Pacific NW

Interim Seattle police Chief Sue Rahr has overturned or modified more disciplinary recommendations from the department’s citizen watchdog in six months than the previous two chiefs over the past five years, underscoring an accountability conflict the chief says is driving discontent among SPD’s rank and file.

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is seeking federal approval to end a pandemic-era program that let Medicaid pay family members to care for people with disabilities.

Nov. 8—Washington's whooping cough outbreak is only getting worse. Between Oct. 13 and 19, the state saw its highest case count in a single week this year — 70 — and that data is incomplete since it can take WSDOH up to four weeks to investigate potential cases. Earlier this week, on Nov. 7, the Washington State Department of Health to issued a warning to the state's residents about the rising ...

Nov. 8—SEATTLE — Washington Governor-Elect Bob Ferguson filled his executive leadership team Nov. 7. "I'm committed to taking on our toughest challenges, getting results, and centering the people in all decisions of state government," Ferguson said in a release from his office. "I'm excited to get to work with my executive leadership team to improve the lives of all Washingtonians." Ferguson ...

Nov. 8—At one-third of Seattle sushi restaurants, the fish sold as wild salmon was actually farmed, according to recent testing by researchers at Seattle Pacific University. A study published Wednesday showed that 32.3% of purportedly wild salmon gathered from 52 Seattle sushi places proved to be farmed salmon. The study, entitled "Fishy Business in Seattle," also subjected salmon sold as wild ...

Nov. 8—Ruth Bader Ginsburg Elementary School marks Vancouver Public Schools' first fully dual-language school — one of the few in Washington. A fully dual-language school teaches a regular school curriculum in two languages for students to become bilingual. Ruth Bader Ginsburg Elementary School, which celebrated with a dedication ceremony last month, teaches in Spanish and English. "It's just ...

In September, a jury of Ada County residents decided that two Boise State University administrators owe the owner of a now-defunct local coffee shop $4 million in a lawsuit that centered around the closure of the shop’s campus location four years ago. The administrators, who were acting in their official capacities, were sued as individuals. Boise State was not a defendant. So who pays the ...

Nov. 7—Washington Attorney General and Gov.-elect Bob Ferguson and incoming Attorney General Nick Brown vowed Thursday they're ready to take on the second Trump administration if it overreaches on abortion rights, mass deportations or a host of other issues. At a news conference in downtown Seattle, Ferguson and Brown offered few specifics of their plans, but sought to reassure nervous ...

Nov. 7—This year could shape up to be the worst year for whooping cough Washington has seen in over a decade. State health officials counted 1,193 cases of whooping cough, or pertussis, across 31 counties as of Nov. 2, according to the Department of Health's most recent update. This time last year, the state had reported 51 cases. Washington is not alone in its sharp rise of the highly ...

Months ago Boise Police Officer Wayne Anderson mistakenly shot and injured an Idaho Department of Correction corporal during an ambush by a man at Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center set up to free a prisoner. An outside investigation has cleared the 13-year police department veteran of any wrongdoing, but it could still be years before the public learns the full details surrounding the ...

Nov. 7—A common frustration among drivers is being stuck behind another driver at the same intersection for multiple cycles, but they can't turn left because of oncoming traffic. You might find yourself honking at the person ahead of you hoping they'll inch forward to make the turn. But is it legal for drivers to pull into the intersection while waiting to make a left turn at a light? Is it ...