Susan Shain

Walla Walla

Walla Walla Community Reporter at Northwest Public Broadcasting

Reporter at @NWPBroadcasting. Previously @nytimes @highcountrynews. Send tips and dog pix to [email protected].

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Articles

Why affordable housing providers say they’re facing an ‘existential’ crisis

4 weeks ago | nwpb.org | Susan Shain

Jeff Guyett was sitting at his computer last May when he opened an email from his insurance broker. It revealed his new premium: over $400,000 annually. More than double the year before. “I really didn’t even know how to respond at first,” Guyett said. “I was flabbergasted.” Guyett is the executive director of the Community Action Center in Pullman. His organization owns about 200 affordable housing units across Whitman County. For years, the agency broke even on them.
Washington’s state library just lost federal funding — here’s what that means - Northwest Public Broadcasting

1 month ago | nwpb.org | Susan Shain

Both the American Library Association and 20 state attorneys general are suing the Trump administration for its efforts to dismantle the Institute of Museum and Library Services, or IMLS. The plaintiffs claim that an executive order calling for the agency’s elimination is unconstitutional, because its funding was already approved by Congress. The IMLS has already placed its roughly 70 employees on administrative leave.
What should I wear to work out while keeping the planet healthy?

1 month ago | straitstimes.com | Susan Shain

NEW YORK – Chances are, your favourite exercise attire is synthetic, made from petroleum-based fibres like nylon, spandex and polyester. Materials that do not exactly scream “climate friendly”. Natural fibres have issues too. Growing cotton can use huge amounts of water and pesticides, the sheep that give wool emit methane, and processing bamboo can produce a lot of pollution. Altogether, the apparel and footwear industries account for more than 8 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions.
What’s fuzzy, cute and sold out? Chicks

1 month ago | nwpb.org | Susan Shain

The first person showed up at 6:50 a.m., more than an hour before the store opened. The third person to arrive was Steve Irwin. “You gotta get in line or get an early number,” Irwin said. “If you don’t, it’s over with. You might as well go home.” By 7:45 a.m., a line of people had gathered outside the Tractor Supply Co. in Walla Walla. What were they waiting for? Baby chicks. The birds, unaware of their celebrity status, huddled in silver tubs, basking under the red light of heat lamps.
Unpacked: Addressing homelessness in Walla Walla

1 month ago | nwpb.org | Phineas Pope |Susan Shain

By Phineas Pope and Susan ShainPhineas Pope: Walla Walla County has found permanent housing for 74% of the people who exited its homeless services system. That’s data from the last fiscal year, according to the Washington Department of Commerce. And it’s nearly twice the rate of the state as a whole. NWPB’s Susan Shain joins me now from Walla Walla to discuss more. What’s the key to the success in Walla Walla?
What Kind of Workout Clothes Are Best for the Environment?

2 months ago | nytimes.com | Susan Shain

Chances are, your favorite exercise attire is synthetic, made from petroleum-based fibers like nylon, spandex and polyester. Materials that don't exactly scream "climate friendly."Natural fibers have issues, too: Growing cotton can use huge amounts of water and pesticides, the sheep that give us wool emit methane, and processing bamboo can produce a lot of pollution. Altogether, the apparel and footwear industries account for more than 8 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.
New Walla Walla scholarship aimed at women studying the trades

2 months ago | nwpb.org | Susan Shain

Machinery hummed and sparks flew as welding student Jaquelin Sanchez, 23, used electricity to connect two pieces of metal. Sanchez just started the welding program at Walla Walla Community College, or WWCC, in January. “ I didn’t think I would be doing this, but I liked it, so I’m gonna keep going,” Sanchez said. “I felt like I was stuck, and now I can see a future.”At any given time, women make up around 15% to 25% of welding students at the college.
Save the Pipeline

2 months ago | kornferry.com | Susan Shain

By Susan Shain Among the catastrophically awful economic damage produced by COVID-19, one number in particular stands out: 2.2 million. That's the number of American women who dropped out of the workforce between February and October 2020, according to the National Women's Law Center. It's one thing to get those women back into the workforce, but it's another, far trickier obstacle to get high-achieving women back into the executive ranks, or at least on track to join them.
Walla Walla’s immigration rapid response team gears up

Feb 5, 2025 | nwpb.org | Susan Shain

Last year, the Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network said it trained more than 700 people to join rapid response teams. These teams spring into action when immigration raids occur in their communities. The members, who are often volunteers, say they help immigrants understand their rights and communicate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE.
Decades-long Highway 12 expansion sees 'light at the end of the tunnel'

Jan 31, 2025 | nwpb.org | Susan Shain

More than $108.5 million. That’s how much Walla Walla County is receiving from the U.S. Department of Transportation. That’s also the largest rural grant of its kind that the agency has ever given. The money will help widen the section of U.S. Highway 12, between Wallula and Nine Mile Hill, from two lanes to four. It will also add a divider between the lanes.