State Parks director resigns after special meeting
Washington state's parks director has abruptly resigned less than a year after he was appointed to lead the agency. Peter Mayer submitted his resignation to...
Joseph O’Sullivan
Seattle Times staff reporter Joseph O’Sullivan covers state government and the Legislature.
Washington State Patrol marks a striking turnaround on COVID vaccination rate
Washington State Patrol employees make record huge jump in vaccinations against COVID-19, as numbers also increase among Seattle police officers who have become vaccinated.
State Sen. David Frockt won't seek reelection; 2 other senators plan to leave office
A longtime Washington state lawmaker has announced he will not seek reelection next year. Sen. David Frockt says he'll fulfill the remainder of his term,...
Some Washington state workers get more time to comply with Inslee's COVID vaccine mandate
Gov. Jay Inslee's administration has extended the time need to get fully vaccinated for non-bargaining and exempt Washington state workers. The deal allows more workers...
Deadline nears for Washington state workers to get COVID vaccine under Inslee order
Inslee has said workers must get their final shot by Oct. 4 to be fully vaccinated. Some agencies have begun sending separation letters to workers...
Anger over masks and vaccines is surging as COVID bites deeply into areas outside Puget Sound VIEW
The backlash to vaccine and masking requirements may have hit a new high, as rural Washington shoulders a fifth COVID-19 wave that has sent deaths...
Strained rural Washington hospitals have sent hundreds of patients to King County
To address the shortage of hospital beds in rural Washington state due to COVID-19, a statewide system helps medical professionals redirect patients to available beds...
Inside a rural Washington hospital swamped by COVID, patients still 'fighting with you to say this is not real' VIEW
As COVID-19 continues to surge among unvaccinated people, a rural Washington hospital is seeing the effects with medical procedure delays, patient transfers and deaths.
As COVID-19 mandate looms, 68% of Washington state workers verified as vaccinated
Nearly 70% of Washington state workers mandated to get vaccinated in order to keep their jobs have done so, according to the state.