Serving Franklin County, WA
Serving Franklin County, WA
Sorted by date Results 1 - 7 of 7
OLYMPIA — A bill extending the Pesticide Application Safety Committee unanimously passed the Senate, 49-0, on Tuesday, Feb. 6. Senate Bill 6166, sponsored by Sen. Rebecca Saldana, D-Seattle, extends the provisions of the Pesticide Application Safety Committee and its advisory group until July 1, 2035. It also removes requirement for virtual meetings, allowing in-person meetings to take place. The committee’s work was originally set to expire July 1, 2025. The Pesticide Application Safety Committee was established in 201...
OLYMPIA – By a 47-2 vote, the Senate passed a bill Feb. 6 that would speed up the process for restaurants, bars and taverns seeking liquor licenses. Under Senate Bill 5291, applications for liquor licenses or license renewals would be automatically approved if the state Liquor and Cannabis Board fails to issue a decision within 45 days of the application date. Sen. Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville, introduced the bill after hearing about the trouble three small businesses – Sonny's...
As Washington stands at a pivotal moment in shaping its energy future, it becomes increasingly clear that adopting sensible, forward-thinking solutions is crucial for a reliable, cost-effective, and environmentally sound power grid. It's time for our state to embrace energy policies that genuinely prioritize the well-being of its residents. The Power Washington plan, a comprehensive strategy I advocate for, is designed to confront and resolve critical issues within our energy...
When state voters adopted the state's Public Records Act in 1972, they wanted to make sure state, county and city governments operate openly and are transparent to the people. They recognized the best way to ensure transparency and accountability is to require most government records are made available to the public. The PRA, however, was never intended to help some make money at the expense of governments. Unfortunately, there are a few "vexatious requesters" who learned how...
OLYMPIA — A bill being considered in the state House of Representatives would require schools to keep alternative sexual lifestyle books on the shelves in schools. House Bill 2331 would prevent school districts from rejecting or censoring educational materials associated with so-called “protected” sexual lifestyles. In Washington, many schools adhere to a “model policy” for reviewing objections. Initially, a teacher or librarian is consulted regarding a book. If a parent objects, alternative material is provided for their...
HATTON — A Portland, Ore., man was arrested shortly after noon Sunday, Feb. 4, after leading law enforcement on a high-speed chase in excess of 150 mph. Issac D. Burks Jr., 33, of Portland, Ore., was arrested near the intersection of U.S. Highway 395 and state Highway 26 at about 12:20 p.m. after crashing his vehicle, records show. He was booked into the Franklin County Jail. Burks is facing possible charges of felony eluding, driving while under the influence and two counts of hit-and-run, records show. According to the A...
WARDEN — The Washington State Patrol is looking for information on the driver of a vehicle involved in a fatal crash early Sunday morning, Feb. 4, on state Highway 17. Jeremiah T. Gregg, 36, of Moses Lake, was killed in the crash at 1:53 a.m. near Milepost 41 north of Othello, the Washington State Patrol reported. The driver of the second vehicle fled the scene. According to the state patrol, Gregg was northbound in a 2021 Ford F150 pickup on the highway when he rear-ended a 1989 Toyota Camry. Gregg’s pickup went onto the...