WSDA crews hunt "murder hornets" with help from residents

Photo Courtesy Gov. Inslee's Staff - Asian giant hornets, often called "murder hornets," continue to appear in Blaine and Bellingham. They are invasive and dangerous to people and pollinators.

Invasive Asian giant hornets pose a very real threat to people and pollinators if they propagate. Teams from the state Department of Agriculture continue to catch, track, and eradicate them. Local residents are helping the cause by reporting sightings.

Gov. Jay Inslee visited two helpful residents last Tuesday (July 12) who alerted WSDA after spotting the hornets near their homes. After a sighting, WSDA crews visit to trap a hornet, sedate it, tie a tiny transmitter to it, then release it. Later, crews trek through thick brush to locate the nest, then don sting-proof suits to vacuum the hornets from within the hive.

"Murder hornets" are one of many invasive species trying to establish a foothold in Washington state. European green crabs and other prolific non-native creatures threaten natural ecosystems. Residents should report sightings of invasive species to the proper authority.

Small Businesses Benefit

from Revitalization Grants,

Infrastructure Projects

Gov. Jay Inslee welcomed Isabel Casillas Guzman, head of the U.S. Small Business Administration, to Seattle to discuss relief programs and contracting opportunities for small businesses. SBA programs like the Paycheck Protection Program and Restaurant Revitalization Fund and state programs like Working Washington Grants helped keep the lights on at many small enterprises.

The next application round for $70 million in Working Washington Grants will open on Aug. 17 for small businesses affected by the pandemic. Inslee and Guzman met at The London Plane restaurant, itself a beneficiary of Working Washington Grants.

Inslee and Guzman also visited the site of the WSDOT SR 520 Montlake Project to showcase bridge and road improvement projects that will benefit from state and federal infrastructure packages. The state's recently-passed Move Ahead Washington transportation package and the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will invest billions in transportation improvements statewide, creating contracting opportunities for small businesses.

Nursing Labor Shortage

The importance of nurses has never been more obvious given their heroic work on the front lines of the pandemic. The field has long faced a labor shortage, but the nation's aging population will require enhanced health services and more nurses. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Registered Nursing (RN) is listed among the top occupations in terms of job growth through 2029.

Gov. Jay Inslee visited Bellingham Technical College on Thursday to learn about their nursing program, supported by funding from the state's supplemental budget. State funding helped the college market its program and purchase simulation laboratory equipment, including the "patient" pictured above.

The supplemental budget also included $3.8 million for the state Board for Community and Technical Colleges to expand enrollment for nursing programs statewide to attract more talent. Inslee also signed a bill this year to establish a nurse educator loan repayment plan as part of the Washington Health Corps. The corps was established in 2019 to provide loan repayments to students studying for certain health care professions.