KUOW Blog
News, factoids, and insights from KUOW's newsroom. And maybe some peeks behind the scenes. Check back daily for updates.
Have any leads or feedback for the KUOW Blog? Contact Dyer Oxley at dyer@kuow.org.
Stories
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Washington's free Covid test program comes to an end
Washington state's free at-home Covid-19 test program is winding down, now that President Biden has declared an end to the public health emergency. That means things will be changing after Monday.
Washington's free Covid test program relied on federal support, which has been phasing out. The state's residents can still order free Covid tests through Monday, March 13. Between then and May 11, only people in high-risk areas can order free Covid tests. High-risk areas are determined by zip code.
Check this website to determine eligibility.
Also, keep in mind you can still order free rapid home tests from the federal government while supplies last.
Since launching January 2021, Washington has provided free Covid-19 tests to a million households.
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Words In Review: Should Seattle be a 'work of art'?
A Seattle writer says living in a city should feel like a work of art. Can our buildings be “art” and still be affordable?
The Stranger columnist Charles Mudede chooses words for a living. He knows that our words influence our perception, our opinions, our actions. So after reading his recent interview with the New York Times, I asked him whether “work of art” is a realistic, or elitist, way to characterize a necessity of life.
Charles Mudede: I do believe that housing and art do not have to be separated.
Bill Radke: As you know a lot of people in Seattle want homes to be cheaper. Can a residential building be a work of art and still be affordable?
Mudede: As long as you don't expect an immediate return on an investment on a building.
Radke: OK, then in the actual system, in the real world, in the capitalist system we have now, are you saying then cities cannot be and residential buildings cannot be works of art?
Mudede: You hit the ground of my Marxism, I'm saying this system sucks.
Radke: So then would it be fair to say living in cities should be a work of art, but under our current system, it should be cheap?
Mudede: OK, now you're putting words in my mouth!
Radke: I'm asking! It should be a work of art in some world that doesn't exist, but in the real world … the sense I get from The Stranger, your paper, is constantly criticizing people who use aesthetics to block housing. So in the world we live in...
Mudede: No, but they negate aesthetics. I am for aesthetics. Some of the stuff that's come out of the review boards cannot be looked at. Come on, when I use the word “abomination,” I'm serious.
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Former tribal police chief convicted of sexually abusing young children
A 69-year-old member of the Lower Elwha S'Klallam Tribe was convicted Friday of nine federal counts related to the sexual abuse of minors, according to a press release from U.S. Attorney Nick Brown.
A jury convicted Joseph Anthony Turrey of Port Angeles, Washington, following a seven-day trial. The jury deliberated for about two days before returning the guilty verdicts.
Turrey, a former Lower Elwha S'Klallam tribal councilmember and police chief, was remanded to federal custody to await sentencing, which is scheduled for June 5.
According to records filed in the case, three victims reported that they were abused by Turrey between 2008 and 2016. Two of the victims were as young as 6 and 7 years old when the sexual abuse began.
The assaults occurred on tribal land, which triggered federal jurisdiction over the case.
Turrey was convicted of six counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a minor, two counts of sexual abuse of a minor, and one count of abusive sexual contact. The aggravated sexual abuse charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison. Sexual abuse of a minor also has a maximum sentence of life in prison. The final count, abusive sexual contact, is punishable by up to 15 years behind bars.
The FBI teamed up with the Lower Elwha S'Klallam Police Department to investigate the case, with assistance from the National Park Service.
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Former Sonics star Shawn Kemp fired in self-defense, lawyers say
Former Seattle SuperSonics forward Shawn Kemp acted in self-defense when he exchanged gunfire in a Washington parking lot while trying to retrieve a stolen cell phone and other items, his attorneys said Thursday.
Kemp, 53, was arrested by Tacoma police Wednesday for investigation of a drive-by shooting but was released from jail Thursday afternoon without charges having been filed. The Pierce County Prosecutor's Office said it would not file charges pending further investigation.
