KUOW Blog
News, factoids, and insights from KUOW's newsroom. And maybe some peeks behind the scenes. Check back daily for updates.
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Here are the 3 schools Bellevue is recommending for closure
Bellevue School District administrators have recommended Ardmore, Eastgate, and Wilburton elementary schools for closure under a potential consolidation plan presented to the school board Thursday.
Enrollment in Bellevue schools has declined by nearly 2,000 students over the last three years, as an increasing number of parents nationwide choose to send their children to private or virtual schools in the midst of the pandemic.
Thursday’s proposal comes a month after the district unveiled a list of seven elementary schools it would consider for closure that included Ardmore, Eastgate, Enatai, Phantom Lake, Sherwood Forest, Woodridge, and Wilburton. The proposed consolidation has drawn criticism from some parents and community members who bemoan the district’s fast-paced timeline for closures and complain officials haven't involved the community enough.
RELATED: Families push back on Bellevue Schools' consolidation plans
Starting next school year, Ardmore Elementary students would be consolidated within Bennett, Cherry Crest, and Sherwood Forest elementary schools, according to the plan. Eastgate Elementary students would be sent to Spiritridge or Somerset elementary schools, and Spiritridge’s advanced learning program would be relocated to Woodridge Elementary. Wilburton Elementary students would be combined at Clyde Hill and Enatai elementary schools.
District administrators say they don't plan to sell any of the school buildings recommended for closure and they anticipate all staff at the affected schools will be retained.
Speaking to the board and a crowd of about 50 parents gathered for the announcement, interim Superintendent Art Jarvis pointed to declining enrollment as the main reason the district must shutter schools. Jarvis said the decline will lead to a $20 million revenue decline when the state stops basing district per-pupil funding on pre-pandemic student counts next year. And the situation is only expected to get worse: Administrators project enrollment will shrink by 8% over the next decade.
While Jarvis understands the idea of closing schools is stressful and difficult for families, “to do nothing in response is not a professionally responsible option,” he said.
The consolidation plan presented Thursday is not yet set in stone. Jarvis emphasized that the plan is only a recommendation at this point. Later this month, the district will gather more community feedback on the recommendation by forming community focus groups and hosting hearings at each of the affected schools. The district has not yet announced when the board will vote.
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TB or not TB free: Today So Far
- A Tacoma woman has been diagnosed with tuberculosis. She refuses to get treatment or isolate. Public officials are weighing legal actions in response.
- Abortion rights and middle housing issues are floating around discussions among lawmakers in Olympia.
This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for February 9, 2023.
Where is the line between your personal freedom and the freedoms for everybody else? More specifically, where is the line between your freedom and the freedom of everybody around you to not have tuberculosis?
This sort of debate has happened ever since the formation of the United States. On one hand, we're Americans and freedom is a big thing for us. On the other hand, this freedom comes from us all being united, so we also have to live together. This debate is now playing out in Pierce County where a Tacoma woman has been diagnosed with tuberculosis. The catch: She is refusing to undergo any treatment for the communicable disease, and further, refuses to isolate.
You may be familiar with TB because it was the same ailment Doc Holliday famously suffered from. Though, it should be said that tuberculosis is rarely as charming as Doc (Val Kilmer) makes it appear. Or perhaps because of House's famous catch phrase.
The woman has been walking around Tacoma with TB for a year now and as far as anyone can tell, no one has been infected after having contact with her (it's probably important to note that at the same time, folks were largely being careful, wearing masks, etc. because of Covid). Still, TB is a threat to public health, especially folks with other risky ailments. A court order has already been issued mandating that the woman isolate. Now, public health authorities are weighing whether or not to take further legal action and intervene. That means putting her in jail, which is also a type of isolation.
Treatment for TB can take months. Recovery takes a long, long time. The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department has offered to assist this person and provide any support they may need. Still, they refuse.
As KUOW's Eilis O'Neill reports, about 20-25 people are diagnosed with TB each year. The main difference here is that they get treatment. The health department estimates that it has had to take legal action over folks refusing treatment about three times.
A couple high-profile issues are working their way through Olympia right now.
Abortion rights have been pushed to the front of state lawmakers' priorities ever since last year's infamous Supreme Court decision. This had no effect in Washington state, where abortion was legal before it was nationally. It remains legal. But lawmakers want to ad more protections around it by adding it to the state constitution.
