State & Regional News | Thurston Chronicle

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service staff survey for Chesapeake logperch in Harford County, Maryland. (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service sees nearly 20% drop in staff since President Trump took office

Nearly 1,800 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service employees have left the agency in the last year, records obtained by conservation advocates find, as pressure mounted from President Donald Trump and his … more

By Mia Maldonado / Oregon Capital Chronicle | 12/17/25

Road damage along U.S. 2 in Tumwater Canyon, in a photo shared by Washington State Department of Transportation on Dec. 16, 2025. (Photo courtesy of WSDOT)

Highway 2 closure across Washington’s Cascade mountains expected to last months; U.S. 12 swept away by Naches River

Parts of U.S. 2, an important road cutting across Washington’s Cascade mountains, will likely remain closed for months due to flood and slide damage, Gov. Bob Ferguson said Tuesday. A 49-mile … more

By Bill Lucia / The Washington State Standard | 12/17/25

Republican Washington U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse not running for reelection

U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse, one of two Republicans representing Washington state in Congress, will not run for reelection next year. “Serving the Fourth District of Washington has been the honor … more

By Bill Lucia and Jerry Cornfield / The Washington State Standard | 12/17/25

The Centralia TransAlta plant is pictured here on Wednesday, Dec. 17.

Federal order will keep TransAlta burning coal through the winter

The U.S. Department of Energy announced early Wednesday morning an emergency order to keep TransAlta’s Centralia-based coal-fired power plant operational through March of next year. U.S. … more

By Jacob Moore / jacob@chronline.com | 12/17/25

The Boston Glacier, left, viewed from Forbidden Peak, falls away from Boston Peak in the North Cascades. Boston Basin to the right. (Bill Lucia/Washington State Standard)

Northwest just finished warmest fall on record, scientists report

Across the Northwest, a record warm fall and lack of snowpack going into the winter is putting more drought pressure on Oregon, Idaho, Washington and western Montana. Despite record rain in … more

By Alex Baumhardt / States Newsroom | 12/16/25

Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson speaks to the media at a press conference on flooding alongside state and local officials in Seattle on Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025. (Photo by Jake Goldstein-Street/Washington State Standard)

Ferguson will tap emergency funding to aid Washington state residents hit by flooding

SEATTLE — Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson said Tuesday that the state will look to spend $3.5 million on immediate assistance to those affected by the historic flooding of the past week. … more

By Jake Goldstein-Street / The Washington State Standard | 12/16/25

Lewis-Mason-Thurston Area Agency on Aging champions early access to WA Cares Fund in limited 2026 pilot

New help for long-term care arrives early to three Western Washington counties. The Lewis-Mason-Thurston Area Agency on Aging (LMTAAA) will help provide key support for a WA Cares Fund pilot as a … more

By The Chronicle staff | 12/15/25

An aerial view in February 2024 of work on a new bike and pedestrian bridge over State Route 520 and connecting trails north and south of the highway. (Washington State Department of Transportation)

Maneuver to shore up Washington state’s transportation budget could be reversed

Declining gas tax revenue and skyrocketing construction costs have plagued Washington state’s transportation budget for years. Those twin forces had left budget writers searching for … more

By Jake Goldstein-Street / The Washington State Standard | 12/15/25

Frances Staudt is a high school athlete in Washington state who refused to play against a team with a transgender player.

Hundreds attend Let's Go Washington rally in Tumwater amid heavy police presence

A crowd of about 250 people gathered at Michael T. Simmons Elementary School in Tumwater Saturday afternoon for a Let’s Go Washington signature-collecting event and rally that included a … more

Carleen Johnson | The Center Square | 12/14/25

Supporters hold signs advocating for parental rights during a rally at the Washington State Capitol in Olympia, Feb. 5, 2025.

FBI, Tumwater police warn of possible antifa attack at weekend Let's Go WA event

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has notified Let’s Go Washington that antifa-affiliated individuals and groups are calling for acts of violence and intimidation against volunteers and … more

By Carleen Johnson / The Center Square | 12/12/25

The Skagit River in Mount Vernon hits a record high at 9 p.m. on Thursday night. One Mount Vernon police officer said the water level had climbed almost a foot in an hour. (Photo by Eli Voorhies for Washington State Standard)

Trump administration OKs Washington state emergency declaration for record flooding

As rivers began to recede, the federal government on Friday approved Washington’s request for aid to respond to ongoing record flooding. Gov. Bob Ferguson said he received a call from U.S. … more

By Jake Goldstein-Street / The Washington State Standard | 12/12/25

Reporters at McClatchy-owned newspapers in the Pacific Northwest raise alarm about company’s AI use

Union members at Pacific Northwest newspapers owned by McClatchy Media — including The Olympian — are raising the alarm about the company’s use of artificial intelligence (AI) in … more

By Emily Fitzgerald / emily@chronline.com | 12/11/25

Investigators say they found military equipment and Nazi flags in the home of two Lacey men arrested earlier this year.

Two Thurston County men appear on federal charges for brutal assault at JBLM in June

Two Thurston County men — both former members of the military — appeared in federal court in Tacoma on Friday for their alleged involvement in a brutal assault on Joint Base Lewis McChord … more

By The Chronicle staff | 12/8/25

Semi driver without CDL or insurance arrested after injury crash on I-5 in Thurston County

The driver of a big rig car carrier involved in an injury crash Thursday morning in Lacey that brought northbound I-5 traffic to a grinding halt for hours did not have a commercial driver’s … more

By Carleen Johnson / The Center Square | 12/5/25

Washington state’s ban on assault weapon sales withstands another round in court

A judge last month once again upheld Washington’s 2023 law banning the sale of certain semiautomatic firearms classified as assault weapons. But the dispute is likely not over. The gun … more

Jake Goldstein-Street / Washington State Standard | 12/4/25

Capitol break-in caused more than $600,000 in damage

A break-in at the state Capitol last month caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage, according to an updated estimate released Thursday. According to the Department of Enterprise … more

Mitchell Roland / The Spokesman-Review (TNS) | 11/21/25

A memorial for brothers Alexander Borgen, 16, and Deven Borgen, 17, is pictured on the corner of College Street SE and 24th Avenue in Lacey on Monday, Nov. 17.

Suspect arrested in Thurston County double homicide

Lacey police have arrested a suspect in the Nov. 14 double murder of two teenage boys. Trequanne Trenelle Wilson-Mason, 20, of Lacey, was arrested and booked into the Thurston County Jail … more

By Emily Fitzgerald / emily@chronline.com | 11/19/25

Olympia voters reject $20 minimum wage; similar Tacoma measure held up in court

Olympia’s Proposition 1 to raise the city’s minimum wage to $20 an hour and provide some new worker protections was rejected by voters in last week’s general election. As … more

By Carleen Johnson / The Center Square | 11/17/25