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# Investigations team caps four years with state law, policy reforms
- URL: https://www.cascadepbs.org/impact-report/2025/10/investigations-team-caps-four-years-with-state-law-policy-reforms/
- Published: 2025-10-16T12:00:26.000Z
- Updated: 2025-10-16T17:49:25.000Z
- Description: From youth labor violations to housing abuses to pandemic-aid fraud, Cascade PBS investigative reporters cast light into undercovered corners of WA in 2025.
- Author: Jacob Jones
- Tags: Impact Report, Inside Cascade PBS, News, #news, #article, Article, Investigations, Cascade PBS Investigates

The Cascade PBS Investigations team got to stick around just long enough to see some of the impact from its reporting play out across the state in 2025\. As in past years, our reporters traveled to distant corners of Washington to find out how money and policy decisions affect local communities. We visited [disaster-ravaged towns](https://www.cascadepbs.org/investigations/2025/08/wa-families-struggle-to-rebuild-after-utility-sparked-wildfires/), [struggling mobile home parks](https://www.cascadepbs.org/investigations/2025/06/wa-mobile-homeowners-advocates-react-to-new-rent-stabilization-law/), ranches [transitioning to renewable energy](https://www.cascadepbs.org/investigations/2025/03/obscure-state-agency-referees-was-green-energy-battles/) and [immigrant aid organizations](https://www.cascadepbs.org/news/2025/05/newsfeed-immigration-advocates-assist-released-ice-detainees/). 

Our investigative reporters published [more than 30 stories](https://www.cascadepbs.org/investigations/) over the past 10 months. We also contributed to numerous Newsfeed video pieces and collaborated on a [four-part podcast series](https://www.cascadepbs.org/podcasts/northwest-reports/2025/03/its-not-easy-going-green-an-obscure-state-agency/) about barriers to green energy. Much of our accountability work focused on stories in rural news deserts or underrepresented communities that have lost daily news coverage in recent years. We saw our stories help change state laws, inform lawsuits and inspire policy reform. 

After launching with grant support in early 2022 (at what was then known as Crosscut), the award-winning Investigations desk will go away this month as part of Cascade PBS’s decision to [eliminate its in-depth, statewide written coverage](https://www.cascadepbs.org/inside-cascade-pbs/2025/10/remembering-crosscut-18-years-of-independent-journalism-in-wa/) in the wake of historic federal funding cuts. 

Thank you to the readers and fellow journalists who supported our work over these past nearly four years. Before the lights go out, I wanted to once again share some of our most-read and highest-impact reporting from 2025\. 

![](https://www.cascadepbs.org/content/images/2025/10/MountainMbbileHomes001.jpg)

State lawmakers in early 2025 capped annual mobile home rent increases at 5% after Cascade PBS spent more than a year investigating the rapid consolidation of park communities under owners who often hiked rents or imposed new fees. (Genna Martin/Cascade PBS)

### **Vulnerable communities**

One of our most ambitious reporting efforts uncovered how property management companies have bought up large numbers of mobile home parks and then significantly raised rents amid the broader housing-affordability crisis. Going back to 2023, we have reported on how Port Orchard-based Hurst & Son LLC spent tens of millions of dollars [acquiring these vulnerable communities and then pushed up rents](https://www.cascadepbs.org/investigations/2023/08/wa-mobile-home-communities-organize-against-economic-eviction) while also issuing new fees. We expanded that coverage into [*Priced Out*](https://www.cascadepbs.org/investigations/2024/11/priced-out-fear-and-resistance-wa-mobile-home-parks), a 30-minute investigative documentary in late 2024\. 

The documentary racked up more than 100,000 views in its first few weeks on [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmG8aBR%5Fq8Q&ref=cascadepbs.org) and helped galvanize the public debate around mobile home housing instability. State lawmakers responded earlier this year by passing unprecedented limits on annual rent hikes, [capping mobile home lot rent increases](https://www.cascadepbs.org/investigations/2025/06/wa-mobile-homeowners-advocates-react-to-new-rent-stabilization-law/) at 5% a year. 

