Archive - Northwest
Washington State Is Leaving Tribal Cultural Resources at the Mercy of Solar Developers
The Badger Mountain solar project reveals gaps in the state’s permitting system that tribal nations say perpetuates a legacy of “cultural genocide.”
The Failed Promise of Independent Election Mapmaking
In Washington and other states, independent redistricting commissions have fallen prey to partisanship, just like the legislative bodies they were meant to replace.
Idaho Governor Proposes $2 Billion in Funding for School Buildings Over Next 10 Years
Gov. Brad Little cited reporting by the Idaho Statesman and ProPublica as he laid out his plan for a massive infrastructure investment in the state’s public schools during Monday’s State of the State address.
In a Major Shift, Northwest Tribes — not U.S. Officials — Will Control Salmon Recovery Funds
The Biden administration punted on key demands from Indigenous leaders to tear down hydroelectric dams hindering salmon. But tribes won control over $1 billion for other salmon efforts.
Idaho Hasn’t Assessed School Buildings for 30 Years. Students and Educators Helped Us Do It Ourselves.
To understand the problems plaguing underfunded schools in Idaho, we surveyed 115 superintendents, toured 39 buildings and collected accounts from hundreds of students, parents and teachers.
Falling Apart
Students and Educators in Idaho Show Us What It’s Like When a State Fails to Fund School Repairs
Idaho Lawmakers Are Discussing a Proposal That Would Make It Easier to Repair Schools
For decades, Idaho’s high bar for school bonds has led to building conditions that students and teachers say make it difficult to learn. Amending the state constitution would help districts secure funding, but doing so won’t be easy.
Idaho Keeps Some Psychiatric Patients in Prison, Ignoring Decades of Warnings About the Practice
A temporary program for “dangerously mentally ill” patients has continued for five decades, despite calls from critics to provide better care. Soon, Idaho will be the only state still using prisons to house patients who face no criminal charges.
A Washington Special Education School Accused of Abusing Students Is Closing Amid Scrutiny
The state’s investigation of Northwest SOIL, a private program serving public school students, was prompted by reporting from The Seattle Times and ProPublica that uncovered accusations about staff restraining and injuring vulnerable students.
For Alaska Families, Questions Remain About Unsolved Deaths and “Suicides”
Local law enforcement said there was only one official unsolved killing in Kotzebue, Alaska. Many residents suspect otherwise.
9 Times the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Miscalculated Badly at the Expense of Taxpayers, Wildlife
The agency has a history of diving into big construction projects that exceed projected costs, fall short on projected benefits and, in some cases, create new problems that engineers hadn’t bargained for.
One Woman Died on an Alaska Mayor’s Property. Then Another. No One Has Ever Been Charged.
Before they died, Jennifer Kirk and Sue Sue Norton were both victims of domestic violence, but the men involved — the ex-mayor’s sons — faced few consequences despite a long history of similar allegations.
This Billion-Dollar Plan to Save Salmon Depends on a Giant Fish Vacuum
Many endorse opening dams and letting fish coast the natural current as the best way to avoid extinction. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has other ideas.
Idaho Banned Abortion. Then It Turned Down Supports for Pregnancies and Births.
Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year, the state’s GOP-led Legislature has disbanded a maternal mortality committee, failed to expand postpartum Medicaid coverage and turned down federal grants for child care.
Anchorage City Commissioner Charged With Fraudulently Obtaining $1.6 Million in COVID-19 Relief Funds for Her Charity
Despite a history of fraud allegations, Rosalina Mavaega and her husband received one of the city’s largest awards under the American Rescue Plan Act. Prosecutors say the couple spent the funds buying cryptocurrency and on other personal uses.
Idaho creó un fondo de $25 millones para reparar escuelas en mal estado. ¿Por qué nadie lo utiliza?
Hace aproximadamente una década, un distrito escolar acudió al estado en busca de fondos para reparar sus edificios en ruinas y obtuvo una fracción de lo que pidió. Desde entonces, ningún otro distrito ha hecho siquiera una solicitud.
The Cleanup of Seattle’s Only River Could Cost Boeing and Taxpayers $1 Billion. Talks Over Who Will Pay Most Are Secret.
The company once described the Duwamish, one of the country’s most contaminated waterways, as “a natural collector” for its wastes. The Port of Seattle and Boeing accuse each other of failing to pay their fair shares for the cleanup.
Biden Administration Commits $200 Million to Help Reintroduce Salmon in Columbia River
Dams had blocked salmon’s passage, driving them toward extinction and violating tribal fishing rights. The money will fully fund Native tribes’ plans to bring fish back to the region.
Idaho Created a $25 Million Fund to Fix Unsafe Schools. Why Is Nobody Using It?
About a decade ago, one school district went to the state for money to fix its crumbling buildings. It got a fraction of what it asked for. Since then, no other district has even applied.
A Washington Special Education School That Was Accused of Harming Kids Is Now Barred From Taking New Students
A state investigation into Northwest SOIL, launched following a Seattle Times and ProPublica series that highlighted problems at the school, found “unacceptably high” use of physical restraints and isolation rooms.
