State & Regional News | Thurston Chronicle

Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs speaks about the importance of returning ballots early alongside U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, right, and leaders from the Seattle King County NAACP and the League of Women Voters of Snohomish County on Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026, in Seattle. (Photo by Jake Goldstein-Street/Washington State Standard)

Uncounted late ballots jump in Washington as fears of Postal Service delays intensify

SEATTLE — Over 20,000 ballots in Washington’s primary election last month were rejected because they came in too late, thousands more than in 2024. This comes as election officials … more

ByJake Goldstein-Street / The Washington State Standard | 9/2/26

Commissioner of Public Lands Dave Upthegrove answers questions during a Legislative Media Day at the Washington state Capitol on Thursday, Feb. 19, in Olympia.

Trust land transfer proposals approved by Washington Board of Natural Resources

The Washington State Board of Natural Resources approved a priority list of six parcels for legislative funding to conserve via the Trust Land Transfer program during its meeting Tuesday, a news … more

By The Chronicle staff | 9/2/26

Elk rest in the snow at the National Elk Refuge in Wyoming in this 2011 photo.

National Elk Refuge plan calls for feeding Jackson Hole elk, even if CWD transmission skyrockets

A long-range plan for the National Elk Refuge released Friday afternoon proposes continuing to feed elk for the long haul in the Jackson Herd, even as deadly chronic wasting disease propagates across … more

Mike Koshmrl / Idaho Capital Sun | 9/2/26

An Ada County prosecuting attorney and an Idaho State Police trooper watch body cam footage leading up to the arrest of the Rev. Sara LaWall on trespassing charges at her trial in Boise on Sept. 1, 2026.

Jury finds Idaho faith leader guilty of trespassing in protest of anti-trans bills

Months after protestors wouldn’t leave the lobby of the Idaho governor’s office in an attempt to meet with him over anti-transgender bills, a jury on Tuesday found a local minister guilty on a … more

Kyle Pfannenstiel / Idaho Capital Sun | 9/2/26

Riverview Park in Independence, Ore., pictured here, was nearly closed in August due the city’s lack of maintenance funding. It was reopened after the nonprofit Friends of Community Parks provided an emergency grant.

Oregon lawmaker to propose financial support for small cities left in financial limbo

After a city in his district temporarily shut down several of its parks because it couldn’t pay for their maintenance, a Democratic state lawmaker is proposing the Legislature create a fund that … more

Mia Maldonado / Oregon Capital Chronicle | 9/2/26

An election worker in Thurston County processes ballots on Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025, in Tumwater, Washington. (Photo by Jake Goldstein-Street/Washington State Standard)

Washington officials decry Trump admin’s ramp-up in voter fraud investigations

The Trump administration is reportedly redoubling efforts to root out voter fraud in a number of states this week, including Washington. Washington officials are troubled at the news as … more

By Jake Goldstein-Street / The Washington State Standard | 9/1/26

Gov. Bob Ferguson seen during an event in June 2026. (Photo by Aspen Ford/Washington State Standard)

Governor won’t try to oust Washington wildlife commissioners at center of misconduct probe

Gov. Bob Ferguson won’t punish two members of the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission for violating public records and open meeting laws but has warned each that they will face removal if they … more

By Jerry Cornfield / The Washington State Standard | 9/1/26

Washington state gas prices surge while other states see drop

Drivers across Washington are paying more at the pump as gas prices continue their upward climb while more than half the country saw relief while filling up heading into the busy Labor Day weekend. … more

By Andrew Paxton / The Center Square | 9/1/26

A crew member hoses down vegetation to keep a prescribed fire from spreading outside of a designated parcel. Local leaders in the small town of Roslyn, Washington, have embraced prescribed burns as a way to protect the community.

This Washington town is burning. That’s the plan.

Francisco Martinez hefts a canister filled with a mixture of diesel fuel and gasoline. A tongue of flame dances above the nozzle. He tips the drip torch forward — whoosh — and a stream of blazing … more

Alex Brown / Stateline | 9/1/26

International student enrollment at Oregon's public universities is expected to decline this year due to Trump administration policies. Oregon State University is currently home to about 1,900 international students and their families, down from 2,400 in recent years.

