The Morning Briefing – December 20, 2018

Get your yard cleaned up before Yakima code enforcement cruises by

Happening in Olympia

State Rep. Matt Manweller yesterday officially submitted his letter of resignation to the governor’s office. His resignation will go into effect January 14, the first day of the new legislative session. Manweller was asked to resign by Republican party leaders following allegations he had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old in the late ‘90s. Manweller denies the accusations. (Yakima Herald-Republic)

Seattle PI blogger Joel Connelly made a major goof yesterday when he “reported” that the Spokane Valley City Council is holding a vote on a proposal to split up Washington State. One major problem: Connelly’s story was based on an article from 2016. “I have done a disservice to the city of Spokane Valley. My apologies to the town as well as its elected officials,” he wrote. Fellow journalists also called Connelly out for using others’ reporting without attribution. (Seattle PI)

Western Washington

T-Mobile Park – that’s the new name for Safeco Field after the Mariners and T-Mobile announced a 25-year naming-rights agreement. “T-Mobile has a deep commitment to this community, a passion for customer service and a well-earned reputation as a leader in innovation,” John Stanton, the Mariners’ chairman and managing partner, said. (Seattle Times)

Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan and King County Executive Dow Constantine put their stamps of approval on a consultant’s recommendations for how to battle the homelessness crisis. The report said the current approach is fragmented among six different city, county and federal agencies. It recommends creating a new agency [of course], with a small board that will assume authority over all city and county services. (Seattle Times)

Eastern Washington

Rep.-elect Matt Boehnke resigned from his Kennewick City Council position on Tuesday to focus on his new job in Olympia. “In a new job, you want to put your best foot forward,” he said. The city has not announced its plans for appointing a new councilmember. (Tri-City Herald)

Yakima County is planning to spend $400,000 in 2019 to create a code enforcement division and hire three additional officers to crack down on violations. “Some individuals have decided to turn their back on code regulations,” Yakima County Commissioner Mike Leita said. “This will be the dawn of a new era where they will be turned over for future legal actions.” (Yakima Herald-Republic)

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