I'm Tracci Dial, and this is NWPB Weekly News Now.

Once again, we're tracking more cases of pertussis.

NWPB is closely watching Whitman County, where a number of Washington State University students on the Palouse have come down with the illness.

But cases are being reported around the northwest.

Go to our website where you can learn how it's passed and what you can do to protect yourself and people around you.

That's at NWPB.org.

On the west side of Washington, a city council votes to dissolve its immigration advisory board.

The city of Bellingham has instead created a new workgroup to support compliance with the Keep Washington Working Act.

The advisory board had been in place since 2019.

Earlier this year, the City Council suspended the board meetings.

The model of the group turned out to be the problem, so the council unanimously approved this new workgroup.

Here's Bellingham City Council member Hannah Stone.

“The scope of work outlined in the Keep Washington Working workgroup is a narrow scope but important scope that could lead to some really significant impacts for the better in our community to benefit, and help protect and ensure safety for members of the immigrant community here in Bellingham.” This new group will advise the city on compliance with the state rules, as well as make policy recommendations.

You can read all about the Keep Washington Working Act in this story on the website.

Now, also on the site, NWPB.org/Hanford, a huge collection of an audio special from Oregon Public Broadcasting in collaboration with Northwest Public Broadcasting.

Here is a quick listen.

“We have a beautiful overlook, frankly, of the whole Hanford site.

And the river is just down below us.

That's several hundred feet below us.

It sweeps around through the landscape.

And, you can see the vitrification plant here and some of the other waste facilities and the old, abandoned nuclear reactors, spread out along the river.” That was Bruce Bjornstad.

He's a geologist who took the team on a tour.

He's describing the area where Hanford sits just outside the Tri-Cities.

You can hear full interviews about the Manhattan Project history, poetry, cleanup, and a whole slew of other topics, all online right now.

Again, it's NWPB.org/Hanford.

Now, you can also find us on Instagram, Facebook and on YouTube.

I'm Tracci Dial and this is this week's Weekly News Now.