Why we are here
Meaningful, independent journalism is at a crossroads. Advertisers who once filled newspaper coffers and funded local journalism have shifted resources to the Internet. And... — Updated 11/2/2023
Western Washington provides a prime habitat for mushrooms
Joining a mushroom club can provide the right education for those interested. Mushroom clubs can be found throughout western Washington as the region's climate provides a prime... — Updated 11/30/2023
Snow geese population a problem for Skagit farmers
In late autumn on the cusp of cool winter days, snow comes early to Washington when thousands of aloft avians, snow geese, land here in a flurry of white feathers. "We call it a... — Updated 11/30/2023
Grizzly restoration plan elicits strong opinions
The idea of restoring grizzly bears to the North Cascades brings up strong emotions, which were evident among speakers at a packed house in the Winthrop Barn on Friday night (Nov.... — Updated 11/16/2023
Whiteman Cove Restoration to Begin in 2024
Restoration of salmon habitat at Whiteman Cove is set to begin in 2024, following a $6.9 million appropriation in the state capital budget. The project, led by the Washington... — Updated 11/9/2023
1 million planted: StreamTeam celebrates environmental milestone
Clear but chilly weather provided a perfect environment for hundreds of trees and shrubs to be planted in the ground on Bells Mountain, Saturday. Volunteers swarmed the hillside to... — Updated 11/2/2023
Tribes import bison to reservation
The Colville Tribes announced Monday it had released nearly two dozen buffalo onto the open range on the reservation "to live in the wild" and that they planned to release all 30... — Updated 10/4/2023
Clam season likely but numbers down
OLYMPIA - On the up side, it appears likely there will be razor clam digging on the peninsula starting Sept. 29 through Oct. 2. On the down side, the number of clams has plummeted... — Updated 9/21/2023
Wildfire spared endangered pygmy rabbit population
The Columbia Basin pygmy rabbit population, nestled in recovery sites near Quincy, was spared from the Baird Springs Fire. The Pacific Northwest native endangered species resides... — Updated 9/21/2023
Blue Lake Fire spreads north of Hwy 20 in 'slopover' of strategic burnout
In its first week, the Blue Lake Fire grew slowly - it was just 290 acres after burning for eight days - but it has nearly doubled in size since Friday, after strategic firing... — Updated 8/31/2023
Scientists monitor juvenile European green crab populations in Drayton Harbor
Scientists are keeping a close eye on Drayton Harbor waters after discovering a sizable population of juvenile European green crabs, indicating growth of the highly invasive... — Updated 8/17/2023
- Floating ban coming to South Fork Nooksack Riverv
- Wildfire in east Skamania County prompts 'Go Now' evacuation orders, closes part of Highway 14
- Forest Health Collaborative marks decade of restoration efforts
- First Japanese beetles of the year detected in Grandview
- Public Weighs in on Burley Lagoon Geoduck Farming
- Citizen scientists monitor Birch Bay, Drayton Harbor for red tide
WSU, OSU granted restraining order against PAC-12
COLFAX - Washington State University (WSU) President Kirk Schulz, also current chairman of the PAC-12 board, and WSU athletic director Pat Chun were in Colfax Monday, Sept. 11, to... — Updated 9/14/2023
Pacific County joins lawsuit vs. DSHS
SOUTH BEND - Pacific County is a co-plaintiff in a lawsuit against the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) filed on Aug. 23 by 22 counties in Pierce... — Updated 9/7/2023
Sheriff's office seeking information regarding recent dog killings
Pasado’s Safe Haven, an animal sanctuary and rescue organization in the Pacific Northwest, is partnering with People for Animal Care and Kindness and Team Okanogan Animal Rescue to increase the reward for information leading to... — Updated 6/1/2023
County fair is 'final exam' for 4-H Club members
Pigs are rumored to be quite intelligent, but did you know that they can learn to play video games by moving a joystick with their snout? That's one of the things that 11-year-old... — Updated 9/14/2023
Bat test positive for rabies in Snohomish County
SNOHOMISH COUNTY, Wash., August 29, 2023-The Snohomish County Health Department is urging all county residents to know and follow preventive measures for rabies after a bat in the... — Updated 8/31/2023
Bat in Chelan County tested positive for rabies
WENATCHEE - Animal control officers with the Wenatchee Valley Humane Society recovered a bat that tested positive for rabies earlier this month. The Chelan-Douglas Health District... — Updated 8/17/2023
An Unforgettable Trek: Washougal children conquer Mount Hood's Timberline Trail