“We’re grateful they didn’t rush to judgment,” said Seattle criminal defense lawyer Tim Leary, who is representing Kemp.
In a written statement, another Kemp attorney, W. Scott Boatman, said Kemp's vehicle was broken into Tuesday night and several items were taken — including an iPhone. Kemp tracked the phone's location to an occupied car at the Tacoma Mall, and when Kemp confronted the individuals inside, they shot at him, and he returned fire, Boatright said.
“There was not a drive by shooting as previously reported and Mr. Kemp's actions were reasonable and legally justified,” Boatman said. “Mr. Kemp met with law enforcement at the scene in an attempt to assist in the matter.”
Tacoma police said they recovered a gun at the scene.
Kemp, who has two licensed cannabis stores in Seattle, was a six-time NBA all-star and played for the Seattle SuperSonics from 1989 to 1997. He also played for Cleveland, Portland and Orlando.
Kemp debuted in the NBA during the 1989-90 season as a 20-year-old who had never played college basketball. He became known for his high-flying, athletic dunks.
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Where should Seattle put a new dog park?: Today So Far
- Seattle is looking into its parks to find space for new off-leash dog parks.
- The FBI is offering a total of $50,000 for information about two attacks on substations in the Northwest.
- Hollywood hairstylist chats with KUOW about Oscar nomination.
This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for March 10, 2023.
Cosmo is a smart dog. He's pretty great on the leash, very social, and wants to wrestle with just about every other dog around, whether they want to or not.
But Cosmo is also a runner, which means once the leash is off, he launches like a rocket. There is a trail nearby my place where I can take him and let him fly. And he does fly. There's also an actual dog park in our area, but that involves a car ride that takes about 15 minutes. I say all that because a lot of dog families are in a similar spot.
A lot of dogs in Seattle long for a nearby dog park, to make friends or at least get the energy out. The city currently has 14 off-leash parks, which for a major city like Seattle, with tens of thousands of pets, is not a lot. Perhaps that is why the officials are looking at about 30 parks with the potential of establishing more off-leash areas. In the end, however, only two new off-leash areas will be produced. The city aims to spend $3.46 million on the two sites, which seems like a lot. So to any Seattle officials out there, for a lot cheaper, I will go out and put up some fencing, poop bags, and water bowls, and even post on Facebook saying, "Hey look, it's a new dog park." Again, for cheaper ... like a million bucks. Feel free to reach out.
The new dog parks could come along "soonish," according to KUOW's Casey Martin, who has the full story here. My Dyer prediction, however, is that any timeline is going to be pushed back a bit. No matter what site the city gets its paws on, there will be some anti-dog park folks who will say they're barking up the wrong tree, and things could get ruff.
The FBI is offering a total of $50,000 for information about two attacks on substations outside of Olympia and Portland back in November 2022. It's $25,000 for each incident.
The attacks were similar. Someone used a firearm to shoot at the substations, damaging them and knocking out power in the area. One was a Puget Sound Energy facility in Tumwater. The second was at a Bonneville Power Administration substation in Oregon City, a couple days after the Tumwater attack.
“This was not an accident. It wasn't just someone conducting mischief,” said Richard Collodi, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Seattle office. “They made a deliberate and nefarious decision to use that weapon to cause damage to the infrastructure and the power grid.”
Check out the full story here.
You've likely seen Camille Friend's work, which is featured in films spanning Marvel movies to Jordan Peele and Quentin Tarantino productions. Her work has been on screen going back to the '90s on shows like "3rd Rock from the Sun," but such work doesn't garner the same attention as a director, editor, or actor. Yet, Friend's work helps set the scene and the vibe of a movie.
Friend is a Hollywood hairstylist featured in the credits for 64 films. This year is the first time she has been nominated for an Oscar, for "Best Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling." KUOW arts reporter Mike Davis got an opportunity to chat with Friend about her work over the years, and how it goes beyond the type of hairstyle work you might expect from your local salon or barber.
