — Western Communications, the parent company of The Bulletin, has filed for bankruptcy. The Bulletin says court filings made Tuesday show the company owes more than $10 million to more than 1,000 creditors and has assets of $10 million to $50 million. Its largest unsecured creditor is newsprint supplier Page Cooperative Inc. […]
  
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• Jackson County asks state to deny pipeline permit

  23-01-2019 20:08
  MEDFORD, Ore. (AP) — Jackson County commissioners are asking the state to block a proposed natural gas pipeline that would ferry gas over 229 miles of southern Oregon to an export terminal near Coos Bay. The Oregon Department of State Lands is considering whether to grant the project a key permit and is taking public […]
  
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• Prosecutor: Idaho deputy used justifiable force in shooting

  23-01-2019 20:04
  POCATELLO, Idaho (AP) — An Idaho prosecutor says a Bannock County sheriff’s deputy used justifiable force when he shot a 16-year-old boy who fled a traffic stop last year. The teen, who was unarmed, survived the shooting. The Bannock County Prosecutor’s Office recently released documents outlining the investigation of shooting, which was led by the […]
  
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• Wind project partners with environmentalists on rare whales

  23-01-2019 19:29
  BOSTON (AP) — The developer of an offshore wind energy project is partnering with environmental groups on a plan to try to protect the endangered North Atlantic right whale. The whale is one of the rarest marine mammals. It’s thought to number only 411 individuals . The animals travel through New England waters every year. […]
  
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• Hospital: ‘Poor decisions’ by staff giving outsize pain meds

  23-01-2019 19:00
  COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — An Ohio doctor’s orders for potentially fatal doses of pain medicine given to at least 27 hospital patients were carried out by employees who “made poor decisions” and ignored existing safeguards, a top administrator told staff in an internal video. The Columbus-area Mount Carmel Health System said it fired the intensive […]
  
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• Well that monitors giant Idaho aquifer back in service

  23-01-2019 18:46
  IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (AP) — A contractor for the U.S. Department of Energy says a deep well used to monitor contamination in a giant Idaho aquifer is back in service after a three-year absence. Fluor Idaho in a statement Tuesday says scientists determined contamination discovered in the 1,110-foot (340-meter) well was caused by an industrial […]
  
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• 2 Anchorage schools to remain closed for 2019-2020 year

  23-01-2019 18:21
  ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Two Anchorage public schools will stay closed next year for repair of earthquake damage. KTVA reports Eagle River Elementary School and Gruening Middle School stay closed for the 2019-2020 academic year. The decision was made following a review by structural engineers. Students from both schools were relocated to other buildings in […]
  
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• Police: Drunken man took wrong Lyft to wrong home

  23-01-2019 18:18
  CAPE ELIZABETH, Maine — Police in Maine say a drunken man took the wrong Lyft and tried to get into a house he mistakenly thought was his home. Cape Elizabeth police say the Falmouth man mistakenly got into a Lyft summoned by a man who lived next door. Police say the man was dropped off […]
  
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• NASA replaces astronaut on Boeing’s 1st crew launch

  23-01-2019 17:44
  CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA has replaced an astronaut assigned to Boeing’s first launch with a crew. Astronaut Eric Boe was pulled Tuesday from the upcoming test flight for unspecified medical reasons, after more than three years of training. Taking his seat will be Mike Fincke, a former space station commander. Boeing plans to […]
  
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• Little taking applications for Idaho oil and gas commission

  23-01-2019 17:41
  BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Idaho Gov. Brad Little is accepting applications for a spot on the five-member Idaho Oil and Gas Conservation Commission. Little made the announcement on Tuesday to fill the fifth spot on the commission that oversees oil and natural gas production in the state. The commission is short one member after chairman […]
  
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• Prosecutor declines to file charges in Anchorage shooting

  23-01-2019 17:38
  ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A woman suspected of holding a gun that discharged and killed a man in Anchorage will not be prosecuted. The Anchorage Daily News reports prosecutors declined to charge 26-year-old Marilyn Tilo-Maiava in the shooting early Tuesday. She had been held by police on suspicion of manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide. Anchorage […]
  
