News
NYT Politics
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Ilhan Omar Plunges Into Democrats’ Political Storm Over War in Gaza
Suggesting that some Jewish students are “pro-genocide,” the Minnesota congresswoman seemed to further polarize an already polarizing debate.
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Matt Gaetz Faces Last-Minute Challenger in Republican Primary
The Florida representative will face off against Aaron Dimmock, a retired Navy officer and aviator.
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Election Deniers Are Still Shaping Arizona Politics
There have been few political consequences for many Republicans accused of helping Trump try to overturn the 2020 election.
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Biden Team Sees Narrow Window for Deal on Cease-Fire and Hostages in Gaza
A number of factors have converged to make this a moment when the president might be able to break through the stalemate, advisers say. But their optimism has been dashed before.
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The Chronicle - Centralia
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News Dump Ep. 185: Getting to the chopper with Thurston County Sheriff Derek Sanders
On the 185th episode of The Chronicle News Dump, hosts Aaron VanTuyl, Chronicle Editor-in-Chief Eric Schwartz and photographer Kody Christen welcome a special guest in Thurston County Sheriff Derek Sanders (starts at 11:57) to talk about choppers, which laws we might not need and being The Most Online Sheriff. Also: A lawsuit against the PUD, one host’s takes on sea lions are 100% vindicated, Kody saw a cat in a compromising situation and get yourself a new dog from the shelter (any shelter). Email us at chroniclenewsdump@gmail.com. Brought to you by SUMMIT FUNDING, CHEHALIS OUTFITTERS and THE ROOF DOCTOR! Listen to past episodes or subscribe here: https://apple.co/3sSbNC5. |
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W.F. West continues winning ways over Shelton
Entering the final dual meet of the regular season, the Bearcats’ solidified lineup blew by the Highclimbers 6-0 in an Evergreen Conference matchup on Monday afternoon in Chehalis. After tinkering with the order of singles, W.F. West head coach Megan Wellander has been more than pleased. “I’m happy with the performances,” the first-year leader said. “All played aggressive, consistent games. They take care of business.” The Bearcats didn’t drop a set or game in the three doubles matches. Emma Hamilton, Viviana Ibanez and Alayna Leal all were victorious in straight sets, losing just three games combined. W.F. West will face arch rival Centralia on Wednesday before turning its attention to the league tournament held at Black Hills and Tumwater next week. Singles First: Emma Hamilton (W.F. West) won 6-0, 6-0 Second: Viviana Ibanez (W.F. West) won 6-1, 6-1 Third: Alayna Leal (W.F. West) won 6-1, 6-0 Doubles First: Katelyn Wood/Lilly Hueffed (W.F. West) won 6-0, 6-0 Second: Ema Weerasinghe/Ellie Mittge (W.F. West) won 6-0, 6-0 Third: Emery Dalrymple/Manta Ceesay (W.F. West) won 6-0, 6-0 |
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After nearly three years of delays, United Learning Center construction set in Centralia
After the groundbreaking ceremony was held on June 8, 2021, nobody anticipated nearly three years of delays preventing construction of the United Learning Center, a new 12,800-square-foot educational facility in downtown Centralia. “It’s been a long time coming,” United Learning Center Project Manager Todd Chaput said during the April 23 Centralia City Council meeting. When completed, the United Learning Center will be located on the northwest corner of North Pearl and Maple streets in an area that is currently a city parking lot. “We haven’t had to tow anybody, but that will start next week. So if you park over there, be warned, next week is when they will start mobilizing on May 1,” Chaput added. The United Learning Center is a joint project to build a new educational facility involving the City of Centralia, the United Way of Lewis County, the Boys & Girls Club of Lewis County, Cascade Community Health, Discover! Children’s Museum and the Bezos Academy. One of the main reasons for the construction delays, aside from the pandemic, was not being able to secure federal funding, Chaput told the councilors. “We’ve been waiting on the feds to pass the budget. They didn’t pass the budget, but they passed a small portion of it, and we were included in that portion,” Chaput said. “The funds came from (U.S.) Senator (Patty) Murray’s office, and we worked closely with (U.S. Rep. Marie) Gluesenkamp Perez’s office to ensure those funds passed as soon as possible.” He added, last month — working with Centralia City Councilor Sarah Althauser and state Rep. Peter Abbarno, R-Centralia — he was able to secure additional state funding for the United Learning Center. The federal budget package passed in March included $4 million in funding for the project secured by Murray. The additional state funding secured by Abbarno totaled $1.95 million. It was included in Washington state’s $1.3 billion supplemental capital budget. “The funding looks good. We have enough money to begin the (United Learning Center) portion and have that open in a timely fashion that meets the timeline of the Bezos Academy,” Chaput said. The Bezos Academy needs around 16 months to find and hire teachers and staff, Chaput stated. Currently, the academy is hoping to have the United Learning Center fully staffed and open by September of 2025. “Bezos is super excited to continue,” he said. Additionally, Chaput said the Bezos Academy has agreed to amend its lease to start in 2025 instead of the original 2022 start date. Once open, the United Learning Center will offer at least 80 children free early learning education opportunities. The children will be from low-income families. Along with getting an education, students also might have access to mental health resources as Cascade Community Health has received a $100,000 grant to help complete the inside of the United Learning Center and use it as an outreach hub. “Bezos is still moving forward with a good chunk of the cost for the playground,” Chaput said. The city parking lot where the United Learning Center will be located is where city staff set up and operate the sandbagging stations during flood events. Centralia Public Works Director Kim Ashmore said sandbags will be available elsewhere in the future. “We have used Center Street previously, in between Tower (Avenue) and Pearl (Street), as a sandbag station,” Ashmore said. “There’s also the parking lot behind the Bethel Church that we’ve used. Those are two options. Or we just say, ‘No more floods.’” For more information on the United Learning Center, visit https://www.lewiscountyuw.com/united-learning-center.
