The Columbian

Northwest

Seattle officer should be put on leave for callous remarks about woman’s death, watchdog group says

September 20, 2023, 7:32pm Northwest

Seattle’s Community Police Commission on Wednesday recommended that the city’s police chief suspend without pay an officer under investigation for making callous remarks about the death of a woman from India who was struck by a police SUV in a crosswalk. Read story

This year's pear crop is on par with recent harvests, according to the Washington Tree Fruit Association. Washington and Oregon account for 87 percent of the U.S. commercial pear crop.

Washington pear growers trying out new varieties

September 20, 2023, 5:51pm Northwest

As new varieties of apples have increased their presence in Washington orchards and on the nation’s grocery store shelves, pear growers are slowly but surely expanding their offerings. Read story

Firefighters knock down blaze in Soap Lake as fire season continues statewide

September 20, 2023, 7:37am Latest News

Grant County Fire District 7, with a little help from its friends, extinguished a 2-acre wildfire Monday night in Soap Lake, according to a statement from the fire district. Read story

Farmers are concerned about the impact of renewable energy infrastructure across Washington's farmland.

Can farms, solar energy installations coexist in the Columbia River Basin?

September 20, 2023, 7:37am Business Updated 2 days ago

It’s hard to ignore the impact of climate change on agriculture in the Columbia River Basin. Read story

Fiery I-90 chase started with Tri-Cities man stealing WSDOT asphalt truck, say police

September 20, 2023, 7:36am Latest News

A West Richland man is accused of leading police on a three-highway chase that ended with a flaming asphalt truck and the shutting down on the eastbound lanes of Interstate 90. Read story

After court ruling, new Central WA legislative maps could mean shakeup in Olympia

September 20, 2023, 7:35am Northwest

A legislative district in Central Washington was found to violate the rights of Latino voters, and a court is now expected to decide how to redraw its boundaries. Read story

8-foot-long white sturgeon washes up on Lake Washington shore

September 20, 2023, 7:34am Northwest

In Kenmore, the hottest new thing is a big, dead fish — specifically one that is over 8 feet long, weighs more than 300 pounds and, at this point, is rapidly decomposing. Read story

Yakima mayor’s 911 call over signature gatherers sparks online outrage

September 20, 2023, 7:34am Latest News

An online posting of Yakima Mayor Janice Deccio’s 911 call asking about petition signature gatherers at the Nob Hill Wal-Mart has sparked a torrent of controversy. Read story

FILE - A nurse prepares a syringe of a COVID-19 vaccine at an inoculation station in Jackson, Miss., July 19, 2022. U.S. health officials are proposing a simplified approach to COVID-19 vaccinations, which would allow most adults and children to get a once-a-year shot to protect against the mutating virus. The new system unveiled Monday, Jan. 23, 2023 would make COVID-19 inoculations more like the annual flu shot. Americans would no longer have to keep track of how many shots they've received or how many months it's been since their last booster. (AP Photo/Rogelio V.

New COVID vaccines may be a ‘few weeks’ from becoming common in Washington, the state Department of Health says

September 20, 2023, 7:20am Health Updated 2 days ago

Formulated to target emerging variants, newly approved COVID-19 vaccines may still be a “couple weeks” from becoming widely available in Spokane and the rest of Washington, according to the state Department of Health. Read story