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Articles written by Lavendrick Smith


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  • Quick dollars for wildfire suppression critical to containment, committee hears

    LaVendrick Smith, WNPA Olympia News Bureau|Jan 27, 2016

    OLYMPIA-When a fire broke out in Asotin County last summer, Noel Hardin said a delay in state resources led to a bigger, more costly blaze. The fire chief for District 1 in the county says that by the time the fire was contained it cost $2 million to fight, but could have been much cheaper with faster support from the state. "The helicopter bill at that time would've been somewhere between three and four thousand dollars," Hardin said. One state lawmaker wants to make it easier for local fire...

  • Governor, DNR 2016 budget proposals seek wildfire fighting, recovery funds

    LaVendrick Smith WNPA Olympia News Bureau|Jan 13, 2016

    OLYMPIA — When wildfires ignited around Twisp last summer, Meg Donohue said her coffee-roaster business shifted from being a popular gathering spot for the community to a place for up-to-the-minute news. “We found ourselves kind of being a hub for information, and a way for people to connect with each other, and find out what’s going on,” said Donohue, a Twisp resident and co-owner of Blue Star Coffee Roasters. The coffee retailer is one of many locally-owned businesses in Twisp that felt the impact of last year’s wildfire season – Washington...