NEWS
(SKAGIT COUNTY)- Three teenage entrepreneurs received $9,000 in awards Aug. 27 from Youthpreneurs of NW Washington to help them grow businesses they launched. Malachi Larsen, 19, of Burlington was named Youthpreneur of the Year and given a $5,000 award, according to a news release. As a sophomore at Burlington-Edison High School, he founded Pacific Kickz, which buys, sells and trades rare sneakers and clothing locally and online internationally. Ella Jones, 15, of Ella’s Photo Booth in Burlington and Gunnar Williamsom of Custom Freeze Drying in Mount Vernon each received $2,000 honorable mention awards. The awards were open to teenagers and young adults up to (read more)
(OLYMPIA)– The state Commercial Aviation Work Group will host its fourth public meeting of 2025 Wednesday, Sept. 17, at the Union Gap City Hall. This will be the group’s seventh meeting overall since it was created by the state Legislature in 2023, according to a news release from the Washington State Department of Transportation. The work group was formed to evaluate the long-range commercial aviation and transportation needs of the state. Members are asked to research alternatives for more aviation capacity and expanding the use of existing airports and multimodal opportunities. The work group is not tasked with searching for or building (read more)
(OLYMPIA)– The Washington State Department of Transportation is launching a new program to help truck drivers find convenient and safe parking at rest areas and weigh stations along the Interstate 5 corridor. The program is called the Truck Parking Information Management System. TPIMS equips truck drivers with real-time and predictive information about parking spaces available up ahead. It helps them plan up to four hours in advance of where to park. This helps ensure that truck drivers can find safe parking and that existing truck parking spaces are used to their full capacity, according to a news release from WSDOT. Truck (read more)
(MARBLEMOUNT)– Skagit County Public Works will close the Cascade River Road/Marblemount Bridge near State Route 20 (milepost 106) for two weeks beginning Sept. 2, as part of a bridge rehabilitation project. Beginning at noon, Tuesday, Sept. 2, until 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 16, no traffic will be allowed over the bridge. People should detour using SR 20, SR 530 and Rockport Cascade Road for both directions, according to a news release from the Washington State Department of Transportation. People traveling in the area also should do their part to keep the road crew safe, such as driving slowly and removing distractions. (read more)
(OLYMPIA)– This week, Washington became the first state in the nation to adopt broad restrictions on more than two dozen chemicals used in cosmetic products that can release formaldehyde. Formaldehyde and formaldehyde releasers are commonly used to extend the shelf life of a product—but formaldehyde is also a known carcinogen. People – especially women and people who use or work with cosmetics – can be exposed to these cancer-causing chemicals through repeated use of products like shampoos, eyelash glue, nail polishes, and hair treatments, according to a news release from the Washington Department of Ecology. Under a new rule adopted by (read more)