Learning Loss: Four years after the pandemic, student proficiency down nationally
More than four years have passed since Bothell High School became the nation’s first school to shut down during the pandemic in February 2020. Their closure set a precedent, one which generated controversy across the nation. During the pandemic, some states ordered schools to be closed, others allowed districts to decide, and a few states […]
Lumen will pay $825,000 to customers over illegal pandemic disconnections
OLYMPIA—Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced Thursday that Lumen Technologies, formerly CenturyLink, will pay a total of $825,000 to 1,099 Washington telephone customers it disconnected during the pandemic in violation of the emergency health and safety moratorium. The payment resolves two separate investigations by Ferguson’s Public Counsel Unit and his Consumer Protection Division. Lumen is a […]
UTC fines CenturyLink $923,000 for illegal telephone disconnections during COVID-19 pandemic
LACEY, Wash., July 6, 2023—Last week, the Utilities and Transportation Commission issued an initial order fining CenturyLink Communications LLC, doing business as Lumen Technologies, $923,000 for involuntarily disconnecting or suspending nearly 1,000 telephone accounts during the COVID-19 pandemic. A UTC administrative law judge found that Lumen unlawfully disconnected 923 customers from service during Governor Jay […]
Letter-to-Editor: A bright side to the pandemic!
The global COVID 19 pandemic emergency has been declared over! However, over the last few years, the Mukilteo Historical Society, Inc. (MHS) faced financial and volunteer staffing challenges, as did every other nonprofit. Most of the funds to operate the nonprofit organization had come from sales in the Gift Shop. Those funds, along with donations […]
24 Hour Fitness rises from the ashes of pandemic-led bankruptcy
CARLSBAD, Calif., December 15, 2022—Gym industry giant 24 Hour Fitness, like many health clubs, was hit hard by pandemic restrictions in 2020 that resulted in the closure of over 100 locations and the company filing bankruptcy that same year. However, 24 Hour Fitness was far from throwing in the towel. By December of 2021, the […]
Somers proposes $85 million for county-wide pandemic recovery
Snohomish County, Wash., September 22, 2022 – Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers today put forward his proposal for the County’s remaining $85 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, which are federal dollars designed to address the public health, social, and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Executive’s proposal is reflective of community […]
U.S. Secret Service returns $2.3 billion in pandemic related fraud
WASHINGTON, D.C., August 27, 2022—On Friday the U.S. Secret Service announced the return of approximately $286 million in fraudulently obtained Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) to the Small Business Administration (SBA). These recovered funds were generated by fraudulently submitted EIDL loan applications using fabricated or stolen employment and personal information. Since 2020, the Secret Service […]
Snohomish County Schools: How the pandemic affected student achievement
SNOHOMISH COUNTY, July 25, 2022 – The first round of test scores since the pandemic is in for Snohomish County schools. Almost entirely across the board, fewer students met standards for English, Math, and Science, indicating how the last two years have affected public education. However, this decrease in the number of students that met […]
Pandemic Recovery Roadshow at County Campus on June 23
Snohomish County, Wash., June 21, 2022 – The fifth Office of Recovery & Resilience (ORR) in-person pandemic recovery roadshow event is taking place Thursday, June 23, at the Byrnes Performing Arts Center, from 6–7:30 p.m. At this event, Snohomish County Council District One communities – including residents and business owners in Arlington, Darrington, Granite Falls, Marysville, Stanwood, Sauk-Suiattle Tribe, Stillaguamish Tribe, […]
Pandemic Recovery Roadshow at County Campus on June 15
Snohomish County, Wash., June 12, 2022 – The fourth Office of Recovery & Resilience (ORR) in-person pandemic recovery roadshow event is taking place Wednesday, June 15, at the Snohomish County Campus, from 6–7:30 p.m. At this event, Snohomish County Council District Two communities – including residents and business owners in Everett, Mukilteo, Tulalip Tribes, and Unincorporated District Two – will be […]
