Category: Washington State News

Source: Washington State News 2

Nearly 100 lane miles of I-5 and US 12 are being improved this summer

CENTRALIA – As summertime paving ramps up, travelers on Interstate 5 and US 12 in Lewis County will soon notice smoother, more reliable trips. But the road to get there will be a bit bumpy as crews work to repair worn pavement in several locations through Sept. 2026.

On Wednesday, July 15, Washington State Department of Transportation contractor Kerr Contractors Oregon, LLC, began paving in both directions of I-5 between Koontz Road and south of Alder Street near Centralia. This work is part of a larger pavement preservation effort taking place along nearly 100 lane miles of I-5 and US 12 throughout Lewis County.

A lane mile measures the amount of roadway being improved. For example, a 1 mile section of freeway with three lanes equals 3 lane miles of pavement.

Paving work in Lewis County includes:

Last summer, crews completed paving along this corridor. They returned earlier this summer to repair four bridges along the same stretch of I-5: the Newaukum River, Rush Road, Dillenbaugh Creek and Salzer Creek bridges.

“Maintaining our highways before they need major repairs is one of the best investments we can make,” said WSDOT Project Engineer Pedro Reyes. “By coordinating several projects at the same time, we’re shortening the overall time travelers would normally be affected, and providing smoother highways, more reliable travel and fewer disruptions in the years ahead.”

What to expect

Travelers should plan for: 

• Daytime and nighttime lane closures on I-5 and US 12 during active construction.
• Most paving work will occur on weeknights from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. 
• Some weekend nighttime lane closures may also be needed.
• Speed limits may be reduced through active work zones.
• Expect delays, especially when traffic is reduced to a single lane.

Paving work depends on dry, warm weather and schedules may change at any time.

More paving in and around Lewis County

Pavement work extends beyond the above-mentioned projects. WSDOT maintenance crews are also repaving a 7-mile section of US 12 between Chapman Road in Morton and Stover Road in Packwood. Combined with the work on I-5, these projects will improve an additional 37 lane miles of US 12 between I-5 and Packwood.

Just north of Lewis County, contractor crews will repave nearly 7 miles of I-5 between Grand Mound and Maytown, including highway ramps and the Scatter Creek and Maytown rest area parking lots.

Together, these projects represent one of the largest pavement preservation efforts in Southwest Washington. By the end of summer over 100 lane miles in total, will be smoother, safer and more reliable for all travelers in and around Lewis County.

Source: Washington State News

The Office of the Attorney General won a preliminary injunction Monday in its case against KalshiEX (Kalshi) after a King County Superior Court judge found that Kalshi likely violated the Washington Gambling Act and the Consumer Protection Act by running an illegal gambling operation in Washington. 

The Court will issue a final order prohibiting Kalshi from continuing to violate Washington law on August 5, giving Kalshi and the AG’s office time to confer on the terms of the injunction and provide further briefing to the Court about appropriate remedies.

“This victory is the first step toward holding Kalshi accountable for their brazen violations of Washington law,” said AG Nick Brown. “Kalshi padded their pockets as they promoted illegal betting on sports, elections, the total number of measles cases this year, what will witnesses say during a child trafficking hearing, and even natural disasters.”

The definition of gambling under Washington law is “staking or risking something of value upon the outcome of a contest of chance or a future contingent event,” and Kalshi’s activities fall squarely within that definition. Each Kalshi bet risks money, relies in part on chance, and promises a payout to winners. Kalshi’s website and app show consumers a range of events that they can bet on and the odds for those various events, which dictate how much the bettor will be paid out if the event occurs. This is exactly how sportsbooks and other gambling operations function.

Kalshi advertises that they allow consumers to “bet on anything” by simply calling their service trading on a “prediction market” rather than “gambling.” In one Kalshi advertisement, one person texts another that they “found a way to bet on the NFL even though we live in Washington,” which seems to acknowledge that Kalshi knows that they are attempting to skirt state law. The court ruled that “Kalshi’s provision, marketing, and advertising of illegal gambling activities constitute unfair and/or deceptive acts or practices.”

From the beginning, when Washington became a state in 1889, its constitution prohibited gambling on state lands, and the state continues to carefully regulate gambling activities to protect and safeguard the public to this day. In 2006, the Legislature amended the 1973 Gambling Act to make it clear that internet gambling is prohibited under Washington law. 