Washougal resident Randy Lavasseur believes that the physical and mental health of children are changing due to modern-day conveniences and the instant gratification that they... — Updated 8/3/2023
New rules protecting farmworkers now in effect
New rules protecting outdoor workers including farm and construction workers from hot weather hazards have taken effect as of Monday, July 17. The rules were put in place to better protect workers as hotter and drier temperatures... — Updated 7/27/2023
Geri Florek, cornerstone of Eagle for three decades, takes a bow
The story of Geri Florek is a story of the Wahkiakum County Eagle. Or perhaps, the story of the Eagle is a story of Geri. After 30 years, it's hard to tell anymore. Their tales are... — Updated 11/30/2023
Can Skagit County farmlands and ag businesses coexist?
MOUNT VERNON - When a brand-new wedding venue opened up next door to longtime cattle rancher Terry Sapp's place, he saw the potential for serious, perhaps literal, rain-on-parade... — Updated 8/25/2023
Department of Labor assesses Ostrom Farms, finds $74K in penalties
The United States Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division found Ostrom Mushroom Farms LLC failed to pay its workers the required wage rate, nor did they provide cooking... — Updated 8/17/2023
Keeping it in the family: Paper's new leaders pledge to expand connections
CATHLAMET - The Eagle continues to soar! Just two months after the death of beloved publisher Rick Nelson, the Wahkiakum County Eagle has new bosses. They are his son Jacob and his... — Updated 8/2/2023
Brigadoon Service Dogs connects canines with clients
The first thing Gig Harbor resident Sandra Wade does when she wakes up in the morning is have her service dog, Pharrell, retrieve his collar with a cue she calls "yours." After she... — Updated 7/27/2023
Ferry proposal: Increase fares over next 2 years
The Washington State Transportation Commission is proposing to increase ferry fares over the next two years to meet revenue requirements set by the state Legislature. Ferry riders... — Updated 7/20/2023
Washington cherry harvest forecast at 8 million more 20-pound boxes than last year
WENATCHEE - Last year's cold, wet April brought the cherry crop down. But this year, the Washington state cherry harvest is in full swing, and the industry is optimistic about it.... — Updated 7/6/2023
Alaska Airlines adds nonstop Honolulu flights from Paine Field
Alaska Airlines is adding new nonstop service between Paine Field and Honolulu starting this fall – its first flight connecting Snohomish County and the Hawaiian Islands. The... — Updated 6/15/2023
Legends of the fall: Chum develop devout following among autumn anglers
PACIFIC COUNTY - Each autumn, as the leaves begin to change and children in Halloween costumes take to local streets, another fall tradition unfolds in the small streams and... — Updated 11/2/2023
ABC Recycling becomes a flashpoint in growth debate
People on both sides of the debate about a metal recycling business in Bellingham might agree on one thing. It feels like Cherry Point all over again. Over the past 15 years at... — Updated 11/2/2023
Trestle back in operation
WINONA – Trains are running over Rebel Flat Creek only two months after the Winona Fire destroyed the train trestle here. On Friday, Oct. 20, state officials announced that the... — Updated 10/26/2023
Grant funds available to restore historic barns, cemeteries and theaters
Grants are available to support the rehabilitation and restoration of historic barns, cemeteries and theaters across the state because of funding from the Washington state... — Updated 9/14/2023
I-5 bridge tolling could last until the 2060s
One of the largest sources of funding to replace the aging Interstate 5 bridge over the Columbia River will tax travelers a few bucks as they cross the water. During its meeting... — Updated 7/27/2023
A death in the family: Rick Nelson was a class act
As the Chinook Observer went to press this week, word reached the newsroom that Rick Nelson, publisher of the Wahkiakum County Eagle, succumbed to cancer on June 2. Nelson would have laughed to have been called a legend or an... — Updated 6/8/2023
Fentanyl tainted envelope mailed to Skagit elections
Courthouse drama is nothing new in Skagit County. But what is new is the tact taken to disrupt the counting of 2023 general election ballots at the county auditor’s office in Mount Vernon last Wednesday, Nov. 8. Ballot counting... — Updated 11/16/2023
Venersborg Schoolhouse features a place of community
A place of community since 1912, the Venersborg Schoolhouse has served multiple roles throughout its existence, but, lately, community events have been what has tied the rural area... — Updated 11/9/2023
Hey Siri ... Wait what the?!?!
