State & Regional News | The Daily Chronicle

Hundreds of people line the streets of Capitol Way outside of the Washington state Capitol on Saturday, April 19, protesting an array of policies and actions taken by the Trump Administration.

In focus: Protesters lash out at Trump Administration policies at rally in Olympia

4/21/25

The entrance of Green Hill School is pictured in Chehalis on Tuesday, Oct. 15.

‘A stunning failure’: Braun blasts House Democrats after bill to address crowding and safety at Green Hill School fails to get vote

Washington state Senate Republican Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, released a statement Thursday, April 17, airing his frustration with House Democrats for not moving forward with a bill that, if … more

By The Chronicle staff | 4/21/25

Federal agents drove an armored truck up the front lawn of former U.S. Army soldier s Ruoyo Duan's Hillsboro house around 6 a.m. March 6, 2025, and knocked out the front window to serve a search warrant as he, his wife and young daughter were in the home. Duan is accused of being part of a military spy ring that sold secrets to Chinese intelligence officers. " Hillsboro neighbor Darlene Peterson said she heard, "rumble, rumble, rumble," looked out her window and saw red lights, and then heard a "big kaboom and saw a big flash. "I was absolutely petrified because it's right there beside my bedroom window," she said. Then, she heard officers announcing they were the FBI.

Feds ‘sensationalize’ spying charges against ex-soldier, Army captain, their lawyers say

The deep tire treads are still visible from the lawn where a federal armored truck rammed a hole into the Hillsboro, Oregon, house of a former U.S. Army soldier accused of selling military secrets to … more

Maxine Bernstein / oregonlive.com (TNS) | 4/21/25

Providence freezes some hiring, cuts spending as new CEO warns of ‘economic headwinds’

The top executive at Providence Health & Services told its employees Thursday the health system faces a “perfect storm” of economic pressures threatening the company’s financial … more

Kristine de Leon / oregonlive.com (TNS) | 4/21/25

Authorities ID Oregon college softball player, coach killed in Friday crash

Umpqua Community College officials identified softball player Kiley Jones and coach Jami Strinz as the two people killed in a crash Friday night while the team was traveling back to the Roseburg … more

Betsy Hammond / oregonlive.com (TNS) | 4/21/25

Environmentalists sue Trump administration to save ‘unique amphibian’ at Crater Lake

A “cute little newt” has found itself in the middle of a fight between a leading environmental organization and the Trump administration. The Center for Biological Diversity on … more

Jamie Hale / oregonlive.com (TNS) | 4/21/25

Under blue skies, searchers used marine and aerial resources to scour the area below Willamette Falls, shown here Sunday, where a kayaker went missing late Saturday, April 12, 2025.

Willamette Falls tragedy only the latest incident at the powerful Oregon waterfall

Willamette Falls has long been a place of deep spiritual and cultural importance for Northwest tribes, as well a hub of local industry. It has also, on occasion, been a place of tragedy and terror. … more

Jamie Hale / oregonlive.com (TNS) | 4/21/25

FILE PHOTO — A cat receives a head scratch at the Lewis County Animal Shelter on Tuesday, March 18.

Oregon bill would ban publicly funded experiments on cats and dogs

A bill that would prohibit public money from funding lab experimentation on cats and dogs for the benefit of humans is making its way through the Oregon Legislature. The protect “Fluffy … more

Aimee Green / oregonlive.com (TNS) | 4/21/25

Deborah Atrops was murdered in 1988. In 2023, 35 years later, her estranged husband Robert Atrops was arrested in connection with the crime.

Husband convicted 36 years after estranged wife found dead, Oregon officials say

Before she was killed in 1988, Deborah Atrops was planning for a divorce, Oregon officials said. She and her husband, Robert Atrops, had separated over marital problems that included physical … more

Sara Schilling / The News Tribune (TNS) | 4/21/25

Estonia or prison? Feds confuse the case of crypto Ponzi schemers in Washington state

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security last week sent a letter to two Estonian men telling them to leave the U.S. "immediately." One problem: The two men are to be sentenced in federal court … more

Kai Uyehara / The Seattle Times (TNS) | 4/21/25

Washington state middle school coach accused of sending sexual texts to student

A wrestling coach at an Auburn middle school was charged Tuesday with multiple felonies for allegedly sending sexual messages to a 14-year-old girl and persuading her to send him nude pictures of … more

Kai Uyehara / The Seattle Times (TNS) | 4/21/25

Man sues Washington city after being pulled from car, hogtied following mix-up

A 35-year-old Black man who was pulled out of his car and forced to the parking lot pavement of his Spokane Valley residence before being hogtied and taken to jail is suing the deputy who arrested … more

Garrett Cabeza / The Spokesman-Review (TNS) | 4/21/25

Washington state recorded the most deaths it’s seen in a decade this flu season

Washington just had its deadliest flu season in over a decade. 388 Washingtonians died from the virus between late 2024 and early 2025, according to the Washington State Department of Health. … more

The News Tribune (TNS) | 4/21/25

‘How can I help you today?’: Man suspected of robbing Pierce County bank greeted police like an employee

Officers arrested a man who allegedly threatened employees, started a fire and pretended to work at a nearby bank in Tacoma he was trying to rob, the Tacoma Police Department posted on Facebook … more

Julia Park / The News Tribune (TNS) | 4/21/25

Man facing vehicular homicide charges after two die in wreck, Washington State Patrol troopers say

A 20-year-old Pierce County driver is facing two counts of vehicular homicide after both of his male passengers died in a rollover wreck Saturday night, according to the Washington State Patrol. … more

Rolf Boone / The News Tribune (TNS) | 4/21/25

Washington state schools see record number of homeless students in recent years

In recent years, Washington has recorded a record number of students experiencing homelessness, according to data from the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI). Pierce County school … more

Cameron Sheppard / The News Tribune (TNS) | 4/21/25

A steady stream of people inspected a dead gray whale beached near Ocean City in April 2024.

Melting Arctic sea ice spurs gray whale die off along West Coast

Gray whales, a signature of the Washington coast, are dying by the thousands, victims of declines in Arctic sea ice. Boom-and-bust cycles of gray whale populations are normal. But for the first … more

Lynda V. Mapes / The Seattle Times (TNS) | 4/21/25

President Donald Trump signed a wave of reciprocal tariffs into place alongside a 10% baseline tariff that goes into effect at midnight on Wednesday, April 2, 2025.

Survey: Washington state employers wary of recession, tariffs, increased state taxes

A spring survey of more than 400 Washington state employers indicates rising fears of a possible recession, concerns related to President Donald Trump’s tariffs, and anxiety about possible … more

By Brett Davis / The Center Square | 4/21/25

A 2018 photo shows a culvert along Tawes Creek, under State Route 9 north of Van Zandt, Wash. (Photo courtesy of Washington State Department of Transportation)

Up a creek: $5 billion culvert removal plan appears dead in Washington state Legislature

A creative plan in the Washington Legislature to raise billions of dollars to pay for the court-ordered removal of fish passage barriers appears to be a pipe dream, for this year at least. … more

By Jake Goldstein-Street / Washington State Standard | 4/21/25

Washington Department of Commerce Director Joe Nguyễn speaks with Inside Olympia host Austin Jenkins. (Photo courtesy of TVW)

Washington state commerce chief warns tariff fallout could hit state hard

Washington’s top commerce official says the state cannot shield its economy from the fallout of rapidly escalating tariffs, particularly in sectors like agriculture, aerospace and technology. … more

By Paul W. Taylor / TVW | 4/21/25