Capitol Buzz: U.S. economy expands with 7.4% quarterly gain after Covid-19 plunge; Renewed effort to bring safe injection sites to Seattle Washington House Republicans sent this bulletin at 10/29/2020 10:15 AM PDT Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page. Capitol Buzz: October 29, 2020 10/29/2020 10:06 AM PDT CORONAVIRUS CASE COUNTS & COUNTY UPDATES Here are the COVID-19 cases and deaths confirmed Wednesday for Washington state (The News Tribune) Pierce County sees more than 100 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday (The News Tribune) Thurston County COVID-19 cases rise by 26 on Wednesday; total tops 1,800 (The Olympian) Whatcom sees eight new COVID cases Wednesday; three regions see two-week increases (The Bellingham Herald) Here’s why Whatcom’s COVID infections are trending downward (The Bellingham Herald) 20 COVID-19 cases reported Wednesday in Grant County; case rate again decreasing (iFiberOne) High COVID-19 rates persist in South King County as public health officials urge more testing (The Seattle Times) COVID-19 hospitalizations soar in the Inland Northwest (The Spokesman-Review) COVID-19 cases up slightly; Umatilla County announces data dashboard (Walla Walla Union-Bulletin) Young adults have highest virus infection rate in Clark County (The Columbian) Clark County COVID-19: 62 new cases Wednesday (The Reflector) Kittitas County at 67 active COVID-19 cases as of Wednesday (Daily Record) Health district changes policy on reporting COVID-19 outbreaks (The Wenatchee World) BUSINESS, ECONOMY & LABOR U.S. economy expands with 7.4% quarterly gain after Covid-19 plunge (Bloomberg/The Seattle Times) Bonuses before bankruptcy: Companies doled out millions to executives before filing for Chapter 11 (The Washington Post/The Seattle Times) Pierce County ski town on the verge of collapse after floods, fires and COVID-19 (The News Tribune) Out of the box, into the bubble: Washington restaurants find creative ways to stay open through pandemic (KING TV) Jobless claims fall to 751,000, but new infections a threat (AP/The Seattle Times) EDUCATION & SCHOOL SAFETY Peninsula tells parents in-person learning is on. County health officials say not so fast (The News Tribune) COVID-19 updates: 26 known outbreaks in Washington schools since September (MyNorthwest) Hundreds of students march in Kennewick to demand returning to school (KVEW TV and KAPP TV) Attorneys to challenge decision to delay reopening Kennewick schools (Tri-City Herald) Walla Walla School District reaches out to parents on reopening matrix (Walla Walla Union-Bulletin) Spokane Public Schools sees low COVID-19 transmission rates, prepares to welcome more students back (KXLY) EDITORIAL: Peninsula school leaders should stop blame game and public health scapegoating (The News Tribune) GENERAL NEWS Officials: COVID-19 activity intensifying in Washington (KING TV) Washington DOH: We need to act now to get COVID under control for holidays (MyNorthwest) ‘We can head this off before it’s out of control,’ state health officials urge (The News Tribune) County health department plagued with COVID online reporting troubles (The Daily World) HEALTH CARE EDITORIAL: State health officials wisely prepare for vaccine distribution (Walla Walla Union-Bulletin) HOUSING Pandemic brings great rent deals for some Seattle-area apartments, but not all (The Seattle Times) IMMIGRATION Another worker tests positive for COVID-19 at Tacoma immigrant detention center (The News Tribune) MENTAL HEALTH Ellensburg School District has mental health awareness classes for all people in the county (Daily Record) OTHER STATES Governor extends Oregon’s state of emergency due to COVID-19 (KVEW TV and KAPP TV) Coronavirus in Oregon: 7 deaths, 424 new cases as state’s daily average nears 400 (The Oregonian) Oregon may recoup the $300 weekly unemployment bonus from up to 40,000 people (The Oregonian) Oregon to ‘proceed with caution,’ allowing indoor visits at long-term care facilities (The Oregonian) AGRICULTURE & WATER Upgrades underway at Anacortes Water Treatment Plant (Skagit Valley Herald) BUSINESS, ECONOMY & LABOR Boeing says it has no plans for 787 or 747 factory space (The Everett Herald) Boeing tees up plans to shed 30% of its real estate as it looks to get leaner (Puget Sound Business Journal) CONGRESS & FEDERAL GOVERNMENT Postal Service ordered to increase late trips for election mail (Bloomberg/The Seattle Times) Senate Republicans accuse tech CEOs of anti-conservative bias in hearing on ‘26 words that created the internet’ (The Spokesman-Review) EDITORIAL: Hold federal officials accountable for separating migrant families (The Seattle Times) COURTS, CRIME & LAW ENFORCEMENT Could Whatcom see civil unrest after the election? Here’s what local officials plan (The Bellingham Herald) Sheriff’s Office warns of scam using deputies’ names (Skagit Valley Herald) Appeals court denies prison release of killer whose shooting spree killed 6 in 2008 (Skagit Valley Herald) Clark County Jail hosts jobs expo, aims to fill vacancies amid growing inmate population (The Columbian) OPINION: What divesting from Seattle police is really about (Angélica Cházaro, organizer with Decriminalize Seattle/Crosscut) CYBERSECURITY FBI warns ransomware assault threatens US healthcare system (AP/The Seattle Times) Hundreds of thousands of Washington consumers affected by data breaches (KIRO TV) EDUCATION & SCHOOL SAFETY Russell Wilson, Ciara fund charter school in Seattle area (KIRO TV) ENVIRONMENT, NATURAL RESOURCES & PARKS DNR releases Forest Action Plan, setting the course for Washington’s forests (iFiberOneNewsRadio-KMAS) Development has made the Pilchuck River warmer, harming fish (The Everett Herald) HEALTH CARE Could a Tri-Cities hospital be turned into a detox center? Study has answers (Tri-City Herald) Samaritan application turned down; new study on the way (Columbia Basin Herald) HIGHER EDUCATION Craft brewing program at CWU recruiting students (KIT Radio) LEGISLATURE Time to ‘fall back’ despite lawmakers’ vote to stop the clock (Crosscut) LOCAL GOVERNMENT Gilman picked to lead Olympia’s Ad Hoc Public Safety Committee (The Olympian) Spokane County reduces its 2021 budget deficit by around $3 million by not hiring as many new sheriff’s deputies, other employees (The Spokesman-Review) Police should reign in assembly of armed militias, Spokane City Council proposal says (The Spokesman-Review) MARIJUANA Seattle’s top pot retailers during pandemic rack up sales, but face higher costs (Puget Sound Business Journal) MENTAL HEALTH Behavioral health and recovery center could be coming to the Tri-Cities (KONA Radio) MILITARY & VETERANS Navy says water wells near Kitsap base are contaminated with industrial chemical (The News Tribune) Navy conducts first drone delivery to ballistic-missile submarine (Kitsap Sun) OTHER STATES Portland City Council delays vote on proposed $18 million cut to police budget (The Oregonian) POLITICS ELECTIONS How WA officials are fighting election interference in 2020 (Crosscut) King County Elections website faltered (KIRO TV) Unlike Oregon and many others, WA accepts ballots postmarked by Election Day well into November (NW News Network) ‘We want every vote to count.’ Creators of popular ‘unofficial’ elections website cleared by investigators (KIRO TV) RURAL BROADBAND $2.3 million will be used in Ilwaco to bring broadband to unserved areas (KXRO Radio) SUBSTANCE ABUSE Renewed effort to bring safe injection sites to Seattle (KING TV) TRANSPORTATION West Seattle motorists can’t catch a break. Now First Avenue South bridge needs urgent repairs. (The Seattle Times) TRIBAL ISSUES Colville Tribes plan to develop site of Omak lumber mill after it was taken by Cold Springs Canyon Fire (iFiberOne) Hoh Tribe partners with SpaceX to get online, but rural demand remains high (Crosscut) WILDFIRE PREVENTION & RESPONSE Washington state developing safety rules to protect outdoor workers from wildfire smoke (KNKX Radio) WILDLIFE Two ‘murder hornet’ queens captured from tree in Blaine (Seattle P-I) Court rules Washington state exceeded authority with controversial bear hunting program (KING TV) Health restrictions prevent officials from tracking region’s elk (The Columbian)