To win a preliminary injunction, Washington state needed to show that it was likely to succeed on its claims against Kalshi as the case progresses. The state also needed to show a likelihood of “substantial injury to Washington consumers” if the court did not issue an injunction. The judge ruled that the state successfully made both of these showings.

Read the order.

If you or someone you know is suffering from gambling addiction or gaming disorder, please contact the Washington State Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-547-6133. Other resources can also be accessed here.

Consumers wanting to file a complaint with the Consumer Protection Division should call 1-800-551-4636 or 1-800-833-6384 for the hearing impaired or visit the AG web site at https://www.atg.wa.gov/file-complaint.

Source: Washington State News 2

SHINE – Travelers who use westbound State Route 104 coming off the Hood Canal Bridge will soon see an active traffic meter.

The Washington State Department of Transportation will turn on the meter on Monday, July 27. It is located just after the Hood Canal Bridge as travelers approach the roundabout at Paradise Bay Road.

What to expect

Once the meter goes live, people will see a red and green traffic signal on westbound SR 104 as they approach the roundabout. During peak congestion, the meter will create gaps between vehicles on westbound SR 104 to allow motorists from Paradise Bay Road to enter the roundabout.

About the meter

The meter was installed as part of a safety improvement project that built roundabouts on SR 104 at Beaver Valley Road (SR 19) and Paradise Bay Road in 2024 and 2025.

Traffic meters are a specific type of signal used to control how quickly vehicles enter traffic flow at an intersection or onto a highway. They are designed to reduce collisions and decrease travel times.

Construction almost finished

Once the meter is active, construction on this project will be nearly complete. The only remaining work is installing a pole for a future traffic camera at the SR 104/Paradise Bay Road intersection. The pole will be installed by the end of September.

Travelers can sign up for email updates for projects in Jefferson and Clallam counties. For the most up-to-date information, check the WSDOT app and statewide travel map.

Source: Washington State News

The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California today issued a temporary restraining order halting the merger of Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. (Warner Bros.) by Paramount Skydance Corporation (Paramount), in a multistate lawsuit co-led by Attorney General Nick Brown. 

The temporary restraining order halts the merger while the court considers a ruling on a preliminary injunction, which would block the merger for the duration of the litigation. A hearing on the preliminary injunction is set for Aug. 3. Twelve state attorneys general are part of the lawsuit filed last week challenging the unlawful merger, which is expected to result in higher prices and a decline in the variety, quality, and amount of content produced and distributed to consumers. 

“The court agreed with the states that this proposed merger puts the public’s interest at risk and raises serious questions about compliance with antitrust law,” Brown said. “We look forward to further proving in court why this anti-competitive scheme will harm consumers and creators.”

The lawsuit is co-led by Brown and the attorney general of California. It was also joined by the attorneys general of Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, and Oregon. 

Read the complaint.

BACKGROUND

For more than a century, Warner Bros. and Paramount have stood astride the film and television industry as independent sources of creativity and competition. The proposed $110 billion merger — the largest in Hollywood history — would combine two of Hollywood’s five major film distributors and two of the five major owners of basic cable channels, extinguishing competition between Paramount and Warner Bros., and inflicting substantial harm on movie theaters, basic cable distributors, and ultimately, audiences nationwide.

The lawsuit alleges that the merger violates Section 7 of the Clayton Act, which holds that mergers that may substantially lessen competition or tend to create a monopoly are illegal. The attorneys general allege that, if Warner Bros. and Paramount are allowed to merge, it would lessen competition in three markets: film distribution, anticipated blockbuster film distribution, and cable TV. 

Currently, Paramount and Warner Bros. compete fiercely to create and distribute new, different, and innovative film and television content to American viewers. Movie theaters and TV distributors rely on competition between Paramount and Warner Bros. to incentivize creativity and secure competitive prices and terms for themselves and for audiences. TV distributors negotiate with Paramount, Warner Bros. and other cable channel owners to acquire the rights to distribute that content to subscribers. 

Alternatives are essential in these negotiations, as is the leverage that each entertainment company provides to TV distributors and movie theaters. For example, if Paramount insists on onerous financial terms, its negotiating partner can gain leverage by turning to Warner Bros. and vice versa. 

Paramount’s proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. will end this competition, threatening viewers with higher prices, the decline of theatrical exhibition of films, and a reduction in the variety, quality, and amount of content distributed.

The judge’s order is available here.