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Seattle will save cherry blossom trees on Pike Street, but the old ones still have to go
Eight cherry blossom trees near Pike Place Market were saved from the axe this week after locals spoke up, urging a sakura salvation. Now, the trees are on the chopping block again. But recent developments spurred the city to make new plans for this stretch of Seattle, and 24 new cherry blossom trees will eventually replace the old ones.
The 100 block of Pike Street is slated for a sidewalk redesign, which means the cherry blossom trees that line this street have to go. Seattle officials wanted to replace them with hybrid elms that would grow to arch over the street. The cherry blossoms have been blooming there since 1980. The city was planning to cut them down this week to get the job going, but Seattleites rushed to protect them, and the city paused.
On Friday, Mayor Bruce Harrell ordered that the eight trees be cut down to get the sidewalk job done. But, change of plans: They will replaced by 24 new cherry blossom trees.
“Cherry blossom trees are more than a symbol," Mayor Harrell said in a statement. "They invoke heartfelt feelings and represent decades of history — both the good and the bad — as part of our city’s deep connection to Japan. My own understanding of this is rooted in the experiences of my Japanese-American family, who were incarcerated at an internment camp at Minidoka, and their reverence for these trees and their magnificent bloom."
The mayor's office is pointing to an executive order issued this week which aims to increase Seattle's tree canopy. This will involve planting thousands more trees across the city. The mayor's office adds that 16 additional cherry blossom trees will be part of this effort and could be placed elsewhere along Seattle's waterfront, not far from Pike Place Market.
The new effort to increase the number of trees in Seattle comes shortly after a report stating that the city lost a tree canopy area roughly the size of Green Lake between 2016 and 2021. That adds up to about 255 acres of canopy. Seattle has a goal of 30% tree cover. It is currently at 28%.
RELATED: Emerald City keeps losing its greenery
“As I announced earlier this week through a new executive order and a proposal for a strengthened tree ordinance, we are committed to planting more trees — this allows us to act on that priority," Harrell said. "In listening to advocates of preserving existing trees, we weighed the trees’ declining health against a compelling vision of a new and safe corridor for the next 40 years and agreed on the importance of capturing their historical significance. The Pike Pine Streetscape Improvement project is a cornerstone in our efforts to rebuild downtown, and this commitment will ensure cherry blossom trees reach new generations of Seattleites for years to come.”
Cherry blossom trees, "sakura" in Japanese, are often a symbol of Japanese culture. Seattle's annual anime and Japanese pop culture event is called "Sakura-Con." The cherry blossom trees also have a reputation around the city. When the trees blossom at the University of Washington each year, it is big event, drawing considerable crowds, and producing a plethora of Instagram photos. The Washington Park Arboretum features a collection of cherry blossom trees, as does Jefferson Park and Green Lake Park. Seattle's Seward Park was the original location of the city's Cherry Blossom Festival (which now takes place at Seattle Center). The trees at Seward Park were first planted in 1929.
“We are so pleased Mayor Bruce Harrell and the city of Seattle are honoring the strong bond between Seattle, Japan, and Japanese-American communities with this commitment to plant 24 cherry blossom trees,” said Karen Yoshitomi, executive director of the Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Washington. “Together, we will continue to commemorate and uplift our shared values and cultural history for decades to come.”
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FBI offers $50k reward to catch Northwest grid's armed attackers
The FBI is offering two $25,000 rewards in hopes of catching whoever shot up two electrical substations near Olympia and Portland in November.
In each incident, unknown actors shot a firearm or firearms at a high-voltage facility, damaged expensive equipment, and caused coolant oil to spew out of bullet holes and onto the ground, according to the FBI.
“This was not an accident. It wasn't just someone conducting mischief,” said Richard Collodi, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Seattle office. “They made a deliberate and nefarious decision to use that weapon to cause damage to the infrastructure and the power grid.”