That's a tough thing to do, even in a state like Washington where one party dominates the Legislature. A 2/3 majority would be required to put the constitutional change up for voters to ultimately decide. Democrats don't think they can get that 2/3 vote, however, some are quietly saying that certain GOP lawmakers secretly are in favor of it. They are so quiet on the issue because they don't want to risk enflaming a certain, loud corner of their base. Expect this to be an ongoing conversation in Olympia. Read more here.
Middle housing is another issue many folks are watching closely. Washington has a big housing problem — there isn't much of it, and we will need a lot more in the years ahead. This week, a bill passed out of committee that would nix a lot of single-family zoning. The idea is to open these areas up to more duplexes, townhomes, etc. The bill is now headed to the Legislature. But keep in mind that a similar bill got about as far last year, but it failed to gain enough approval. Read more about that here.
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Mike's adventures in art: Seattle Opera celebrates Afghan art
If you are looking for some tips on how to experience art in the Seattle area, you are in the right place. In this weekly post, KUOW Arts Reporter Mike Davis gives you tips on what to do around Seattle over the weekend so you can have your own adventures in arts and culture.
VISUAL ART
Seattle Opera is home to "Jashin: A Celebration of Afghan Arts." This is my pick of the week.
I had a sneak preview of an art exhibit by Artlord, an artist-activist group that started in Kabul, creating murals and art in blasted walls in the city. While this art has been mostly destroyed by the Taliban, photos of the art and original recreations will be on display Saturday.
But that's not all! This event will feature a performance from world-renowned rubab player Homayoun Sakhi. Also, a presentation from film director Roya Sadat who is currently stage director for "A Thousand Splendid Suns," which will premier at the Seattle Opera Feb. 25. My sneak peek included some time watching rehearsals for this production. It will definitely be on my list of picks later this month.
The idea behind the festival is to celebrate Afghan culture and showcase their arts. Their culture has been linked to ours for decades, primarily through war, and this festival is a chance to showcase Afghan beauty, arts, and culture.
"Jashin: A Celebration of Afghan Arts" is at the Opera Center (363 Mercer St.) Feb. 11, 1-5:30 p.m.
"Thick as Mud" is a new exhibit at Henry Art Gallery. Eight artists explore the relationship between people and earth. Their work includes sculptures, audio recordings from swamps, paintings, and more. Mud is the theme that ties it together, but each artist interprets that connection in their own way, creating a cohesive exhibit that tells the story of people and place.
"Thick as Mud" is showing at the Henry Art Gallery Feb. 4 through May 7.
THEATER
"A History of Theatre: About, By, For, and Near," is playing at the ACT. I went for opening night and was pleasantly surprised to see the play was plot-driven and not styled like a lecture or strictly a history lesson.
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Sen. Maria Cantwell questions Southwest over holiday cancellations
U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Washington) wants to know how airlines can avoid another debacle like the one that led to more than 16,000 Southwest Airlines cancellations last December.
Representatives from the airline appeared Thursday morning before the Senate Commerce Committee, which Cantwell chairs.
She particularly wanted to know what steps are being taken by the company to ensure it maintains control in the future during inclement weather.
Southwest COO Andrew Watterson placed blame in part on issues with crew-scheduling software. But as he began to explain what exactly went wrong, Cantwell cut in.
"I don't think [my constituents] care about what whether it didn't go to full capacity, had a glitch," she told Watterson. "They want to know if you're going to fix that system and when."
Watterson promised a fix would be in place Friday, though he was not clear whether that would be enough, leading to another terse exchange with Cantwell.
"I have a lot of pilots here, and they're telling me that they've been telling you about [these issues] for a long, long time," Cantwell said. "So, people want to know: Are these guys going to invest in the technology that will make this system operational, so this will never happen again?"
"We need to invest in technology but also in our operational systems outside of technology, because the winter operations were too much for us," Watterson responded. "You're correct that other airlines were able to handle the winter weather, and we were not."
The other "operational systems" Watterson referred to include improved de-icing infrastructure at airports, which he expects will cost millions of dollars. He says the company is currently taking stock of all such needs but does not expect that assessment to be complete until at least March.
In the meantime, Cantwell said customers want to know airlines have operational control, which pilots say the company lost in December.
Capt. Casey Murray, president of the of the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association, told Cantwell the company admitted it could not follow through with its own plan during the winter storm. He said the root of the problem is in how Southwest connects flight crews to specific airplanes.
