Previous State Agency News Releases

April 30, 2008
• Gov. Gregoire’s statement on the Wild Sky Wilderness Area congressional approval
• Governor Gregoire appoints Will Roehl to Western Washington Growth Management Hearings Board
• Children's Administration rolls out 'You Can Too' foster parent recruiting campaign
• DEL launches updated Licensed Child Care Information System
• Fish consumption advisories updated for Lake Roosevelt and Spokane River
• Statement of the Washington State Patrol on the Todd Chism Case
• WSDA director reminds farmers to be counted for USDA’s Census of Agriculture
• Sea lion succumbs during health exam
• Weather, construction lengthen I-5 Gee Creek Rest Area closure
• US 101 Simpson Ave. Bridge re-opens to traffic


April 29, 2008
• Final razor clam dig starts Saturday
• Murder charge leads to suspension of King County nursing assistant
• Fishing Rule Change: Sport Halibut season opens in Marine Areas 1-4
• State Lands Commissioner Sutherland establishes Fidalgo Bay Environmental Aquatic Reserve
• Port Angeles Open House celebrates DNR's 50th Anniversary
• Comments sought on proposed order for site cleanup in Anacortes
• Governor’s Council on Substance Abuse to showcase successful local prevention strategies
• SR 20 - North Cascades Highway Opens Thursday at 8 a.m.


April 28, 2008
• Gov. Gregoire announces solution for long-term Port Townsend/Keystone ferry service
• New No Child Left Inside program awards $1.5 million in grants for youth outdoor education and recreation
• Gov. Gregoire appoints new regional representative for Southwest Washington
• Gov. Gregoire's statement expressing concern with new federal fuel economy rules
• Gov. Gregoire’s statement on fruit crop damage
• Third public workshop for the Lake Chelan area state parks
• Osoyoos Lake and Wenatchee Confluence state parks play host to Cinco de Mayo Fiestas
• Worker Memorial Day ceremony set for April 29
• State Board of Education approves state superintendent’s adoption of revised K-8 math standards
• Weather boosts spirits at lowland lake fishing opener
• DFI supports Presidential Financial Literacy Challenge, encourages teachers to register, students to participate
• Work group assessing financial literacy in Washington, seeks to increase statewide consumer education
• DOC's Melanie Roberts to retire in June
• DOC seeks information from work release contractors
• Washington State Patrol hosts Kiwanis Youth Law Enforcement Career Camp
• State Patrol ramps up for second recruitment blitz
• Ellensburg DSHS offices temporarily relocated
• Federal government supports DSHS decision to seek new sponsor for SW Washington Area Agency on Aging
• Drivers already seeing double striping for SR 167 HOT lanes between Renton and Auburn
• A perfect 10 on I-5 in Everett: Crews open last segment of 10 new HOV miles
• Intersection Safety Project South of Othello Begins Wednesday
• Planned Lane Closures for Monday Night, April 28 on I-5 In Lewis County Postponed
• TNB bike/pedestrian path narrowed May 5-8
• Aviation Planning Council to Meet May 1 in Seattle


April 25, 2008
• Work Group to Begin Planning DOC Re-Entry Centers
• Taxable Retail Sales Increase 7 Percent in 2007
• Veterans Innovations Board to hold public meeting April 30, 2008 in Olympia
• Public input sought on environmental impact statement for game management plan
• Seattle added for hearing on proposed rule to protect workers in hot weather
• WSDOT Ferries Division Peak Season Begins May 1
• SR 290/Starr Road Intersection Improvement project near Spokane gets underway
• I-5 rolling slowdown scheduled south of Olympia
• Crews will close I-90 at the I-405 interchange in Bellevue to set girders for new bridge
• 480,000 pound boiler makes the trip through Bellevue and Seattle this weekend
• WSDOT prepares for the last avalanche control work of the season on I-90 Snoqualmmie Pass


April 24, 2008
• Gov. Gregoire urges Bush administration to ensure children’s access to healthcare coverage
• Gov. Chris Gregoire’s statement on economic assistance for impacted fishing communities
• Gov. Gregoire announces boards and commissions appointments
• State Emergency Management Division wins three national excellence awards
• Pull up your socks: ticks are active with warm spring weather
• Celebrate Earth Day April 26 at Mima Mounds Natural Area Preserve with a work party and tour
• Fine for tank farm spill benefits workers & hazardous response team
• Sediments study will help guide cleanup work in Fidalgo Bay
• State, U.S. seek public help to update spill-response plans for north Puget Sound
• Department of Licensing expands Enhanced Driver License/ID services
• April 26: Great fishing opens close to home
• WDFW open house scheduled May 8 to discuss release site for wild turkeys
• Sea lion relocation to begin tomorrow (April 24)
• Expect Lane Closures on I-5 in Lewis County on Monday Night, April 28


