The Seattle Times points out that some lobbyists have homes in Olympia that are part residence, part office. Is this story worthy of public awareness? Sure. But it also came across as a bit of a “dog bites man” story. Those lobbyist homes are right by the capitol!?! And legislators stop by!?! Not exactly shocking. What would be surprising is if they were in Lacey. (Seattle Times)

Some residents of Vancouver’s Green Meadows neighborhood discovered a strange letter attached to their doors, falsely claiming to be from the office of Governor Inslee. The letter said there would be “an adjustment in property taxes” due to the shutdown of an oil terminal and prohibition of shipping oil, lumber and coal by rail through Vancouver. (The Columbian)

MiningSky Inc., a supercomputer hosting company looking to turn Longview’s old water treatment plant into its new office, claims it’s being “stonewalled” by the Cowlitz PUD. “It’s frustrating,” MiningSky Inc. COO Eric Lundgren said. “You get the support of the city and the community and the economic development council…and then you have the PUD stopping that process.” Lundgren added that they will move the project if MiningSky Inc. isn’t connect to power by May 1. (Longview Daily News)

Chris Corry, a commercial insurance adviser, announced his candidacy for the state House seat being vacated by retiring Rep. Norm Johnson. Corry, a Republican, is the fourth person to enter the race. “I have lived in both Western Washington and California and have witnessed the liberal agenda in aggressive action…I look forward to protecting our conservative common-sense principles in Olympia,” Corry said in his news release. (Yakima Herald-Republic)

Asparagus season just started and farmers are worried there won’t be enough labor to meet the harvest demand this year. Mark Kinsey of Kinsey Farms said back when they first started operating, they could rely on getting help from kids who would work before school. That’s no longer the case. The cutting must be done by adults now, but there aren’t many available for the 60-day to 75-day season. (Sunnyside Daily Sun News)

“I want to continue service to Spokane as the next mayor of our city.” Two-term City Council president Ben Stuckart announced his decision to run for mayor…again…on Friday the 13th. Stuckart said a few years ago he would run for mayor in 2019 but later changed his mind. He started a campaign for Congress against Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers but then dropped out. Now he’s back to running for mayor. Stephanie Cates, outgoing chairwoman of the Spokane County Republican Party, said Stuckart’s policies “are truly frightening for anyone who believes our city government should live within its means.” (The Spokesman-Review)

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