NEWS

(OLYMPIA)— The Washington Department of Ecology issued penalties totaling over $1.1 million to Amazon Inc. and Walmart Inc. for illegally selling climate-polluting cooling and refrigeration products. These penalties come after repeated warnings and extensive efforts over the course of several years to help the companies comply with the law, according to a news release from Ecology. In 2019 and 2021, the Washington Legislature passed a series of laws designed to phase out the use of refrigerant and cooling products containing hydrofluorocarbons. Hydrofluorocarbons are powerful greenhouse gases that trap hundreds to thousands of times more heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide. Ecology began     (read more)

(OLYMPIA)– From congestion pricing in New York City to Oregon’s pay-per-mile road charge, the Washington State Transportation Commission will explore transportation funding approaches during its March 24-25 meeting. Commissioners will also address topics closer to home, including efforts to reduce fatalities on Washington’s roadways, the Interstate 405/State Route 167 express toll lanes, and trends affecting Washington’s trucking industry, according to a news release from the Washington State Department of Transportation. The public is invited to attend the meeting, which will take place from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 24, and from 9 a.m. to noon on     (read more)

(OLYMPIA)- Governor Bob Ferguson signed House Bill 2632 into law, updating outdated terminology in Washington State statutes and directing state and local entities to replace references to the term “alien” with “noncitizen” or other context-appropriate language, except where federal law requires otherwise. With the signing of this law, Washington state became the fourth state in the nation to remove the use of the word “alien” from its laws when referring to individuals. HB 2632 represents a collaborative effort among legislators, legal practitioners, and community advocates to ensure Washington’s statutory language remains clear, accurate, and consistent with contemporary legal standards, according     (read more)

(AUBURN, WA)- Junior Achievement of Washington (JA of Washington) announced the student winners of its JA Stock Market Challenge, a fast‑paced, real‑time investment simulation that brings financial literacy to life for high school students across Washington. After completing JA’s classroom curriculum, student teams gathered at Amazon’s Seattle campus on Thursday to compete in a simulated trading environment, where they applied critical thinking, collaboration, and strategic decision‑making skills to build the strongest investment portfolios under pressure, according to a news release from Junior Achievement of Washington. Over the course of the competition, teams analyzed market     (read more)

(MOUNT VERNON)- Skagit Valley College hosted its 23rd Annual Athletic Auction on Feb. 28 and raised more than $145,000 in support of student-athletes and the athletics program at SVC. Nearly 300 attendees participated in the auction, setting a new record for the event which was held at the Swinomish Casino and Lodge. The auction benefits student scholarships and operational costs for SVC’s nine athletic teams and 160 student-athletes, according to a news release from SVC. A key moment of the evening featured student-athletes Malcolm Clark, a member of the men’s basketball team, and Mallory Butenschoen, a women’s volleyball, basketball, and     (read more)