The Columbian

Northwest

Jenna Carodiskey-Wiebe, assistant teacher with ECEAP, right, watches as two-year-old Zakiah Jatta plays with Play-Doh in her classroom at Akin’s Early Learning Center in Auburn, Wash., Tuesday, March 26, 2024. Washington is doing more to help families access and afford child care, but huge gaps remain. Early ECEAP provides free child care and family support services to infants and toddlers from low-income households. But there are only 178 spots funded in the entire state. Some of those spots are at Akin’s early learning center in Auburn. (Ellen M.

Washington falls short of covering child care subsidy costs

August 6, 2024, 7:18pm Latest News Free

Even with state subsidies, families in Washington still cannot afford child care and providers are struggling to pay their staff, according to a new report. Read story

Fourth-grade students enrolled in the Dual Language Program at Columbia Elementary School break down cultural barriers through language and social connection by collaborating with Spanish-speaking students in Puerto Rico using Zoom teleconferencing software.

Future of Woodland dual language program in limbo, despite new WA grant

August 6, 2024, 2:00pm Clark County News

Despite a new grant program aimed at establishing dual-language classes across the state by 2040, the return of Woodland School District’s program remains uncertain. Read story

Election officials in several states, including Washington, urged Elon Musk on Aug. 5, 2024 to make changes to Grok, the AI assistant on his social media platform X, formerly Twitter, after it provided wrong information on deadlines for candidates seeking a spot on ballots in their states.

A chatbot spread falsehood about WA elections. The secretary of state wants it fixed.

August 6, 2024, 9:52am Election Free

On the eve of the state’s primary, Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs warned voters to be wary of “dubious” election material, expressing concern that “a deluge of manipulated and false information may be inserted into social media from foreign actors and other sources.” Read story

Voter turnout looking even lower in Washington as primary election day arrives

August 6, 2024, 8:02am Northwest

With the primary election 12 hours from closing, voter turnout not only remains low across Washington, it’s lagging even further behind 2020 turnout than it was last week. Read story

What to expect as NTSB hears all about Boeing’s Alaska Air blowout

August 6, 2024, 8:01am Business

The flying public can expect more details about what caused a panel to explode off a Boeing 737 MAX plane earlier this year as the top U.S. aviation investigator presents evidence and testimony on the near-disaster during a two-day hearing. Read story

Around the community of Stehekin, firefighters have been working on community protection measures. These measures include working on firelines around the community including clearing brush and leaf litter as well as felling standing dead trees that could fall across the fireline. Water pumps with hoselays and sprinklers are being set up throughout the community to further protect structures and the fireline.

Pioneer fire within quarter-mile of Stehekin in Chelan County

August 6, 2024, 8:00am Latest News

A blast of hot, windy weather will challenge the nearly 730 firefighters battling the 55-square-mile Pioneer wildfire this week, which has crept to about a quarter-mile from the boat-in resort town of Stehekin on the northern shore of Lake Chelan, fire officials said. Read story

Massive Amazon warehouse now open in Pasco. It’s part of $1B investment by 3 companies

August 6, 2024, 7:58am Business

If economic development were an Olympic sport, 2021 was Pasco’s gold medal year. Read story

FILE - This photo released by the National Transportation Safety Board shows an opening in the fuselage where a door plug fell from Alaska Airlines Flight 1282, on Jan. 7, 2024, in Portland, Ore. On Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, the National Transportation Safety Board opens a two-day hearing on the blowout of a door plug from an Alaska Airlines flight traveling 16,000 feet above Oregon.

Witness before federal safety board testifies about blowout on a Boeing 737 Max earlier this year

August 6, 2024, 7:48am Business

Investigators are questioning Boeing officials in hearings this week about the midflight blowout of a panel from a 737 Max, an accident that further tarnished the company’s safety reputation and left it facing new legal jeopardy. Read story