"Excellent dad, the best. They don't come any better than him," says Kalina Shouse when asked about her husband Erik. The couple have two beautiful, intelligent, active little girls but Kalina Shouse no longer has the man who helped make them; Erik Shouse died last year at just 40, suddenly and unexpectedly.
- PUB DATE: 9/18/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KIRO-TV CBS 7 Seattle

Kennewick police say they're investigating a "suspicious fire" in Columbia Park near the Edison Street entrance Tuesday afternoon. Police and firefighters responded to the scene before 3:40 p.m. Police say the fire is believed to have been started by a homeless camp located in thick foliage near State Route 240.
- PUB DATE: 9/17/2019 4:38:20 PM - SOURCE: YakTriNews

Four years ago, firefighter Donovan Eckhardt, 37, of Gig Harbor, succumbed to cancer. Though he lost the battle, Eckhardt,. a Renton firefigher, put together one last effort to ensure the war would be won. His firefighter friends and family raised a large amount of money to support Eckhardt through his illness, but the firefighter had other ideas.
- PUB DATE: 9/17/2019 3:45:43 PM - SOURCE: Tacoma News Tribune

Riverside Fire Authority, the Chehalis Fire Department and Lewis County Fire District 6 will share a $695,170 grant to buy new safety equipment for their agencies, they announced last week. “We jointly submitted a grant between RFA, District 6 and Chehalis to replace our self contained breathing apparatus,” said Chief Ken Cardinale of the Chehalis Fire Department and Fire District 6.
- PUB DATE: 9/17/2019 3:45:26 PM - SOURCE: Centralia Chronicle

Interim Update

Following the adjournment of the 2019 Legislature in April, attention has focused primarily on Governor Inslee’s presidential campaign, as well as the House Democrats’ decision on who would succeed Frank Chopp (D-43, Seattle) as Speaker of the House.  A handful of other changes at the Legislature have also occurred.

Governor & Statewide Elected Office News

The first major domino has fallen as Governor Inslee has given up his presidential campaign and will be running for Governor a third time.  With the decision, many top-level Democrats will remain in their current positions rather than challenging the incumbent Governor.  State Attorney General Bob Ferguson has pivoted to running for re-election as AG...