State & Regional | The Daily Chronicle

Woman Faces Vehicular Assault Charge After Wreck in Tumwater Monday Evening

An Olympia woman faces a possible vehicular assault charge and an Idaho woman was injured in a crash in Tumwater Monday evening, according to Washington State Patrol. The 25-year-old Boise area … more

By The Olympian | 5/4/22

FILE - In this Jan. 18, 2014, file photo, endangered orcas from the J pod swim in Puget Sound west of Seattle, as seen from a federal research vessel that has been tracking the whales. The 84 endangered orcas in Puget Sound are some of the best studied marine mammals in the country. Now, using data from breath, feces and blubber samples and photos, wildlife biologists want to begin compiling personal health records for each orca to track both individual and population progress. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson, File)

New Orca Is Born to K Pod, First in 11 Years

A calf has been born to mother orca K20, the first baby for the K pod family of southern resident orcas in 11 years. Deborah Giles, science and research director for the nonprofit Wild Orca, … more

By Lynda V. Mapes / The Seattle Times | 5/4/22

Governor Jay Inslee talks during a press conference at the Southwest Washington Fairgrounds in Chehalis in 2019.

'They Will Be Welcome': Inslee, Washington Democrats Commit to 'Sanctuary' for Those Needing Abortions in Other States

OLYMPIA — Gov. Jay Inslee and other Democratic leaders pledged on Tuesday to maintain Washington as a safe place for those needing access to abortion. "Washington state was a pro-choice … more

Laurel Demkovich / The Spokesman-Review | 5/4/22

Travel Chaos Returns as Alaska Airlines Blames ... the Calendar?

After more than 15,000 Alaska Airlines passengers had their flights canceled Sunday and Monday, Alaska blamed the turn of the month. Despite a massive scheduling debacle that began on April 1 … more

Dominic Gates / The Seattle Times | 5/4/22

Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson speaks to The Chronicle in this file photo.

State Attorney General Announces $518M Proposed Settlement Agreement With Three Opioid Distributors

Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson on Tuesday announced a $518 million resolution in principle with three of the state's largest drug distributors to address and remedy fallout from the opioid … more

Sara Jean Green / The Seattle Times | 5/4/22

Abidemi Rufai, 45, of Lekki, Nigeria, pleaded guilty Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to charges that he used stolen Social Security numbers and other personal data to file $350,763 in fake claims for pandemic unemployment benefits in spring of 2020, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Seattle said Wednesday.

Former Nigerian Official Pleads Guilty to $350,000 in State Unemployment Fraud

Nearly two years after thieves defrauded Washington state of $650 million in unemployment benefits, a former Nigerian government official has pleaded guilty to his role in the heist. Abidemi … more

Paul Roberts / The Seattle Times | 5/4/22

Jessica Golibart, center, cries as demonstrators gather in front of the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, May 3, 2022. The Supreme Court is poised to strike down the right to abortion in the U.S., according to a leaked draft of a majority opinion that would shred nearly 50 years of constitutional protections. (Brendan Smiakowski/AFP via Getty Images/TNS)

Washington Abortion Providers Prepare for More Out-of-State Patients as Roe Decision Looms

Dr. Anuj Khattar knew the decision was coming. What he and other abortion providers didn't know was how soon they would get word that Roe v. Wade would likely be overturned — the thrust of … more

Nina Shapiro / The Seattle Times | 5/4/22

FBI Searching for Washington Couple, Convicted in $30 Million Fraud Scheme, Who Skipped Court Date

Arrest warrants have been issued for a couple convicted of operating a Ponzi-like scheme through the now-bankrupt Northwest Territorial Mint in Federal Way, defrauding thousands of investors out of … more

Mike Carter / The Seattle Times | 5/4/22

The U.S. Supreme Court building as seen on Sunday, July 11, 2021 in Washington, D.C. (Daniel Slim/AFP/Getty Images/TNS)

Supreme Court Draft Opinion Will Help Turn Washington Against Abortion, Conservative Leader Says

