State & Regional News | The Daily Chronicle

Washington State Patrol seeks witnesses after man dies in jump from overpass

Investigators are searching for anyone who may have seen a Richland man jump to his death from an Interstate 182 on Monday. The Washington State Patrol said his death is being investigated as a … more

By Tri-City Herald staff (TNS) | 12/17/25

Sen. Murray says move to keep Serrano as top federal prosecutor 'sets a dangerous precedent'

Former Pasco Mayor and candidate for state attorney general Pete Serrano will continue to serve as the top federal prosecutor in Eastern Washington through a workaround that the Department of Justice … more

Mitchell Roland / The Spokesman-Review (TNS) | 12/17/25

Puyallup man killed in single-car crash on SR 512 in Pierce County, troopers say

A 29-year-old Puyallup man died Tuesday night when he lost control of his vehicle on state Route 512 at Pacific Avenue and rolled, according to the Washington State Patrol. The State Patrol … more

Peter Talbot / The News Tribune (TNS) | 12/17/25

Were red flags ignored in attack at Pierce County-based facility for sex offenders?

A female employee claims she was attacked at a state-run facility for high-risk sex offenders in Pierce County after officials failed to prevent the assailant’s longstanding sexual harassment … more

Shea Johnson / The News Tribune (TNS) | 12/17/25

Hundreds of thousands out of power in Washington state; blizzard warning continues

A storm brought high winds and heavy rain to Western Washington overnight into Wednesday, leaving more than 200,000 customers in the dark after days of flooding. Wind speeds reached the 50s and … more

Lauren Girgis / The Seattle Times (TNS) | 12/17/25

Hikers begin hiking the Skyline Loop Trail at Mount Rainier National Park on Thursday, Oct. 16.

Republicans propose bill to restore access to historic gateway to Mount Rainier

Republican lawmakers proposed a plan Tuesday that could restore access to the Fairfax Bridge “as soon as possible” after the state shut down the gateway to Mount Rainier last April. The … more

Tim Clouser / The Center Square | 12/17/25

The U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 1, 2025. (Photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)

Moderate U.S. House Republicans join Dems to force vote on extension of health care subsidies

WASHINGTON — The U.S. House could vote to approve a Democratic bill that would extend the enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits for three more years, after a handful of moderate Republicans … more

By Jennifer Shutt and Shauneen Miranda / States Newsroom | 12/17/25

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service staff survey for Chesapeake logperch in Harford County, Maryland. (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service sees nearly 20% drop in staff since President Trump took office

Nearly 1,800 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service employees have left the agency in the last year, records obtained by conservation advocates find, as pressure mounted from President Donald Trump and his … more

By Mia Maldonado / Oregon Capital Chronicle | 12/17/25

Road damage along U.S. 2 in Tumwater Canyon, in a photo shared by Washington State Department of Transportation on Dec. 16, 2025. (Photo courtesy of WSDOT)

Highway 2 closure across Washington’s Cascade mountains expected to last months; U.S. 12 swept away by Naches River

Parts of U.S. 2, an important road cutting across Washington’s Cascade mountains, will likely remain closed for months due to flood and slide damage, Gov. Bob Ferguson said Tuesday. A 49-mile … more

By Bill Lucia / The Washington State Standard | 12/17/25

Republican Washington U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse not running for reelection

U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse, one of two Republicans representing Washington state in Congress, will not run for reelection next year. “Serving the Fourth District of Washington has been the honor … more

By Bill Lucia and Jerry Cornfield / The Washington State Standard | 12/17/25

The Centralia TransAlta plant is pictured here on Wednesday, Dec. 17.

Federal order will keep TransAlta burning coal through the winter

The U.S. Department of Energy announced early Wednesday morning an emergency order to keep TransAlta’s Centralia-based coal-fired power plant operational through March of next year. U.S. … more

By Jacob Moore / jacob@chronline.com | 12/17/25

Arrests nationwide have fallen to historic lows, report finds

Arrests in the United States have fallen to levels not seen in decades, according to a new report that reconstructs national arrest trends in the absence of federal data. The Council on Criminal … more

By Amanda Watford / States Newsroom | 12/16/25

The Interstate 5 bridge over the Columbia River is considered “obsolete” by the Federal Highway Administration because its lanes aren’t wide enough, there are no shoulders and its design fails to meet the burgeoning traffic demand. (Grant Stringer/States Newsroom)

Washington and Oregon left waiting for new cost estimate to replace Interstate 5 bridge

A group of Washington and Oregon lawmakers gathered Monday, expecting to hear a new estimate of the cost to replace the Interstate 5 bridge across the Columbia River. When it didn’t come, … more

By Jerry Cornfield / The Washington State Standard | 12/16/25

President Trump ‘very strongly’ considering loosening federal marijuana regulations

President Donald Trump’s administration is looking “very strongly” at reclassifying cannabis from the strictest category of controlled substances, Trump said Monday. In a brief … more

By Jacob Fischler / States Newsroom | 12/16/25

The Boston Glacier, left, viewed from Forbidden Peak, falls away from Boston Peak in the North Cascades. Boston Basin to the right. (Bill Lucia/Washington State Standard)

Northwest just finished warmest fall on record, scientists report

Across the Northwest, a record warm fall and lack of snowpack going into the winter is putting more drought pressure on Oregon, Idaho, Washington and western Montana. Despite record rain in … more

By Alex Baumhardt / States Newsroom | 12/16/25

Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson speaks to the media at a press conference on flooding alongside state and local officials in Seattle on Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025. (Photo by Jake Goldstein-Street/Washington State Standard)

Ferguson will tap emergency funding to aid Washington state residents hit by flooding

SEATTLE — Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson said Tuesday that the state will look to spend $3.5 million on immediate assistance to those affected by the historic flooding of the past week. … more

By Jake Goldstein-Street / The Washington State Standard | 12/16/25

Castle Rock woman sent to hospital after Interstate 5 crash

Authorities say a Renton man following a truck too closely caused a two-vehicle accident Monday afternoon on north Interstate-5 before exit 32 for Kalama River Road. When a 2011 Toyota Tundra … more

By The Daily News | 12/16/25

The Cowlitz River gauge, outside the Cowlitz County Hall of Justice parking lot on Monday, Dec. 15, in Kelso. Minor flood stage for the river in Kelso is 21.5 feet.

Army Corps says dredging most of Cowlitz River is 'not a realistic option,' despite recent flooding

Local leaders say dredging the Cowlitz River for the first time in about 18 years would prevent flooding along the waterway filled with debris from the last Mount St. Helens eruption — … more

Henry Brannan / Murrow News | 12/16/25

Westbound I-90 near Cle Elum to close for a week as overpass is rebuilt

Nearly two months after a truck driver with an oversize load severely damaged the Bullfrog Road overpass on Interstate 90 near Cle Elum, crews will begin to replace the span. Work starts Monday … more

Nicholas Deshais / The Seattle Times (TNS) | 12/16/25

As traffic death toll mounts, Washington state looks to help teens with driver’s ed

When Tashawn Deville was 16 and in driver's education, she noticed something about the other students. “Everybody in that class either had two-parent households or just had a more functional … more

David Kroman / The Seattle Times (TNS) | 12/16/25