Bridgeport Archives - Northwest Public Broadcasting

Fire-Evacuated Farmworkers From Bridgeport Slept In A Brewster Park As The Pearl Hill Fire Burned

By Enrique Pérez de la Rosa September 18, 2020

File photo. Brewster, in Okanogan County, shown here in 2013, is one of the primary areas of north-central Washington's tree-fruit industry -- for growing, packing and shipping. CREDIT: Jessica Robinson/N3

According to community members in Bridgeport and Brewster, and farmworkers who spoke on the condition of anonymity, orchard supervisors told workers they needed to evacuate with little to no warning. Workers said they were told to grab their documents and quickly board company buses. Then, they were taken to a city park in Brewster, across the Columbia River. Read More

‘I Regret That.’ Governor Sorry For Apple Gift Mistake; Agent Tracks Down Maggot-Laden Fruit

By NWPB News September 17, 2020

Signs along highways throughout Washington mark where apple maggot quarantine areas begin. It is illegal to transport home-grown tree fruit into these areas, largely from western Washington into the state's apple-growing eastern counties. CREDIT: Washington Dept. of Agriculture

In Washington, bringing a home-grown apple from west to east is a misdemeanor. There are road signs and posters. The penalty can cost 90 days in jail. But the Washington Department of Agriculture has never enforced the law. Sources at the department say it’s more about education.Read More

Governor Came To Eastern Washington Bearing Gifts. But The Banned Apples Had Maggot Larvae

By NWPB News September 16, 2020

A screenshot of a Facebook post of the apples that Gov. Jay Inslee brought to eastern Washington. The apples were found to be infested with apple maggots, a dangerous pest.

Thurston County, where Inslee lives in the governor’s mansion, is under apple maggot quarantine, whereas Douglas County is not. It’s illegal to bring apples to Douglas County, apple country, from Thurston County.Read More

UPDATES: Crews Make Good Progress In Eastern Washington Fires; Hundreds Of Homes Burned

By NWPB News September 16, 2020

The Inchelium Complex, comprised of three smaller fires, is burning in timber and grasslands on the eastern side of the reservation of the Colville Confederated Tribes, shown here on Sept. 12, 2020. CREDIT: InciWeb

Labor Day 2020 lived up to its name if you’re a firefighter. It was a day that set up for numerous fires in central and eastern Washington that have burned tens of thousands of acres, and possibly many more. At least 80 fires started in Washington in what officials call a historic fire event. Read More