April 23, 2008
• State Board of Education approves report on revised K-8 math standards
• Free shredding in Redmond on Friday during Attorney General’s identity theft prevention tour
• 'Conservation need' of pinto abalone topic of public meeting in Anacortes
• Fishing Rule Change: Snake River spring chinook fishery to open
• Land transactions, cougar and wolf management on May 2-3 commission meeting agenda
• Natural areas welcome visitors to enjoy and learn about the state's natural and cultural heritage
• Lands Commissioner Sutherland marks Earth Day with announcement of Puget Sound cleanup projects
• Reckless driving - More than just driving too fast and too furious
• Proposed agreement with Laurelhurst Community Club for right-of-entry to care for state-owned aquatic lands parcel
• WSDOT, Sound Transit invite Kirkland community to celebrate new Totem Lake Freeway Station
• I-5 lane closed all weekend in Bellingham
• Lane restrictions on SR 224 will delay traffic Thursday in Richland


April 22, 2008
• Motorcycle license plate number configuration changing
• Final razor clam dig of season proposed on four ocean beaches
• Federal grants to help teachers integrate new technologies into instruction
• First new Hood Canal Bridge transition span complete
• Study shows that paying for chemical dependency treatment improves health outcomes and saves taxpayer dollars too
• Ecology and partners divert 12,000 pounds of mercury from environment; Don’t toss that fluorescent bulb! Take it back!
• MORE CHANGES COMING FOR WSDOT FERRIES DIVISION


April 21, 2008
• Ecology's Earth Day 2008 website is a portal to special events statewide
• DEL, children’s museums partner to help more children learn through play
• DOC Pays $107,500 To Settle Prison Inmate Cases
• WSDOT collects pavement samples along Hoquiam streets
• WSDOT kicks off 2008 Puget Sound construction year with multiple milestones
• State disciplines health care providers
• Childhood vaccine rates rising - outbreaks show need for more coverage
• Agriculture Director Loveland to retire
• State cutting energy use, slashing millions of pounds in carbon emissions
• Public input sought on Women, Infants, and Children service plan
• Federal grants available for public shooting-range projects
• Foreclosure rescue company must refund 200 Washington consumers
• Cedeno to retire as director of Washington’s prisons


April 18, 2008
• Gov. Gregoire’s statement on Seattle Sonics relocation vote
• Washington State Department of Revenue wins FTA award for user-centered Web site
• Celebrate the open season at Jones Creek on April 26 with a work party and volunteer appreciation barbeque
• Seattle Storm to honor women veterans
• Fishing Rule Change: Yakima River spring chinook fishery to open May 1
• SR 305 slope repair may cause delays
• WSDOT invites public to the SR 14 Camas-Washougal Widening & Interchange Open House, April 22
• Rapid weather changes will make mountain pass driving a challenge


April 17, 2008
• New study finds gas price differences due to regional markets, not manipulation
• State assists health care industry in dealing with pharmaceuticals
• State using scientific approach to mental health treatment
• State awards more than $6 million for affordable homeownership projects
• State Parks and Recreation Commission meets April 24 at Camano Island
• Columbia Hills State Park plays host to Wagons and Wildflowers
• State Parks to hold public meetings on Winter Recreation strategic plan
• Parks and Recreation Commission completes watercraft launch at Cape Disappointment
• Lowland lakes open for fishing April 26; halibut, spring turkey seasons under way
• Fishing Rule Change: Spring chinook daily limit and area increased on the Wind River
• Fishing Rule Change: Spring chinook fishing to close Monday on the lower Columbia River
• DEL, children’s museums partner to help more children learn through play
• WA high school seniors unable to answer basic money questions
• Sunnyside school has new, safer drinking water supply
• State disciplines health care providers
• Utilities commission hires new director of pipeline safety
• Carpoolers on northbound I-5 in Everett will find the drive less taxing
• SR 16 on-ramp in Tacoma sheds HOV designation
• Two-weeks of bridge maintenance in Aberdeen
• Rapid weather changes on mountain passes


April 16, 2008
• Gov. Gregoire’s accountability program receives prestigious recognition
• Federal grants will help promote Washington farm products, improve farm practices
• Spokane sustainability group to train lenders in “green” development
• Fishing Rule Change: Ringold Area bank fishery opens May 1 for hatchery spring chinook salmon
• Fishing Rule Change: Columbia Park Pond closed for Fishing Kids event
• Low numbers of returning wild chinook lead to Chehalis River closure
• San Juan Islands ferry route downsized for one week with 90-car Sealth
• National City Commercial Capital to reduce debt for former NorVergence telecommunications customers
• Spokane Open House celebrates DNR's 50th anniversary
• Wildfire season officially begins
• Help fight fire - Become a Skywarn Weather Spotter
• 95th Washington State Patrol Basic Training Class graduates
• Wire thieves continue assault on Tacoma
• Laying down the line for driver safety; WSDOT crews kick off striping season
• Move it or lose it: I-5 tow zone stretches south
• Cold, wet weather foils I-5 weekend work in Bellingham


