How wealthy is your elected official? Looking at politicians’ worth amidst 14% wage increases
Washington state-level lawmakers are set to receive up to a 14.7 percent wage increase following the proposed 2025/26 salary schedule adopted by the Washington Citizens’ Commission on Salaries for Elected Officials on October 10. The final vote is scheduled for February 5, 2025. Lieutenant Governor Denny Heck is advocating for the higher pay stating that […]
Lawmakers celebrate soft open of new law enforcement training academy
ARLINGTON—The Washington State Justice Training Commission held a soft open on Tuesday, October 22, for its newest regional law enforcement training center set to officially open in Arlington in February 2025. Arlington’s law enforcement training center will be Washington State’s third regional training facility within the last two year facility following Pasco, which opened in […]
Snohomish County Therapeutic Courts celebrates 25 years of adult recovery
EVERETT—DJ Rivera, brother to Snohomish County Superior Court Judge Whitney Rivera, had a normal childhood growing up, but when his father passed away around his seventeenth birthday he turned to drugs and alcohol. His life quickly spun out of control until it culminated with being arrested on December 8, 2005, for a controlled substance. Instead […]
WSDOT awards Port of Everett a $4.3 million CCA grant to electrify South Terminal
EVERETT—The Port of Everett was one of 11 recipients awarded a capital grant, funded with Climate Commitment Act (CCA) funds, by the Washington Department of Transportation’s (WSDOT) Port Electrification Program. The Port of Everett was awarded the $4.3 million competitive grant in August to be used to help fund a $5.8 million project to construct […]
The economic eviction crisis in manufactured home communities
The Baby Boomer generation (those born between 1946 and 1964) has been the driving force for consumption in America’s economy. Gerber’s baby food, Saturday cartoons filled with ads for sugary cereals, hula hoops, teaching the world to sing with Coca Cola are all part of the economic engine fed by the Baby Boomers. But this […]
Forum exposes the dark practice of underfunding manufactured home communities
LYNNWOOD—Almost 200 residents throughout western Snohomish County filled the dining hall of Homage Senior Services on Thursday, May 30, to attend a Manufactured Home Ownership Forum hosted by George Hurst, Lynnwood City Council President, and Pam Hurst, Legislative Lead, Washington Low-Income Housing Alliance; Dave Ross of KIRO Radio moderated the event. The purpose of the […]
Election integrity bill sponsored by Sam Low signed into law
OLYMPIA—A bill sponsored by 39th District Representative Sam Low to modernize Washington state’s voter registration system and strengthen election integrity was signed into law on Wednesday, March 13, by Governor Jay Inslee. Representative Sam Low (R-Lake Stevens), the bill’s primary sponsor, emphasized the importance of bipartisan collaboration in getting the election integrity bill passed and […]
Secretary Hobbs praises Legislature for passing elections security bills and reinforcing important public services
OLYMPIA—During the 2024 legislative session, the Legislature approved several bills and $33.3 million in funding requested by Secretary of State Steve Hobbs that will enhance the integrity of Washington elections and improve support for charities and libraries statewide. “These bills and critical funding will go a long way toward reducing barriers to voter registration, enhancing […]
Providence Everett nurses win landmark bargaining agreement contract
EVERETT—What started four months earlier in October of 2023, nurses at Providence Regional Medical Center Everett on February 21, 2024, overwhelmingly ratified a new contract with their employer addressing concerns about staffing and patient safety at the hospital. “When we went out on strike in November, we were united in identifying better staffing as the […]
Ferguson, Robinson join Providence nurses strike, speak at candlelight vigil
EVERETT, Wash., November 17, 2023—Providence Regional Medical Center nurses, patients, and community allies gathered together for a candlelight vigil at Everett’s Drew Nielson Park, Thursday, November 16, to show their solidarity for patient safety in wake of strike. It’s been 60 hours since over 1,300 nurses entered the picket lines, on November 14, to strike […]
