January 22, 2025
ISSUE 4
50¢
IT'S IN THE CLASSIFIEDS
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Four judges take office in Pierce County By Tacoma Weekly
SCOTT PETERS Pierce County Superior Court has welcomed four new judges who won their elections this past November.
Pierce County Superior Court congratulates Scott Peters on his recent election win for Department 9. Judge-Elect Peters is
replacing Judge Edmund Murphy who is retiring at the end of this year. JudgeElect Peters began his time on the bench on Jan. 13. He is slated to attend Judicial College at the end of
January. Peters is a graduate of Gonzaga University (2001) and University of Washington School of Law (2004).
JUDGES, 3
Scott Peters
Rebecca Reeder
Philip Thornton Ingrid McLeod
Eatonville School District awarded $1 million Clean energy grant Submitted The Eatonville School District has been awarded a $1 million Clean Energy Fund grant from the Washington State Department of Commerce. This significant funding will be used to optimize energy efficiency at Eatonville High School, helping ESD meet the requirements of the Clean Buildings Act and avoid costly noncompliance fines in the future. This was an extremely competitive grant process, with only four applicants in the entire state receiving $1 million awards. Of those four, Eatonville School District and Lake Stevens School District were the only school districts to receive the full million-dollar allocation. The grant will fund essential upgrades, including HVAC system optimization with air balancing and lighting enhancements. These improvements will directly benefit our students by creating healthier, more comfortable learning environments, stretching local levy dollars further, and reducing the district's electricity bills. The savings generated will allow us to reinvest in programs and resources that directly support our students. “A special thank you goes to Moe Salem with ATS Automation for assisting our district with the grant writing process. Without his expertise and support, this achievement would not have been possible,” the school district said in a press release. “We are proud to be advancing sustainability and fiscal responsibility in our schools, building a greener, brighter future for Eatonville students and our community.”
COURTESY STATE OF WASHINGTON
Bob Ferguson
Bob Ferguson sworn in as Washington governor, delivers inaugural address By Carleen Johnson The Center Square
A day after outgoing three-term Gov. Jay Inslee delivered his final State of the State address, Bob Ferguson was sworn in as the state’s 24th governor on Wednesday. Ferguson has served as the state attorney general since 2013 and was a member of the King County Council before that. Following the swearing-in of other statewide executives, Ferguson took the oath of office administered by Washington Supreme Court Chief
Justice Debra Stephens. He began his midday speech before a joint legislative session in the House of Representatives. Ferguson did not shy away from pointing out where he thought the state government was failing and detailed his plans to address the major challenges facing the Evergreen State. Ferguson, a Democrat, takes the reins as Washington faces a potential operating budget shortfall of between $10 billion and $16 billion over the next four years. He has asked state agencies to find efficiencies worth $4 billion. “Despite these and other challenges, I’m optimistic,” Ferguson said. He noted the state is often bogged down in bureaucracy when residents and businesses need prompt results. The speech had a bipartisan tone, with
Ferguson calling out several Republican lawmakers for legislation they are backing and noting that he would support their bills. “Let us listen to one another, without consideration for party, so that the strongest argument prevails,” Ferguson said. “Let me be specific with examples of how we can work in a bipartisan way.” He mentioned House Bill 1022 sponsored by Rep. April Connors, R-Kennewick. “I am excited to work with you to get your Homes for Heroes legislation to my desk,” the governor said. “Let’s recognize the contributions of police officers, firefighters, behavioral health professionals and other critical public servants and ensure they can access low-interest loans to purchase their first homes.” Ferguson also mentioned possible support
GOVENOR, 3