NEWS

(OLYMPIA)– An important safety tool for the Washington State Department of Transportation and Washington State Patrol is showing encouraging results after a year of making the roadways safer for everyone. The Work Zone Speed Camera Program began enforcement on April 16, 2025, on Interstate 5 near Joint Base Lewis-McChord. The program started with one camera and expanded to six, which have been used in more than 675 deployments at 46 job sites, according to a news release from WSDOT. Early data from work zones where the camera conducted frequent enforcement shows an overall reduction in speeding. For example, on I-5 near JBLM, more than 60% of     (read more)

(CAMP MURRAY, WA)– Residents who applied for federal individual assistance resulting from the severe storms, straight-line winds, flooding, landslides and mudslides that occurred in designated counties December 5-19, 2025, will soon be contacted by housing inspectors with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Those who suffered disaster-related damage in Chelan, Grays Harbor, King, Lewis, Pacific, Pierce, Skagit, Snohomish, Thurston, and Whatcom Counties - including the Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation, Lummi Nation, Muckleshoot Indian Tribe, Nisqually Indian Tribe, Nooksack Indian Tribe, Puyallup Tribe, Quinault Indian Nation, Samish Indian Nation, Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe, Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe, Snoqualmie Indian Tribe, Squaxin     (read more)

(BELLINGHAM)– Both lanes of northbound Interstate 5 reopened Wednesday, April 15, south of Bellingham after a March 19 landslide between milepost 248 and 249 forced them to close. The Washington State Department of Transportation executed an emergency contract March 21, and crews began working seven days a week stabilizing the slope and clearing debris. Geotechnical engineers performed a final inspection to confirm the stability of the slope before northbound I-5 lanes reopened, according to WSDOT. Slope stabilization and clearing At approximately 9:30 p.m. March 19, a 250-foot-long, 100-foot-tall section of a slope above northbound I-5 sent thousands of cubic yards of boulders, trees and other debris toward     (read more)

(MOUNT VERNON)- The Skagit County Commissioners and City of Mount Vernon will host a townhall event to discuss Mount Vernon senior services on Monday, April 27th, at from 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. at the Mount Vernon Library Commons, 208 W. Kincaid Street, Mount Vernon. The event will feature a panel of speakers representing the Skagit Board of County Commissioners, City of Mount Vernon, Mount Vernon City Council, Northwest Regional Council, and Skagit Council on Aging. A moderator will ask various questions of each panelist regarding senior services funding, the future of the Mount Vernon senior center facility, and the upcoming     (read more)

(SKAGIT COUNTY)- Skagit County’s 2026 Stormwater Management Program Plan draft will be open for public comment from April 15th until May 1st. The Stormwater Management Program Plan describes what Skagit County will do to protect natural waterways from stormwater pollution (pollution that flows off roads, sidewalks, and other surfaces when it rains) in 2026, according to a news release from the county. The plan covers several topics, including: - The requirements of Skagit County’s Stormwater Permit from the Washington State Department of Ecology - How Skagit County’s Stormwater Program finds and control pollution from various sources - Skagit     (read more)