New flood wall saves Mount Vernon, Snohomish County roads face major repairs

MOUNT VERNON—On the Saturday following record-breaking Skagit River flooding, Mount Vernon Mayor Peter Donovan stood before the city’s 1.4-mile flood wall (a.k.a. The Wall) and declared it a game-changer, as U.S. Senator Patty Murray, Governor Bob Ferguson and local emergency officials gathered to assess response efforts and brace for more rain. “Downtown Mount Vernon stayed […]

Skagit levees face critical test, Ferguson warns of ‘Very Serious’ flooding

MOUNT VERNON—Governor Bob Ferguson on Thursday urged Washington residents facing flooding to immediately evacuate if ordered, stressing the “very, very serious situation” posed by what he described as potentially historic and unpredictable waters across the state as a result of the atmospheric river that slammed the Pacific Northwest. “This is obviously a statewide emergency impacting […]

Mount Vernon opens country’s largest municipal-owned EV charging station

SKAGIT COUNTY—The City of Mount Vernon opened the country’s largest municipally owned electric vehicle (EV) charging station on September 30. The city was awarded $12.5 million in Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) grants to build EV chargers and paired that with other state and local funding to complete a mixed-use project that includes a public library, community […]

House passes bill to add federal district court in Mount Vernon

WASHINGTON, D.C., November 14, 2023—The United States House of Representatives unanimously passed H.R. 786, bipartisan legislation introduced by Representatives Rick Larsen (WA-02), Suzan DelBene (WA-01) and Tony Gonzalez (TX-23) that would add Mount Vernon as a court location in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington by voice vote.  This change would […]