Dozens of colorful canoes maneuvered into the water of Tulalip Bay, as Canoe Families began another day of their journey to Muckleshoot on Friday, July 28, 2023, in Tulalip, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
There are stories to be told in every corner of Snohomish County. In 2023, the photo staff at The Daily Herald explored the reaches of the region and turned a lens to the people who call it home. Some stories were more lighthearted. Some were devastating. And there were plenty in between.
We were there in January to meet Scott Luckie and Tara Luckie, young farmers in their 30s raising a herd of Highland cattle — many as pets, some for meat — in the Lake Stevens area. They talked about how a 12-week program helped them prepare for the realities of farm life.
We were there in the Snohomish County courtroom in April for the sentencing of Richard Rotter, who will serve life in prison for murdering Everett police officer Dan Rocha.
Fourth and fifth graders from Hazelwood Elementary School participate in a parade to celebrate “Orca Fest” at their school on Thursday, Oct. 12, 2023, in Lynnwood, Washington. The orca parade was one of several sea-related activities for the students, leading up to Orca Recovery Day on Oct. 14. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Steve Backus works on the details of a moon carving at his woodshop and home on Whidbey Island on Monday, Feb. 6, 2023. Steve Backus, a generational woodcarver, lost a portion of his shop to a fire. In the fire, he lost a large catalog of work, in addition to tools and other woodworking items he had accumulated over the years. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Avery Nicolayeff, 11, walks across a snow-covered field in Forest Park during a brief snowstorm on Feb. 23, 2023, in Everett, Washington. Several school districts delayed classes after 1 to 2 inches fell across the Snohomish County lowlands. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Olivia Vanni / The Herald
Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office detective Kendra Conley hugs Everett police Lt. Tim Collings after Richard Rotter was found guilty on April 3 in Everett. Rotter got life without parole for slaying Everett police officer Dan Rocha in March 2022.
Mountlake Terrace’s Chris Meegan’s sportsmanship medal hangs over his face as his team packs up after losing to O’Dea in the 3A quarterfinal game on Thursday, March 2, 2023, in Tacoma, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg visits the Mukilteo Ferry Terminal to see firsthand how federal funds have been used in the Washington State Ferries system on July 6, 2023, in Mukilteo, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Archbishop Murphy football players run through warmups during practice on Aug. 24, 2023, in Everett, Washington. The new-look Wildcats were looking to embrace a youth movement under new head coach Joe Cronin after a winless season last fall. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
A red truck navigates through floodwaters covering 28th Avenue NW along Pioneer Highway on Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2023, in Stanwood, Washington. Communities near the mouth of the Stillaguamish River remained flooded that day in the aftermath of a major rainstorm. Emergency crews responded to at least 13 rescues. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Scott Luckie, 37 and Tara Luckie’s, 38, Highland cattle munch on table scraps at Luckie Farms on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023, in Lake Stevens, Washington. They keep many of the Highland cattle as pets, but raise some for meat. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
Steve Moro, 52, poses for a photo at his workspace for Woods Creek Taxidermy on Thursday, Oct. 12, 2023, in Snohomish, Washington. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
Erin Romaneschi, 33, fires up the burner and injects a hot air balloon with flames to heat the air inside during Kla Ha Ya Days at Harvey Field on Friday, July 14, 2023, in Snohomish, Washington. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
Sophomore wide receiver and free safety Gino Howard poses for a portrait between drills at Granite Falls High School on Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2023. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
Jake Iverson, 23, rides a horse during the ranch saddle bronc event during the Timberbowl Rodeo on Saturday, June 24, 2023, in Darrington, Washington. Later on in the ride, the horse broke its leg and was evacuated from the ring. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
Kaisa Gifford holds up Manny’s head to drink water at the Gifford Horses barn on Friday, June 23, 2023, in Snohomish, Washington. Manny spends a lot of time laying down at the horse rescue and doesn’t have enough energy to consistently drink water. A potentially swollen kidney and bright red blood were not promising signs. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
A man wearing a cowboy hat looks out into the arena during “PBR: Unleash The Beast” at Angel of the Winds Arena on Thursday, April 20, 2023, in Everett, Washington. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
Susanna Johnson delivers preliminary election results that showed her leading the Snohomish County sheriff’s race on Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023, at 230 Avenue B in Snohomish, Washington. Johnson would go on to defeat incumbent Sheriff Adam Fortney. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
Children enter a house of mirrors during the Kla Ha Ya Days carnival at Harvey Field on Thursday, July 13, 2023, in Snohomish, Washington. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
Alexis Burroughs holds a maple leaf while guiding her participants through sensory observation during a forest bathing session Sunday, Nov. 19, 2023, at Lord Hill Regional Park near Snohomish, Washington. Forest bathing is a meditative practice meant to connect people with nature. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Ross Haddow, second from right, receives some help pulling a giant pumpkin downhill from his garden to his truck on Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023, at his home in Edmonds, Washington. It took the help of about a dozen friends, neighbors and family members to get the gargantuan gourd into the bed of Haddow’s truck. The pumpkin was to be weighed the following day at a competition in Kent, before being put on display at Shawn O’Donnell’s Irish Pub on 128th Street SE in Everett through the end of October. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Lake Stevens runner Grant Buckmiller, a senior, throws his hands up as he wins the 4A boys 400-meter dash by more than three seconds during the WIAA State Track and Field Championships on Saturday, May 27, 2023, at Mount Tahoma High School in Tacoma, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Franchesca and Don Simpson talk about their baby girl’s “chubby cheeks” and “button nose” as Kelly Fox performs a live-view 3D ultrasound on the expecting mother Saturday, Aug. 26, 2023, at Wonder Baby Ultrasound Studio in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Carson, 7, reacts with shock as he gets an opportunity to use some of the gear inside an Everett ambulance during a surprise Make-a-Wish sendoff Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023, at Thornton A. Sullivan Park in Everett, Washington. Dozens of first responders, family and community members rallied together to lift up Carson before he and his family headed off to Disneyland. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Woodinville senior Levi Major shouts about missing a time by 0.01 seconds after finishing the 100-yard freestyle consolation race at the 4A WIAA Boys High School Swim and Dive Championships on Friday, Feb. 18, 2023, at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Snohomish senior wideout Ryan Steppe comes down with a touchdown catch with 2 seconds remaining in the first half of a matchup against against Mountlake Terrace on Friday, Sept. 8, 2023, at Edmonds Stadium in Edmonds, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Rory Venable, 11, of Monroe, feeds his 7-week-old pygmy goat Mr. Darcy during opening day of the Evergreen State Fair on Thursday, Aug. 24, 2023, in Monroe, Washington. Mr. Darcy was Venable’s first 4-H animal. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Edith Farrar watches as people begin to run into the ocean, perhaps a moment too early, during the 2023 Edmonds Polar Bear Plunge on Sunday, Jan. 1, 2023, at Brackett’s Landing. The sea water was a chilly 47.7 degrees. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Starting July 1, the state will have 80% less funding for refunds and administrative costs involved in vacating felony drug possession cases.
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