WASHINGTON — When President Donald Trump speaks to House and Senate lawmakers Tuesday for his first official State of the Union address since returning to office, some Northwest Democrats plan to skip the spectacle and counter it with their own messaging efforts.

Microsoft gaming CEO and former Xbox boss Phil Spencer is retiring after 38 years at the company. Spencer, who started at Microsoft in 1988 as an intern, oversaw the company's gaming division as it expanded its reach in PC, mobile and cloud gaming.

Tibetan Buddhist monks from South India will spend five days building a large, incredibly intricate mandala from colored sand. Then it will be swept away and the sand poured into the Columbia River at Vancouver Waterfront park— a lesson in impermanence and compassion.

When Michelle Eisen and her fellow baristas organized an upstart union at a Starbucks, she and others were frustrated by the messaging from the top.

LONGVIEW — A book by a local architect showcases historical homes by Lake Sacajawea, while also raising funds for the Longview Library Foundation.

Twenty years ago this week, a Seattle startup called Zillow launched the first public website showing on- and off-market property values.

Every year, Kris Bullinger braces herself for insurance sticker shock.

Many readers are drawn to a specific “doorway” in their reading choices, and one reading preference is for a book’s setting.

What is the best way to improve my soil so my flowers and vegetables grow their best?

Friday started out with a bite to it. Rural parts of Clark County dipped into the 20s before sunrise; Vancouver officially bottomed out at 29 degrees.

WASHOUGAL — Work is progressing steadily on one of Clark County’s most prominent transportation infrastructure projects.

BELLINGHAM — The Northwest Washington Fair is returning to Lynden in August, and the first show of its Grandstand Entertainment series has been announced.

Nearly 1,000 taxpayers in Clark County’s legislative districts would be on the hook to pay the proposed income tax under consideration in Olympia.

A Vancouver legislator warns further cuts to Medicaid reimbursement rates for dental care will hurt Washington residents’ overall health.

The chatter of a crowd gathered inside the Nippon Kan Theatre came to an abrupt stop as the sound of drums filled the room. Four lion dancers entered through the back to applause from the crowd and began weaving their way toward the stage.

On Feb. 6, the Vancouver Arts Hub was filled with color, music and the sheer joyful energy of about 200 people who had converged to see the new Asian Arts and Culture Exhibit.

In case you missed them, here are some of the top stories of the week.

Dani Story was searching for something to break up her daily routine when she first ventured into east Vancouver’s Firstenburg Community Center in 2018. “I was a stay-at-home mom, and my girls were 4 and 5 years old,” Story said. “I was just looking for a way to get out of the house.” Later, she […]

A student infected with measles who showed up for class at Ridgefield High School in January could have sparked an epidemic.

SPOKANE — Roughly 300 acres that is a stone’s throw from the Washington-Idaho border will remain a vibrant natural area, according to a Wednesday announcement from the Inland Northwest Land Conservancy.

A custodian who worked at Image Elementary School is accused of possessing child sex abuse materials. School officials say investigators don’t believe the alleged crimes are related to any activities at the school.

SPOKANE — A reported drive-by shooting Wednesday turned into a police chase, with the suspect crashing into a Spokane police car before officers arrested him, police said.

Light rail service was disrupted on both the 1 and 2 Lines Friday during the morning commute.

Orange Julius, a mall staple and a nostalgic treat, has closed at the Tacoma Mall.

The Trump administration’s tariffs rattled Southwest Washington, a trade-dependent region in one of the nation’s most trade-dependent states. Now that the U.S. Supreme Court has struck them down, Washington’s small businesses are “breathing a sigh of relief,” Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., said Friday.

Legislation to eliminate a Washington state tax break for large mortgage lenders and use the revenue to partially backfill wildfire prevention programs is making progress in Olympia.

Federal officials are attempting to open up millions of acres of forests in western Oregon for “maximum” timber production to “advance Trump administration priorities,” including areas that are home to federally protected, vulnerable species, the Bureau of Land Management announced.

Clark County Charter Review Commission member Brad Benton announced Thursday that he is running for Clark County Council, District 5.

Seattle's iconic Pike Place Market signage gained a new addition Thursday.

Aspirations are coming closer to reality for Section 30 as more developments in the city-planned east Vancouver area take shape.

Federal officials have secured nearly $120 million for water, sewer, road, housing assistance and other projects in Clark County.

Battle Ground police detectives served a search warrant Tuesday at a home connected to a monthslong investigation into the shooting of various neighborhood wildlife with blow darts.

Clark County’s 20-year plan for growth should expand urban areas around cities into surrounding farmlands, according to a recommendation from the planning commission delivered to the county council on Wednesday.

The Clark County Council adopted a resolution Tuesday night expressing alarm over reported federal immigration enforcement tactics and clarifying the county’s role in such activities.

Five things to do this week

Andy Linton’s roommate, student and buddy has moved out of their Brush Prairie home. While that’s appropriate and necessary, Linton said, it’s still not easy.

A long-delayed affordable housing complex in Battle Ground will move forward with county funding.

The city of Vancouver may alter its building codes so developers could cut the cost of constructing smaller apartments.

There’s no shortage of opinions about homelessness. Every month, a group of local leaders meets to discuss the issue and find common ground.

U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell on Wednesday warned that the latest version of the Republican-backed Safeguard American Voter Eligibility, or SAVE, Act threatens to disenfranchise millions of eligible voters ahead of the midterm elections.

There are a lot of things to consider when choosing a college.

OLYMPIA — A bald eagle was rescued from southbound Interstate 5 in Tumwater Sunday evening, according to the Washington State Patrol.

Disaster preparedness funds that were destined for Washington communities are still being held up by the Trump administration, despite a court ordering their release, Attorney General Nick Brown said Tuesday.

Tech titan Elon Musk wrote in a Dec. 18 X post that the Ivy League institution Brown University employs one administrator for every two pupils. To that, Washington state Rep. Travis Couture replied, “Evergreen State College in WA employs 4 administrators for every 1 student!”

Clark County sheriff’s deputies arrested a 15-year-old student Tuesday afternoon after she stabbed another 15-year-old student in a restroom at Heritage High School, the sheriff’s office said. The student who was stabbed suffered injuries that deputies said are not life-threatening.

A Vancouver woman is suing Legacy Health, Kaiser Permanente Northwest and two physicians over complications she experienced after taking a drug to treat her chronic stomach condition.

His wrists in handcuffs, Mo begged the federal agents to let him bring the baby formula home to his son.

Democratic state senators’ pursuit of new barriers to Washington’s initiative process ended quietly Tuesday.

On Tuesday, the Clark County Council unanimously voted to keep manufactured home parks out of developers’ hands for another year.

OLYMPIA — State Senators passed legislation Monday to create an income tax on those earning over $1 million a year, the first hurdle in what will likely prove to be a long battle to get the bill over the finish line before the legislative session draws to an end.