West
Whistleblower alleges blue city jails hired over 100 illegal guards over several years
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State and local officials are investigating a Seattle-area corrections department after a whistleblower alleged the county was hiring unqualified immigrants as guards, according to a complaint filed with Washington state authorities.
“Individuals have been hired while holding only temporary work visas, and in some cases, with expired work authorization altogether,” the unnamed whistleblower wrote to the state’s Criminal Justice Training Commission (WSCJTC), regarding hirings in King County. “These hires are in direct violation of the statutory requirements set forth by state law.”
The whistleblower was identified only as an officer from the King County Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention.
The department said in a statement that it is actively investigating the complaint and denied that any of the guards were illegal immigrants, even though some appear to have failed to meet the legal eligibility requirements.
KENTUCKY WHISTLEBLOWER CLAIMS LICENSING CENTER SOLD IDS TO ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ‘UNDER THE TABLE’
A pedestrian passes by the King County Correctional Facility in downtown Seattle, Washington, U.S., September 17, 2020. (Reuters/Lindsey Wasson)
At the time of the filing on Aug. 27, the whistleblower alleged the violations had been happening for “several years” and remained ongoing. The complaint was first reported by SeattleRed host Jason Rantz this week.
Washington law requires all peace officers in the state have their immigration status verified and must be American citizens, lawful permanent residents or beneficiaries of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, known as DACA.
Read the whistleblower’s complaint:
The law does not allow for the hiring of people with temporary visas or illegal immigrants who do not fall under DACA.
ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS COULD DOMINATE DC ARRESTS UNDER FEDERALIZED POLICE FORCE, SAYS EXPERT
“The officers in question are all authorized to work in the United States, are highly trained for their roles, have undergone an extensive criminal background check process, and are in good standing with King County,” the King County Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention said in a statement.
The SeattleRed report, citing an anonymous source with knowledge of the case, placed the number at more than 100 corrections officers. But the scope of the issue was not immediately clear.
A person walks by the King County Correctional Facility in downtown Seattle, Washington, U.S., September 17, 2020. (Reuters/Lindsey Wasson)
The county said that “the total number of corrections officers whose employment eligibility is in question is well below what has been reported in the media.”
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“However, it appears that King County may have improperly applied a requirement set forth by a Washington State statute that limits the categories of workers eligible to serve as corrections officers in our adult jail facilities,” a spokesperson said. “King County takes this potential oversight seriously and is actively investigating and taking remedial steps as necessary.”
The state’s training commission told Fox News Digital that while it trains newly hired corrections officers, it’s the responsibility of the hiring agencies to vet the candidates. However, after learning of the whistleblower complaint, county officials told the commission that four of its recent hires did not meet eligibility requirements, and they were expelled from the training program.
A pedestrian crosses the street near the King County Correctional Facility in downtown Seattle, Washington, U.S., September 17, 2020. (Reuters/Lindsey Wasson)
“The agency is aware of the complaint and we are conducting an open investigation into King County’s hiring practices,” WSCJTC spokesman David Quinlan told Fox News Digital.
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The county is cooperating with the probe, he added, and the state will decertify anyone it uncovers who fails to meet the legal qualification requirements.
King County is the largest in the state and includes Seattle and some of its suburbs.
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Forecast for Big Island Windward and Southeast
| Shores | Tonight | Saturday | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surf | Surf | |||
| PM | AM | AM | PM | |
| North Facing | 0-2 | 0-2 | 0-2 | 0-2 |
| East Facing | 1-3 | 1-3 | 1-3 | 1-3 |
| South Facing | 4-6 | 3-5 | 4-6 | 5-7 |
| Weather | Sunny until 6 PM, then partly cloudy. Scattered showers. |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low Temperature | In the lower 70s. | |||||
| Winds | Northeast winds 5 to 10 mph, becoming northwest after midnight. |
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| Weather | Mostly sunny. Scattered showers. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High Temperature | In the mid 80s. | |||||
| Winds | Northeast winds 5 to 10 mph. | |||||
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| Sunrise | 5:42 AM HST. | |||||
| Sunset | 7:02 PM HST. | |||||
Forecast for Big Island Leeward
| Shores | Tonight | Saturday | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surf | Surf | |||
| PM | AM | AM | PM | |
| West Facing | 2-4 | 2-4 | 2-4 | 2-4 |
| South Facing | 4-6 | 3-5 | 3-5 | 4-6 |
| Weather | Mostly sunny until 6 PM, then mostly clear. Isolated showers. |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low Temperature | In the upper 60s. | ||||||||
| Winds | Northwest winds around 5 mph, becoming southeast in the evening, then becoming light and variable after midnight. |
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| Weather | Sunny. Isolated showers. | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High Temperature | In the upper 80s. | ||||||||
| Winds | West winds around 5 mph. | ||||||||
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| Sunrise | 5:46 AM HST. | ||||||||
| Sunset | 7:06 PM HST. | ||||||||
A small, medium period south swell will continue to steadily fade into Saturday, allowing surf along south and west-facing shores to drop a notch. A series of small, medium to long period south and southeast swells will fill in Saturday into the first half of next week, which will boost surf heights back near seasonal averages.