April 15, 2008
• Gov. Gregoire highlights “fierce competitors” at Washington Technology Summit
• Gov. Gregoire, state and local leaders urge NBA to postpone relocation vote
• Washington Invasive Species Council announces special meeting, April 16
• DOC reaches settlement with car crash victims
• Washington’s unemployment rate rises in March
• State offers free online cultural competence training for mental health providers and agency employees
• State revokes, suspends licenses, certifications, registrations of health care providers
• Okanogan County nurse suspended for sexual misconduct
• Omak Open House celebrates DNR's 50th anniversary
• Razor clam dig approved on four ocean beaches
• Trout opener for Swift Reservoir delayed until May 24
• Chehalis River closed for spring chinook fishery
• Ecology fines Puget Sound Energy $366,000 for 2006 fuel spill
• I-5 Gee Creek Safety Rest Areas in Clark Co. closing for maintenance
• Hood Canal Bridge Project water shuttle dock location changes
• Fiber-optic work darkens I-5 Tacoma Cams
• Spring snow storms continue on Snoqualmie Pass


April 14, 2008
• Response tug to provide year-round protection against oil spills
• Hunting rules for 2008 adopted by Fish and Wildlife Commission
• Two thousand hunters selected for multiple-season hunt opportunity
• State revokes, suspends licenses, certifications, registrations of health care providers
• Western State Hospital hosts Recovery Fair, April 17
• AG McKenna concerned about Google Inc - Yahoo! Inc. alliance
• Scholarship winners highlight value of career and technical education


April 11, 2008
• Safe cargo: the right way to secure your load; making Washington roads safer and cleaner
• If your boat sinks, don’t blame the rain
• Spring is here - start planning your firewise landscape
• Taxable retail sales increase 6.2 percent for fourth quarter 2007
• 71 Washington communities, 8 utility districts earn Arbor Day Awards
• Gov. Gregoire names Richard Hauan superintendent of Washington School for the Deaf
• Gov. Gregoire’s statement on Wild Sky protection
• Gov. Gregoire’s statement on declaration of a salmon fishing emergency
• Agriculture Department issues fines for pesticide and fertilizer violations
• Mental illness diversion law prompts cross-system planning
• Increased salmon fishing restrictions reflect conservation needs, low returns
• Traffic engineers tweak weekend I-5 express lane schedule
• Spring finally arrives on I-90 Snoqualmie Pass, creating need for avalanche control work; Drivers should prepare for delays
• Traffic delays at US 101/SR 8 interchange


April 10, 2008
• WDFW will conduct a new drawing for multiple-season hunting permits
• Free outdoor expo offers youngsters, families chance to learn new skills
• Three organizations join forces, commit to improve early learning for children statewide
• State regulators OK short-term electric-bill reductions after BPA resumes some payments
• DSHS completes statewide launch of special PACT teams to work with hard-to-serve mental health clients
• State Patrol: no double-crossing in SR 167 HOT Lanes; Crews begin installing double striping, access zones this week
• Work in winter showers brings springtime driver power on I-5 in Everett
• Wire theft continues in Pierce County
• Elma rest area on SR 8 closed Wednesday


April 9, 2008
• Job mentorship program helps students reach health care career "finish line"
• Public Notice: Inquiries concerning Amazon.com’s “Print on Demand” policy
• State awards $2 million for dropout prevention
• Ecology, Kittitas County sign groundwater agreement
• Counties see value of increasing access to mental health and chemical dependency services
• GSA changes Nexus Lane at Peace Arch border crossing
• Open house scheduled for SR 14 Camas-Washougal widening & interchange project April 22


April 8, 2008
• Gov. Gregoire to press for federal assistance if salmon fishing emergency declared
• Public school classified staff receive awards
• Gov. Gregoire’s statement on KeyArena proposal
• Gov. Gregoire’s statement on Ellen Craswell
• Air emissions review shows need for additional monitoring at Port Townsend mill
• Ecology responds to Port Townsend air quality health consultation
• Public can help state, U.S. update oil spill-response plans for San Juan Islands
• National consortium outlines vision for homeland security
• April 26: Great trout fishing opens close to home
• AG McKenna announces new settlement with Internet Advancement
• April 15 public meeting for Loon Lake wood debris study
• State DNR to hold three public meetings on proposed land exchange with state Dept. of Fish & Wildlife
• DNR celebrates Arbor Day and Earth Day
• DFI congratulates Heritage University SIFE team for top honors at regional competition and entry to nationals
• SR 520 Evergreen Point Floating bridge to close for monthly maintenance tests


