How a WA prison turned a treatable ailment into a death sentence

“They knew he was dying,” says his wife, who wasn’t told until it was too late

Many Washington counties aren’t verifying if accused domestic abusers are turning over their guns

While some counties are devoting money to track down guns, others rely on the honor system to ensure firearms are turned over

Education

Investigation opened into former Mercer Island High School teacher accused of sexual misconduct

A different teacher has also been put on paid leave for potentially "failing to report"

Education

‘I want people to know he’s done this’: Student alleges sexual misconduct by another Mercer Island teacher

High school English teacher Curtis Johnston, who abruptly retired in August, is the second teacher accused of sexual misconduct in recent months

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Guarded by Predators

From one voice to many: Women speak out on Idaho prison abuse

Guarded by Predators

Idaho law challenges prosecutors seeking to penalize prison guards for sexual abuse

Guarded by Predators

Case closed: Inside Idaho State Police’s handling of prison sexual abuse complaints

Criminal Justice

Allegations of sex abuse, misused church dollars against WA priest divide parish

Guarded by Predators

In Idaho women’s prisons, guards get away with sexual abuse and victims are blamed

More news

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

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

Public Health

Oregon abandons Medicaid expansion for people leaving prison, months after delaying launch

State officials cited onerous work to implement federal Medicaid eligibility changes and other shifting policies

Public Health

A rural Oregon town lost its maternity ward. As Trump’s Medicaid cuts loom, other hospitals may be next

Public Health

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

Public Health

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

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Indigenous Affairs

Northwest Native Nations could lose hundreds of millions in federal funding, report says

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

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Criminal Justice

How a WA prison turned a treatable ailment into a death sentence

Criminal Justice

Allegations of sex abuse, misused church dollars against WA priest divide parish

Criminal Justice

Sheriff candidate in small WA county faces claims of domestic violence, dishonesty

Criminal Justice

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

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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

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

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Immigration

Help us investigate how Trump’s immigration orders are impacting the Pacific Northwest

Immigration

Ukrainian immigrants becoming collateral damage in Trump administration’s immigration war

Immigration

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

Immigration

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

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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

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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

A teen told InvestigateWest last year about how she has tried to rebuild her life after the exploitation

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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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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