This is Northwest Public Broadcasting's Weekly News Now.

I'm Tracci Dial.

Thanks so much for joining us.

A massive cleanup project on the upper Columbia River in Washington could be happening.

The US Environmental Protection Agency is proposing that part of the river could become a Superfund site, which is a big cleanup project.

The EPA wants it on the Superfund National Priorities list.

People can let the EPA know what they think during a public comment period that's open until May 6th.

The part of the Columbia in question flows from the US-Canada border to Grand Coulee Dam.

The EPA says there is lead and arsenic contamination from metal making smelters.

Enough of it that it could be dangerous, especially for children.

The proposed Superfund site would make it eligible to get federal funding for cleanup.

Go to our website to find out more about the proposal and how you can take part in the public comment period.

Moscow, Idahos police chief is retiring after eight years on the job.

Chief James Fry leads the small town department that was pushed into the international spotlight after four students were killed near the U of I campus in 2022.

Fry isn't hanging up his hat in law enforcement, though.

He's now running for the sheriff job.

“There's some things that I'm looking at doing and getting out in the you know, the smaller communities and trying to develop some community policing philosophies out there.

And there's things that I'll bring to the table that we did here in Moscow.

” Fry will be running against incumbent Sheriff Richard Skiles.

We also reached out to Sheriff Skiles.

He says if he's reelected, he'll keep pushing Latah County forward.

As for the case of the four students killed while Chief Fry led Moscow PD.

A trial date has not yet been set for the man accused in the killings.

You can find a full timeline and any updates on the case at NWPB.org/IdahoFour.

After more than two decades.

Washington is working to create a new memorial to honor firefighters killed in the line of duty.

The state says nearly 300 have died on the job since 1891.

There used to be a memorial for them, but it was destroyed in the 2001 Nisqually earthquake and never fixed.

Now Washington's legislature is making a new one a reality.

The House and the Senate both passed the bill before the session ended.

Here is Washington's Commissioner of Public Lands, Hillary Franz.

“We celebrate the passage of a bill that sets in motion the creation of a new memorial that will truly honor those who lost their lives in the line of duty.

” The 2024 election season is in full swing now, and we want to hear from you.

What questions do you have for the candidates?

We have a survey linked on our website to find out.

And you can also find more information on all of these stories on our social media pages, Facebook and Instagram.

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