After a very busy news day catching up from some previous downtime, we will be taking few days off from...
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March 4, 2026
Washington’s Senate has passed SB 5925 expanding the Attorney General’s investigative reach—triggering concerns over due‑process protections, gag orders, and possible impacts on local transparency.
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House Bill 2403, which would reduce penalties for repeat failure to register as a sex offender, is sparking sharp criticism from a former sheriff who warns it could undermine public safety across Cowlitz County.
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An InvestigateWest report shows that 160 teachers in Washington were disciplined for sexual misconduct since 2015—but almost half of those cases are hidden from public view when educators voluntarily surrender their licenses. A troubling transparency gap that could undermine student safety and parent trust.
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About 150 protesters disrupted a Tacoma City Council meeting on Feb. 10, demanding an end to the Northwest ICE Processing Center and calling on the council to divest from ICE. This follows broader organizing and highlights implications for oversight and civil liberties that resonate locally in Cowlitz County.
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Oregon’s congressional delegation, joined by community leaders and the governor, is mounting a unified pushback against proposed ICE detention plans in Newport amid concerns over transparency, safety, and environmental impacts.
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Wallace “Wally” Marthaller, a lifelong Longview farmer, businessman, and community employer, passed away February 1, 2026, at the age of 91. A celebration of life will be held March 7 at the Longview Moose Lodge.
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A federal judge has blocked ICE from arresting individuals in Oregon without a warrant unless they can demonstrate a risk of escape—affirming due process and quelling widespread fear among immigrant communities.
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The Longview City Council meets tonight to weigh a 4 % water rate increase and a choice between 4 % or 5 % sewer rate hikes—balancing inflation, reserves, and infrastructure needs.
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Portland lost nearly 9,000 jobs in 2025 and multifamily housing permits plunged to a decade-low, signaling structural economic risks—developments with spillover consequences for southwest Washington’s communities.
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After two deaths in a summer boating accident, Oregon’s congressional delegation is pressing the Coast Guard to restore operations in Gold Beach and Bandon, citing rising traffic and slower emergency response on the southern coast.
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Senators Merkley (D–OR) and Luján (D–NM) introduced the Stop Price Gouging in Grocery Stores Act of 2026 to ban “surveillance pricing” in grocery stores. The bill would ban electronic shelf labels, force disclosure of facial recognition use, and establish enforcement mechanisms—measures that could help protect shoppers across Longview, Kelso, and Cowlitz County from discriminatory pricing.
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An Orchards activist says she confronted an SUV she believed to be a federal agent in her neighborhood—she was detained by sheriff’s deputies and warned she could face felony stalking charges. The sheriff’s office has not yet commented, and no charges have been filed.
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