This is Northwest Public Broadcasting's Weekly News Now.

I'm Tracci Dial.

Thanks so much for joining us.

Washington emergency room clinicians are getting some help helping people with opioid use disorder.

Between 2019 and 2021, opioid overdose deaths doubled in Washington, according to the state Department of Health.

In June, Washington Health Care Authority released ‘ScalaNW.

It's meant to help clinicians get specific medications to treat people with opioid use disorder after being in the E.R.. ScalaNW has resources like consultations and helping schedule patients for follow ups.

The so-called X-waiver was part of the problem.

To get those meds to people, clinicians had to do long trainings and intensive registration through the X-waiver.

All of those requirements were lifted last year.

We talked to Liz Wolkin with the Health Care Authority.

“Because of the history of the X-waiver, a lot of providers weren't trained on this medication.

They haven't seen other folks use it.

They may not have used it before themselves.” There are more than a dozen hospitals enrolled in the program right now, several in eastern Washington and several rural.

Toxic algae has been blossoming for years in Washington's Moses Lake, spurred by phosphorus flowing into the water.

This week, a task force called Eutrophix went out and applied a sort of clay mixture to one arm of the lake, the Rocky Ford Arm.

That's where the worst blooms have happened.

Back in 2018 and 2019, toxic algae blossomed at the end of June and closed the entire, massive lake.

It's in a hot part of central Washington, noted as a top place for fishing.

Lots of people go there to do things like boating and anything else on the water.

The lake also supports more than 1,200 jobs and dozens of businesses in the area.

All of that, according to the Moses Lake Watershed Council.

Here's Scott Shuler of Eutrophix, the group treating the algae, and they treat those all across the country.

“Once we fully addressed the phosphorus load, then we would expect the results to last for 10, 20, potentially even 30 years.” How the treatment is made, how it works, and how much it costs is all on nwpb.org.

Now here is one passionate Pasco fourth grader.

I love coding so much and so learning that there is another opportunity to code.

I just had to do it.

That's Declan Welk.

His fourth grade team took top honors at a national competition.

So did the fifth grade team, both from Livingston Elementary School.

More than 30 teams took part from 11 different states.

Hear more from the Pasco champs online.

Find all of these stories and so much more there.

You can also find us on Instagram and Facebook.

I'm Tracci Dial with your NWPB Weekly News Now.

Thanks for joining us.