Washington State Patrol honors its oldest living retiree, standing strong at 102
PUYALLUP—The Washington State Patrol held a brief Meet & Greet opportunity with retired WSP Captain Howard F West on Tuesday, August 27, honoring the agency’s oldest living retiree. The event was held at the Washington State Fairgrounds, just two months after Captain West’s 102nd birthday who retired from the law enforcement agency on January 31, […]
Washington State Patrol investigating drive by shooting in Gold Bar
GOLD BAR, Wash. –The Washington State Patrol are actively investigating a drive by shooting that took place in Gold Bar, Sunday, January 28, on the intersection of state Route 2 and Reiter Road (near milepost 30). The shooter—who was described as male, approximately 5 feet 10 inches, weighting 170 pounds and wearing a black jacket, […]
Ferguson accepts $4,000 ethics fine over Mike Webb state aircraft trip
[OLYMPIA | JERRY CORNFIELD]—Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson has admitted to violating state ethics law and accepted a $4,000 fine for allowing a former top adviser to travel with him on a state plane to the Tri-Cities last summer. Under an agreement awaiting action by the state Executive Ethics Board, Ferguson would pay half the fine, with […]
Thurston County judge blocks law allowing state commission to decertify elected sheriffs
OLYMPIA — A Thurston County Superior Court judge on Wednesday granted a preliminary injunction blocking key provisions of a new Washington state law that would have allowed an unelected member of the Criminal Justice Training Commission to decertify and effectively remove elected county sheriffs from office. Judge Christine Schaller issued the ruling one day before […]
DEA operation results in largest drug seizure in Eastern Washington history
SPOKANE — The Drug Enforcement Administration on March 3 executed federal search warrants at multiple locations in the Tri-Cities, Washington area that resulted in the largest seizure of controlled substances in Eastern Washington history. The federal search warrants were based on an ongoing drug trafficking investigation into Amador Sanchez and several co-conspirators. The investigation revealed Sanchez […]
Mukilteo mayor praises crime drop and waterfront progress in 2026 State of the City address
MUKILTEO— Crime fell sharply, major infrastructure projects advanced and city leaders adopted a long-range financial plan in 2025, Mayor Joe Marine said in his 2026 State of the City address, on Thursday, May 5, at Mukilteo’s Rosehill Community Center — outlining a year he described as one of “significant strides” across departments and previewing waterfront, […]
Senate unveils $1.5 billion state transportation budget proposal
OLYMPIA [By: Cassie Diamond] – Sens. Marko Liias, D-Edmonds, and Curtis King, R-Yakima, rolled out their bipartisan supplemental transportation budget Feb. 23, emphasizing its focus on preservation and maintenance, job creation and safety. Liias, the chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, said the supplemental budget prioritizes the preservation and maintenance of the state’s highways, bridges […]
Bill targets elected sheriffs for removal by appointed state board without a public vote
OLYMPIA—A divided Washington state Senate committee advanced a bill on February 9, 2026, that would empower a state oversight board to remove elected sheriffs from office if their peace officer certification was revoked, igniting a fierce debate over balancing accountability in law enforcement with the rights of local voters. Senate Bill 5974 cleared the Ways […]
State-Funded Media and Press Pass Denials: The Slippery Slope to Fascism Exposed
State-funded private media looks a lot like fascism. If the state funds preferred media while restricting access to critics, it stops looking like support for journalism and starts looking like state control of the news and political narratives. I’m somewhat of a free speech absolutist, even when it’s uncomfortable. We don’t have the 1st amendment […]
Ferguson may have broken ethics laws allowing ex-adviser to fly on state plane
TUMWATER [JERRY CORNFIELD]—Washington Governor Bob Ferguson likely violated state ethics laws by allowing his former top adviser, Mike Webb, to travel with him on a state plane to the Tri-Cities last summer, the state Executive Ethics Board ruled Friday, January 9, 2026 (Case No. 2025-061). In a unanimous vote, the board concluded there was “reasonable […]
