NEWS

(WHATCOM COUNTY)- Effective immediately, no indoor or outdoor wood burning is allowed in the Columbia Valley urban growth area (including the Peaceful Valley and Paradise Lakes developments) in Whatcom County. A high-pressure system is preventing harmful wood smoke from clearing out, according to a news release from the Northwest Clean Air Agency. Fine particles in wood smoke are harmful because they can be inhaled deeply into lungs and damage delicate tissues. During this Stage 2 burn ban, all burning is prohibited unless a woodstove is your only adequate source of heat. No burning is allowed in any wood-burning fireplaces, woodstoves,     (read more)

(OLYMPIA)– The Productivity Board, a state employee incentive program of the Office of the Secretary of State, voted unanimously to award seven state employees up to $11,971.70 total for their ideas to reduce cost or generate revenue for the state, Monday, Dec. 2. The Productivity Board encourages all state employees to help save taxpayers' money by offering up to $10,000 for a successful employee proposal to increase government efficiency. First created by the Legislature in 1982 and reinstated in 2023, the Productivity Board has saved the state millions of dollars, according to a news release from the Office of the Secretary of State. “It’s     (read more)

(SKAGIT COUNTY)- The Skagit County Hearing Examiner on December 20, 2024, at 9 a.m., will host a public hearing to consider a special use permit application from NextEra Energy to develop a battery energy storage system (BESS) near the Port of Skagit. The project would be located on 22.55 acres, on property zoned Bayview Ridge Heavy Industrial in the Bayview Ridge Urban Growth Area and would be capable of storing up to 200 megawatt hours of energy for a 4-hour duration. The BESS would provide increased power capacity and grid resiliency for the greater Skagit County area. The hearing will include testimony from     (read more)

(OLYMPIA)– The Office of the Secretary of State directed a machine recount of the state Senate race in Legislative District 18, December 2. As of county certification on Nov. 26, Adrian Cortes, a Democrat, leads Brad Benton, a Republican, by 172 votes, a difference of 0.2%. A machine recount is required for all races and statewide measures when the margin is less than 2,000 votes and less than 0.5% of the total votes cast for both candidates, per RCW 29A.64.021. The Clark County Canvassing Board is responsible for scheduling the recount and will determine the specific date and time, according to a news release from the Office     (read more)

(OLYMPIA)– Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs is warning Washington business and non-profit owners of fraudulent communications that purports to be official notice from the Office of the Secretary of State’s (OSOS) Corporations and Charities Division or other state office. The fraudulent communications towards business owners have focused on initial registration, business verification, annual filings, and claims of delinquency. In most instances, money has been solicited that far exceed Washington's fee schedule, according to a news release from the Office of the Secretary of State. Recent notifications to OSOS suggest phone solicitations are targeting Washington’s Latino business owners,     (read more)