Gov. Inslee has declared a statewide emergency due to the wildfires raging across the state. 26 of the 39 counties in Washington are at a high risk for spread of wildfires.

Students in Washington are second-worst in America for attendance. 17 percent of students are “chronically absent” from school, “meaning that each misses at least 18 days of instruction.” The only state with a worse attendance rate is Alaska.

Seattle Times has endorsed Mitzi Johanknecht for King County Sheriff, saying flat out that “John Urquhart fails the test” of what is expected of him in his position as sheriff. The Times went on to call into question his management ability, after a series of personnel misconduct complaints against him as well as a suppressed investigation. As for Mitzi, the Times said her experience and expertise are part of why she deserves the opportunity to reset the credibility of the Sheriff.

WSDOT is obscuring the truth behind their claim that people are supporting tolls on I-405. When the Washington Policy Center requested follow up information regarding WSDOT’s claims, more insights were revealed that had not been covered in WSDOT’s initial blog. (Read more here)

Spokane’s air quality is deterioriting due to the nearby wildfire smoke blanketing the city. The Washington Air Monitoring Network reported an air quality index of 321 – which puts Spokane at hazardous levels, the lowest air quality level since 2015.

Emergency resources are being dispatched to save homes at the Jolly Mountain Fire in the Cle Elum area, which has grown to over 14,500 acres. 3,800 homes are in danger of being overtaken by the fires.

The nuclear power plant near Richland is back online after an air removal valve in the turbine building closed and caused the entire station to shut down on August 20^th.

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