NEWS

(OLYMPIA)— Candidate Filing Week begins on Monday, May 4 at 8 a.m. and at county elections offices across the state, but mailed declarations are being accepted now. Declarations of Candidacy and full payment must be received by 5 p.m. on Friday, May 8. During the filing period, eligible Washingtonians can declare candidacy for over 16,700 seats ranging from precinct committee officers to seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. Candidates can register online, by mail, or in person through the Office of the Secretary of State for any of the 155 federal and state offices, according to a news release from the Office     (read more)

(OLYMPIA)– More clean energy and less coal power: That’s the recipe for a drop in Washington’s greenhouse gas emissions detailed in a new Washington Department of Ecology report. Despite population and economic growth, the state’s total emissions declined 0.5% from 2021 to 2022. This report does not include impacts from the Climate Commitment Act and the Clean Fuel Standard, which took effect in 2023, according to a news release from Ecology. Data from Ecology’s Statewide Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory – the most comprehensive look at all sources of carbon emissions in Washington – shows that emissions dropped from 96.6 million metric tons in 2021     (read more)

(SKAGIT COUNTY)- Skagit County Emergency Management will host two Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) in Burlington and Hamilton to help residents affected by the December 2025 flooding event apply for federal, state, and local resources to support recovery efforts. Residents looking to apply for disaster recovery funds should be prepared to share home, mailing, and email addresses, phone number, social security number, and banking and insurance information, according to a news release from the county. DRCs at both the Burlington and Hamilton locations will host representatives from Skagit County Emergency Management, Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA), Small Business Administration (SBA), Office     (read more)

(NORTHWEST WASHINGTON)- Harmful fine particles in wildfire smoke continue to show impacts on air quality in northwest Washington, according to the annual national “State of the Air” report. The American Lung Association’s 27th annual report includes data from the years 2022-2024, according to a news release from the Northwest Clean Air Agency. It includes information from the relatively smoke-free summer of 2024. The “State of the Air” report takes a nationwide look at particle and ozone pollution – two common, widespread air pollutants that pose risks to people’s health. Among the report’s conclusions: Skagit and Whatcom counties received     (read more)

(BELLINGHAM)– Travelers have a new reason to slow down and enjoy the scenery along one of Washington’s most beautiful highways: A permanent speed-limit reduction is now in place along a nearly 9-mile stretch in both directions of State Route 11/Chuckanut Drive south of Bellingham. On Friday, April 17, Washington State Department of Transportation maintenance crews installed 35 mph speed limit signs from south of Blanchard Road in Skagit County to south of Spokane Street in Whatcom County (mileposts 9.38 to 17.99), according to a news release from the Washington State Department of Transportation. The northern end of the new speed limit ties into     (read more)