As school starts, questions about finances and safety linger; Update: WA energy council schedules vote on huge wind farm by Tri-Cities after 2 delays

AGRICULTURE

• Renting acreage appealing for new producers, but complicated (Capital Press)

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

• EDITORIAL: Support Washington’s role in AI development (The Columbian)

BUSINESS, ECONOMY & LABOR

• You aren’t likely to lose a job in the US but may find it harder to land one (AP)
• Kroger’s CEO says shoppers would see lower prices after the chain’s merger with Albertsons (AP)
• Report: Unions pursue law changes to boost membership (The Center Square)
• L&I: Construction company used crane to lift workers after elevator breaks down (KIRO TV)
• OPINION: Seattle labor union slogan doing a disservice to members (Phil Vandervort, Producer of the John Carlson Show/KVI)

CORONAVIRUS

• Report claims whites ‘disengaged’ from helping nonwhites with COVID-19 response (The Center Square)

CRIME & PUBLIC SAFETY

• COLUMN: Seattle seems to be accepting a new normal of higher gun violence (Danny Westneat/The Seattle Times)

DRUG CRISIS

• Drug ring had long history of moving meth to WA, feds say. Its leader lived in Lakewood (The News Tribune)
• Everett woman dealt fentanyl that killed her ‘second mother’ (The Everett Herald)

EDUCATION

• Kennewick School District moving away from COVID-19 policy (KAPP/KVEW)
• Newest Tri-Cities high school just got more expensive. Why it’s costing an extra $1.6M (Tri-City Herald)

ENERGY & UTILITIES

• Update: WA energy council schedules vote on huge wind farm by Tri-Cities after 2 delays (Tri-City Herald)
• Lewis County PUD customers likely to see rate increases in coming years (The Chronicle)

GAMBLING

• Washington state ranks 6th best in nation for gambling (KONA Radio)

HEALTH CARE & HOSPITALS

• MultiCare expands SANE training for nurses who treat victims of sexual assault (The Spokesman-Review)

HIGHER EDUCATION

• Yakima Valley College partners with PNWU to create direct pathway for graduates (KAPP/KVEW)

HOMELESSNESS

• ‘Mismanagement’? Pierce exec forced to declare emergency to save homelessness response (The News Tribune)
• COLUMN: Homeless man erects White House encampment in Seattle (Jason Rantz/MyNorthwest)

HOUSING

• Map: Here’s how long it takes to sell a house in your state (FOX 13)
• Seattle City Council eyes co-living spaces as solution to housing crunch (FOX 13)
• In Marysville development, community and sustainability ‘go hand in hand’ (The Everett Herald)
• OPINION: Make middle housing in WA easier to build (Trevor Johnson, CEO of Blackwood Homes/The Seattle Times)

LAW ENFORCEMENT

• Whatcom County undersheriff on paid leave during investigation of undisclosed allegations (The Bellingham Herald)
• East Wenatchee police officer resigns after Kittitas County arrest (The Wenatchee World)

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

• 5 things to know as Snohomish County exec proposes 2-year, $3B budget (The Everett Herald)
• Whatcom County seeks to appoint interim medical examiner as current contract ends (The Bellingham Herald)
• Could Commissioner Clouse’s suspension be decided in court? Her attorney says it might (The Olympian)
• Seattleites call on city council to reject permanent tiered minimum wage bill (The Center Square)
• Spokane mayor announces cost saving measures, less grim budget outlook (The Spokesman-Review)
• Spokane Valley Councilman Al Merkel found “likely in violation” of Public Records Act (The Spokesman-Review)

MEDIA

• COLUMN: Pulitzer in hand, California publisher expanding to Oregon (Brier Dudley/The Seattle Times)

MENTAL HEALTH

• Pierce County’s Crisis Recovery Center closed in March. When will it reopen? (MyNorthwest)

OTHER STATES

• Federal report finds food insecurity got worse in Oregon since the pandemic (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
• EDITORIAL: An unreasonable case in South Dakota (Capital Press)

PARKS

• Did you use Rainier’s new reservation system this year? The park wants to hear from you. (Washington State Standard)

SCHOOL SAFETY

• As school starts, questions about finances and safety linger (KNKX Radio)
• Seattle Public Schools safety measures take effect for first day of classes (FOX 13)
• Security highly visible as students return to Seattle’s Garfield High School (MyNorthwest)
• Snoqualmie police pause school resource officer position (Snoqualmie Valley Record)

TRANSPORTATION

• Washington State Ferries ridership up 9% Labor Day weekend compared to 2023 (KOMO TV)
• Electric school buses will be quieter and cleaner this year in Toppenish (Yakima Herald-Republic)
• After WSDOT returns to Warren Ave Bridge project, walkway plan may change again (Kitsap Sun)

TRIBAL ISSUES

• Destroyed by the government, an 1800s longhouse lives on in Suquamish hearts (The Seattle Times)

WEATHER & CLIMATE

• Heatwave expected to sweep through Washington, raising the risk of heat-related illness (The News Tribune)

WILDFIRE PREVENTION & RESPONSE

• “We are one Washington”: A one-on-one with outgoing Public Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz (KREM TV)
• Fire closes Blewett Pass (The Wenatchee World)

WILDLIFE

• Pullman lab that handles chronic wasting disease testing prepares for busy fall (The Spokesman-Review)
• Increase in white-noise syndrome is killing bats across Washington (KIRO TV)