Oregon universities brace for international enrollment drop following visa delays, Trump policies

Ahead of the fall semester at Oregon’s largest public universities, staff are helping students from around the world navigate challenging visa delays and uncertainty over President Donald Trump and … more

Alex Baumhardt / Oregon Capital Chronicle | 9/1/26

Vegetables and lettuces at a grocery store in Michigan. A summer of food recalls, including the record-shattering cyclosporiasis outbreak tied to iceberg lettuce that has sickened thousands, has raised many Americans’ fears of contracting a foodborne illness.

A summer of recalls exposes holes in the nation’s food safety net

Jalapenos. Frozen berries. Beef. Alfalfa sprouts. A summer of food recalls, including the record-shattering cyclosporiasis outbreak tied to iceberg lettuce that has sickened thousands, has … more

Anna Claire Vollers / Washington State Standard | 9/1/26

The Washington Capitol building is lit up against the night sky in Olympia.

Critics blame Washington’s 'imminent harm' rule for another baby death

A 39-year-old woman charged in connection with the death of her 1-year-old son made a second court appearance Monday in King County Superior Court, as critics blame the system for allowing the death … more

By Carleen Johnson / The Center Square | 8/31/26

Roughly 100 state employees lined Capitol Way in Olympia, Wash. to demand higher wages in their next two-year contract. (Photo by Aspen Ford/Washington State Standard)

Washington state workers stage walkout amid clash over pay demands

With contract negotiations nearing a critical deadline, hundreds of Washington state workers walked off the job for an hour Monday to highlight demands for wage hikes in their next two-year deal. … more

By Jerry Cornfield and Aspen Ford / The Washington State Standard | 8/31/26

Walmart, located at 1601 NW Louisiana Avenue in Chehalis.

Walmart agrees to pay $50 million for filling unlawful opioid prescriptions

The U.S. Justice Department, together with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), last week announced a $50 million settlement with Walmart Inc. to resolve allegations that Walmart pharmacies … more

By The Chronicle staff | 8/31/26

Veterans Memorial Museum Executive Director Chip Duncan talks with Congresswoman Marie Gluesenkamp Perez outside of the Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System American Lake Mobile Medical Unit in Chehalis on Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2023.

Gluesenkamp Perez to host service academy information night

On Tuesday, Sept. 8, the office of U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Skamania, will host an information night for students interested in applying to the service academies. The event will be … more

By The Chronicle staff | 8/31/26

A crew member uses a drip torch to ignite a prescribed burn in Southwest Washington. Leaders in Washington and other states want to empower more residents to lead burns like this on private lands. (Photo by Alex Brown/Stateline)

To protect forests, I learned to burn them

AUBURN, Wash. — In the back row of a small community college classroom, I sip my coffee and consider a cumulus cloud, a puffy white pillar over an expanse of blue. I’m not staring out the window, … more

By Alex Brown / Stateline.org | 8/31/26

The Washington state Capitol is pictured from Heritage Park in Olympia on Tuesday, Feb. 3.

Developmental disabilities program for Washington families to be cut, but not ended

Washington state officials are keeping a longstanding program seen as vital to parents of children with developmental disabilities, but cutting its funding, ending weeks of unease about its … more

By Jake Goldstein-Street / The Washington State Standard | 8/31/26

Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek, center, talks with Northwest Oregon Housing Authority executive director Hsu-Feng Andy Shaw on the site of the future Owens Adair II affordable apartments.

Oregon is spending more than ever on low-income housing. A state law keeps the details secret

Oregon’s spending on low-income housing has exploded in the past five years. The state has given developers an unprecedented $1.4 billion, and the cost of developing each apartment has nearly … more

Rob Davis, ProPublica | 8/30/26

The state Legislative Ethics Board found no evidence Rep. Tarra Simmons, D-Bremerton, violated any ethics law in her effort to keep Democrat Daria Ilgen from running against her.

Ethics panel: Washington state lawmaker broke no rules trying to thwart challenge from fellow Democrat

Washington Democratic state Rep. Tarra Simmons tried hard to keep fellow Democrat Daria Ilgen from running against her this year. It didn’t work. The two will face off in November’s general … more

Jerry Cornfield / Washington State Standard | 8/30/26

State employees protest near an event commemorating the construction of a new psychiatric facility where Gov. Bob Ferguson was speaking on Aug. 28, 2026. (Photo by Aspen Ford/Washington State Standard)

Washington governor met with state worker protest at hospital construction ceremony

Washington marked a milestone Friday with the final structural beam placed on a new psychiatric facility on the Western State Hospital campus in Pierce County. Along with the pomp came … more

By Jerry Cornfield and Aspen Ford / The Washington State Standard | 8/29/26