NEWS

(OLYMPIA)— A new report from the Washington Department of Ecology shows that the Clean Fuel Standard exceeded its carbon emissions reduction target for the second year in a row and generated tens of millions of dollars for clean fuel innovation and affordable clean transportation options in local communities. In 2024, the program eliminated 3 million metric tons of greenhouse gases for less than a tenth of a cent per gallon of gasoline—more than triple the reduction required under state law and the equivalent of taking about 10% of Washington’s gas-powered cars off the road for an entire year. Clean fuel producers     (read more)

(SKAGIT COUNTY)- Skagit County Coroner Hayley Thompson has announced she will resign from her position as County Coroner before the end of her elected term. Coroner Thompson was appointed to the seat initially on May 16, 2016, and was then elected to the position in November 2016. Thompson was reelected in 2018 and 2022, according to a news release from the county. Thompson has additionally served as the President of the Washington Association of Coroners from 2021 to 2026 and is currently the President-Elect of the International Association of Coroners and Medical Examiners. She has served as the Legislative Chair for the Washington Association of Coroners     (read more)

(SKAGIT COUNTY)- The next scheduled maintenance period for the Guemes Island Ferry will be May 4 – May 17, 2026. The Skagit Board of County Commissioners signed Resolution R20260059 on March 23, 2026, awarding the bid to Stabbert Marine & Industrial for $175,014. The final car ferry run will depart Anacortes at 8:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 3rd and return from Guemes approximately 8 minutes later. Passenger-only service will begin at 6:30 a.m. on Monday, May 4th and will run on the ferry’s regular non-peak sailing schedule, according to a news release from the county. The U.S. Coast Guard requires the County to replace four small     (read more)

(OLYMPIA)— Candidate Filing Week begins on Monday, May 4 at 8 a.m. and at county elections offices across the state, but mailed declarations are being accepted now. Declarations of Candidacy and full payment must be received by 5 p.m. on Friday, May 8. During the filing period, eligible Washingtonians can declare candidacy for over 16,700 seats ranging from precinct committee officers to seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. Candidates can register online, by mail, or in person through the Office of the Secretary of State for any of the 155 federal and state offices, according to a news release from the Office     (read more)

(OLYMPIA)– More clean energy and less coal power: That’s the recipe for a drop in Washington’s greenhouse gas emissions detailed in a new Washington Department of Ecology report. Despite population and economic growth, the state’s total emissions declined 0.5% from 2021 to 2022. This report does not include impacts from the Climate Commitment Act and the Clean Fuel Standard, which took effect in 2023, according to a news release from Ecology. Data from Ecology’s Statewide Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory – the most comprehensive look at all sources of carbon emissions in Washington – shows that emissions dropped from 96.6 million metric tons in 2021     (read more)