“We can’t express how thankful that we are that we have that stability, that we know what’s coming down the pike, and we can plan for it,” said Deb Wilson, a housing organizer and mobile home resident in Aberdeen.

State officials also announced [$5.5 million in reimbursements](https://www.cascadepbs.org/investigations/2025/01/wa-mobile-park-owner-refunds-tenants-55m-after-ag-investigation/) to Hurst & Son park tenants over improper rent increases and excessive fees. Many of these complaints may not have come to light without the reporting of Farah Eltohamy, Mai Hoang, Jaelynn Grisso and Natalie St. John. 

The Investigations desk also [oversaw multiple years of collaborative reporting](https://www.cascadepbs.org/author/elizabeth-whitman/) on the state’s efforts to reduce youth homelessness. Back in 2024, freelance reporter Elizabeth Whitman identified [hundreds of thousands of dollars in “misspent” funding](https://www.cascadepbs.org/investigations/2024/04/wa-homeless-youth-program-closes-after-contractor-misspent-330k) in a housing hotline program that resulted in the end of that contract. Further reporting this year outlined how several key network partners in the state’s recent efforts had [suddenly closed or shuffled leadership](https://www.cascadepbs.org/investigations/2025/01/washington-youth-homelessness-organizations-face-upheaval/). 

More reporting on vulnerable communities: 

- [WA families struggle to rebuild after utility-sparked wildfires](https://www.cascadepbs.org/investigations/2025/08/wa-families-struggle-to-rebuild-after-utility-sparked-wildfires/)
- [WA lawmakers walk back agreement to end child support garnishment](https://www.cascadepbs.org/investigations/2025/05/wa-lawmakers-walk-back-agreement-end-child-support-garnishment/)
- [Washington among the bottom of states in public defense funding](https://www.cascadepbs.org/investigations/2025/03/washington-among-bottom-states-public-defense-funding/)

![](https://www.cascadepbs.org/content/images/2025/10/hero_-1-.jpg)

Derrik lost both his legs in June 2023, the summer after his sophomore year of high school, while working for a construction company in southwest Washington as part of a school program that allowed him to earn class credit for hours on the job. (Lizz Giordano/Cascade PBS)

### **WA Workplace Watch**

Reporter Lizz Giordano has anchored our worker safety coverage for more than two years, walking readers through the [dangers of trench collapses](https://www.cascadepbs.org/investigations/2023/11/wa-workers-death-reveals-limits-safety-enforcement/) and shining a light on [government inspection practices](https://www.cascadepbs.org/investigations/2024/05/wa-agency-fails-reinspect-third-severe-violator-employers/). In late 2024, she investigated the minor work variances and youth labor oversight that [failed a 16-year-old worker who lost both legs](https://www.cascadepbs.org/investigations/2024/10/beyond-failure-wa-teen-loses-legs-school-based-work-program/) on the job near Vancouver, Wash. Giordano found that the company had allowed the teen to use a machine prohibited for minor workers and without proper supervision. School district officials also failed to intervene amid a number of other youth labor violations. 

At least one state lawmaker [cited Giordano’s coverage](https://bsky.app/profile/staterepjuliareed.bsky.social/post/3lk3aqtt3fs2a?ref=cascadepbs.org) when pushing to pass [House Bill 1644](https://www.cascadepbs.org/investigations/2025/02/washington-legislature-considers-strengthening-youth-labor-laws/), which added significant new oversight on minor work permitting and higher penalties on violations of youth labor laws. The governor signed the bill into law in April. Youth worker [permitting rules also changed](https://www.cascadepbs.org/investigations/2025/04/wa-agency-tightens-workplace-safety-rules-student-learners/) at the Department of Labor & Industries. 

State officials later [requested felony charges](https://www.cascadepbs.org/investigations/2025/04/wa-safety-agency-seeks-felony-charges-after-teen-worker-loses-legs/) for the first time ever against the construction company over its alleged youth labor violations, but the prosecutor [declined to bring charges](https://www.cascadepbs.org/investigations/2025/10/prosecutor-wont-charge-rotschy-after-teen-loses-legs-at-worksite/). 

