Next Washington state ferry will be called Wishkah

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — The next Washington state ferry will bear the name Wishkah when it sails in 2024. The Washington State Transportation Commission voted 7-0 to select the name after receiving citizen suggestions. The name honors the river flowing south from the Olympic foothills into Grays Harbor. It’s the ancestral home of the Lower Chehalis people. The Wishkah River was formerly crossed by a ferry called Wishkah Chief. The $147 million 144-car vessel is to begin construction next year at Vigor on Seattle’s Harbor Island. It’s the fifth Olympic Class ferry. The M/V Wishkah will be capable of recharging at the dock between trips, when chargers are added.