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Washington’s Attorney General serves the people and the state of Washington. As the state’s largest law firm, the Attorney General’s Office provides legal representation to every state agency, board, and commission in Washington. Additionally, the Office serves the people directly by enforcing consumer protection, civil rights, and environmental protection laws. The Office also prosecutes elder abuse, Medicaid fraud, and handles sexually violent predator cases in 38 of Washington’s 39 counties. Visit www.atg.wa.gov to learn more.

Media Contact:

Email: press@atg.wa.gov

Phone: (360) 753-2727

General contacts: Click here

Media Resource Guide & Attorney General’s Office FAQ

Source: Washington State News

Attorney General Nick Brown today joined a coalition of 19 attorneys general moving to intervene in a lawsuit challenging the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) for unlawfully freezing routine reviews of land-based wind energy projects, including at least five in Washington state.

Federal law requires DoD to review proposed wind projects for potential national security concerns and work with developers to address any issues. In August 2025, DoD stopped moving projects through this process, blocking wind energy development nationwide. Brown and the coalition are asking the court to set aside DoD’s unlawful freeze and order the agency to resume the review process required by federal law. 

“The federal government claims we’re in an energy emergency and yet unlawfully stands in the way of projects seeking to harness an excellent renewable source of energy—wind,” Brown said. “We’re determined to fight this administration’s obstruction of projects needed to power our economy, increase clean energy supply, and protect Washington’s air and water.” 

The federal freeze on wind energy projects has prevented progress on projects in Washington, including:

• The 450-megawatt Crider Valley Wind Energy Project (Klickitat County)
• The 200-megawatt Riverside Wind Project (Spokane County)
• The 300-megawatt Springboard Wind Project (Mason County)
• The 300-megawatt Great Bend Wind Project (Lincoln County)
• The 378-megawatt Cloudwalker Wind Project (Garfield County) 

According to renewable industry groups, more than $2 billion in private investment and 4,500 jobs are at risk as the projects remain on hold. Additionally, the freeze on wind projects jeopardizes Washington state’s ability to meet its statutory target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 45% below 1990 levels by 2030.

Under federal law, land-based wind project developers must submit any proposed projects with wind turbines over 200 feet tall to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for review. The FAA then refers these projects to DoD to assess whether they could affect military operations, radar systems, flight paths, or national security. For more than a decade, DoD engaged in a predictable review process and worked with developers to mitigate potential concerns. Mitigation measures often included changes to turbine placement or height, radar upgrades, or agreements to pause generation under certain circumstances. 

In August 2025, DoD abruptly stopped following this process. Officials ceased countersigning mitigation agreements, stopped sending completed agreements to developers for signature, and delayed or halted communications with developers about mitigation. As a result, wind projects across the country have been frozen at various stages of the review process, including those that had already completed mitigation negotiations and were awaiting only final DoD approval. 

Brown and the coalition argue that DoD’s freeze is unlawful, arbitrary and capricious, and violates the Administrative Procedure Act. DoD has not provided a reasonable explanation for its sudden change in policy, accounted for the harm to states, developers, workers, and ratepayers, or considered the major investments made in reliance on its longstanding review process. The coalition also argues that DoD’s refusal to act is causing unreasonable delay and undermining Congress’ directive that DoD balance national security concerns with the responsible development of renewable energy. They are asking the court to require the agency to resume reviewing and approving land-based wind projects. 

The attorneys general are intervening in the lawsuit Renewable Northwest, et al. v. Hegseth, et al., filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon, Portland Division.

Joining Brown in intervening in this lawsuit are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, and Rhode Island.

A copy of the motion is available here. 

A copy of the proposed complaint-in-intervention is available here.

Source: Washington State News 2

FIFE – Shovels dug in and the dirt went flying as dozens of local dignitaries celebrated the beginning of the end for the State Route 167 Completion Project in Pierce County.

The groundbreaking ceremony on Wednesday, July 15 is a major milestone for the Washington State Department of Transportation. It marks the start of construction on the fourth and final stage of the SR 167 Completion Project, which is part of WSDOT’s Puget Sound Gateway Program. The final stage is scheduled to open to the public in September 2029.

The SR 167 Completion Project completes a critical missing link in the state’s highway network. Its completion gives freight a more direct link to and from the Port of Tacoma. Area commuters will also be able to use the new highway and benefit from fewer large trucks on surface streets.