Our team saw local policy changes in Whatcom County earlier this month when officials adopted [new oversight requirements on settlements](https://www.allpointbulletin.com/stories/whatcom-county-council-increases-oversight-in-tort-and-damage-claims,40980?ref=cascadepbs.org) after reporter Brandon Block last year [uncovered a secretive $225,000 payout](https://www.cascadepbs.org/investigations/2024/04/whatcom-county-paid-225k-settle-sexual-harassment-complaints/) to a county employee over sexual harassment allegations. Several county officials expressed outrage they had been kept in the dark, and [launched an internal investigation](https://www.cascadepbs.org/politics/2024/09/whatcom-probe-harassment-investigation-shows-systemic-failure/) into the handling of the matter. 

Giordano also reported out a series of stories about how the state workers’ compensation system [pays out millions of dollars a year to retired doctors](https://www.cascadepbs.org/investigations/2025/08/retired-docs-earn-millions-examining-injured-washington-workers/) to [conduct controversial exams](https://www.cascadepbs.org/investigations/2025/08/the-controversial-medical-exams-that-help-decide-wa-workers-comp/) that determine medical benefits or wage replacement. She also [unpacked barriers and frustrations](https://www.cascadepbs.org/investigations/2025/06/was-workers-compensation-system-ensnarls-some-hurt-on-the-job/) that can keep worker’s comp cases stuck in limbo for years. 

More reporting on worker safety: 

- [Whistleblower alleges abuse and retaliation at Seattle City Light](https://www.cascadepbs.org/investigations/2025/09/whistleblower-alleges-abuse-and-retaliation-at-seattle-city-light/)
- [Wildland firefighters can wear masks after reports on smoke risks](https://www.cascadepbs.org/news/briefs/2025/09/wildland-firefighters-can-wear-masks-after-reports-on-smoke-risks/)
- [Seafarer’s death in Columbia River reveals murky maritime oversight](https://www.cascadepbs.org/investigations/2025/05/seafarers-death-columbia-river-reveals-murky-maritime-oversight/)

### **Immigration**

As federal immigration enforcement has turned more aggressive, our team has looked for ways to hold those practices accountable. Reporters Farah Eltohamy and Jaelynn Grisso have monitored [the state’s effort to conduct oversight](https://www.cascadepbs.org/investigations/2025/01/officials-inspect-tacoma-ice-detention-center-after-legal-battle/) of the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, triggering a lawsuit from the Center’s private operators to [block the release of public records](https://www.cascadepbs.org/investigations/2025/02/tacoma-ice-center-company-sues-block-inspection-records-release/). The company later [dropped its lawsuit](https://www.cascadepbs.org/investigations/2025/09/wa-looks-to-resume-ice-center-inspections-after-federal-ruling/) after the state released redacted materials. 

Eltohamy has worked to share insights on how aid groups have mobilized to [assist detainees and monitor deportation flights](https://www.cascadepbs.org/investigations/2025/05/washingtons-immigrant-rights-orgs-mobilize-amid-deportation-push/). She also recently compiled a reader guide on [navigating immigration court](https://www.cascadepbs.org/investigations/2025/09/a-guide-to-navigating-the-immigration-court-system-in-wa-state/). [Leer en español.](https://www.cascadepbs.org/investigations/2025/09/una-guia-de-los-tribunales-de-inmigracion-en-el-estado-de-washington/)

Our team partnered with *InvestigateWest* earlier this year to build a record of how county sheriffs across Washington [planned to approach immigration enforcement](https://www.cascadepbs.org/investigations/2025/02/wa-sheriffs-respond-trumps-immigration-enforcement-plans/). Many officials indicated they would abide by the state’s sanctuary laws, but several offered that they would assist immigration enforcement if asked. 

The state Attorney General’s Office later cited Eltohamy’s reporting on sheriff responses as part of its [lawsuit against the Adams County Sheriff’s Office](https://www.cascadepbs.org/news/briefs/2025/03/wa-ag-sues-adams-county-cooperating-federal-immigration/) over alleged violations of sanctuary laws. 

