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Viral list claims 14 rural Washington state hospitals at risk of closure due to cuts, but some disagree

As Congress charged toward passing the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, a list picked up steam on social media. The list warned that hundreds of rural hospitals nationwide, including 14 in … more

Simone Carter / The Olympian (TNS) | 7/26/25

Illegal huckleberry pickers caught as sheriff’s office seizes 100 gallons in Idaho

The Boundary County Sheriff's Office this week announced that it seized more than 100 gallons of huckleberries from commercial pickers who earlier had fled from federal immigration agents. … more

Thomas Clouse / The Spokesman-Review (TNS) | 7/26/25

Father, son rescue neighbors from burning house in Idaho

Ryder Johnson awoke to a startling phone call at 3:43 a.m. on July 19. It was his neighbor, who saw flames shooting out of a next-door house. Johnson immediately grabbed his 17-year-old son and … more

Caroline Saint James / The Spokesman-Review (TNS) | 7/26/25

Washington state sues Trump administration over canceled grant to shelter migrants

Washington is suing the U.S. Department of Homeland Security over the cancellation of congressionally approved funds to help shelter migrants with pending asylum or immigration cases. The … more

Alexandra Yoon-Hendricks / The Seattle Times (TNS) | 7/26/25

Search for Travis Decker, sought in daughters’ deaths, slows

The search for Travis Decker, the Wenatchee man accused of killing his three young daughters nearly two months ago, will use fewer law enforcement resources due to diminished tips and leads. The … more

Lauren Girgis / The Seattle Times (TNS) | 7/26/25

Washington state officials rebuke Trump’s tough-on-homelessness executive order

President Donald Trump’s executive order issued Thursday that calls for punishing homeless people living outside, forced treatment for people with substance use and mental health issues and an … more

Greg Kim and Jayati Ramakrishnan / The Seattle Times (TNS) | 7/26/25

Northwest leaders offer warmer take on frosty U.S.-Canada relations

Alberta beef is a lot like a Midwestern car. Auto parts have moved freely across the U.S.-Canada border between Detroit and Windsor, Ontario, since the adoption of the North American Free Trade … more

Gregory Scruggs / The Seattle Times (TNS) | 7/26/25

From beer gardens to medical debt, new laws taking effect on Sunday

From new laws on medical debt to tax increases, and beer gardens to diaper changing station regulations, Washington lawmakers this year passed a wide variety of new bills. A host of new laws … more

Shauna Sowers / The Seattle Times (TNS) | 7/26/25

Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal

Students can ‘take a deep breath’ after Trump administration releases $5.5B to schools

The Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction said students can finally take a “deep breath” now that the Trump administration is set to release $5.5 billion in public … more

Ann Duan / The Olympian (TNS) | 7/26/25

Thurston County jail enacts booking restrictions for women after running out of space

Thurston County has started restricting what who can be booked into its jail due to space limitations, Sheriff Derek Sanders said. The new restrictions affect women, Sanders shared in a … more

Martín Bilbao / The Olympian (TNS) | 7/26/25

The Chronicle - Saturday, July 26, 2025

7/26/25

Nurses union blasts Kaiser Permanente for ending transgender surgeries for minors

The nation’s largest nurses’ union is blasting Kaiser Permanente for pausing gender-affirming surgeries for patients under 19 starting next month, due to pending litigation and pressure … more

By Carleen Johnson / The Center Square | 7/25/25

Trump targets ‘housing first’ policies in Washington state with new federal funding mandate

President Donald Trump’s new executive order is a sharp blow to Washington state municipalities’ Housing First strategies, with potential loss of federal funding if they do not adhere to … more

By Spencer Pauley / The Center Square | 7/25/25

The Lyndon Baines Johnson Department of Education Building in Washington, D.C., in a file photo from November 2024. (Photo by Shauneen Miranda/States Newsroom)

U.S. Education Department to unfreeze contested K-12 funds; Washington schools leader responds

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration said Friday it’ll soon release billions in Education Department funding that has been frozen for weeks, delaying disbursements to K-12 schools … more

By Jennifer Shutt / States Newsroom | 7/25/25

A section of the Oak Creek drainage area that was not treated with tree thinning or prescribed burns before the Rimrock Retreat Fire in 2024. Due to the forest density and a high amount of ground cover, the fire burned intensely in this area, killing all trees and destroying the soil. Photo by Emily Fitzgerald.

Drop in state funding for Washington state work to prevent severe wildfires is stoking concerns

If state funding for forest health and wildfire prevention isn’t ramped back up in the next legislative session, it could hinder efforts to prevent severe fires in the coming years, … more

By Emily Fitzgerald / The Washington State Standard | 7/25/25

Mountain goats graze on a ridge as the sun sets at Mount Rainier National Park on Thursday, July 24.

In focus: Sunset on Mount Rainier's Skyline Loop at Paradise

7/25/25

Downtown Centralia is pictured from above looking south on North Pearl Street from The Chronicle in this 2024 file photo.

Centralia in need of furniture, sporting goods stores, Economic Alliance of Lewis County finds

Following a grant-funded retail analysis to find sales tax revenue options for Centralia, the Economic Alliance of Lewis County discovered that the city is in need of some furniture stores, sporting … more

By Dylan Reubenking / dylanr@chronline.com | 7/25/25

The Borst Park Pioneer Soccer Fields are pictured from above next to the Chehalis River in Centralia on Wednesday, March 19.

City of Centralia to host open house focused on trees Aug. 7 at Borst Park Arboretum

The City of Centralia invites community members to a tree open house on Thursday, Aug. 7, at the Fort Borst Park Arboretum to learn, share and celebrate Centralia’s growing urban forest. … more

By The Chronicle staff | 7/25/25

Volcano Rescue Team volunteers work to save a father and child at an opening to the Ape Cave south of Mount St. Helens on Wednesday, July 23, in this photo provided by the team.

Volcano Rescue Team performs high-angle rescue at Ape Cave south of Mount St. Helens

The Volcano Rescue Team (VRT) was dispatched to Ape Cave south of Mount St. Helens on Wednesday, July 23, to assist a child and father in distress. The pair had reportedly attempted to climb out … more

By The Chronicle staff | 7/25/25

Members of the Centralia Planning Commission discuss proposed amendments to the city's zoning code during a special meeting at Centralia City Hall on Thursday, July 24.

Centralia Planning Commission debates zoning updates on model homes, sales trailers and short-term rentals

The City of Centralia’s Planning Commission gathered for a special meeting Thursday night to discuss proposed amendments to multiple chapters of the city’s municipal code, specifically on … more

By Dylan Reubenking / dylanr@chronline.com | 7/25/25