The state Department of Social and Health Services agreed to an $8 million settlement after years of pleas for help went unanswered. Vernon Gray, who has a developmental disability, had been living in his mother’s house alone beginning in 2000 following her death. Neighbors made countless calls for the state to intervene after he was found to be living with rats and under layers of garbage, unable to care for himself. DSHS spokesman Chris Wright said they are, “sorry for what happened to Mr. Gray.” (Seattle Times)

Taking a rare break from pandering to voters in Iowa, Jay Inslee expanded the drought emergency to cover roughly half of the state. Department of Ecology is pointing to a low snowpack, at half the level of an average year, as one of the causes for drought conditions. “The emergency declaration allows us to expedite emergency water right permitting and make funds available to government entities to address hardships caused by drought conditions,” said Ecology Director Maia Bellon. (Q13 Fox)

“As a mother of two boys living in North Ballard, gone are the days where my children can roam freely around our neighborhood,” said Erika Nagy a Seattle parent. Nagy talked with the Jason Rantz show about how parents are become fed up with garbage and waste littering the streets left from homeless encampments. One resident by Hamlin Robinson School near Judkins Park complains of an “abandoned camper with trash and needles around the area. There is a school across the street and I have seen homeless come in and out of it using drugs,” Rantz reported. (MyNorthwest)

Siting a desire to bring “diverse economic” opportunities and make a more welcoming community, dental assistant Eliana Macias filed to run for District 1 Yakima City Council seat. “I would be honored to serve District 1 and the city of Yakima on the Yakima City Council and advance our vision for a stronger, more vibrant and welcoming community,” Macias said. She is one of three candidates filing to fill the seat. (Yakima Herald)

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