Early on the morning of Nov. 22, someone shot multiple holes in a transformer at Puget Sound Energy’s Barnes Lake substation in Tumwater, about 2 miles from the Washington State Capitol building. More than 5,000 customers lost power, according to Puget Sound Energy, and between 500 and 1,000 gallons of coolant oil spilled on the ground, according to the Washington Department of Ecology.
Two days later, infrared security cameras captured grainy outlines of two people inside a Bonneville Power Administration substation in Oregon City early Thanksgiving morning.
One suspect is shown pointing a weapon toward high-voltage equipment.
“We are looking for at least two suspects in this case, both roughly 6 feet tall,” FBI-Portland spokesperson Joy Jiras said by email.
According to a Bonneville Power Administration email obtained by Oregon Public Broadcasting and KUOW in December, two people cut through a fence surrounding the Oregon City substation, then “used firearms to shoot up and disable numerous pieces of equipment and cause significant damage.”
Whether the shooting incidents are connected is unknown, but they were just two of at least 15 physical attacks on Northwest substations in 2022 documented by a KUOW and Oregon Public Broadcasting investigation.
RELATED: FBI warned of neo-Nazi plots as attacks on Northwest grid spiked
Most of the incidents took place in rural locations.
The Tumwater substation, nestled between a Walgreen’s drug store and a debt collection agency, just off an Interstate 5 interchange, was one of the more urban targets.
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Mike's adventures in art: A letter from Evan Hansen
If you're looking for tips on how to experience art in the Seattle area, you're in the right place. In this weekly post, KUOW arts reporter Mike Davis has suggestions for what to do around Seattle over the weekend so you can have your own adventures in arts and culture.
THEATRE
"Dear Evan Hansen" is playing at the Paramount Theatre. This is my pick of week and it came as a surprise. I expected this to be a typical high school musical, but the depth of emotion and turns in the story took me by surprise.
I never read plot or synopsis before enter a theatre. I like to be surprised. So early on, I was convinced I knew where the story was going. But I didn't! I won't spoil the plot here, but I will say, Evan writing a letter to himself in the school library launched into a story that shoots sky high before taking a gut-wrenching crash.
The first thing I noticed when I saw the stage for Evan Hansen was the unique set design. This story is about a high schooler, but the set is designed to put you into one of the most important aspects of modern day high schoolers - screens! They implemented screens that surround and at times engulf, the characters. Social media plays a key part in telling the story. That was clever.
The highlight for me, was the dramatic level of highs and lows throughout the story. At moments, the theatre erupts in laughter at the inappropriate, often sexual, jokes that you can expect from a teenager. But the lows are extreme and emotional as the play explores themes of isolation, friendship (or the lack of), relationships, and suicide. And the journey is a roller-coaster! You go from rooting for Evan, to feeling sorry for him, to hating him, to wanting to give him the biggest hug.
"Dear Evan Hansen" is playing at the Paramount Theatre March 7 - 12
FILM
The 28th Seattle Jewish Film Festival starts this weekend with showings at AMC Pacific Place 11 downtown. Opening night features "Karaoke," a comedy about a suburban couple getting swooped into the world or their charismatic neighbor who hosts karaoke nights.
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Seattle shows love for backyard cottages: Today So Far
- There has been a surge in new accessory dwelling units in Seattle within just a few years.
- We are three years past the initial surge of Covid in our region. Now, some things are fading away, and other aspects linger.
This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for March 9, 2023.
There has been a surge in new accessory dwelling units in Seattle within just a few years. What is an "accessory dwelling unit?" That is fancy city hall speak for "backyard cottage" or a simple apartment in a home. For decades, you have likely heard of these units referred to as "mother-in-law apartments" (my ma-in-law lives with me, so I can say that). These days, you're more likely to hear them called "ADUs."
City leaders had been discussing backyard cottages for years, but little was ever done aside from committee meetings and some studies. Under Mayor Jenny Durkan, the city encouraged and fast-tracked this form of housing, partially by creating 10 pre-approved ADU plans. A homeowner could pick from the plans, which would skip over the time and cost of many permits and processes.