![](https://www.cascadepbs.org/content/images/2025/10/arparetro_gm_hero_-1-.jpg)

Jeny Quintanilla looks after children in the child care center she runs out of her home in SeaTac, Dec. 12, 2024\. She was able to start the center after graduating from a child care provider startup accelerator program funded by $1.8 million from the American Rescue Plan. (Genna Martin/Cascade PBS)

### **Legacy of Accountability**

Building on the long history of dogged reporting at Crosscut, the Investigations desk launched with a mission to track local and state spending of federal pandemic relief money — especially in undercovered news deserts. We spent three years tracking billions of dollars in aid through our WA Recovery Watch project. Lead reporter Brandon Block broke dozens of stories on [little-known subsidies, aid barriers or funding delays](https://www.cascadepbs.org/investigations/2024/12/how-did-washington-spend-65b-federal-pandemic-aid/). 

Some of that complex and nuanced reporting took months or years to piece together, including a recent story on how Thurston County had [lost nearly $1 million in rental aid to fraud](https://www.cascadepbs.org/investigations/2025/09/olympia-diaper-guy-named-in-940k-rent-aid-fraud-investigation/) despite tracking it back to a property management company run by a local philanthropist. Roots of that story can be traced to reporting Block first did on [Thurston County rental aid in April 2022](https://www.cascadepbs.org/news/2022/04/how-rent-relief-fraud-allegations-left-thurston-county-tenants-hanging/).

Block leveraged his experience covering state and federal government into reporting on [delays to building out renewable energy](https://www.cascadepbs.org/investigations/2025/03/obscure-state-agency-referees-was-green-energy-battles/) and a four-part podcast series called [“It’s Not Easy Going Green.”](https://www.cascadepbs.org/podcasts/northwest-reports/2025/03/its-not-easy-going-green-an-obscure-state-agency/) 

All of this work takes a commitment to time and transparency. Our team has repeatedly pulled back the curtain on [legal settlements](https://www.cascadepbs.org/investigations/2025/06/issaquah-pays-5-5m-to-settle-jail-deaths-as-costs-mount-statewide/), [hidden investigations](https://www.cascadepbs.org/investigations/2025/03/wa-keeps-details-severe-workplace-injuries-deaths-public/) and [government subsidies](https://www.cascadepbs.org/investigations/2025/06/wa-spent-45m-to-boost-electric-vehicle-use-with-mixed-results/). We were proud to sign on to a [recent effort to update the state’s public record rules](https://mailchi.mp/atg/ag-brown-proposes-model-public-records-act-rules-to-improve-government-transparency?e=b8007f8b07&ref=cascadepbs.org), and have been honored to [receive multiple awards](https://www.cascadepbs.org/inside-cascade-pbs/2023/02/crosscuts-recovery-watch-project-wins-washcogs-bunting-award/) from the nonpartisan Washington Coalition for Open Government for our efforts to improve access to information in the public’s interest. 

Our team also won [multiple regional awards](https://www.cascadepbs.org/news/briefs/2025/06/cascade-pbs-wins-10-spj-northwest-excellence-in-journalism-awards/) earlier this year from the Society for Professional Journalists, including first place in investigative video, first place in investigative audio reporting and first place in hard-news feature writing. Of our *Priced Out* documentary, one judge wrote: 

“This is the best investigative piece I’ve judged in years. The focus is on the people impacted and that’s what resonates with viewers. Thorough reporting. Well-produced. Nice work.”

In our nearly four years, we have sought to inform and empower our neighbors across Washington. Revisit our previous annual impact reports for [2024](https://www.cascadepbs.org/investigations/2024/12/impact-2024-year-investigating-labor-safety-housing-insecurity/), [2023](https://www.cascadepbs.org/investigations/2023/12/review-2023s-wa-worker-safety-covid-relief-investigations/) and [2022](https://www.cascadepbs.org/investigations/2022/12/year-crosscut-investigations-federal-pandemic-aid/). 

We appreciate the hundreds of tips we received from sources and the kind feedback we heard from readers. Thank you to the regional news outlets that republished our work, followed up with localized reporting or wrote editorials based on our findings. 

You all helped make this work matter.