State & Regional | The Daily Chronicle

WSDOT Crew Helps Pull Person From Puget Sound in Pierce County

A person was taken to a hospital Monday morning after a state bridge-inspection team helped pull her from the water near the Fox Island Bridge, authorities said. Gig Harbor Fire & Medic One … more

Sabrina Jiles / The News Tribune | 7/26/22

New Crime Trend? HVAC Units Being Stolen, Damaged in Thurston County Police Say

A crime trend involving heating and air conditioning units that recently emerged in Tumwater has found its way to Olympia, police say. Olympia police alerted residents last week via social media … more

Rolf Boone / The Olympian | 7/26/22

Josselen Gomez smiles and enjoys a lollipop while swimming with her brothers Henrey and Jesus at Deep Lake in 2021.

How to Stay Cool Without Air Conditioning as Washington State Faces Extreme Heat Wave

Washington state is under an excessive heat warning by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration until July 29. The excessive heat across the state is expected to bring an increase in … more

Alyse Messmer-Smith / The Bellingham Herald | 7/26/22

Washington Is No. 1 in UFO Sightings

If you yearn for a quick escape from this troubled planet — or a glimpse of evidence that somebody up there is checking us out and considering options — don't move. You're already in the … more

Scott Hewitt / The Columbian | 7/26/22

Southwest Washington Teen's Murderer Beats Three Strikes — Again

A convicted murderer from Vancouver has beaten a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of release — for a second time. Roy Wayne Russell Jr. first walked free in 2001 after … more

Jessica Prokop / The Columbian | 7/26/22

An Asian giant hornet is seen in this photo provided by the state Department of Agriculture.

No More 'Murder Hornets' as Entomologists Give Invasive Species This New Common Name

Asian giant hornets, popularly known as "murder hornets," are now called northern giant hornets by the Entomological Society of America, gaining its first official, common name by the organization. … more

Zach Kortge / The Bellingham Herald | 7/26/22

Washington Hospital Leaders Say They Are Facing a Financial Crisis

Washington State Hospital Association representatives on Thursday said a recent review of the financial health of hospitals offered grim totals. While operating revenue increased by 5 percent at … more

Debbie Cockrell / The News Tribune | 7/25/22

An elk sticks its tongue out as it grazes in a field near Packwood in this 2021 file photo.

Washingtonians Support Legal Hunting, But More Than Ever Don't Care Either Way, Survey Finds

While the majority of Washingtonians support legal hunting, more people than ever don't care, according to a survey commissioned by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and published … more

Eli Francovich / The Spokesman-Review | 7/25/22

Man Shot When Multiple Rounds Fired in Tumwater Saturday Night

Multiple gunshots were fired and a man was shot in the leg on Trosper Road in Tumwater Saturday night, according to police. Beyond that, however, police do not have a lot of information, Lt. Jen … more

Rolf Boone / The Olympian | 7/25/22

Washington Woman, Accused of Burglary, Shot After Police Say She Released Dogs That Attacked Neighbors

A woman accused of burglarizing an apartment in Seattle's First Hill neighborhood was shot and injured after releasing three pit bulls that attacked the building manager and other residents, police … more

Greg Kim / The Seattle Times | 7/25/22

Man Convicted of Impersonating Cop Before Robbing, Kidnapping, Raping Woman in Eastern Washington

A jury convicted a 33-year-old man last week of impersonating an officer before robbing, kidnapping and raping a woman last year in Spokane County. According to court documents, Warren J. … more

Garrett Cabeza / The Spokesman-Review | 7/25/22

Anit-abortion activists hold signs outside the US Supreme Court after overturning of Roe Vs. Wade, in Washington, DC, on June 24, 2022. (Stefani Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images/TNS)

One Month After Supreme Court's Roe Ruling, Over Half of States Have Banned or Moved to Limit Abortions

A month after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the 1973 landmark ruling that provided a constitutional right to abortion access, more than half of U.S. states have either banned or … more

Alison Saldanha / The Seattle Times | 7/25/22

Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers stands in front of an American flag in this photo taken by Brandon Hansen.

McMorris Rodgers, House Democrats Back Compromise to Pass Historic Privacy Bill, But Will Cantwell Let It Pass?

WASHINGTON — Congress appears closer than ever to passing sweeping legislation that would set national standards for how tech companies collect and use Americans' personal data, but that won't … more

Orion Donovan-Smith / The Spokesman-Review | 7/25/22

The Oak Fire burns through trees on July 24, 2022, near Jerseydale, California. The fast moving Oak Fire burning outside of Yosemite National Park has forced evacuations, charred over 14,000 acres and has destroyed several homes since starting on Friday afternoon. The fire is zero percent contained. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images/TNS)

California’s Largest Fire This Year, Explodes in Size; Thousands Flee, Towns Threatened

LOS ANGELES — Firefighters were struggling to battle California’s largest fire of the season so far, a fast-moving inferno tearing through the Sierra Nevada foothills west of Yosemite … more

Alex Wigglesworth and Doug Smith / Los Angeles Times (TNS) | 7/24/22

Both Sides Claim Victory in Washington Supreme Court Timber Ruling

(The Center Square) – In a complex case involving the state Constitution, a 19th century land grant, and a public trust, the Washington Supreme Court Thursday ruled that the Department of … more

By Lawrence Wilson / The Center Square | 7/24/22

Gov. Jay Inslee at a press conference in Seattle on Aug. 9, 2021 announcing a new vaccine requirement.

Inslee Announces Plan to Get More Cops 'on the Street A-S-A-P'

(The Center Square) – Washington Gov. Jay Inslee on Thursday afternoon expressed his support for expanding the state Criminal Justice Training Center to regional campuses to speed up training, … more

By Brett Davis / The Center Square | 7/24/22

Western Washington Man Was Major Drug-Ring Leader Linked to a Mexican Cartel, Authorities Say

A Fife man who led a Mexican cartel-linked drug trafficking ring pleaded guilty this week for his role in bringing more than 120 pounds of methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl pills and cocaine into … more

Shea Johnson / The News Tribune | 7/23/22

The Horse Shelter in Los Cerrillos, New Mexico, rehabilitates malnourished wild horses, such as Polly, seen before treatment, and prepares them for adoption. As in many Western states, New Mexico’s wild horses have an overpopulation problem. (Courtesy Susan Hemmerle/Stateline.org/TNS)

Westerners Struggle to Manage Booming Wild Horse Populations

Wild horses hold a special place in the mythos of the American West, with images of free-roaming herds of mustangs grazing on vast public rangelands. But for some communities in New Mexico, the … more

Matt Vasilogambros / Stateline.org (TNS) | 7/23/22

FILE PHOTO — A West Thurston firefighter sprays down scorched branches during a brush fire in the Scatter Creek area near Case Road in Maytown in July 2021.

Washington Wildfire Season Expected to Roar to Life

Washington's fire season has been quieter than normal, but relatively tame conditions may not last for long. Starting next week, Eastern and Central Washington may face temperatures well past 100 … more

Omar Shaikh Rashad / The Seattle Times | 7/23/22

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

Gov. Inslee Proposes New Regional Campuses to Train Washington Police

Saying it's time for the state to up its game in recruiting law enforcement officers, Gov. Jay Inslee on Thursday announced a proposal to create four regional police training campuses so new cops … more

Sara Jean Green / The Seattle Times (TNS) | 7/22/22