News
Columbian Newspaper
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Washington governor candidate Semi Bird says ‘no excuse’ for financial crime
SEATTLE — Republican gubernatorial candidate Semi Bird pleaded guilty in 1993 to a misdemeanor count of bank larceny for lying on a credit application by using the name and Social Security number of his father, records show. |
The Chronicle - Centralia
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Hundreds of lowland lakes around Washington open for fishing on April 27
Anglers can look forward to trout fishing in hundreds of lowland lakes throughout the state beginning April 27— and perhaps winning one of more than 800 trout derby prizes along with their catch, according to the Washington state Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). The annual trout derby kick-off coincides with the lowland lakes season opener. WDFW stocks millions of trout in lakes throughout the year, and opening day marks the first time people can fish many of those lakes for the catchable trout planted every winter and spring. Opening day lakes are often stocked shortly before the start of their six-month season. Anglers can visit https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/reports/stocking/trout-plants to see which lakes have been stocked in recent weeks and can sort by county or waterbody to find a nearby stocked lake. WDFW planted over 14.5 million trout and kokanee across Washington in the past year. The trout averages 2.5 fish per pound and 12 to 14 inches. There are also nearly 143,000 jumbo trout that measure more than 14 inches, averaging one to 1.5 pounds. Most jumbo trout are planted in March and April, with others saved for fall planting. Depending on the lake, people might encounter rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, kokanee salmon and other fish species. Anglers can visit WDFW’s fish stocking webpage for information, including the 2024 statewide hatchery trout and kokanee stocking plan and recent catchable trout plant reports. This year, the annual statewide trout derby boasts more than 800 donated prizes worth over $42,000 in total, which anglers can claim by catching tagged trout in lakes across Washington. More than 100 lakes will feature prize fish in 2024. The derby website, https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/contests/trout-derby, will be updated to include a list of lakes containing tagged fish the week before the event begins. The derby runs through Oct. 31. “The trout derby is a very popular activity for Washington anglers of all ages and backgrounds,” said Steve Caromile, inland fish program manager with WDFW. “The hard work of fish and hatchery staff along with the generosity of our vendors has made the trout derby something anglers look forward to each year.” To participate in the opener and the derby, Washington anglers must have a valid resident or non-resident 2024 Get Outdoors package, annual freshwater, annual Fish WA, annual combination or temporary combination license. WDFW reminds anglers that temporary combination fishing licenses cannot be used from April 27 through May 5 for game fish, except for active-duty military personnel serving in any branch of the United States armed forces. Licenses can be purchased online, by telephone at 360-902-2464 or at hundreds of license dealers across the state. “As always, please be respectful of fellow anglers and other recreationists, obey posted signage at all water access areas, obey all parking regulations, and have a backup plan in case your preferred destination is overcrowded,” WDFW stated in a news release. There are more than 7,000 lakes, ponds and reservoirs in Washington, and hundreds of WDFW-managed water-access areas, including some with areas accessible for people with disabilities. Other state and federal agencies operate hundreds more. Details on water-access areas can be found on WDFW's website. Anglers parking at WDFW vehicle water-access areas are required to display the WDFW Vehicle Access Pass — provided with the purchase eligible annual fishing licenses — or a Discover Pass. Anglers visiting Washington State Parks or Department of Natural Resources lands need a Discover Pass. Information on parking passes can be found on WDFW’s website. Certain Washington lakes are open year-round, and many lakes in central Washington opened March 1. Before heading out, anglers should also check WDFW’s fishing regulations webpage for permanent regulations and emergency rules webpage for rule updates affecting fisheries. WDFW employees and their immediate families are not eligible to claim fishing derby prizes. |
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Toledo Police Department to host missing or murdered Indigenous persons solidarity event on May 5
The Toledo Police Department will host a missing or murdered Indigenous persons (MMIP) solidarity event at Toledo Middle School on May 5, which is MMIP National Awareness Day. “We are teaming up with the City of Toledo and their law enforcement agency, who approved adding the MMIP ‘Solidarity’ badge to their uniforms,” Earth-Feather Sovereign Lim Limpt, an enrolled Colville Confederated Tribes member and founder of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Washington, said in a news release. “We are hoping that other states, counties, cities and tribes also adopt these measures. We are inviting you to come witness and participate in these monumental efforts.” Doors will open at 1 p.m. Honorariums and a meal will be provided. “The City of Toledo/Toledo Police Department are setting the standard and raising awareness by adopting a supplemental patch to the official police uniform. We encourage other law enforcement programs to show support by doing the same,” Toledo Police Chief Duane Garvais Lawrence said in an email to The Chronicle. A descendent of the Colville Tribe and Fort Peck Assiniboine, Garvais Lawrence launched the grassroots Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Bike-Run in 2020, inviting bikers and runners to join him on a route from the Washington state Capitol in Olympia to the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., to help uplift tribal communities and raise awareness about crimes against Indigenous people. “What research has shown us so far is that the continued homicide rate is the third leading cause of death for native women 10 years old to 24 years old. Native American women experience violence at 10 times the national average,” Limpt stated in a news release. “We want to encourage each law enforcement agency to adopt de-escalate tactics, empathy training to include a MMIP ‘Solidarity’' badge, as well as more tribal community involvement to help create better government-to-government and community relationships with Indigenous people. We believe in participating and encouraging our Indigenous communities and allies to participate in this call to action.” |