“The Puget Sound Gateway Program is a critical investment in Washington’s future. By improving key freight corridors, we’re strengthening our economy, supporting family-wage jobs and ensuring goods move efficiently throughout the region,” said Secretary of Transportation Julie Meredith. “Just as importantly, these improvements make travel safer and more reliable for the people who live and work here every day.”

“The program is about connecting our ports to the manufacturing and industrial centers along SR 167, the east side of our state and beyond – creating a more reliable freight corridor that supports job growth across the region,” said Representative and House Transportation Chair Jake Fey. “Exports are a key driver of job growth and prosperity. When our ports succeed, the entire region wins.”

Kraemer-Scarsella Joint Venture will build the last segment of the new SR 167 Expressway, or Stage 2b. This 2.6-mile section between North Meridian Avenue in Puyallup and Interstate 5 in Fife is the final section of the 6-mile tolled expressway that will stretch to SR 509 near the Port of Tacoma.

“The SR 167 Completion Project is also a testament to close collaboration with our partners,” said Puget Sound Gateway Program Administrator Ricky Bhalla. “The Puyallup Tribe of Indians, the Port of Tacoma, legislators, Pierce County, and the cities of Fife, Tacoma, Edgewood, Sumner and Puyallup all played vital roles. Other local and state agencies and people who live and work here joined us to imagine, design, fund and build this project. Their support has been vital and we thank them.”

“This project provides benefits beyond travel,” said John White, WSDOT assistant secretary for Urban Mobility, Access and Megaprograms. “Crews have rehabilitated more than 150 acres of wetlands, built new trails and completed connections to existing regional and local trails. This is truly a project that produces benefits not just for freight, but also enhances access for people who walk, bike and roll, while also supporting fish and wildlife habitat for years to come.”

Staged construction

Crews have built the expressway in stages since construction began in 2019:

• Stage 1a: WSDOT built the Wapato Way East bridge and a new multi-lane roundabout connecting SR 99 and Wapato Way, which opened to traffic in June 2021.
• Stage 1b: WSDOT is building 2 miles of the SR 167 Expressway between I-5 and SR 509 near the Port of Tacoma, including interchanges at SR 509, 54th Avenue East and a new diverging diamond interchange over I-5. It’s scheduled to open in September. This stage also includes about 165 acres of wetland and stream restoration and begins construction of the spuyaləpabš Trail.
• Stage 2a: WSDOT is widening SR 167 between North Meridian Avenue and SR 410, building a diverging diamond interchange at North Meridian Avenue and continuing construction on a segment of the spuyaləpabš Trail. It’s scheduled to open in September 2029.
• Stage 2b: WSDOT is building 2.6 miles of the SR 167 Expressway between North Meridian Avenue and I-5, completing WSDOT’s portion of the spuyaləpabš Trail and the SR 161/North Meridian Avenue and I-5 diverging diamond interchanges and performing about 90 acres of wetland mitigation and restoration. The expressway is scheduled to open to travelers in September 2029.

Stage 2b construction

Construction on Stage 2b ramped up the same day as the groundbreaking ceremony. Crews are hauling in dirt to build the new expressway embankment near Freeman Road East and Valley Avenue East and beginning efforts to restore Wapato Creek. The bulk of the project area is within the boundaries of the Puyallup Tribe of Indians. WSDOT partnered with the tribe to restore its natural land. In addition to completing the new spuyaləpabš Trail, crews will perform about 90 acres of wetland mitigation and restoration. 

An online open house is available that helps people who live, work or travel through the area understand how construction in 2026 may affect them. 

Puget Sound Gateway Program overview 

The SR 167 Completion Project is part of WSDOT’s Puget Sound Gateway Program, which also includes the SR 509 Completion Project in south King County. Together, the two projects complete critical missing links in Washington’s highway and freight network. 

Source: Washington State News

Prestige Legal Solutions, a California-based law firm with offices in Washington, will pay $125,000 to settle claims that the firm sent misleading letters to more than 700,000 Washingtonians deceptively implying that their cars were “lemons” subject to a safety recall or class action settlement. 

Between December 2024 and June 2025, the firm sent advertising letters to thousands of Washington consumers that stated: “Our investigation shows your vehicle may be a lemon, and you may be entitled to a refund, or monetary compensation under Washington’s Lemon Law,” even though the firm had not verified that any of the consumers’ cars were, in fact, defective. Instead, the firm merely reviewed internet forums and websites related to the automotive industry and sent advertisements based on that general information. As a result, thousands of Washingtonians reached out to the firm only to learn that their vehicles were not, in fact, lemons under the law.  The envelopes deceptively suggested that the contents contained “settlement information.” After receiving these advertisements multiple consumers complained to the Attorney General. 

