The Swinomish Senate announced this week the candidates who will be competing for a seat at the upcoming primary election on Jan. 17. Incumbent Greg Edwards is facing Kevin Paul, Dave Johnston and Jesse Edwards for Senate Seat No. 4. Incumbent Tandy Wilbur is running against Lena Joe, James Bobb and Joseph Williams for Senate Seat No. 5. Incumbent Brian Porter is running unopposed for his Senate Seat No. 3. The general election is on Feb. 14.
State Route 20 through the North Cascades will close for the winter at 6 p.m. Thursday, shutting down the highway between the Ross Dam trailhead (milepost 134) and the Silver Star gate (milepost 171), including Rainy Pass and Washington Pass. WSDOT said avalanche risk and increasing snow loads prompted the seasonal closure, with more snow forecast beginning Friday. If conditions worsen, closure points may be moved farther downslope later in the season, typically to the Newhalem gate on the west side and the Early Winters gate on the east side. Travelers can check real-time conditions and alerts through the WSDOT app and mountain pass reports.
The didgʷálič Wellness Center’s transitional housing project at the south end of La Conner is nearing completion, with Facilities Director Greg Douglas anticipating the opening date to fall somewhere between early and mid January. While the work was expected to wrap up this fall, Douglas said the project is a little behind on schedule due to the weather and other factors. It is currently in its final stages, with landscaping and interior work in progress, and furnishing planned for next week. The center, located on Maple Avenue, features 10 two-bedroom units and six one-bedroom units for transitional living, as well as a smaller building where residents will receive counseling, Douglas said. The didgʷálič Wellness Center is operated by the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community.
Washington’s Department of Ecology has fined Olympic Pipe Line Company and BP Pipelines (North America) $3.8 million for a December 2023 gasoline spill near Conway that released about 21,000 gallons, sent roughly 4,000 gallons into a fish-bearing stream, and temporarily closed a nearby school. The state is also seeking $822,162 to recover response costs, while natural resource damage assessment and restoration are still being evaluated by state and tribal agencies. Ecology’s investigation traced the leak to a corroded carbon-steel nut on a pressure-monitoring assembly that should not have been used with stainless-steel tubing, calling the companies negligent for unlawful pollution discharge. Cleanup lasted about three months and removed 12,000 cubic yards of contaminated soil and 330,000 gallons of oily water; responders also found multiple dead, oiled animals. BP and Olympic Pipe Line Company have 30 days to appeal the penalty.