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Veterans Memorial Museum planning to hold first of multiple Veterans Resource Fairs this Sunday
In an effort to better connect Lewis County and surrounding area veterans with services and benefits, on Sunday, April 21, the Veterans Memorial Museum — located at 100 SW Veterans Way in Chehalis — will host the first of multiple upcoming Veterans Resource Fairs from noon to 2 p.m. “We’re doing them on the weekends because a lot of these veterans have jobs or obligations that make it difficult to make it on a weekday,” Veterans Memorial Museum Executive Director Chip Duncan told The Chronicle. This first event will feature more than a dozen resource and benefit providers. “Everything from health care, insurance. The Tacoma Vet Center is going to be here. We’ve got educational organizations and ones working toward veteran employment,” Duncan said. Additionally, Veterans Journey Forward, a nonprofit that works out of the museum and assists veterans in navigating benefits and services along with offering peer counseling services, will be on hand, along with a representative from the Lewis County Veterans Service Office with “houseless kits” for those experiencing homelessness. Duncan said he hopes to hold Veterans Resource Fairs on a quarterly basis, or one approximately every three months, to better support the local veteran population. “I want to do as many as we can. Veterans in our community need everything, from dealing with homelessness, to questions about insurance, to education, to unemployment, needing mental health counseling, or if a spouse needs counseling,” Duncan said. “That’s one big thing I stress about these resource fairs. It’s not just for the veterans. It’s for family members and spouses.” For more information on Veterans Journey Forward, visit https://www.veteransjourneyforward.org/. To learn more about the Veterans Memorial Museum and upcoming museum events, visit https://www.veteransmuseum.org/ or follow the museum on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/chehalisveteransmemorialmuseum. |
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Centralia City Council approves budget amendment, increasing expenditures by $433,000
After approving a 2023-2024 biennial budget amendment last December, the Centralia City Council unanimously approved a fourth amendment to the budget on first reading during its regular meeting last week. The ordinance establishing the budget amendment will undergo its second and final reading for approval at the Centralia City Council meeting on Tuesday, April 23. The amendment was made to account for new budget appropriations stemming from previously approved council action, new proposals and moving expenditure authority from 2023 to 2024, Centralia Finance Director Bret Broderson stated. Additionally, new revenue sources along with unspent 2023 expenditure authority needed to be accounted for and money moved from 2023 fund authority to 2024 fund authority. “(It) looks like it’s a lot of money, but it really is increasing expenditures by $433,000 overall,” Broderson said. Across all funds, Centralia’s biennial budget is increasing from $154,363,222 to $155,236,281. In total, appropriations among all biennial budget funds will increase by $433,307, according to the council’s meeting agenda report. New revenue sources include a $150,000 Washington state Department of Commerce grant, a $4,000 Washington state Recreation and Conservation Office grant, a $9,215 Washington State Patrol grant and $159,400 in unspent 2023 expenditure authority. Additionally, unspent 2023 funds for capital projects, along with American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds totaling $11,614,130, will be added to the 2024 authorities without increasing the overall biennial budget authority. Some of the expenses accounted for in this budget amendment include: • $24,500 for the ongoing city manager recruitment process • $82,830 for city Finance Department audit costs • $9,500 for Mural Parking Lot improvements • $9,251 for new fingerprint equipment • $5,000 for the youth enrichment services program • $46,091 for city Parks Department salary increases • $4,000 for an environmental assessment The Building Maintenance Department saw an increase of $7,028 to the city’s depot fund, and the Centralia Police Department moved $5,979 in unspent K9 grant funds into the 2024 K9 program to be spent. Other increases included: • $3,500 for Americans with Disabilities Act compliant parking spaces at various city parks • $7,028 for an HVAC software upgrade • $3,500 increase in the Fireman’s Pension Fund For more information and to view the budget amendment ordinance itself, go to page 46 of the Centralia City Council April 9 meeting agenda here https://tinyurl.com/2tt3hs2f. |
Seattle Times Politics
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Plans for WA’s largest wind farm slashed in half
The council recommended that new turbines in the area should not sit within 2 miles of any ferruginous hawk nests, in an attempt to protect the species. |
NYT Politics
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Is Trump’s Trial Really About ‘Hush Money’?
Both the prosecutors and defense are trying to frame it differently.
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As Civil Rights Era Fades From Memory, Generation Gap Divides Black Voters
Many older Black voters see moral and political reasons to vote. Younger Black voters feel far less motivated to cast a ballot for Democrats or even at all.
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Portland Business News
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Family of elderly woman who wandered from memory care files wrongful death lawsuit
The woman had moved into the facility less than 24 hours before she went missing.
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Washington State News
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Canucks, Jets prep for playoffs in season-ender
(Photo credit: Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports)
It's a playoff tune-up as the Winnipeg Jets play host to the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday night.
Both teams are locked into their divisional positioning heading into the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Canucks are secure at the top of the Pacific while the Jets are set in stone in the second spot in the Central.
Winnipeg knows it holds home-ice advantage when the Jets welcome the Col
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