Prestige Legal Solutions also employed Google AdWords and search engine optimization to ensure that if a consumer searched for Washington lemon law information, they would find Prestige Legal Solution’s website, which deceptively claimed a “99% win rate”. 

The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) administers the Lemon Law program, which helps consumers who purchase or lease a new vehicle that turns out to have substantial defects. In recent years, as more consumers have sought compensation from car manufacturers for defective new vehicles under Washington’s Lemon Law, private attorneys like Prestige Legal Solutions have tried to capitalize on that demand. 

“Our office prioritizes helping consumers get relief if their new cars have major problems, and we’ve done so successfully, returning more than $18 million to Washington consumers last year alone,” Attorney General Nick Brown said. “People do not need to use a private attorney to access help through the Lemon Law program, but this firm sent misleading advertising to hundreds of thousands of Washingtonians, trying to drum up business by preying on their fears about the safety of their vehicles. Today we’re holding them accountable for their deceptive marketing practices.”

The Lemon Law program helps consumers arbitrate with the vehicle manufacturer without cost to the consumers. If an arbitrator determines the vehicle counts as a “lemon,” the manufacturer must replace or repurchase the vehicle. 

The program is funded with a $3 statutory fee paid when a consumer buys or leases a new vehicle.  Increasing costs and a higher number of requests from consumers have made it more difficult for the program to keep up with demand in recent years, and the fee has not covered the costs of running the program for at least the last six years. A bill to address rising costs failed to pass in the Legislature in the 2026 session.

A copy of the settlement agreement with Prestige Legal Solutions is available here.

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Washington’s Attorney General serves the people and the state of Washington. As the state’s largest law firm, the Attorney General’s Office provides legal representation to every state agency, board, and commission in Washington. Additionally, the Office serves the people directly by enforcing consumer protection, civil rights, and environmental protection laws. The Office also prosecutes elder abuse, Medicaid fraud, and handles sexually violent predator cases in 38 of Washington’s 39 counties. Visit www.atg.wa.gov to learn more.

Media Contact:

Email: press@atg.wa.gov

Phone: (360) 753-2727

General contacts: Click here

Media Resource Guide & Attorney General’s Office FAQ

Source: Washington State News 2

Expect overnight lane closures and alternating traffic through October

MONROE – A nearly 11-mile paving project kicking off this month will provide people a smoother ride on State Route 203 between Monroe and Duvall.

Contractor crews working for the Washington State Department of Transportation are scheduled to begin work on Monday, July 27. Crews will pave SR 203 from just south of Duvall at Northeast 124th St to the Monroe city limits at Niederle Road (mileposts 12 to 23). Work is expected to finish by Oct. 29, provided weather cooperates.

The highway was last paved in 2008, exceeding its 15-year life expectancy. This project is essential to maintain the road’s integrity and ensure long-term safety for all travelers.

What to expect

Throughout the project, one lane of SR 203 will be closed. Flaggers and pilot vehicles will alternate northbound and southbound traffic through the remaining open lane.

Most lane reductions will occur at night. However, people should expect two weekends of single-lane closures for bridge repairs within the project limits (at Storm Lake Growers intersection). Weekend closure dates will be announced once they’re finalized.

Crews will not pave a section through the center of Duvall from Northeast Big Rock Road to Northeast Cherry Valley Road (mileposts 14 to 15) or the High Rock Road roundabout (milepost 21) as the condition of those sections were determined less deteriorated than the surrounding areas.

Source: Washington State News

A coalition of 42 attorneys general, including Washington Attorney General Nick Brown, today announced a settlement with the bankruptcy trustee for 23andMe, resolving allegations stemming from a 2023 data breach that compromised the genetic data of more than 220,000 customers in Washington state. 

Under the settlement, the states will receive $18 million from the bankruptcy funds, and Washington will receive $547,000, which will be used to enforce Washington’s consumer protection laws. 23andMe also agreed to a $46.8 million class-action settlement in the bankruptcy to provide relief to affected U.S. consumers who submitted claims by February 17, 2026. That claims process is now closed.

“23andMe presented itself as a safe steward of Washingtonians’ most sensitive personal data and then failed to ensure protection against hackers,” Brown said. “Companies that leave customers vulnerable to hackers will be held accountable in Washington.”

