Will Geschke

5 days ago | heraldnet.com | Will Geschke |Jenna Peterson

EVERETT — Every Tuesday and Wednesday, the red bus comes back to Emerson Elementary. It’s decorated with branding for LifeWise Academy, an optional Bible education program that pulls students out of public school during the day for classes. The program is legally permitted under a little-known 1952 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that allows for off-site religious instruction during the school day.

6 days ago | heraldnet.com | Will Geschke

MONROE — Amid concerns over potential Medicaid cuts, Congress member Suzan DelBene of Medina hosted a roundtable in Monroe on Thursday, discussing the impacts cuts may have in Snohomish County and nationwide. A budget resolution passed by the House of Representatives on April 10 called on the Energy and Commerce Committee to cut $880 billion from its budget. That committee oversees $25 trillion in spending, most of which goes to Medicare and Medicaid.

1 week ago | heraldnet.com | Will Geschke

EVERETT — Everett City Council approved a budget amendment on Wednesday, allocating funds for some additional employees and work on its multipurpose stadium project. Most of the funds tied to the amendment are reappropriations, allowing the city to use unspent funds from 2024 . The budget amendment approves an increase of just under $200,000 in general government spending. It also budgets for an increase in non-general government spending by about $2.3 million.

1 week ago | heraldnet.com | Will Geschke

EVERETT — At an executive session Tuesday, the Everett Public Schools Board of Directors selected five finalists who could fill a vacant seat on the school board. The five finalists are Demetria Chatters, Jeffery Doan, Anna Marie Jackson Laurence, Curt Lillibridge and Ryan Weber. The board will interview them at a special meeting at 11:30 a.m. May 1. The board will likely vote on which finalist to appoint that day. If approved, the new board member will be sworn in on May 13.

1 week ago | heraldnet.com | Will Geschke

EVERETT — Friends and colleagues remember R.C. “Swede” Johnson as a hard worker, a smart leader. But most importantly, he cared deeply about his hometown. Johnson, a former member of the Snohomish County Council, City Council and the school district’s board of directors, died on March 11. He was 81 years old. In the town of Snohomish, he was more than just a politician, friends and colleagues said.