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A SWAT vehicle is seen after police attempted to make contact with a suspect at a home on Thursday, March 27, in Longview.

Cowlitz County teacher under police investigation fatally shoots himself

Authorities report a Monticello Middle School teacher under investigation died after shooting himself at his Longview home Thursday afternoon when police came to interview him about the allegations. … more

Matt Esnayra / The Daily News | 3/28/25

Washington state gas tax hike looks increasingly likely as part of transportation budget

With the Washington state legislative session scheduled to adjourn one month from Thursday, lawmakers are getting down to the nitty-gritty work on massive budget proposals that will impact taxpayers. … more

By Carleen Johnson / The Center Square | 3/28/25

Washington AG backs gun permit bill as it advances in state Senate

For his debut testimony before the Washington state Legislature, Attorney General Nick Brown picked a bill to require a new state permit to purchase guns. He said the measure, one of the … more

By Jake Goldstein-Street / The Washington State Standard | 3/28/25

The Washington state Capitol on March 27, 2025. (Photo by Jacquelyn Jimenez Romero/Washington State Standard)

Democrats in Washington state Legislature shift approach to parental and students’ rights bills

A tense debate over the rights of public school students and their parents took another twist in the Washington Legislature on Thursday. Democrats on a Senate committee stripped a House bill of … more

By Jacquelyn Jimenez Romero / The Washington State Standard | 3/28/25

Former congressional candidate Joe Kent speaks during a debate hosted by The Chronicle in the TransAlta Commons at Centralia College on Thursday, Sept. 26.

Former congressional candidate Joe Kent was part of controversial Signal group chat

Joe Kent, the two-time Republican candidate to represent Washington’s Third Congressional District, was reportedly part of a recent high-level U.S. government group chat in which a journalist … more

By Jacob Moore / jacob@chronline.com | 3/27/25

Jeffrey Scott Coolidge, 47, of Tacoma, appears in Lewis County Superior Court on Wednesday, March 26. His hearing was delayed to Thursday, March 27, due to the absence of his attorney.

Bail set at $250K for man who evaded arrest after being charged in Lewis County with gun and drug offenses in 2023

A man charged for unlawful possession of guns and narcotics in December 2023 is back in custody at the Lewis County Jail after he posted bail, failed to return to court and evaded arrest for over a … more

By Emily Fitzgerald / emily@chronline.com | 3/27/25

Inside the Senate on the last day of the 2024 Legislature at the state Capitol on Thursday, March 7, 2024.

Washington state Senate votes to keep reporters out of legislative wings unless invited

The Washington State Senate in a voice call vote approved a resolution on Wednesday that restricts the ability of the news media to enter the legislative wings unless specifically requested by a … more

By TJ Martinell / The Center Square | 3/27/25

Amtrak has not provided a timeline for when replacement train cars might arrive to replace the aging Horizon coaches that were abruptly pulled from service on March 26. Here a train is seen at the Olympia-Lacey station in 2022. (Photo by Tom Banse)

Corrosion problem knocks most Amtrak Cascades trains out of service

The years-long process to restore regional intercity rail service and build up train ridership in western Washington and Oregon was dealt a major setback this week when Amtrak suddenly withdrew … more

By Tom Banse / The Washington State Standard | 3/27/25

Permit-to-purchase gun bill clears another hurdle in Washington state Senate

Republicans in the Senate Law & Justice Committee raised constitutional concerns Thursday about a permit-to-purchase firearms bill before majority Democrats on the committee pushed the measure … more

By Carleen Johnson / The Center Square | 3/27/25

Lewis County PUD Commissioner Michael Kelly makes his first appearance in Lewis County Superior Court on Monday, Dec. 2, in Chehalis.

Lewis County PUD vacates seat held by commissioner charged with felony bribery

The Lewis County Public Utility District (PUD) has seemingly vacated the seat held by an elected commissioner who was charged with felony bribery last year. Commissioner Michael Jay Kelly, … more

By Jacob Moore / jacob@chronline.com | 3/27/25

First responders rescued a man near Yacolt after he had fallen 50 feet from a cliff near a waterfall.

