Bothell/Kenmore Reporter

Less than a month remains until an election that will transform Washington’s state Supreme Court. Two new justices will join the nine-member high court, and two new justices appointed by Gov. Bob Ferguson with no prior judicial experience face their first tests at the ballot box. The chief justice is also seeking another term. It’s very rare to have a majority of the court up for election in one year.

We humans tend to see animal behavior and anthropomorphize them from our perspective—our sensory bubble. This is especially true of dogs, “man’s best friend.” In actuality, animals perceive their world differently than humans perceive theirs. In 1909 the Baltic-German zoologist Jakob von Üexkull coined a German word to describe this sensory bubble—Umwelt.

Students may start locking up their cell phones statewide next school year if a newly proposed bill passes this legislative session. The Phone-Free Schools Act, one of Gov. Bob Ferguson’s top legislative priorities, would change how phones can be used in Washington schools. “My mission as governor is to get this legislation across the finish line and sign it into law,” Ferguson said Oct. 2 while announcing the details of his proposal at an event in Spokane.

Dee Anne Finken is too diplomatic to say so outright, but she’s gobsmacked by a new report on how to support local news in Washington. The Clark County grandmother spent much of the last five years working to save local journalism, as a volunteer with the League of Women Voters of Washington.

The Renton School District has put out a statement that the entire Hazen football season has not been canceled, despite an online report following one forfeited game. A recent article written on Mason Kelley’s “Spilled Ink” Substack reported that Hazen had canceled their football season.

An Auburn family is suing Mount Rainier Christian Church in civil court after a youth pastor allegedly sent inappropriate messages to their daughter in the youth program, including texts that alluded to sexual behavior. The suit was filed in the King County Superior Court in March, and the plaintiff is expected to be deposed Oct. 12. The lawsuit claims former Youth Pastor Tyler Cash and the plaintiff exchanged over 10,000 text messages between 2023 to 2025.

Washington State Patrol (WSP) is seeking witnesses and dashcam footage of a fatal collision on southbound State Route 167 near Auburn. At 12:46 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 28, a 2025 black Porsche 911 and a bright green Kawasaki motorcycle were traveling at high speeds southbound on SR-167 in lane four, also known as the far right lane. Just north of State Route 18, the car moved over to lane two, while the motorcycle moved over to lane three.

A new facility to build unmanned fighter jets is coming to Des Moines and could bring in more than $300 million in direct investment to the city and hundreds of high-paying jobs. The city and San Diego-based Shield AI each announced Sept. 30 in press releases that the aerospace company had signed a lease in the Des Moines Creek 2 light industrial park at 1800 S. 216th St., on the north side of the street. The property, which sits just south of Sea-Tac Airport, is owned by the Port of Seattle.

Mayor Dana Ralph sees her role as a member of the new Governor’s Space Council as an “enormous” opportunity for the city of Kent, which already plays a large role in aerospace manufacturing. Gov. Bob Ferguson announced the new 23-member council Sept. 28 to advise him about how to keep Washington competitive in the industry and identify ways the state can improve its standing as a global leader in the space economy, according to the news release.

The Department of Education announced Sept. 28 that it had repealed federal regulations that protected students from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity under Title IX.