The driver of a truck bringing a commercial load of marijuana products from Calgary, Alberta to Port Coquitlam, B.C. somehow managed to take a few wrong turns and ended up at the... — Updated 11/2/2023
Megan Moore gets a head start with drag racing
Megan Moore, a freshman at Battle Ground High School, already has four years of driving experience with her success behind the wheel of a Junior Dragster car. In 2022, Moore earned... — Updated 10/26/2023
Thousands of Knitted Knockers are stitched with love
In the black bag Char Malseed carries with her at all times are yarn, knitting needles, scissors, projects in progress and a worn sheet of pink paper full of minuscule tally marks.... — Updated 10/26/2023
'We are still here': Community gathers for Indigenous Peoples Day
The Lummi Nation welcomed hundreds of community members into the Wex'liem Community Building Monday night, Oct. 9, for salmon, song, dance and speeches to mark Indigenous Peoples... — Updated 10/12/2023
Overcoming senior loneliness: We are in this together
It is fair to say we live in an interesting time in history, where crisis has become the norm. Where information is plentiful, technology is ever consuming, and frankly, we all... — Updated 10/12/2023
Pleasant Valley School's spirit lives on through wood carving
Pleasant Valley School's campus sees community identity live on through a wood carving of the school mascot, Buddy the Beaver. When the campus opened in 1976, two red oak trees... — Updated 9/28/2023
The Power of Love
In an 8-foot by 20-foot metal box near East Wenatchee, five men crowd inside to run electrical cables from one panel to another. They are finishing up a two-month project to... — Updated 9/28/2023
Local Ghost Hunters Document Paranormal Experiences on YouTube
Derek Grannes and Alex Donahou were tossing back a few drinks at The Floatation Device Pub & Grill near the Purdy Spit last December. Nothing strange about friends of nearly 20... — Updated 9/28/2023
- New WWU athletic director looks to place larger emphasis on fundraising, fan engagement
- Peninsula guides a doggone 'miracle': Woman kayaks out to rescue missing Doberman
- Packwood's 'Hammock Head' has done it again, this time with a chair
- Northwest Steam Society hosts 50th public meet
- 'A Story of Shocking Function' - Derek Kilmer Works to Fix Congress
- Around the World Alone - Again - This Time by Sail
- Lady Washington tall ship returns to Blaine Harbor for maritime festival
- U.S. Navy to name ship in honor of late tribal activist Billy Frank Jr.
- Longbranch Photographer Shares Her Art of Storytelling
- Washington Ranks Second Nationally in UFO Sightings, With Many in Yelm and Rainier
- Boat work: Do it right or risk 'big ol' can of worms'
- WCSO inmate attempts escape after door locks fail
- Bellingham's first female fire captain is a 'professional problem-solver'
- Long-time Grand Coulee family physician earns prestigious award
- Harmony on Horseback: Local Teen Competes for Spot on U.S. Equestrian Team
- Author with Quincy roots digs through the history of territorial Washington
- Americorps team is back in the valley
- Former WWU track and field star wins UK cheese run
- Trio of local paddlers gearing up for 70-mile race