Wildfires continue to grow in northeast Washington
Hundreds of firefighters continue to toil away at several fire sites in northeast Washington and north Idaho.
In Stevens County, the Crown Creek fire has nearly doubled in size during the last two days. It's at nearly six thousand acres and close in proximity to the Blackhawk Mountain fire, which is about a tenth of the size, but still very active.
"As far as fire behavior, we do have a red flag warning in effect, that we are expecting the fire to get a little bit more active. What we saw Tuesday, especially after and around 5pm, is when the activity really picked up," said Heather Appelhof, the public information officer for the state team managing the fire.
Officials yesterday expanded Level 3 evacuations around the Crown Creek fire, especially near the south end.
The Katy Creek fire is also burning in Stevens County, nearly 900 acres.
Appelhof says fire officials will hold a community meeting tonight at 7:30 p.m. in Kettle Falls to update residents about the fires. That will be livestreamed on Facebook.
Also burning in northeast Washington is the Rattlesnake Fire on the Colville Indian Reservation. It has charred about 4,200 acres about 30 miles south of Inchelium. The Tacoma Creek fire in Pend Oreille County is burning about 650 acres, about 15 miles northwest of Cusick.
In north Idaho, the Ulm Creek fire near the Idaho-Montana border is burning about 400 acres.
WA joins OR, CA to create health policies separate from federal recommendations
The governors of Washington, Oregon and California have moved to create a West Coast Health Care Alliance.
They say they can no longer trust the guidance they receive from federal agencies, like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The alliance will ensure the states act together when evaluating medical issues, including the new COVID-19 vaccine, Washington Health Secretary Dennis Worsham said.
“We're having to pivot a bit and look to those type of affiliations and services because we trust that they are really doing a science rigor and it's not tied to a political decision on what a recommendation should look like," Worsham told SPR News.
The three states will work together to preserve access to vaccines, he said, particularly for those who want the new COVID vaccine but aren’t in the preferred groups to receive it.
The governors said in a joint statement that the group’s immunization guidelines will be informed by respected national medical organizations.
The announcement comes after a week of chaos at the CDC. Last week, the White House fired the director of the CDC, who had refused to approve vaccine policies preferred by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Several of the agency’s top career scientists then resigned in protest.
The West Coast governors say that under Kennedy the CDC has become "a political tool that increasingly peddles ideology instead of science."
Washington congressman seeks to protect dams through federal legislation
For years, U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA04) has argued the Lower Snake River dams make up an important energy source for the Northwest and that they can coexist with salmon.
Newhouse has introduced a bill that says federal money can’t be used to breach the Lower Snake River dams or to study the benefits the dams provide, including energy and barging.
If the dams were breached, the energy, irrigation and transportation infrastructure would need to be replaced.
Clark Mather with Northwest RiverPartners testified that breaching the dams could lead to blackouts in the Northwest.
“ We have experienced several near misses and several public studies indicate a surge in load growth in the future," he said.
Nez Perce Chairman Shannon Wheeler testified the bill would place the burden of protecting salmon on the backs of tribes.
“ The bill would set the United States on an unambiguous course to destroy wild Snake River salmon runs," he said.
Tribes and environmental groups have pushed for breaching the dams to save endangered salmon runs.
WA Supreme Court to take up I-2066 case
The Washington Supreme Court will hear a case regarding a recently passed ballot measure that seeks to slow the state’s transition away from natural gas.
Opponents of Initiative 2066 like conservations groups filed challenges to its constitutionality shortly after voters approved the measure in 2024, arguing it breaks the rule that limits citizen initiatives to just one subject and the rule requiring them to contain the full text of the state laws they would alter.
“By joining all of these distinct policy choices and requiring voters to enact all or none of them, I-2066 violates the Constitution’s prohibition on logrolling," they wrote in their legal filing.
This spring, a King County judge agreed, finding I-2066 unconstitutional.
Sponsors of the controversial measure like the Building Industry Association of Washington immediately vowed to appeal after that ruling.
If the initiative stands as passed, it would undo changes to state energy code that incentivize builders to choose electric heat pumps over natural gas furnaces.
I-2066 requires utilities and local governments to provide natural gas to eligible customers, and it would prohibit utility rate plans that end or restrict access to natural gas or make it too expensive.
“When we crafted I-2066, we focused on a singular goal – preserving natural gas as an energy choice for current and future homeowners..." BIAW Vice President Greg Lane said in a statement. "We’re confident the Washington State Supreme Court will reject this latest challenge as the frivolous claim it is."
Eviction jury trial stretches into third day
The eviction trial between landlord Arlin Jordin and tenant Lisa Brayman is probably the first in Spokane to ever go to jury trial.
It’s now extended to its third day. The result could have lasting impacts on tenant-landlord negotiations.
Eight hours of testimony centered around two main questions: Who is responsible for maintaining Lisa Brayman’s home, and who is responsible for knowing how much rent is due?
Brayman has refused to pay rent for four years, claiming that her apartment is uninhabitable and the entire residence is unsafe. She said this is the seventh time that her landlord Arlin Jordin has tried to evict her.
Jordin Zoomed into the courtroom from prison, where he’s serving time for drugging and raping a potential tenant.
He testified that any hundred year old mansion —like the residence in question—is going to have maintenance issues.
He also said it’s hard for him to know what’s going on at the property because he’s out of town.
City of Spokane code enforcement officers testified that they are dealing with numerous complaints at the residence. Their most recent report said Brayman’s unit was the only unit without issues.
Brayman said she’s dealt with black water coming out of her shower drain, frequent electricity issues, and doors that wouldn’t lock.
Brayman’s defense also pointed out conflicting rent ledgers. One listed Brayman’s rent as $595/month. Another listed it as $1045.
The jury is expected to make a final decision by early afternoon Thursday on who is ultimately responsible for rent.
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Reporting contributed by Monica Carrillo-Casas, Doug Nadvornick, Courtney Flatt, Owen Henderson and Eliza Billingham.