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Braun calls for more legislative action after three infants exposed to fentanyl
Senate Minority Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, has called on the Legislature to take additional action to curb children’s access to fentanyl and other deadly narcotics. The call comes after three infants in Everett overdosed within four days last week, including the fatal overdose of a 13-month-old. Officials do not believe the incidents are related. “It’s completely indefensible when an infant or child gets sick or dies because someone in the household is using deadly drugs such as fentanyl,” Braun said in a statement Friday. “These children are innocent, and whoever’s negligence is exposing them to lethal street drugs needs to be charged with a felony for child endangerment.” According to Everett Police and Fire, emergency crews responded to three overdoses between April 20 and 24. The first incident occurred just after 7:45 a.m. on Saturday, April 20, when firefighters were called to a residence where an 11-month-old child was found unresponsive by their parents. The child was given overdose-reversing medication Narcan before the fire departments arrived. The child was taken to a hospital for additional treatment. The child has since been released. The second incident occurred Wednesday when a caller reported a 6-month-old baby who was experiencing difficulty breathing. Firefighters immediately administered care, including Narcan. As of Thursday, the baby was in stable condition in a hospital. Hours later, a caller reported an unresponsive 13-month-old baby at an apartment complex in Everett. First responders immediately began life-saving efforts, and the child was taken to a hospital, where they later died. The Snohomish County Medical Examiner's Office will determine the official cause and manner of death. The Everett Police Department is investigating all three cases. In October, the mayor of Everett convened a task force to examine an uptick in drug usage in the city, specifically fentanyl, meth and other illegal substances. The task force is expected to develop the next steps or recommendations for the city to consider. According to Braun, legislation introduced last session would have increased penalties for exposing children to fentanyl and other deadly substances. “Sen. Lynda Wilson fought for a bill last session that would include fentanyl and other synthetic opioids in the statute on endangerment with a controlled substance. It had bipartisan support and passed unanimously in the Senate,” Braun said. “The chair of the House’s Community Safety, Justice and Reentry Committee wouldn’t even grant it a hearing, despite repeated calls to do so. He claimed that not one of the 58 Democrats in the House would vote for it.” Braun called on the Legislature to take additional action against fentanyl and other illegal narcotics in future legislative sessions, adding he hopes “House Democrats take notice of these latest infant overdoses.” During the 2024 session, lawmakers passed legislation proposed by Wilson to establish an opioid awareness campaign managed by the Department of Health known as “One Pill Kills.” The Legislature also passed legislation proposed by Braun that will earmark at least 20% of state opioid manufacturer settlement funds for Native American tribal programs. In a joint media release Thursday, the Everett police and fire departments said the city is “deeply concerned” about an increase in opioid overdoses among children. Even small amounts of the substances, they said, can prove deadly due to a lack of tolerance. Between September 2022 and September 2023, Washington reported the highest year-over-year increase in overdoses. During that time, overdose fatalities increased from 2,483 to 3,511. “Those who are trapped in addiction need help — addiction itself is not a crime — but their disease does not excuse them for injuries or deaths that occur as a byproduct of their addiction,” Braun said. “If being charged with a felony and doing time for exposing minors to fentanyl is what is needed to protect these babies in the future, then we should pass legislation to hold people accountable.” According to the Everett Fire Department, overdoses can occur both intentionally and accidentally, and time can be crucial when one occurs. If you suspect someone has overdosed, the Everett Fire Department recommends a four-step process which includes: • Checking for signs of overdose • Calling 911 • Administering Naloxone and beginning rescue breathing • Staying with the individual Naloxone, also known as Narcan, can reverse the effects of opioids. It is available for purchase without a prescription at pharmacies. Four organizations in Lewis County also distribute Naloxone for free. To find a location that administers Naloxone, visit stopoverdose.org. Those struggling with addiction can also call the 24-hour Washington Recovery Helpline at 1-866-789-1511. |
Seattle Times Politics
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Seattle police union approves new contract with retroactive raises
The agreement, announced by Mayor Bruce Harrell on Monday, will make Seattle officers the highest paid in the state, leapfrogging them from 29th. |
Washington State News
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Sounders, Union set to resume suspended match
(Photo credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports)
The Philadelphia Union and Seattle Sounders both will hope to rebound from close defeats when they meet in Chester, Pa., on Tuesday night to resume a suspended match.
The fixture originally kicked off on March 9 only to be suspended in the sixth minute because of unplayable conditions after heavy rain.
The teams' paths have diverged substantially since then.
Philadelphia
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