NEWS
(SKAGIT COUNTY)- Skagit County home sales reversed direction in the third quarter but the prices of those sales inched higher, according to a local real estate report. The number of Skagit County homes sold in the three months ending Sept. 30 fell 14.5% to 379 in comparison to last year’s third quarter, according to Adrik Brashear, a broker with Northwest Washington’s The Muljat Group. The decline followed increases of 28.9% and 10.1% in the first two quarters of this year, he added. Among communities, Sedro-Woolley was the exception with an increase of 15.3% in homes sold, according to a news release. The median (read more)
(OLYMPIA)- Washington State is working to fix its mental health worker shortage by starting a new scholarship program. The Behavioral Health Conditional Scholarship (BHCS) offers up to $51,000 for students pursuing a graduate degree in mental health. This fall, the first BHCS cohort is beginning their journey to becoming licensed mental health professionals. The Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC) launched BHCS in spring 2025 as part of the state’s broader effort to address to both mental health and workforce needs. The scholarship was created through House Bill 1946, which funded a state program to support more people entering mental health careers, (read more)
(OLYMPIA)- October is Flood Awareness Month, marking the shift away from warm and dry weather to the start of fall precipitation. Rain is especially needed now to help alleviate Washington’s current drought and wildfire conditions. As our seasonal weather patterns shift, some places in Washington could experience flooding. The Washington Department of Ecology, wants to share how flooding typically occurs, what people can do to find their flood risks and the potential benefits of flood insurance, according to a news release from the agency. Ecology is the lead state agency responsible for helping cities and counties identify and (read more)
(SKAGIT COUNTY)- The Skagit County Commissioners recently concluded the annual series of budget work sessions with each department and elected office to discuss 2026 budget requests. As stated in a press release on September 22nd, Skagit County is facing a difficult budget year in 2026. If 2025 levels of service and county programs are maintained for 2026, Skagit County will face a $19M deficit in the general fund. This deficit is the result of increasing operating and salary costs, flat revenues, changes to mandated services, and uncertainty with state and federal grant support, according to a news release from the county. After reviewing (read more)
(MARYSVILLE)– Many have had to wonder over the years whether a train would be blocking the way when exiting or heading to Interstate 5 in Marysville. That may not be a question going forward, as people will have new options for bypassing the rail crossing: Brand new on- and off-ramps connecting I-5 to State Route 529 and State Avenue are opening. At about 4 a.m. Friday, Oct. 3, the Washington State Department of Transportation opened the new northbound I-5 off-ramp to SR 529, according to a news release from WSDOT. The SR 529 on-ramp to southbound I-5 and a new roundabout are scheduled to open (read more)