Jan. 1 is a free day for Washington’s state parks, and several Eastern Washington parks will host free staff-led and self-guided hikes and snowshoe events.
About 20 miles of U.S. 2 are set to reopen Dec. 29 on the east side of the Cascades, allowing access to the Stevens Pass ski resort, after devastating flooding and debris slides destroyed parts of the highway this month.
The holiday shopping season may be at a close, but the mall at Columbia Center is hoping patrons will stop by in the near future to visit its newest future tenant.
The 3 Rivers Community Foundation distributed a record $372,501 in grants to 77 local nonprofits during its annual Celebration of Philanthropy luncheon on Dec. 10 in Kennewick.
“We are facing falling revenue, rising costs, and budget cuts and chaos coming from the Trump administration,” Gov. Bob Ferguson said. “I’m providing a road map for the Legislature. This is, of course, the first step in a conversation about how best to balance our budget.”
For the third time in 2025, a Mid-Columbia agricultural operation has agreed to a settlement with state justice officials for reportedly treating workers unfairly.
Some legislative Democrats are eyeing a 9.9% “millionaires tax” on adjusted annual gross income over $1 million. Ferguson endorsed this version of the proposal. Less than 0.5% of Washingtonians would be subject to the tax, and it’s expected to raise $3 billion per year.
The next legislative session is fast approaching and some state lawmakers are wasting no time in signaling their intent to either fully remove or limit the impacts of the slew of new state taxes approved in the 2025 legislative session.