‘Treacherous’ nighttime rescue saves man who fell 50 feet near Washington state waterfall

A man fell 50 feet from a cliff near a waterfall in Washington, leading to a “treacherous” nighttime rescue, officials said. Rescuers got the call at about 11:30 p.m. on March 23 at … more

Helena Wegner / The News Tribune (TNS) | 3/27/25

Washington state Senate approves 38% price hike in hunting, fishing licenses — first since 2011

After more than a decade of holding steady, Senate Democrats voted Wednesday to advance a 38% “inflationary adjustment” that would raise the price of hunting and fishing licenses in … more

Tim Clouser / The Center Square | 3/27/25

Washington state bill to cap rent increases clears first Senate hurdle

A new cap on rent hikes in Washington got one step closer to becoming law Wednesday. On a party-line vote, the Senate Housing Committee passed House Bill 1217 , which would set a 7% limit … more

Jake Goldstein-Street / Washington State Standard | 3/27/25

Dive team recovers body of missing man in Chehalis River in Centralia

A 60-year-old man was found dead in the Chehalis River under the Galvin Road bridge in Centralia on Wednesday, the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office confirmed. The man, a Rochester … more

By Emily Fitzgerald / emily@chronline.com | 3/27/25

$160M in Washington state health funding axed by Trump administration

Washington state is losing about $160 million in public health funding as part of the Trump administration’s latest purge of federal grants. The money is part of $12 billion in cuts … more

Jake Goldstein-Street / Washington State Standard | 3/27/25

In this 2023 file photo, Mark Mullet talks to visitors at The Station in downtown Centralia during a campaign for governor.

Former Washington lawmaker Mark Mullet faces fine in mayoral bid

Contributions started rolling in within days of Mark Mullet launching his campaign for Issaquah mayor last December. By the end of the month, his haul was nearly $5,000. But Mullet may have to … more

Jerry Cornfield / Washington State Standard | 3/27/25

Reporting by OPB reporter Joni Auden Land relied on contemporaneous accounts including diary entries, ticket stubs and yearbook entries, plus interviews with former students, their friends, family members and a teacher from that period, to show how Gene Evans allegedly abused his photography position at St. Helens High School to groom and sexually assault two students.

Former Oregon child protection spokesperson accused of child sexual abuse

For nearly two decades, Gene Evans was the top spokesperson for two Oregon agencies charged with doing right by children. But, as OPB reported this week, two former students say he sexually … more

Betsy Hammond, Beth Slovic / oregonlive.com (TNS) | 3/27/25

The Department of Human Services convenes critical incident review teams to investigate its role when a child dies after its family has been in contact with the agency.

Oregon parents were arrested for mistreating their children after their baby died after being born in a tent

A baby born in a tent on a rural homestead last July received no medical attention and died before reaching three months old, the Oregon Department of Human Services said in a report designed to … more

Sami Edge / oregonlive.com (TNS) | 3/27/25

Wayne Wolfe, formerly Edwards, is the son of convicted serial killer Ed Edwards. Falling on hard times, Wolfe is selling a handmade leather baby book his biological father made for him while imprisoned for committing bank robberies.

Why a photo album created by a serial killer is for sale in Oregon

An unusual listing from Beaverton cropped up on Facebook Marketplace last week with the title “Murder memorabilia.” For $50,000, you can buy “a hand carved leather photo album … more

By Samantha Swindler / oregonlive.com (TNS) | 3/27/25

On a 65-acre site at the Hanford nuclear reservation, construction has been underway since 2002 on a $16.8 billion complex to transform 56 million gallons of radioactive and chemical tank wastes into glass rods that then can be put in long-term storage. Some processing of liquid wastes is expected by 2022, and overall operations by 2036.

Washington state nuclear site top manager resigns. No. 2 Hanford leader already is gone

The top local leader for the Hanford nuclear site in Eastern Washington has resigned, which follows the resignation of his second in command. Brian Vance has been the Department of Energy … more

By Annette Cary Tri-City Herald (TNS) | 3/27/25