SMALL PLANE CRASH
2 people survive small plane crash near San Juan Island
FRIDAY HARBOR, Wash. (AP) — Two people survived after their small plane crashed into the water near the San Juan Island. That’s according to the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office. Emergency managers and the Coast Guard were sent to the south end of Blakley Island after receiving a report of the crash. When they arrived they found the two on board had managed to make it back to shore. It’s unclear if the two suffered any injuries but a medical helicopter was at the scene on standby. Investigators were looking into what caused the crash and were assessing the crash scene for any environmental impacts from the fuel on board.
CYCLIST KILLED
Police search for car that fatally hit cyclist in Seattle
SEATTLE (AP) — A 63-year-old cyclist is dead after being struck by a hit-and-run driver in Seattle. Police said the incident happened before 7 p.m. Sunday south of Seward Park. The cyclist was traveling north on Seward Park Avenue South, east of Wilson Avenue South when he was hit. Police said witnesses performed CPR on the man until medics arrived. The man was taken to Harborview Medical Center in critical condition and later died. Police said they are looking for an older model silver Nissan Sentra with a broken windshield and possibly a Washington state license plate.
SEATTLE SHOOTING
Girl, 2, critically hurt in Seattle shooting
SEATTLE (AP) — Authorities say a 2-year-old girl was critically injured in a shooting Sunday at a strip mall in Seattle. The Seattle Times reports a total of four people were hurt in the shooting in the city’s Central District neighborhood. Police offered no details about the suspects, except that there are more than one and they remain at large. The girl and three men were transported to hospitals in private vehicles before police and medics arrived.
WASHINGTON LEGISLATURE-TAX CREDIT
Senate approves expansion of low-income tax credit
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — The Washington Senate has approved a bill that would expand a tax credit for low-income workers and families. The bill passed the Democratic-led chamber on a bipartisan 47-2 vote and now heads back to the House, which passed the bill last month but will need to take a final vote on whether or not to concur with changes made in the Senate. Under current law, the amount of the state benefit is 10 percent of a person’s credit from the federal program or $50, whichever is greater. Following an amendment accepted on the Senate floor, the proposed changes to the law replaces that with a base amount ranging from $300 to $1,200, depending on the number of children a taxpayer has.
WASHINGTON LEGISLATURE-TENANT LAWYERS
“Right to counsel” law advancing through Legislature
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — A “right to counsel” measure that is getting closer to approval by the Legislature would make Washington the first state to ensure that low-income tenants have legal representation when faced with an eviction. The bill has passed both the Senate and the House, and has one final vote before the Senate before heading to the desk of Gov. Jay Inslee. The proposed law would provide attorneys to tenants who receive certain public assistance, have been involuntarily committed to a public mental health facility, can’t afford a lawyer or who have incomes at 125% or less of the federal poverty level.
WASHINGTON LEGISLATURE-WILDFIRES
Senate passes bill to prevent and fight wildfires
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — A bill to create a dedicated fund to prevent and fight wildfires in Washington has unanimously passed the state Senate. The bill passed Friday in Olympia. It would provide $125 million every two years to boost wildfire response, accelerate forest restoration and support community resilience. House Bill 1168 now heads back to the House, which will accept or reject the changes made in the Senate. The bill follows a destructive 2020 fire season in Washington, during which over 1,250 square miles burned and 298 homes were destroyed. For two of the past three years, Washington has experienced the worst air quality in the world due to wildfires.
BC-US-VIRUS-OUTBREAK-SUPERSPREADER-1-YEAR
Siblings find closure a year after COVID-19 thrashed choir
SEDRO-WOOLLEY, Wash. (AP) — Just over a year ago, a choir practice in Washington state sickened 53 people and killed two. It was one of the United States’ first-known COVID-19 superspreader events. But from that tragedy emerged important research on how the virus was transmitted. Experts say the public health investigation into the rehearsal was key in determining that the virus was spreading through the air. The children of one of the two women who died gathered recently to honor her. They say it brings them comfort to know that studies of the event have advanced preventative measures and helped save lives.
WASHINGTON LEGISLATURE-CARBON CAP
Washington state Senate OKs carbon-cap legislation
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — The Democratic-led Senate has passed two key pieces of Gov. Jay Inslee’s climate agenda, a plan to put a price on carbon pollution and a measure that would require fuel producers and importers to reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with gasoline and other transportation fuels. The carbon pricing bill would establish a “cap and invest” program that sets steadily lower limits to pollution from carbon and other greenhouse gases, and requires polluters to steadily decrease their emissions, or purchase pollution allowances. The proposed low carbon-fuels standard tseeks to use progressively cleaner fuels in cars, trucks, boats, trains and aircraft that in Washington generate more than 44% of total carbon emissions.
BC-WA-WASHINGTON LEGISLATURE-JUNETEENTH
Washington Legislature approves Juneteenth as state holiday
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — The Washington state Legislature has passed a measure that makes Juneteenth a legal state holiday. The measure making June 19 a state paid holiday passed the Democratic-led Senate on a bipartisan 47-1 vote and now heads to Gov. Jay Inslee for his signature. The House passed the measure in February on an 89 -9 vote. Juneteenth commemorates when the last enslaved African Americans learned they were free in 1865 in Galveston, Texas, where Union soldiers brought them the news two years after the Emancipation Proclamation.
NEW LIGHT-RAIL STATIONS
3 Seattle light-rail stations to open Oct. 2
SEATTLE (AP) — Sound Transit leaders say three light-rail stations in North Seattle will open Oct. 2. The Seattle Times reports the agency made the announcement about the new U District, Roosevelt and Northgate stations on Friday. The $1.9 billion extension is expected to add 45,000 daily passengers, who can travel from Northgate Station to downtown’s Westlake Station in 14 minutes. The grand opening comes later than the September goal set by Sound Transit. Agency staff attribute the delay to COVID-19 related construction disruptions. Spokesman John Gallagher says an Oct. 2 start date is also more manageable because there’s not a university football game that Saturday.
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