Snohomish County announces appointment of new Health Department Director
EVERETT—Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers has appointed Kim VanPelt as the new Health Department Director. VanPelt comes to Snohomish County from Tucson, Arizona, where she served as Deputy Director for Programming and Development at the Pima County Health Department since 2022. Her work there included oversight of community engagement, health prevention and promotion, public policy, […]
As a life-long public servant, Sam Low seeks reelection to make his community a better place
SNOHOMISH COUNTY—Heading into the November General Elections, current Snohomish County Councilman and Washington State Representative, Sam Low is seeking reelection to continue serving his constituents in District 5. Low’s priorities are the same as they’ve always been; public safety, transportation, and not raising taxes. “Public safety is the number one issue. If people don’t feel […]
How one man’s spiritual journey uncovered the holes in how the region addresses homelessness
LYNNWOOD—In the last two years, Lynnwood man Joe Wankelman has conducted nearly 600 interviews with homeless individuals throughout King and Snohomish counties, compiling evidence, and evaluating treatment and service center’s approaches. The purpose of his work is to get to the bottom of why, despite Washington State allocating $5.3 billion into the homelessness issue over […]
Trump implements new $100,000 America First H-1B visa fee, WA state Tech Sector facing billions in cost
WASHINGTON, D.C.—President Donald J Trump on Friday, September 19, signed a Proclamation to restrict the entry into the United States of certain H-1B aliens as nonimmigrant workers, requiring a $100,000 payment to accompany or supplement H-1B petitions for new applications. The Proclamation takes effect at 12:01 a.m. EDT on Sunday, September 21, 2025. “The H-1B […]
Snohomish County Auditor rules that Niko Battle is a registered voter of Everett District 4
EVERETT—On September 19, 2025, the Snohomish County Auditor, Garth Fell, issued a ruling dismissing a voter registration challenge against Niko Battle, a candidate for Everett City Council District 4. The Auditor’s decision comes 10 days after Battle’s name was removed from the General Election ballot by Snohomish County Superior Court Judge Richard Okrent ruled that […]
Decade of sexual harassment and wage theft exposed in AG lawsuit against bikini barista boss
SEATTLE—Washington State Attorney General’s Office has filed a suit against Jonathan Tagle, the owner of four “bikini barista” coffee stands in King and Snohomish counties. He is accused of subjecting female employees to years of quid pro quo sexual harassment, retaliation against those who resisted, and systemic wage theft, including failure to pay minimum wages, […]
DOE greenlights Hanford nuclear waste cleanup project
WASHINGTON, D.C.—The United States Department of Energy (DOE) formally approved the continuation of the Direct-Feed Low-Activity Waste Program (DFLAW) at the Hanford vitrification plant in south-central Washington to clean up nuclear waste. News comes after weeks of alarming signals from the Trump administration indicating they might delay the scheduled October 15 start of DFLAW which […]
The Hidden Economy of Homelessness: A Year Inside Washington State’s Homeless Complex
At hour 30 in the emergency room, Daniel, Navy veteran, former submarine engineer, asks through his psychosis, “Am I a good person?” When crisis responders finally call his name, I already know what happens next. Thirty-day stay. Insurance runs out. Discharge to street. No plan. I know because I’ve spent a year conducting 598 interviews […]
TikTok’s US operations acquired in landmark deal amid national security concerns
The United States and China have reached a framework agreement allowing TikTok to continue operating in the U.S. under a new 80 percent American-controlled ownership. President Donald J Trump announced the deal during a White House briefing on Tuesday, September 16, extending the divestiture deadline for ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, and paving the way […]
Commentary: To truly address violence, we must be Americans first
Charlie Kirk brought his formidable debating skills, love of country and strong faith in God to the University of Washington’s Seattle campus in May 2024. The popular young conservative leader did the same this past April at the Pullman campus of Washington State University. There was tension between supporters and detractors at those visits, like […]
