Climate

Developers’ tree-cutting pace surges under contested Seattle tree protection ordinance

Mayor Harrell promised law would get Seattle “back on track,” but new street-tree planting data raises doubts

Oregon regulators fine polluting wood treater $1 million, allow it to keep operating

The penalty comes days after InvestigateWest found regulators investigating the pollution didn’t take steps to immediately stop it

Environment

An Oregon wood treater kept polluting a town’s water source with a now-banned chemical — but regulators didn’t stop it

Nearby tribe calls on state, federal agencies to end a “decade-long pattern of reckless violations”

Immigration

Local officials aren’t concerned about accusations of racism against an Idaho sheriff, despite calls for accountability

An extremism watchdog group said the sheriff’s rhetoric about immigrants is “disturbing” and could fuel violence

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Education

Mercer Island schools assessing sexual abuse protocols after outcry

Labor

Retired docs earn millions examining injured Washington workers

Public Health

Some Washington judges aren’t ordering accused abusers to surrender guns. A new court ruling could change that.

Newsroom Announcements

The news needs inspiration, and collaboration delivers it

Immigration

After Homeland Security ‘welfare check,’ Idaho school district says immigration requests will draw new scrutiny

More news

EPA and a Montana mining company promise action after InvestigateWest report exposes public health concerns

Previous reporting showed how regulators and the mine teamed up to rebut independent researchers

How InvestigateWest sparks change

Feds open investigation into Idaho anti-trafficking nonprofit after InvestigateWest exposes potential fraud

Investigative reporting prompts action from oversight agency and attorney general as accusations of fraud and exploitation mount

Our record of excellence

Immigration

Local officials aren’t concerned about accusations of racism against an Idaho sheriff, despite calls for accountability

An extremism watchdog group said the sheriff’s rhetoric about immigrants is “disturbing” and could fuel violence

Immigration

After Homeland Security ‘welfare check,’ Idaho school district says immigration requests will draw new scrutiny

Immigration

Homeland Security’s ‘welfare’ check on Idaho migrant students raises school privacy questions

Owyhee County Sheriff Larry Kendrick attends an Owyhee County Commissioners meeting at the Owyhee County Courthouse in

Immigration

Accused of racism and retaliation, this Idaho sheriff is now working with ICE

More Immigration

State of Democracy

Idaho’s latest anti-drag crusade began with a falsehood, lawsuit says

Idaho Family Policy Center president Blaine Conzatti discusses his efforts to end abortion in Idaho on an episode of pastor

State of Democracy

For and by Christians: How Idaho’s influential Christian Nationalist group wants to reshape the state

Department of Homeland Security officers deploy crowd control munitions, including tear gas, at a demonstration outside the

State of Democracy

Bullies or demonstrators? How court records are describing Portland’s ICE protests

Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek speaks during a signing ceremony in Washington, Feb. 23, 2024.

State of Democracy

Lawmakers, Secretary of State back delaying 2024 Oregon campaign finance law from taking effect

More State of Democracy

Human Trafficking

Hannah Power was commercially sexually exploited by a man she met on Tinder when she was a minor, she said.

Human Trafficking

Seattle-area man who allegedly trawled dating sites for victims charged with sex trafficking

Jay is within a minority of sexual assault survivors whose abusers are held criminally accountable. But the plea deal that

Human Trafficking

King County woman’s chance to testify lost as prosecutors opt for plea deal, raising concerns about justice in sexual assault cases

Hannah Power, a survivor of what the police suspect to be child sex trafficking, looks out over the Puget Sound by her home

Human Trafficking

A Washington teen was trafficked by a man she met on Tinder, she says. Two years later, she’s still waiting for justice.

The number of people convicted for sex trafficking in Washington and Oregon has remained low over the last decade as

Human Trafficking

New WA legislation prioritizes human trafficking prosecutions and support for child victims

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Environment

Washington ferries are going hybrid-electric, but disposal of old ones poses environmental, legal risks

An abandoned ferry in the Puget Sound represents a shared struggle across the West Coast: to sell an old ship or destroy it

Public Health

Some Washington judges aren’t ordering accused abusers to surrender guns. A new court ruling could change that.