According to a new city report: Since 2019, Seattle has issued almost 1,000 permits to build ADUs in the city, which is more than four times the amount in 2018. Last year, 437 attached ADUs (attached to a house, like the conversion of a garage), and 551 detached ADUs (like backyard cottages) were permitted. A third of these were on property where a new single-family residence was built. Half were on properties with multiple ADUs. And only 11% were used as Airbnbs instead of normal housing.
This all isn't just happenstance, and it all isn't solely because of the former mayor's pre-approved ADU plan (only 130 of the city's pre-approved ADU plans have been permitted since they went active in 2020). Back in 2016, I reported a story about how Seattle had been running pilot programs for about a decade, looking into backyard cottages. The topic only made it as far as those committee meetings and studies I mentioned above. It all spurred criticisms from locals facing costly and lengthy permits, and also pushback from neighborhood groups. The issue evolved at City Hall. In 2019, the City Council approved a series of updates to Seattle's rules and regulations around ADUs. For example, at the time, Seattle did not require developers building massive apartments to provide any parking for the new residents. Yet, the city required a homeowner with an ADU to provide off-street parking.
It took a lot of years leading up to the changes passed by the City Council, but it seems that, after a much shorter period of time, we know the results — a lot more ADUs. The initial success doesn't mean that there aren't more fixes and improvements for the city to undertake. KUOW's Joshua McNichols has that story.
Another outcome I hope emerges from all this is that a lot of residents living in what I have called "speakeasy housing" will not be so worried about city regulations. I previously have lived in such a place, where I'm sure a few city boxes weren't checked (like off-street parking). One year, the city of Seattle held a citywide event where neighborhoods would host block parties for people to get to know each other. I checked out my local meet up and was surprised to discover ... other neighbors on my own street who were also living in ADUs! You'd never have known we were there. But there we were, making it work in an expensive city like Seattle.
We are three years past the initial surge of Covid in our region. A lot has happened since then. These days, cases are trending down, and vaccines are as widely available as toilet paper (phew!). Some final, lingering pandemic measures will fade out in April and May. This means that the free ride is over for Covid vaccines. The shots will still be free for kids. But once the government's supply for free doses is gone, Covid vaccines will come through the private market. Officials still recommend wearing masks in crowded settings.
Despite such measures going away, another aspect of the pandemic will continue to linger — Covid. More specifically, long Covid. About 8% of people who come down with Covid suffer from ongoing symptoms that can range from headaches to chest pain, fatigue, and brain fog. Along with the fact that severity of these symptoms can vary, it's proving difficult to get a diagnosis, or to get into a facility that can treat it. There are now long wait lines at clinics that specialize in long Covid. The people hit hardest by the pandemic are also hit hardest by this lingering condition.
AS SEEN ON KUOW
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Former NBA superstar Shawn Kemp is arrested over a shooting in a parking lot
Former Seattle SuperSonics star Shawn Kemp is facing a felony criminal charge over a shooting involving two vehicles in Tacoma, Wash., that took place Wednesday, according to police records. No one was reportedly hurt in the incident.
The formal charge against Kemp, 53, accuses him of a drive-by shooting. But people close to Kemp tell local news outlets that the case is one of self-defense, after Kemp allegedly confronted someone after tracking a stolen iPhone.
An altercation broke out in a parking lot that escalated into shots being fired, the Tacoma Police Department said. "One car fled," it stated, and one man was arrested at the scene, adding that its investigation is ongoing.
The police department didn't name Kemp in its announcement, referring instead to his age, gender, and a drive-by shooting charge. Online records show Shawn Travis Kemp was booked into the Pierce County Jail shortly after the police report, on a felony charge of drive-by shooting.
Police say the altercation took place at a parking lot in the 4500 block of South Steele Street — an address that corresponds to the Tacoma Mall shopping center.
