Monitor
WENATCHEE — Federal, state and tribal agencies are expanding a Central Washington pilot program that aims to increase prescribed burning on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest while giving nearby communities more warning and protection from the smoke. The pilot began last fall and spring in Chelan and Kittitas counties and...
(The Center Square) – Annual vendor spending at Washington’s Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) jumped $2.9 billion in four years, but a state audit assuring taxpayers that the surge was “valid” relied on a small, hand-selected sample of just 11 vendors. Experts say the sample should not have been used to draw such broad conclusions. According to the Washington State Auditor’s Office, DSHS paid more than 17,000 vendors approximately $8.6 billion in 2025, up roughly 50% from $5.7 billion in 2021. Of those 17,000 companies, auditors identified more than 1,000 vendors whose payments showed unusually high or “exponential” growth. “When payments to a government vendor rise unusually fast, it can signal potential fraud, waste or other concerns,” acknowledged State Auditor Pat McCarthy. “Exponential growth in vendor payments can also be legitimate. We found the latter was the case.” But to reach that “legitimate” conclusion , just 11 vendors received an “in-depth” review, or “closer inspection,” according to the auditor’s report. Each vendor was handpicked – not randomly selected – through a process called judgmental selection. Even with the small sample size of 11 vendors, the in-depth review did not come back entirely clean. Auditors “found two cases in
In The Grateful Dead’s first Billboard Hot 100 single, “Uncle John’s Band,” Jerry Garcia famously sings, “Got some things to talk about, here beside the rising tide.” Here in the Pacific Northwest, we’re no strangers to rising waters in the winter, with our king tides usually arriving in November and lasting through February. This year, there’s a bit more to talk about, though. King tides arrive this year on Nov. 23 and will stick around until Nov. 27. They reappear again on Dec. 22. NOAA is forecasting high tides up to 13 feet in the Puget Sound during November’s king tides. In addition to marking the arrival of Washington’s king tides, November is also our stormiest month. Forecasters are calling this week’s weather a “ storm train ,” with atmospheric rivers converging over Western Washington to bring multiple days of gusty winds and smattering rain. Nov. 8 saw huge waves bashing Washington’s coastline as a weekend windstorm knocked the power out for over 100,000 customers across Western Washington. When high winds and waves sync up with king tides, much of Washington, from the coast to the inland waters of Puget Sound, has to prepare for rising waters (think levees, bulkheads
Three Washington school districts are preparing to sue the state over education funding.
WENATCHEE – Beth Stipe plans to retire as executive director of the Community Foundation of NCW on Dec. 31, 2027, ending 24 years of leadership at an organization that has distributed $160 million in grants and scholarships during her tenure. The foundation announced her plans Nov. 10. Stipe informed...
Washington Gastroenterology agreed to a $4.6 million class action settlement to resolve claims it failed to protect patient and employee data in a 2024 cyberattack. The Washington Gastroenterology settlement benefits individuals in the United States whose private information was compromised in the data breach, including those who received a breach notice.
Fuel prices continued their steady decline across Washington this week, marking the third consecutive week of decreases as seasonal factors and increased fuel supplies continue to ease pressure at the pump. According to AAA, Washington's average price for a gallon of regular gasoline stood at $5.01 per gallon Nov. 9,...
A Washington state resident has died after contracting avian influenza from infected dairy cows, marking the state's first bird flu death this year. Health officials confirmed three total farm infections in Yakima County, though farmworker representatives suspect cases are undercounted due to immigration enforcement concerns. Additional bird flu detections have...
The Washington state Board of Natural Resources has unanimously approved an increase in Department of Natural Resources (DNR) rates to manage state trust lands, a news release from the state agency
Rain returns to the Pacific Northwest on Nov. 13, with another round expected throughout the weekend. Parts of the Olympic Peninsula could see heavy rain, and winds could pick up again along the Washington coast, according to the National Weather Service. On the southern Oregon Coast, the agency has issued a high surf warning for […]
Gas prices decreased in Bellingham, Whatcom County and Washington in November compared to The Herald’s October survey, and we found the local gas station with the lowest prices. The average price of a gallon of gas across the United States was $4.14 on Tuesday, Nov. 3, according to AAA. That’s a decrease of 24 cents compared to last month. The national average was $3.03 in November 2025. Here’s the local breakdown comparing the price of regular gas: Washington Washington’s average cost of gas per gallon is now $5.17 — a 31-cent decrease compared to October’s average. Last November, gas averaged $4.28 a gallon in Washington, according to AAA. Washington has the fourth-highest gas prices in the country, following California at $5.88 a gallon, Hawaii at $5.67 and Nevada at $5.21 according to AAA. Last month, Washington has the third-highest gas prices in the country. Whatcom County and Bellingham Whatcom County’s average cost of gas is $4.96 a gallon , a 34-cent decrease compared to October. On Tuesday, Nov. 3, Bellingham’s average price for a gallon of gas was also $4.96, according to AAA. That’s a 36-cent decrease compared to October. County’s cheapest gas To find the cheapest gas in your
That’s up almost 60% since 2021, and Washington voters want action. The holidays are a time to gather with the people we love. But for family caregivers, they often bring a longer to-do list and a bigger bill. Across the country, 63 million Americans help parents, spouses and other...
Flooding is Washington’s most common disaster, and flood season is fast approaching. Atmospheric rivers are expected to bring periods of moderate to heavy rain, which could cause local rivers to rise quickly and lead to flooding in urban areas and along small streams. And anywhere it rains, it can...