April 7, 2008
• Department of Early Learning launches new Web site
• 2007 Fire in Washington annual report now available
• Insurance Commissioner Kreidler announces potential sale of Western United
• State disciplines health care providers
• State levies $1.25 million penalty against Puget Sound Energy for faulty pipeline safety records
• Atlas Foundry cited for October explosion
• Fishing Rule Change: Long's Pond temporarily closed prior to annual Fishing Kids event
• Fishing Rule Change: Sport Halibut season opens April 10 in Marine Areas 6-11 and 13
• WDFW stocking trout in Sprague Lake
• Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission hosts tri-state parks conference, April 8-10
• Ecology seeks public comment on water quality requirements for Avista dams
• Hearings this week focus on limits on greenhouse gas emissions for power plants
• Europe restores toxic flame retardant ban similar to Washington's
• I-5 weekend closures in Bellingham are delayed


April 4, 2008
• Tourism in Washington reaches major milestone
• Gov. Gregoire announces drop in fatality rates on Washington roads
• Free shredding during Attorney General’s identity theft prevention tour stops in Bainbridge and Redmond
• State disciplines health care providers
• Morning razor clam dig starts Sunday, April 6
• State Transportation Commission to discuss 2008 Tacoma Narrows Bridge toll proposal by phone
• Transportation Commission wants your ferry survey to count
• WSDOT celebrates start of SR 522- UW Bothell/Cascadia Community College Campus Access project with students and local leaders
• Lawmakers to discuss the future transportation needs of Skagit and Island counties
• Slide repair work along SR 305 next week
• Subject arrested by WSP after threatening a trooper
• WSP Commercial Vehicle Division honored for reducing truck and bus deaths
• Science and policy experts invited to guide Puget Sound cleanup effort
• Revenue rolls out streamlined sales tax tools, sets workshops
• Kennewick open house celebrates DNR's 50th anniversary
• Snohomish sand & gravel mine fined $16,000 for water quality violations
• Jail Industries Board welcomes new member


April 3, 2008
• Washington 8th graders show significant 10-year writing gains
• Commission to hold three trainings for in-state moving companies to learn new rules
• Legacy Salmon Creek Hospital cited for hazardous workplace
• Redmond physical therapist’s license suspended on sexual misconduct charge
• Molestation charge results in license suspension for Yakima nurse
• State Parks reminds boaters about new education law
• State Parks recruiting for winter recreation advisory committees, accepting grant applications
• The winter recreation season is coming to a close at Washington Sno-Parks
• Community Partnership Month and Earth Day celebration: Volunteers invited to help clean up state parks
• Fort Flagler State Park plays host to sea stories event
• Spring chinook season going strong with halibut, razor clams, turkey on deck
• Kreidler names Vernon Stoner as his new Chief Deputy
• WSDOT to re-bid contract for 50-car ferries
• Ground is broken to begin the US 2/97 Peshastin East Interchange Project
• Important milestone reached on US 97- Biggs Bridge Project
• HOT lanes open this month on SR 167 between Renton and Auburn
• Deck repairs cause closure of two lanes on I-5 North near Woodland
• US 2 paving work in Lincoln County starts
• Drivers reminded to remove studded tires before Sunday


April 2, 2008
• Gov. Gregoire signs budget to build a better future for Washington families
• New law makes false AMBER Alert a felony
• AG McKenna joins petition to require EPA to comply with court order regulating greenhouse gas emissions
• State Board Approves Immediate Sale of Storm-Damaged State Trust Timber in Southwest Washington
• Bellingham Open House Celebrates DNR's 50th Anniversary
• Wanted: Owners of $600 million in unclaimed cash
• Math WASL to remain in place until 2014
• Living will registry available online


April 1, 2008
• April is Disaster Preparedness Month
• Crime Victims Awareness Day set for April 22
• Gov. Gregoire signs legislation improving toy safety
• Gov. Gregoire signs multiple bills
• Governor to sign individual health insurance bill today
• Gov. Gregoire proclaims April as Child Abuse Prevention Month
• Shellfish harvest restricted in an area of Burley Lagoon
• Washington awarded $3 million for school health programs
• Restaurateurs Plead Guilty to Theft of Sales Tax
• SR 28 at Rock Island Dam Reopens 12 Hours Early
• Outage planned tomorrow for I-5 traffic cams in Tacoma
• I-5 Toutle River Rest Areas in Cowlitz Co. Closing for Maintenance
• WSDOT seeks comments on Washington State Bicycle Facilities and Pedestrian Walkways Plan