Citing people who are close to Kemp, local TV station FOX 13 reports that its sources say the former NBA player "had property stolen from his car on Tuesday, tracked his iPhone to Tacoma on Wednesday and when he approached the vehicle, a suspect shot at him. He fired back in self-defense."
Under Washington state law, the crime of drive-by shooting applies to anyone who fires a gun either directly from a vehicle or from "the immediate area of a motor vehicle that was used to transport the shooter or the firearm, or both, to the scene of the discharge," creating "a substantial risk of death or serious physical injury."
Kemp, famously known as "the Reign Man," was a six-time NBA All-Star during his career, with most of those appearances coming during his stint with the Seattle SuperSonics. The franchise moved to Oklahoma City roughly a decade after Seattle traded Kemp to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Kemp has remained active in Seattle, attending sporting events and launching business ventures. He recently opened his second cannabis store in the city. [Copyright 2023 NPR]
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3 years in, Covid still present, but King County has more tools to fight it
Three years into the Covid-19 pandemic, the landscape has changed in King County.
Back in 2020, this was the first epicenter of cases and outbreaks in nursing homes in the U.S. There were no vaccines, and health officials had not yet worked out the best precautions.
Now, health officials say Covid-19 hospitalizations and deaths are trending down, immunity levels in the community have risen thanks to vaccines and past infections, and tests, treatment, and masks are far more readily available than they once were.
The county is in a different place as the final emergency measures at the state and federal level are set to expire.
In April, Washington’s mask mandate in health care and correctional facilities will end, but health officials say masking will still be recommended.
And in May, the federal Covid-19 emergency declaration will lapse.
For King County residents, the most direct impacts from this expiration will likely be the wind down of free public vaccines, testing, and treatment.
That’s according to Dr. Eric Chow, chief of Public Health – Seattle & King County's Communicable Disease and Epidemiology Program.
During a media briefing Wednesday, Chow said Covid-19 vaccines will continue to be free for children.
But when the federal government’s stockpile of free shots, tests and antivirals runs out, coverage for adults will switch to the commercial market and be up to insurance providers.
Aside from these changes, Chow said he worries about indirect impacts as the emergency ends.
“Individuals and businesses might take this to mean that it is okay to let go of all those important lessons that we've learned during the pandemic that keep us safe from Covid-19,” Chow said. “The pandemic is not over.”
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No Spoilers: Talking ECCC and our love for cordyceps
Emerald City Comic Con has a new home, and we’re all crazy for cordyceps.
It’s time once again to take a trip to the nerdier side of pop culture with our panel of geekonomy experts, who have promised to follow one very important rule: NO SPOILERS!
Soundside host Libby Denkmann is joined by KUOW Arts and Culture Reporter Mike Davis, along with KUOW newsletter author and producer of the independent podcast/magazine NW NERD, Dyer Oxley.
First Topic: Emerald City Comic Con!
An estimated 75,000 people packed downtown Seattle in their cosplay best over the weekend for Emerald City Comic Con 2023.
This was the first Comic Con in the newly expanded Seattle Convention Center, and the first ECCC to return to the spring schedule, after the Covid-19 pandemic canceled 2020's convention outright, moved 2021's to December, then 2022's to August.
Our first impression: the new venue has lots of windows.
Dyer Oxley: "I was talking to an artist friend of mine who goes there every year. And at one point, we just stopped in our conversation because there was sunlight coming through and we just kind of had to comment ... I'm like, 'Wow, like, no vitamin D deficiency this year.'"
For Mike Davis, it was all about time with his daughter, who he taught how to play Super Smash Bros, and introduced her to the author of her current favorite book. She even got an autograph and a personalized drawing!
One notable absence from the convention though, the "Homegrown" area. Dyer wrote about that last week before the show opened.
Soundside Producer Jason Burrows was at the convention this weekend too, and he’s put together an audio postcard of folks talking about what’s great about being a geek in the Pacific Northwest.
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