Could Washington become an anti-abortion state? Improbable as that seems, Mark Miloscia, a former state lawmaker and executive director of the Family Policy Institute of Washington, contends it … more

Nina Shapiro / The Seattle Times | 5/4/22

Moses Lake Officers Prevent Carjacking, Rescue Children

MOSES LAKE — Moses Lake Police officers foiled an attempted carjacking Tuesday, saving two children who were in the vehicle according to an MLPD statement. Around noon, an off-duty police … more

Joel Martin / Columbia Basin Herald | 5/4/22

Jay Inslee takes a tour of a potential COVID-19 quarantine and isolation site at Maple Lane in March 2020.

In Washington, Fierce Reaction to Leaked Supreme Court Draft on Roe v. Wade

A leaked Supreme Court draft opinion suggests the court could be poised to overturn Roe v. Wade, leaving the legal status of abortion entirely up to states. It is unclear if the draft, published … more

By Joseph O’Sullivan / The Seattle Times | 5/3/22

Law Enforcement Sounds Alarm About Record-High Vehicle Theft

Jake Beals spent his Monday morning towing a Yahama Vino 125 scooter that was reported stolen out of Chehalis. It was the first call of the day at Triple J Towing's Vancouver location, but there were … more

Becca Robbins / The Columbian | 5/3/22

Major Tuberculosis Outbreak at Stafford Creek Prison Spurs Worries Among Incarcerated

A tuberculosis outbreak at Stafford Creek Corrections Center has spurred fears among incarcerated people and their families over whether correctional officials are properly responding to the serious … more

Jim Brunner / The Seattle Times | 5/3/22

Eastern Washington Man Suspected of Killing Wife, Setting Their Home on Fire Arrested in Oklahoma

The Tri-Cities man suspected of killing his wife and burning down their Kennewick home has been arrested in Oklahoma. Brian L. Wilcox, 68, has been on the run since last Monday. He is accused of … more

Cory McCoy / Tri-City Herald | 5/3/22

Mount Olympus is pictured in September 2006.

Glaciers on Olympic Peninsula Projected to Largely Disappear by 2070

Hotter summers and wetter winters spell a precarious future for glaciers in the Pacific Northwest. This is especially true for those in low elevations, so much that, according to new research … more

Nicholas Turner / The Seattle Times | 5/3/22

Law Enforcement Sounds Alarm About Record-High Vehicle Theft Becca Robbins / The Columbian Jake Beals spent his Monday morning towing a Yahama Vino 125 scooter that was reported stolen out … more

5/3/22

A boat navigates Lake Mead, where a white "bathtub ring" along the shore shows how far below capacity the nation's largest reservoir currently is, June 11, 2021. A barrel containing human remains has been discovered in Nevada's Lake Mead. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times/TNS)

Human Remains Found in Barrel as Nevada’s Lake Mead Drops to Historic Low Amid Drought

A barrel containing human remains was discovered in Nevada's Lake Mead over the weekend as a historic drought grips the West. Las Vegas Metro Police fear they will find more bodies, officials … more

Nathan Solis / Los Angeles Times (TNS) | 5/2/22

Western Washington Man Allegedly Stole 200 Packages He Was Supposed to Deliver

A Whatcom County man contracted to deliver packages in Bellingham is suspected of stealing nearly 200 of those packages worth thousands of dollars. The Bellingham Police Department booked Ameran … more

David Rasbach / The Bellingham Herald | 5/2/22

Tacoma Police Arrest 'Known Serial Arsonist' After Reports of Dumpster Fires Downtown

Tacoma police on Sunday arrested a 34-year-old man suspected to have set three dumpsters fires downtown. Police said one fire was directly against an apartment building and the others were near a … more

Peter Talbot / The News Tribune | 5/2/22

Western Washington Grocery Workers Ratify New Three-Year Contract That Targets Pay Disparities

A major Puget Sound grocery workers union announced ratification of a new three-year contract, raising hourly wages $4-$9 over the life of the agreement. UFCW 3000, now representing the unions … more

By The News Tribune | 5/2/22