Advocates hope a Court of Appeals decision will resolve constitutional concerns about a firearm surrender law

Public Health

Do Oregon parents get enough mental health support during pregnancy? Help us answer that question

Public Health

Union says Providence fired 15 nurses in retaliation for news coverage of girl’s suicide at Spokane hospital

Public Health

Washington’s safety net clinics face ‘perfect storm’ of federal threats

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Indigenous Affairs

Members of the Community Economic Coalition, including Hispanic Metropolitan Chamber Executive Director Nicole Davison León,

Indigenous Affairs

Last-minute deal preserves Oregon program for disadvantaged businesses

Judge Naomi Stacy of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation holds court in this May 2024 photo. The

Indigenous Affairs

New Oregon law allows tribes to petition for removal of state control from tribal affairs

Cletus Paradise moved away from the Fort McDermitt Indian Reservation after his son was killed by BIA police there. He finds

Indigenous Affairs

Two killings, no explanation: Families left reeling after Bureau of Indian Affairs shootings

The Indian Health Service received $8.2 billion in funding this fiscal year, despite asking for nearly $60 billion. Tribal

Indigenous Affairs

Clinic closures, firings, buyouts: Northwest tribes sound alarm about cuts to health care, education and other key services

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Criminal Justice

A beloved Mercer Island teacher was accused twice of sexual misconduct with students. The school district kept it quiet.

Criminal Justice

He Was Accused of Killing His Wife. Idaho’s Coroner System Let Clues Vanish After a Previous Wife’s Death.

A photograph of the outside of the Pierce County jail, adjacent to the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office in Tacoma. Pierce

Criminal Justice

Pierce County violated state law by diverting millions in tax revenue meant to improve 911 calls, state audit finds

Sharilyn Lux reported a brutal rape to police in Snoqualmie, Wash., nearly six years ago. The case is still unsolved with no

Criminal Justice

Records reveal Snoqualmie police chief was fired for sexual comments, said recruit ‘could not keep her legs together’

More Criminal Justice

Climate

Developers’ tree-cutting pace surges under contested Seattle tree protection ordinance

Mayor Harrell promised law would get Seattle “back on track,” but new street-tree planting data raises doubts

Climate

In wildfire-prone Washington, ‘collaboration’ on forest management gives way to timber interests

Sandy Shettler, from Tree Action Seattle, speaks to a crowd in February 2024 in front of Astra, a 100-year-old Western Red

Climate

Seattle claims to ‘protect’ hundreds of trees that were never threatened

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality will being recreating a key program meant to reduce the state’s overall

Climate

Oregon begins rewriting landmark climate program derailed by gas lawsuit

More Climate

Our Team

InvestigateWest’s first Roy W. Howard fellow, Aspen Ford is an award-winning journalist specializing in data-driven and narrative storytelling.

Daniel Walters is the democracy and extremism reporter at InvestigateWest, where he’s written about everything from brawls involving white nationalists in Portland to secretly recorded conversations between politicians and lobbyists in Boise. He joined the organization through Report for America.

Danielle Dawson is a collaborative investigative reporter and Report for America corps member for InvestigateWest, covering eastern and central Oregon.

Jacob Fries is InvestigateWest’s executive director. A lifelong journalist, he’s spent his career mentoring reporters, forging media partnerships and managing deep-dive investigations that exposed injustice and changed laws.

Kaylee Tornay is InvestigateWest's reporter covering labor, youth and health care. A reporter since 2017, she has dedicated herself to rigorous, revelatory journalism that scrutinizes power and equips local communities with knowledge they can use.

Kelsey Turner is an investigative reporter at InvestigateWest. Her reporting has stretched from her home state of New Jersey to Illinois, Montana, Idaho, Washington and Oregon.

Lynnie McIlvain is a creative revenue development professional with a track record of securing six-figure government grants and strong competence in annual and major gifts.

Melanie Henshaw is the Indigenous affairs reporter at InvestigateWest. She covers Indigenous communities in the region, including coverage of tribal sovereignty, health care and the environment.

Moe K. Clark is a collaborative investigative reporter covering Washington state for InvestigateWest. Her position is supported by the Murrow News Fellowship, an initiative of Washington State University which aims to bolster coverage of civic issues in underserved communities around the state.

Rachel Spacek is an investigative reporter covering migrant labor for InvestigateWest through Report for America. She is based in Boise and has covered Latino affairs in Idaho for the last five years.

Thy Vo is an investigative editor with InvestigateWest. She has been a community journalist covering government, politics, courts and immigrant communities in the West for nearly a decade.

Whitney Bryen reports on injustice and vulnerable populations for InvestigateWest. A journalist since 2010, she is dedicated to raising marginalized voices and holding power to account especially at the intersection of mental health and criminal justice.

Wilson Criscione is InvestigateWest’s news and investigations editor. He’s spent more than a decade reporting and supervising major investigations that uncover corruption, misconduct and injustice in the Pacific Northwest.

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