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 6/30/2022
Southern resident orca pod calf identified last week
The latest addition to the Southern Resident orca J pod has been identified as a girl, according to observers from the Center for Whale Research (CWR). This orca, the first calf... — Updated 6/2/2022
A new invader: European green crabs pose a threat
Voracious invaders are seeking a foothold in the region's tidelands. And you've been enlisted in the battle. The enemy is the European green crab - considered one of the world's... — Updated 6/2/2022
Researchers look at salmon habitat above Enloe Dam
Tens of thousands of endangered salmon could access high-quality habitat in the Similkameen River watershed if Enloe Dam were removed, but any plans to demolish the dam would have... — Updated 6/2/2022
Holy halibut: Local charters relish bottom fish bonanza
ILWACO - Fishing roughly 20 miles off the Washington coast near a vast submarine canyon, it took the bait more than two minutes to reach the bottom in an ink-black abyss. It's in... — Updated 5/26/2022
Kelp help is on the way
Below the surface of Puget Sound, disappearing kelp forests and eelgrass beds are threatening the stability of dependent species. The shrinking population is now drawing the attention of lawmakers, with a variety of approaches... — Updated 5/2/2022
Morel harvesting permits available in May
People hoping for a share of the earthy mushrooms that often pop up after a wildfire can apply for a commercial harvesting permit for morels from the Methow Valley Ranger District starting Monday (May 2). People can collect up to... — Updated 4/28/2022
State's gray wolf population increased in 2021
The gray wolf population in Washington topped 200 animals last year, with 33 packs in the central and eastern parts of the state at the end of 2021. The Washington Department of... — Updated 4/21/2022
Legislature Funds Increased Derelict Boat Removal on Puget Sound
Removing derelict or abandoned boats from the waters of Puget Sound is a high priority for the Department of Natural Resources. The department's underfunded Derelict Vessel... — Updated 4/21/2022
Where Beaches Are Born
Agates and oysters. A clear tide. Stories. I am south of Driftwood Annie's point, strolling Pitt Passage with two veteran beach walkers. The going is wonderfully slow. "It changes... — Updated 3/17/2022
Oil facilities, transporters to be liable for oil spill costs
The financial responsibility for an oil spill will fall on those who own the facilities and vessels that produce and transport oil, under HB 1691. The bill was passed by the Senate Thursday, March 3. It passed in the House last... — Updated 4/28/2022
U.S. Border Patrol agents off the hook after court ruling
The U.S. Supreme Court's 6-3 decision to reject Smuggler's Inn owner Bob Boule's lawsuit against a U.S. Border Patrol agent further protects federal law enforcement officials from... — Updated 6/16/2022
U.S. Supreme Court rejects Bob Boule's suit against U.S. Border Patrol agent
The U.S. Supreme Court reversed the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decision to uphold Smuggler's Inn owner Bob Boule's Fourth Amendment excessive-force claim and First Amendment... — Updated 6/9/2022
New Statewide Alert System for Missing Indigenous People Is a Welcomed Change for Nisqually Tribe
In March, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee signed a bill into law that would create a statewide alert system for missing Indigenous people. It was the first of its kind to be put in... — Updated 4/28/2022
School district working to settle public records lawsuit
The Grand Coulee Dam School District will offer $16,000 to a man who filed a lawsuit against them regarding a public records request, and who has reportedly made around a million dollars over the years with similar lawsuits... — Updated 4/28/2022
Legislature 2022: What passed and what didn't
Gov. Jay Inslee said lawmakers delivered on his call to take “big, bold, action,” after the 60-day legislative session came to a close March 10 in Olympia, working until the midnight deadline to push through a $64.1 billion... — Updated 6/9/2022
Use of force by police redefined under new law
People with mental health problems and juveniles can be detained or restrained by law enforcement, according to new legislation on the use of force. The new law, House Bill 1735, passed the Washington State House with a 90-5... — Updated 4/28/2022
Standards for police pursuits, use of force, defined
Police can pursue and stop vehicles if they have a “reasonable suspicion” of a crime being committed under new legislation that is headed to the desk of Gov. Jay Inslee. The Washington State House of Representatives voted... — Updated 4/28/2022
Large capacity gun magazine ban moves to governor's desk
Since September 2016 Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson has been working toward implementing gun reform that would prevent acts like the Mukilteo mass shooting on July 30, 2016. Now, a ban on high-capacity magazines... — Updated 4/28/2022
Cannabis workers want longer sentences for robberies
Cannabis dispensary owners and employees are hoping to see a decrease in armed robberies with the passage of a bill imposing stricter penalties for offenders. The bill proposes increasing the standard sentence range by 12 months... — Updated 4/28/2022
Hawks Scholarship Awards Record Amount to PHS Seniors
One hundred and thirty-four graduating Peninsula High School seniors received $366,800 in scholarships at the Peninsula Hawks Scholarship Fund award ceremony May 18. Fifty... — Updated 6/9/2022
School district suit makes its debut in court
Wahkiakum School District's lawsuit against the State of Washington was heard for the first time on Monday, in Cathlamet before Wahkiakum Superior Court Judge Donald Richter,... — Updated 4/7/2022
School "active shooter" drills traumatic for students
