Some big news out of the Secretary of State's Office today:

New from Kelsey Turner: Renters in Washington say unregulated "junk fees" are being used excessively. One owed $125 for not watering her grass. The property manager charged another $125 for taping that fee notice to her door. The tenant owes $3k total. invw.org/2024/08/08/wa-…

Idaho lacks state heat protections for workers that neighboring states have. My first story for InvestigateWest looks at two worker deaths in 2021 and the differing responses to them from Idaho and Oregon. invw.org/2024/08/15/a-t…

NEW: Without requirements for employers to provide workers with resources to stay cool during 100-degree temperatures, many rely on the few volunteers who visit work sites and workers’ homes to distribute water, sports drinks, hats and other supplies. invw.org/2024/08/15/a-t…

Check out Mia Maldonado 's story on how energy production in Idaho is changing over time, including amazing graphics she created to show how Idaho Power, Avista Utilities and Rocky Mountain Power are changing how they deliver power to customers. idahocapitalsun.com/2024/08/21/ida…

People we love and have lost live on in our memories and in our stories. Everyone who knew him had a really special and individual relationship with JJ and Mia shared a little bit about hers in this piece. I cried when I read it because I could hear his quotes in his voice 💗

🚨 stop what you're doing & read this Rachel Spacek story🚨 Idaho is 1 of 16 states that blocked a federal law that would have given more protections to farmworkers. Its ag employers also have some of the highest rates of labor violations in the country invw.org/2024/09/23/far…

TW: Suicide > > I spent much of my summer in the world of Pam Antoni, a 49 year old woman who died by suicide outside her apartment in Bend in June. Today InvestigateWest and OPB published her story 🧵 opb.org/article/2024/1…

a reminder for idaho folks with felony convictions: as long as you aren’t currently on probation or parole you CAN vote today 🗳️ AND your right to vote was automatically restored once your sentence was completed

NEW: Bird flu is spreading rapidly, but in the Northwest, farm workers — the people closest to the danger — are rarely tested for exposure. The latest from: Rachel Spacek (cc: Report for America) investigatewest.org/investigatewes…

Smart, sharp and important coverage from Rachel Spacek

NEW: Few children who arrive at the border alone have access to help navigating the immigration system. Reporting by: Rachel Spacek (cc: Report for America) investigatewest.org/investigatewes…

As uncertainty over Trump plans looms, migrant children struggle to find legal aid in the Northwest. Rachel Spacek reports for InvestigateWest / Report for America opb.org/article/2024/1…

NEW: Congressman Mike Simpson hopes that one day Idaho can surpass Wisconsin as the No. 2 dairy-producing state. But he doesn’t think it can get there without thousands of undocumented workers now facing the prospect of deportation. By: Rachel Spacek investigatewest.org/investigatewes…

I've made the slow move over to Blue Sky. You can find me posting my stories and reporting here: @rachelspacek.bsky.social

"We have lots of work for you guys." Emails obtained by Rachel Spacek show how Kootenai County deputies have been coordinating with feds on immigration enforcement. investigatewest.org/investigatewes…

“If this is happening, I would be hesitant to report a crime myself:" Idaho’s Owyhee County joins ICE agreement to enforce immigration law investigatewest.org/investigatewes…

NEW: Accused of racism and retaliation, this Idaho sheriff is now working with ICE. The latest from Rachel Spacek (cc: Report for America) investigatewest.org/investigatewes…

NEW: How Homeland Security’s “welfare checks” on migrant students have triggered fear and legal questions in Idaho. The latest from Rachel Spacek (cc: Report for America) investigatewest.org/investigatewes…