In October 2023, direct-to-consumer genetic testing company 23andMe announced that it had discovered a data breach in which 6.9 million consumers were affected, including 221,401 in Washington. This data breach exposed a wide range of data about 23andMe customers, including in some cases genetic ancestry information, and subsets of this data were subsequently published for sale on the dark web. 

23andMe learned about the breach months after impacted personal information was publicly available. 23andMe first denied a breach and then, once it confirmed the breach, blamed consumers for how their accounts were set up or how passwords were used. 23andMe initially accepted no responsibility for the breach, which was particularly egregious considering 23andMe’s partnership with MyHeritage, which itself was compromised years prior to the breach, exposing thousands of credentials shared between the websites. 

In the immediate aftermath of the data breach, the attorneys general formed a multistate investigation and found that 23andMe engaged in unreasonable data security practices, including, but not limited to: 

• Failing to employ safeguards against so-called credential stuffing attacks, including comparing passwords against blocklists of known breached passwords or requiring multifactor authentication; 
• Failing to implement appropriate rate limiting or intrusion prevention; 
• Failing to implement logging and monitoring or other tools likely to detect a data breach; 
• Failing to appropriately investigate and/or address unusual login patterns, including, for example, a massive spike in login attempts; 
• Failing to remediate known vulnerabilities; and
• Failing to properly review and test design features.

In March 2025, 23andMe filed for bankruptcy protection, and states subsequently filed claims related to the data breach investigation. As part of the bankruptcy proceedings, the assets—notably 23andMe’s consumer data—were sold to TTAM Research Institute, a non-profit formed by 23andMe founder and former CEO Anne Wojcicki. The terms of the sale included many information and data security requirements that likely would have been included in a settlement with 23andMe had it not filed for bankruptcy. Such terms included enhanced data security requirements, appropriate risk analysis, the addition of an advisory board, agreeing to be bound by comprehensive privacy laws without exception, and continuing to offer consumer deletion rights. These terms will make sure that TTAM Research Institute, now reregistered as 23andMe Research Institute, will be a safer custodian of genetic data moving forward.  

Brown joined the attorneys general of Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, North Dakota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin, and West Virginia in today’s settlement. 

A copy of the settlement filing is available here. 

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Washington’s Attorney General serves the people and the state of Washington. As the state’s largest law firm, the Attorney General’s Office provides legal representation to every state agency, board, and commission in Washington. Additionally, the Office serves the people directly by enforcing consumer protection, civil rights, and environmental protection laws. The Office also prosecutes elder abuse, Medicaid fraud, and handles sexually violent predator cases in 38 of Washington’s 39 counties. Visit www.atg.wa.gov to learn more.

Media Contact:

Email: press@atg.wa.gov

Phone: (360) 753-2727

General contacts: Click here

Media Resource Guide & Attorney General’s Office FAQ

Source: Washington State News 2

PORT ORCHARD – Add it to your summer reading list: the State Route 3 Gorst area transportation study results. Community members are invited to review the SR 3 Gorst Area Planning and Environmental Linkages Study results. Information is available through an online open house The online open house is available now through Aug 4.

The Washington State Department of Transportation is looking at improvements to decrease congestion in Gorst and create a stronger highway system in the surrounding area.

WSDOT is also hosting an in-person open house at the South Kitsap High School Gymnasium on Wednesday, July 22. Drop by between 4:30 and 6:30 p.m. to learn more, ask questions or leave comments with the study team. The same information will be available both in-person and online.

Public feedback will be incorporated into the study’s recommendations. After the study is complete in early 2027, recommended options will go through a National Environmental Policy Act review.

Online open house information

When:  Tuesday, July 14 to Tuesday, Aug. 4

Where:  engage.wsdot.wa.gov/sr-3-gorst-area

Details:  Information about the study is available online 24/7 for people to visit and leave comments whenever best fits their schedule through Tuesday, Aug. 4.

Free internet access

Free WiFi access is available at these locations for people who wish to participate in the online open house:

• Kitsap Regional Library – Port Orchard, 87 Sidney Ave.
• Kitsap Regional Library – Bremerton, 612 Fifth St.
• North Mason Timberland Library – 23081 NE State Route 3, Belfair.

Free, temporary internet access is available to those who do not have broadband service in locations throughout the state. To find the nearest Drive-In WiFi Hotspot visit: www.commerce.wa.gov/building-infrastructure/washington-state-drive-in-wifi-hotspots-location-finder/