K-12 schools have more guidance on how to conduct active-shooter lockdown drills with a new bill signed into law by Gov. Jay Inslee. The bill prohibits schools from conducting drills involving life-like simulations or... — Updated 4/28/2022
Food scarcity and insecurity issues continue
CHENEY— With inflation growing and affecting all aspects of everyday life, food insecurity is asserting itself as a prevalent issue in the Cheney community and surrounding areas. The United States Department of Agriculture... — Updated 5/26/2022
The effects of COVID-19 on the brain
Viruses have a history of effecting the human brain. For example, it’s been long understood that HIV/AIDs can cause “progressive cerebral volume loss,” and measle infections can lead to encephalitis or inflammation of the... — Updated 5/26/2022
Disc golf offers low-impact, full body workout
Now that it's May, with hopefully warmer weather around the corner, it's a great time to get out to local parks. Walking in the woods has shown to benefit physical and mental... — Updated 5/5/2022
How to Prepare for Tick Season in Western Washington
Spring has sprung and with its return, so have ticks. In Northern America, when temperatures begin to warm, ticks begin to stretch their legs around the outdoors. Since ticks can... — Updated 3/31/2022
Mask mandate in most setting ends March 11
Washingtonians will see the end of the state masking mandate 10 days earlier than expected, following a dramatic decline in COVID-related hospitalizations and deaths. “We want to move forward as a state at the appropriate... — Updated 3/23/2022
Swipe right, get a job interview
An "anti-resume" app. When it comes to new tech startups that show up on national radar, the Whatcom and Skagit county region has often been a no-fly zone. Or perhaps it's just an... — Updated 6/30/2022
Thank you for 40 amazing years
When you wake up after a dream, the dream fades away because it wasn't real. I dreamt of starting the first Chinese newspaper in the Pacific Northwest in October 1981. I woke up... — Updated 4/28/2022
Get cracking: Crabbing season opens Friday
Boatloads of crabbers hope to kick off the Fourth of July holiday weekend with a bang when the season officially opens Friday, July 1. "Crabbing seasons should be similar to recent... — Updated 6/30/2022
Ferry route from Anacortes to Sidney, B.C., on hold until at least 2023
Travel between Anacortes and Sidney, B.C., via ferry won't be happening until at least next summer, according to Washington State Ferries staff. During a community meeting last... — Updated 6/23/2022
I-5 bridge project has Washington lawmakers feeling left out
The project to replace the aging Interstate 5 bridge over the Columbia River is set to hit a milestone next month with endorsements from key stakeholder groups, though legislators... — Updated 6/23/2022
Off the (pi) charts!
Emma Haruka Iwao started programming when she was in elementary school. Now, she's broken the world record for computing the most digits of pi-twice. On June 8, 2022, Iwao, a... — Updated 6/16/2022
Cheney Free Press hires reporter
CHENEY- Michaela Friedrich is the newest addition to the Cheney Free Press. She is a junior in the Gonzaga journalism program and is looking forward to her new gig. "I'm really... — Updated 5/19/2022
Thurston County Confirms Bird Flu in a Backyard Flock
Since its arrival in Washington state two weeks ago, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), also known as bird flu, has now hit nine backyard flocks in seven counties, with... — Updated 5/19/2022
Harrell stole the spotlight during Biden's visit
When President Joe Biden visited Seattle last Friday, Mayor Bruce Harrell's photos were all over in the media, more than other politicians. Never mind that Harrell is only a mayor,... — Updated 5/5/2022
Army trying to rebound after COVID-19
In recent years, recruitment numbers have been trending downward, according to Major General Dennis LeMaster, who spoke at Cadet Hall on the Eastern Washington University campus on... — Updated 5/5/2022
KP Man Completes First Solo Row from U.S. to Asia
Solo circumnavigator Erden Eruç of Wauna, 60, made landfall at Legazpi City in the Philippines March 24, becoming the first person to row from North America to Asia after... — Updated 5/5/2022
Interstate 5 bridge replacement will likely utilize light rail
The program to replace the aging Interstate 5 bridge inches closer to a final design as scenarios currently under consideration are likely to use light rail as its mass transit... — Updated 4/28/2022
Local Man is Saving Animals in Ukraine
Approximately 5 million people had fled Ukraine and another 8 million were internally displaced as of May 15 after their country was invaded by the Russian Federation Feb. 24. Many... — Updated 6/9/2022
Joyful champs: Comets win first-ever state championship
Naselle Comet baseball players threw their hats and tossed their gloves in sheer jubilation as they flooded the infield in a rain-soaked celebration last Saturday in Ridgefield.... — Updated 6/2/2022
WWU student's Breakout Magazine offers writers, bands opportunity
In September 2021, Natalie Vinh saw a need for a local music publication. About a month later, she launched Breakout Magazine. Managed entirely by Vinh, Breakout is a collaborative... — Updated 5/19/2022
Woodland Police Department welcomes new wellness dog
The Woodland Police Department's newest employee spends a good amount of time sleeping on the job, but that's to be expected of an 11-week-old Labrador retriever. When fully... — Updated 5/19/2022
Lummi-carved totem will travel 2,300 miles for salmon advocacy
A 14-foot totem pole sculpted by master carvers in the Lummi Nation will travel more than 2,300 miles over the next few weeks as part of an advocacy campaign for salmon... — Updated 5/4/2022
Ryan Booth featured in film documentary
Ryan Booth can check several boxes on his resume: National Park Service ranger, Washington State University assistant professor of history, and Fulbright Scholar, to name a few.... — Updated 4/28/2022
