Austin Jenkins

Washington’s Lands Commissioner is expected to declare the state’s first ever forest health hazard warning Monday. The formal declaration comes amid growing concern about the potential for a catastrophic fire – not unlike what we’ve seen in recent days in Colorado. Olympia Correspondent Austin Jenkins reports.

Shocking cases of inadequate public defense in Washington have led the state Supreme Court to take an unusual step. The high court has imposed a mandatory cap on the number of cases lawyers for the poor can take. You might assume public defenders would be cheering – finally they’re going to get relief. But in fact some lawyers are downright offended and angry. Correspondent Austin Jenkins profiles one.

It’s a Wednesday afternoon at Lewis County District Court. Out in the hallway, attorney Joseph P. Enbody is meeting with clients.

Enbody: “Are you Ms. Tran?”

“Happy and relieved.” Those are the words Washington Governor Chris Gregoire uses to describe the Supreme Court’s decision on health care. The Democrat Thursday told a personal story about a health scare in her own family.

Before Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire leaves office in January, she will decide whether to commute the life sentence of convicted killer Barry Massey. His attorneys hope this week’s Supreme Court ruling on life without parole for juveniles will bolster their case for clemency.

Four Northwest postal workers are taking dramatic action to bring attention to cuts to mail service. They’re staging a hunger strike this week. It’s part of a national campaign by unionized post office employees.

Washington’s economy remains essentially flat. That’s the takeaway from Washington’s quarterly revenue forecast out Wednesday. It shows an increase of about a $150 million through the current two-year budget cycle.

That slight uptick in projected revenues is mostly due to legislative policy decisions this year like fund transfers, not the economy.

Washington state paid out nearly $60 million in damage claims during the fiscal year that ends this month. Nearly a third of that went to one man – a motorist who was paralyzed in a traffic accident.

Washington’s new Discover Pass for state parks might end up being a temporary budget fix, rather than a long-term solution. At least that’s the hope of one key statehouse Democrat.

Representative Larry Seaquist remembers well when two of the state parks in his district were on the chopping block. That was a few years ago. So far, Washington has managed to avoid closing parks despite the after-effects of the Great Recession. That’s largely because of the new $30 annual Discover Pass. But sales did not meet early projections. Seaquist says ultimately he doesn’t think charging park-goers is the solution.

A wi-fi connection and smart phone bar codes could be coming to a state park near you. Those are just two of the ideas under consideration as Washington State Parks tries to recruit a new generation of visitors. Olympia Correspondent Austin Jenkins explains.

An Army combat engineer has become the 12th Washington based soldier to die in Afghanistan this year. The pace of deaths has picked up in recent weeks as the summer fighting season begins.

The Army says Sgt. 1st Class Barett McNabb was killed by an improvised explosive device. He was on his fourth deployment, but his first to Afghanistan.

McNabb is just the latest soldier from Washington’s Joint Base Lewis-McChord to die in Afghanistan. May was the deadliest month so far this year with six soldier deaths.