It’s suspected yesterday’s derailed Amtrak train was traveling about 51 mph faster than the recommended limit. State transportation department spokeswoman Barbara LaBoe said speed-limit signs are posted two miles before the lowered speed zone and then just before the zone. (The Seattle Times)

$181 million was the price tag for the rebuilt passenger corridor where the accident occurred. The renovations were designed to make the route between Seattle and Portland more reliable and reduce the trip time by 10 minutes. Amtrak Cascades 501’s fatal derailment occurred on the 14.5 mile track’s inaugural run. (The Seattle Times)

As early as 2013, Lakewood city leaders and South Sound residents and media warned that the Point Defiance Bypass route could lead to fatal accidents. Lakewood Mayor Don Anderson said the project “was never needed and endangers our citizens.” (MyNorthwest)

Mayor Durkan announced yesterday a plan for the city to invest at least $100 million in affordable-housing projects. Nearly doubling what was spent last year by the city, the plan calls for nine new apartment buildings and 26 homes for first-time buyers. (The Seattle Times)

Dave Enslow, Sumner’s mayor since 2006, passed away Sunday morning. Enslow, whose tenure as mayor was coming to a close, moved to Sumner in the early 1970s because he loved the small-town feel of the area. Enslow first began his career in government on the city council in 1998. (The News Tribune)

Sandra Haynes will be the new Chancellor of Washington State University Tri-Cities. Currently the deputy provost of academic and student affairs at Metropolitan State University of Denver, Haynes is set to begin at WSU-Tri Cities March 1. (Tri-City Herald)

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