State & Regional News | Thurston Chronicle

Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson announces proposed housing investments in a press conference in Seattle, alongside, from left to right, state Sen. Emily Alvarado, Lt. Gov. Denny Heck and Housing Development Consortium Executive Director Patience Malaba on Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025. (Photo by Jake Goldstein-Street/Washington State Standard)

Gov. Bob Ferguson proposes $244M boost for housing programs

SEATTLE — Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson is asking lawmakers to fund $244 million in additional housing investments as part of a budget proposal released Thursday. His plan comes as the state … more

By Jake Goldstein-Street / The Washington State Standard | 12/19/25

A house off Francis Road in Silver Lake, about a half hour outside of Concrete, still surrounded by floodwater on Dec. 17, 2025. (Photo by Eli Voorhies for Washington State Standard)

After days of flood and slide threats, a small Washington state town begins to breathe a sigh of relief

CONCRETE, Wash. — On Wednesday morning, sunlight glinted off the mud and moisture that still blanketed this small town in the Cascade foothills, hinting at what it had just endured. … more

By Eli Voorhies / The Washington State Standard | 12/19/25

Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson on Friday discusses his plan to invest $3 billion in highway preservation, bridge maintenance and ferry building in the next decade. The news conference took place at the state Department of Transportation facility in Lacey, Washington. (Photo by Jerry Cornfield/Washington State Standard)

What to know about Gov. Bob Ferguson’s $3 billion transportation spending plan

LACEY — Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson unveiled a plan Friday to steer $3 billion into preserving the state’s roads and bridges and building three new ferries over the next decade. Ferguson … more

By Jerry Cornfield and Jake Goldstein-Street / The Washington State Standard | 12/19/25

Another clash with Washington state shapes up as feds order TransAlta Centralia plant to keep burning coal

The Trump administration has ordered Washington’s last coal-fired power station to continue burning coal, just weeks before it was scheduled to shut down and convert to natural gas fuel. This … more

By Jospeh O’Sullivan / The Washington State Standard | 12/18/25

A cannabis pre-roll is held at a legalization anniversary party in Cranston, Rhode Island, Dec. 1, 2023. (Photo by Christopher Shea/Rhode Island Current)

President Trump signs order to loosen federal restrictions on marijuana, but it’s still illegal

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday to loosen federal restrictions on marijuana, which Trump said reflected the drug’s potential medical benefits while discouraging … more

By Jacob Fischler / States Newsroom | 12/18/25

Rep. Travis Couture shakes a person’s hand during a public hearing on an initiative regarding parental rights in Olympia on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024.

Oversight board meets as 2025 closes with record Washington state child deaths and near deaths

Members of the Department of Children Youth and Families Oversight Board met Wednesday to discuss proposed changes to legislation that critics say has led to an alarming increase in the numbers of … more

By Carleen Johnson / The Center Square | 12/18/25

Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Wash., leaves a meeting of the House Republican Conference at the Capitol Hill Club on Wednesday, December 1, 2021. (Credit Image: © Tom Williams/Congressional Quarterly via ZUMA Press)

Washington U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse looks to exit Congress on his terms

For a while, Republican U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse says he’s been hearing a little voice in the back of his head telling him it might be time to step aside. On Wednesday, he announced he’d … more

By Jerry Cornfield / The Washington State Standard | 12/18/25

Immigration arrests in Washington state surged in recent months

The Trump administration’s immigration crackdown intensified across Washington in the late summer and early fall, new data indicates. Between July 29 and Oct. 15, U.S. Immigration and … more

By Jake Goldstein-Street / The Washington State Standard | 12/18/25

Hikers begin hiking the Skyline Loop Trail at Mount Rainier National Park on Thursday, Oct. 16.

Republicans propose bill to restore access to historic gateway to Mount Rainier

Republican lawmakers proposed a plan Tuesday that could restore access to the Fairfax Bridge “as soon as possible” after the state shut down the gateway to Mount Rainier last April. The … more

Tim Clouser / The Center Square | 12/17/25

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