Tiny surf will prevail along north-facing shores through most of the coming week as only some limited short-period energy reaches the islands from the north. Trade winds remain lighter than normal through the weekend, keeping surf along east-facing shores below average. East shore surf will begin to trend up early next week as trade winds increase upstream and across the region.
NORTH EAST
am pm
Surf: Minimal (ankle high or less) surf.
Conditions: Semi choppy with ESE winds 5-10mph in the morning increasing to 10-15mph in the afternoon.
NORTH WEST
am pm
Surf: Minimal (ankle high or less) surf.
Conditions: Clean in the morning with ESE winds less than 5mph. Bumpy/semi bumpy conditions for the afternoon with the winds shifting W 5-10mph.
WEST
am pm
Surf: Minimal (ankle high or less) surf.
Conditions: Light sideshore texture in the morning with NNW winds 5-10mph. Bumpy/semi bumpy conditions for the afternoon with the winds shifting to the WNW.
SOUTH EAST
am pm
Surf: Minimal (ankle high or less) surf.
Conditions: Sideshore texture/chop with NE winds 10-15mph.
Data Courtesy of NOAA.gov and SwellInfo.com
Idaho
‘Land back’ gift to Boise Valley tribes celebrated during annual Return of the Boise Valley People
BOISE, Idaho — A celebration of culture, healing and history took on new meaning Friday as descendants of the Boise Valley’s original Indigenous inhabitants gathered at Eagle Rock Park to honor a three-acre land gift that tribal leaders say will preserve their heritage for generations.
The announcement was celebrated during the 15th annual Return of the Boise Valley People gathering, an event that reunites descendants of the Boise Valley’s original tribes to reconnect with their ancestral homeland while sharing their history, traditions, and culture with the public.
WATCH | New land gift gives Boise Valley tribes a future home for cultural education
Land gift to Boise Valley tribes celebrated during Return of the Boise Valley People
“We honor the relationship between this land and the generations of the original Boise Valley people, their ancestors, their descendants, and those yet to be born,” organizers said during the ceremony.
Among those celebrating was Lance Dick Jr., a member of the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes Tribal Council who grew up on the Duck Valley Reservation. He joined the Duck Valley Singing Group as tribal members marked the return of the land.
“It feels good to come and connect with the people and come back and reclaim ourselves here in the Boise Valley,” Dick said.
He said the land represents more than property—it represents a renewed connection to the Boise Valley.
“It just feels good knowing that there’s people willing to contribute back to our people and give that land, and being able to reclaim ourselves here in the valley,” he said.
The property, located near the Boise Foothills in the North End, will remain home to the Keener family during their lifetime. Afterward, it will become a cultural gathering place where future generations can learn about the Indigenous peoples whose ancestors lived throughout the Boise Valley for thousands of years.
Lori “BirdWing” Edmo, co-founder of the Return of the Boise Valley People gathering, said the vision extends beyond preserving the land.
“Our plan is to use it as a place to educate about our people, our version of our history, and also to educate everyone,” Edmo said. “We’ll grow our traditional foods and have a walking path with information about the original Boise Valley people.”
Ed Keener said his family’s decision to return the land followed years of building relationships with members of the Shoshone-Paiute and Shoshone-Bannock tribes.
“I’ve been working to get to know Native people for 20 years, particularly people from Duck Valley,” Keener said. “I thought this would be really good for folks whose ancestors were here to begin with and had always been here.”
The Return of the Boise Valley People gathering continues through the weekend. Friday’s public cultural celebration featured tribal booths, songs, language demonstrations and educational exhibits. Saturday’s activities include a walk and run at Eagle Rock Park before tribal events move to Gowen Field, while the weekend concludes Sunday with a sunrise ceremony for participating tribes.
The Keener family says they hope their gift inspires other landowners to consider ways to help preserve Indigenous history and strengthen connections between communities.
The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at June 19, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from June 19 drawing
13-16-21-26-50, Mega Ball: 12
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from June 19 drawing
05-12-14-30, Bonus: 03
Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from June 19 drawing
02-20-28-51-54, Bonus: 02
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Montana Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 9 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Lucky For Life: 8:38 p.m. MT daily.
- Lotto America: 9 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Big Sky Bonus: 7:30 p.m. MT daily.
- Powerball Double Play: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Montana Cash: 8 p.m. MT on Wednesday and Saturday.
- Millionaire for Life: 9:15 p.m. MT daily.
Missed a draw? Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Great Falls Tribune editor. You can send feedback using this form.
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‘Land back’ gift to Boise Valley tribes celebrated during annual Return of the Boise Valley People
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