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• Anchorage police release name of man killed in shooting

  23-01-2019 17:38
  ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Anchorage police have released the name of a man killed Tuesday in an apartment shooting. The man who died was 24-year-old Omar Mandour. Investigators say Mandour brought a handgun to the apartment and it was passed around and handled by multiple people. As the gun was handled by 26-year-old Marilyn Tilo-Maiava, […]
  
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• Idaho Geological Survey seeks budget increase

  23-01-2019 17:12
  BOISE, Idaho (AP) — The agency that provides information about Idaho’s geology and minerals and makes natural gas and oil production records available is asking state lawmakers to approve a $1.25 million budget. University of Idaho President Chuck Staben made the request for fiscal year 2020 for the Idaho Geological Survey on Wednesday to the […]
  
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• Blue Origin shoots NASA experiments into space in test

  23-01-2019 17:02
  Blue Origin, a Kent-based Jeff Bezos company, has successfully launched NASA experiments into space with its New Shepard rocket.
  
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• Eugene, Lane County plan would bring homeless off streets

  23-01-2019 16:52
  EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Elected leaders for Eugene and Lane County are supporting an ambitious, expensive push aimed at lowering to zero the number of homeless people camping along local streets and in parks. The Register-Guard reports that the series of 10 recommendations by Technical Assistance Collaborative, a Boston-based consultant, includes construction of a 75-bed […]
  
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• Nurse arrested in rape of woman who gave birth at facility

  23-01-2019 16:26
  PHOENIX (AP) — A nurse who was looking after an incapacitated woman at long-term health care facility has been charged with raping her, weeks after she stunned her caregivers and family who didn’t know she was pregnant by giving birth to a baby boy, Phoenix police said Wednesday. Investigators arrested 36-year-old Nathan Sutherland, a licensed […]
  
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• Nurse arrested in rape of incapacitated woman who gave birth

  23-01-2019 16:26
  PHOENIX (AP) — A nurse who was supposed to be looking after an incapacitated woman at a long-term health care facility has been charged with raping her, weeks after she stunned her caregivers and family by giving birth to a baby boy, Phoenix police said Wednesday. Investigators arrested Nathan Sutherland, a licensed practical nurse, on […]
  
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• No surprise for commuters: Washington ranks dead last among lower 48 states for driving

  23-01-2019 16:03
  The Seattle area, and Washington as a whole, get low marks in studies of the worst places to drive.
  
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• Boeing’s self-flying taxi completes first test flight

  23-01-2019 15:24
  A prototype of Boeing's autonomous passenger air vehicle, propelled by electricity, completed a controlled takeoff, hover and landing during the test conducted in Virginia.
  
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• Boeing’s flying car completes first test flight

  23-01-2019 15:24
  A prototype of Boeing's autonomous passenger air vehicle, propelled by electricity, completed a controlled takeoff, hover and landing during the test conducted in Virginia.
  
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• Eastside mayors view Microsoft’s $500 million housing pledge with enthusiasm, caution

  23-01-2019 15:01
  While pledging $500 million for housing affordability, Microsoft also asked nine Eastside mayors to support land use changes to ease development. The mayors are enthusiastic about the money, but realistic about the controversies that sometimes follow affordable housing efforts.
  
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• Could the humble TSA agent save democracy? Increasingly they’re being asked to try

  23-01-2019 15:00
  Out at SeaTac, calls are escalating for the agents to walk off the job to try to force an end to the federal government shutdown — and save our broken political system from itself.
  
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• Both directions of I-5 in Tacoma reopen after early Wednesday collision

  23-01-2019 14:54
  Interstate 5 was closed in both directions in Tacoma after a semi truck crashed.
  
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• Both directions of I-5 in Tacoma closed after collision; lanes may not reopen for hours

  23-01-2019 14:54
  Interstate 5 is closed in both directions in Tacoma after a semi truck crashed early Wednesday morning.
  
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• Police: Phone threats to Edmonds child-care centers came from out of state, pose no immediate threat

  23-01-2019 14:51
  The caller used a messaging app to disguise his number, but a detective was able to talk to him on the phone for more than an hour, police said,
  
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• Catholic student says he didn’t disrespect Native American

  23-01-2019 14:03
  PARK HILLS, Ky. (AP) — A Catholic high school student whose close encounter with a Native American activist and a black religious sect was captured on video in Washington, D.C. says he has nothing to apologize for. Nick Sandmann told NBC’s “Today” show on Wednesday that he had every right to be there, as did […]
  
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• Woman sues Home Depot for $1.5M after termination

  23-01-2019 14:00
  BEND, Ore. (AP) — A Bend Paralympic athlete is suing Home Depot for $1.5 million, claiming the company did not consider her disability when it fired her in 2017. The Bulletin reports in a complaint filed Tuesday in Deschutes County Circuit Court, Barbara Buchan claims that after suffering a concussion in a fall at work, […]
  
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• Anti-vaccination ‘hot spot’ in SW Washington declares emergency over measles outbreak

  23-01-2019 11:42
  A quickly escalating measles outbreak around Portland, Oregon, has led health officials in nearby Clark County, Washington, to declare a public health emergency as they warn that people infected with the highly contagious virus since the beginning of the year have visited schools and churches, a dentist's office, an Amazon locker pickup station, a Costco, and an Ikea.
  
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• Analysis: Falling home sales not helping middle-class buyers

  23-01-2019 09:05
  The squeeze goes well beyond the famously high-priced home markets of Seattle, San Francisco and New York. In metro areas long known for affordable home values — Milwaukee, Memphis, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Phoenix and others — the number of homes for sale that a household with a median income could afford has slipped.
  
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• Anchorage plans downtown district celebrating mushing

  23-01-2019 06:44
  ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Anchorage officials and business groups are planning to designate a section of downtown to honor the sport of dog mushing. KTVA-TV reports the city, Greater Anchorage Inc. and the Anchorage Downtown Partnership announced plans Monday to name a stretch of Fourth Avenue the Anchorage Mushing District. The project would include installing […]
  
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• Alaska jobs report shows some growth in oil, gas industry

  23-01-2019 06:42
  JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Alaska’s oil and gas industry experienced modest growth last month as some sectors of the economy have continued shedding jobs, according to a state jobs report. December employment numbers released Friday by the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development show some losses from the recession are slowing, Alaska’s Energy Desk […]
  
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• Alaska jobs report shows some growth in oil and gas industry

  23-01-2019 06:42
  JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — An Alaska jobs report shows the state’s oil and gas industry experienced modest growth last month as some sectors of the economy have continued shedding jobs. Alaska’s Energy Desk reports the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development released its December employment numbers last week, indicating that some losses from the […]
  
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• Lawyers appeal dismissal of lawsuit filed on horse’s behalf

  23-01-2019 06:33
  PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Attorneys for a once-neglected horse are filling an appeal after an Oregon judge dismissed their lawsuit last year, finding that animals don’t have a right to sue. The Oregonian/OregonLive reports lawyers from the Animal Legal Defense Fund sued the horse’s former owner for lifelong costs of medical care. The horse named […]
  
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• Lawmaker proposes lowering Oregon’s blood alcohol limit

  23-01-2019 06:31
  PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Data show that 11 people were killed in Oregon in 2017 in crashes involving drivers who had a blood alcohol level between the current legal limit and a proposed lower limit. The Oregonian/OregonLive reports state Senate President Peter Courtney has proposed legislation to lower Oregon’s 0.08 blood alcohol level limit to […]
  
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• One woman dies in Burien apartment fire caused by ‘smoking material’

  23-01-2019 05:39
  Fire investigators determined the fire was accidental and caused by a "smoking material."
  
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• Russell Baker, droll columnist and memoirist who twice won Pulitzer, dies at 93

  23-01-2019 04:42
  Russell Baker received a Pulitzer Prize for commentary in 1979 and another for his Depression-era memoir four years later.
  
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• Woman dies Tuesday after being hit by car in Everett

  23-01-2019 04:11
  The woman was struck in the roadway at Colby Avenue and Pacific Street around 5:45 p.m.
  
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