The entire state of Washington is experiencing drought.

Mayor Bruce Harrell and other Seattle transit advocates held a press conference this morning [TUE]... in response to news of Sound Transit's light rail expansion funding shortfall.

A couple of theaters in the Inland Northwest are undergoing renovations. N-W-P-B’s Lauren Paterson reports on the latest progress.

The Kenworthy Theatre in Moscow [MOSS-coe], Idaho, is getting a fresh face. Its nearly century-old marquee is almost completely restored.

Wildfires across northeast Washington continue to grow in size. A statewide team has taken control of the effort to contain three wildfires in northern Stevens County.

A proposal to create a “Watersheds Bill of Rights” has qualified for the Lane County ballot next May.

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September 2nd marks 80 years since the end of World War II (two). N-W-P-B’s Rachel Sun spoke with veterans’ families, and a historian working to preserve personal memories of World War II."

Optional outro:

Veteran interviews were provided courtesy of Alicia Callahan. Special thanks to Callahan, Raymond Sun at the Fallen Cougars Project, and the families of service members who were interviewed for this story.

Five years ago, massive wildfires burned across Oregon through the first weekend of September. The Labor Day Weekend wildfires killed almost a dozen people and destroyed thousands of homes. Many people are still struggling with housing. OPB's April Ehrlich has the story of one family that has finally found some stable ground.

Dry, windy conditions have managers on a 23,000-acre wildfire in eastern Lane and Douglas Counties expecting an increase in growth.

The Emigrant Fire in eastern Lane and Douglas Counties continued to grow over the weekend and is now burning on more than 23,000 acres. KLCC’s Zac Ziegler reports that upcoming weather could make the fire spread at a faster pace: