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Republicans name Kretz, Maycumber to Washington legislative leadership positions

Republicans name Kretz, Maycumber to Washington legislative leadership positions

(PRESS RELEASE/Washington State House Republicans)

Rep. Joel Kretz (right)

Rep. Jacquelin Maycumber

Wilcox named leader of House Republicans…

Rep. J.T. Wilcox has been re-elected as Leader of the Washington State House Republicans. The 2nd Legislative District lawmaker was chosen for the leadership post during the caucus’s reorganizational meeting which was conducted online and remotely today.

“It is an honor to serve with these great lawmakers. What I have learned about our members is that we run toward challenges during difficult times, not away from them. And that is what you are seeing right now as we call for a special session to address our state’s health and economic crisis,” said Wilcox, R-Yelm. “We look forward to the work ahead and being a part of solutions, when possible. And we will continue to speak up for the people who feel like they are being ignored in Olympia.”

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Secretary of State and AG issue statement on what would happen if Inslee leaves for Biden Administration

Secretary of State and AG issue statement on what would happen if Inslee leaves for Biden Administration

(STAFF REPORTS/Chewelah Independent)

The Washington Secretary of State and Attorney General’s office released a joint statement of what would happen if Governor Inslee left his job for a position in President-elect Joe Biden’s administration. The oddly timed statement said that if the governor did leave, the lieutenant governor, Denny Heck, would take over gubernatorial duties while also still serving as the lieutenant governor as well. More

What to do if you encounter a cougar?

What to do if you encounter a cougar?

(PRESS RELEASE/WDFW)

Staff at the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife office in Colville get a lot of questions from the public. One they have heard recently is: what do I do if I run into a cougar while hiking or recreating in the back country?

Cougars occur throughout Washington where suitable cover and prey are found. They use steep canyons, rock outcroppings and boulders, or dense brush and forests to remain hidden while hunting. A cougar’s primary prey is deer, so cougars can occur anywhere there is prey and a bit of cover.

Cougar sightings are rare and cougars usually move along quickly when they detect a human. Cougar attacks on humans are even more rare. However, it’s important to know what to do if you ever have an interaction with a cougar. More

‘Our staff is getting sick’: health care leaders talk hospital impacts of rise in COVID-19 cases

‘Our staff is getting sick’: health care leaders talk hospital impacts of rise in COVID-19 cases

(RICK BANNAN/Centralia Chronicle)

Washingtonians urged to follow restrictions ahead of vaccine administration, which Is likely to begin next month

Those working on the frontlines in hospitals are feeling the pressure of the current wave of COVID-19 in Washington state as leaders in the medical community warn that not adhering to restrictions in place intended to stop the spread of the disease could lead to a care crisis across the board.

During a press conference Nov. 14, Gov. Jay Inslee said Washington’s recent COVID-19 case rate was 300 per 100,000 of population in the past two weeks. As a result of the increase, hospitalizations in Washington were near an all-time high, Inslee said, near where they were in March when the governor made the first round of executive orders restricting businesses and activities in an effort to halt COVID-19 activity.

Washington State Medical Association President Nathan Schlicher also said that hospitals were hitting record capacity. An emergency room doctor himself, Schlicher said that capacity issues were more than just the number of available hospital beds, but also the number of staff working in buildings.

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Minor 2.9 earthquake hits Southwest Washington

Minor 2.9 earthquake hits Southwest Washington

(STAFF REPORTS/Centralia Chronicle)

A minor 2.9-magnitude earthquake was felt near Onalaska in Southwestern Washington Thursday afternoon. Although calls came into the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office and Lewis County Emergency Management was made aware of the incident, emergency responders were not dispatched, as there was no concern of structural damage. Deputy Director of Emergency Management Andy Caldwell said no response was warranted due to the low magnitude of the quake. More

Cathy McMorris Rodgers looks to two more years in Congress

Cathy McMorris Rodgers looks to two more years in Congress

(BRANDON HANSEN/Chewelah Independent)

U.S. REPRESENTATIVE TALKS WITH NEWSPAPER: McMorris Rodgers will focus on recovery, broadband and healthy forests…

Cathy McMorris Rodgers has been Washington’s 5th Legislative District U.S. House Representative since 2005. After results came in on Election Night showing that she would be serving a ninth term, the Kettle Falls native will now look to the future and work on the direction that the country is heading.

McMorris Rodgers talked with the Chewelah Independent about what she will be working on in the next two years, with priorities including timber management, broadband in rural areas, working on an economy recovering from COVID-19 and veteran affairs.

NE Washington has been a particular focus nationally when it comes to timber management. In the A-to-Z project which has seen more private thinning of public lands in the Colville National Forest, the area has served as a national pilot program. More

Washington plastic bags ban will go into effect in January 2021

Washington plastic bags ban will go into effect in January 2021

(STAFF REPORTS/Chewelah Independent)

Prepare for some retail changes on Jan. 1 when Washington State’s plastic bag ban goes into effect.

This means that single-use plastic carryout bags will be banned to carry store-bought items.

In March, Washington lawmakers passed the ban on plastic grocery bags and added an 8-cent fee on paper bags. Some consumers are already voicing concern, as due to the COVID-19 pandemic reusable personal bags are not allowed in Safeway or Costco.

The bill was also supported by some conservative lawmakers who saw it as a way to create paper bag demand and energize Washington’s pulp and paper industry.




Health District no longer able to keep pace with contact tracing

Health District no longer able to keep pace with contact tracing

(BRANDON HANSEN/Chewelah Independent)

The NE Tri County Health District announced today it would no longer be able to complete close contact follow ups, due to the surge in COVID-19 cases in Ferry, Pend Oreille and Stevens County.

“The recent surge has outpaced the ability for Northeast Tri County Health District (NETCHD) staff to conduct contact tracing for close contacts,” the health district said in a press release. “At this time, NETCHD staff are focusing on contacting positive cases, but we are not able to complete close contact follow ups.” More

Inslee orders New COVID-19 restrictions Indoor dining, gyms among affected activities, with indoor social gatherings officially banned

Inslee orders New COVID-19 restrictions Indoor dining, gyms among affected activities, with indoor social gatherings officially banned

(RICK BANNAN/Centralia Chronicle)

Governor Jay Inslee

Inslee remarks that Nov. 15 was “the most dangerous public health day in over 100 years in our state’s great history.”

A number of businesses will have to restrict operations as part of a new set of orders issued by Gov. Jay Inslee intended to stop the “third wave” of COVID-19 in the state. It’s an executive action similar, but smaller in scope, to the initial “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order put in place at the start of the pandemic. During a rare Sunday morning press conference Nov. 15, Inslee announced several new restrictions ranging from banning indoor restaurant and bar service to more requirements on religious services.

The orders are currently set to run for four weeks. The restrictions generally prohibit indoor operations of a number of business types and activities, or impose capacity restrictions on others, including retail. Under the new restrictions, indoor social gatherings with individuals outside of one’s household were prohibited in most cases, unless an individual quarantined for 14 days prior to the gathering, or seven days before if they received a negative COVID-19 test result fewer than 48 hours before the gathering. Outdoor gatherings are limited to five people. More

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