"When there is a disruption, then it takes Southwest much longer to recover," Murray said. "Any pilot who is here... can attest to the chaos that they go through when going to work. They don't know where they're going to go. They don't know where they're going to overnight. They don't know how long they're going to be on duty. And they don't know how long their overnight's going to be. So, it's holistic."
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Tacoma woman with TB could be jailed for refusing treatment
Law enforcement might soon get involved in a tuberculosis case in Pierce County.
A Tacoma woman with contagious tuberculosis is refusing to self-isolate and accept treatment, despite more than one court order mandating that she do so.
“The risk to the public here is very low,” said Nigel Turner, the county health department’s director of communicable disease control. “But we want to make sure this is isolated effectively to prevent any risk.”
Turner said the next step in cases like this is usually to put the person in jail, in a negative-pressure unit so they can’t infect others while they receive medical treatment.
Even once someone with tuberculosis has started treatment, it can take several weeks to several months until they are no longer contagious and can leave isolation, in this case jail. A full course of treatment can take six to nine months. The treatment can have unpleasant side effects.
The health department has been trying to get the woman to isolate and accept treatment for more than a year and has offered support to make that happen.
As far as the department has been able to determine, she has not infected anyone with tuberculosis during that time. You have to be in the same room as someone with active TB for several hours to be infected. The health department has tested those who have had close contact with the woman.
About 20 to 25 people per year get active tuberculosis in Pierce County, Turner said. Most willingly work with the department to isolate.
“I think in the last 20 years, we've had about three where we've needed to go to kind of the legal recourse around court orders in order to get compliance,” he said. “It's very much a last resort. It's not something we want to do.”
Turner said the department takes these steps only for tuberculosis cases, not for any other diseases, because there is no widely available tuberculosis vaccine, and people with active disease are contagious for a long time.
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This newsletter is legendary!: Today So Far
- Does that word mean what you think it means?
- Skagit County is aiming to protect farmland, which has been dwindling in recent years
- Crime is up, way up, in Seattle.
This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for February 8, 2023.
This one is for the word nerds.
Does the Boeing 747 deserve to be called "iconic"? How about "legendary"? It might qualify as iconic if you ask KUOW's Bill Radke. It certainly does if you ask Wikipedia, which states the 747 set a standard for decades. It's why we have the term "jumbo jet." It was featured in more than 300 films. The 747 was the plane that President James Marshall saved in 1997, and it was the plane that heroic Officer John McClane went up against in 1990.
Bill, however, argues that something or someone needs to be fictional to be legendary. Yet, "legendary" gets thrown around more than Barney Stinson planning a night out. It's one example of how some words get used so often their meaning is weakened.
"Headline writers are the worst," GeekWire's Mike Lewis said on KUOW's Week in Review. "Because they want something that is going to grab you into the story, but frequently when they use the word 'slams' ... and you read the story, it's very mild criticism."
As a headline writer, I am greatly offended by Mike's comments. He clearly has an axe to grind and has abandoned all reason! OK, he's actually a beautiful human being, and I admit, he's right. Here's a tip: If there is an excessive adjective in a headline, that's your first clue that it's more hype than anything else.
This conversation on Week in Review about "iconic" and "legendary" eventually made its way to the celebrated, venerable, renowned, and acclaimed Beth's Cafe in Seattle.
"I'd say neither, and I like Beth's ... that omelet is something," Mike said. "I don't know that I'd go down the legendary or iconic road."
I'll have to counter Mike's opinion on this one. Beth's may represent something more than itself in this regard. Classic, genuine dives and diners have been disappearing from Seattle, which is now more filled with boutique this and specialized that. The kind of places that make getting food in a jar feel hip and fancy (how did that happen?). I'd argue that the longevity of Beth's represents the now legendary Seattle dive that has faded away. The kind of place you stuck around because your feet literally stuck a little bit to the floor. That's legendary. But I digress.
Moving on from "iconic" and "legendary," Bill now needs your help. What are some words that are so overused, they've lost their impact? Or words that are commonly misused? Email bradke@kuow.org, or text at 206-926-9955 with your thoughts.
I would like to suggest the word "unique." It's just used way too much. It's not as bad as the also overused word "literally," which people often say when they actually mean "figuratively." And sure, "unique" is not on the level of writing an entire song about irony but failing to provide an actual example of irony in the lyrics, which is pretty ironic, don't ya think?
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Washington politicians respond to Biden's 2023 State of the Union address
Washington's Democratic Congress members are responding to President Biden's 2023 State of the Union address, echoing the president's main message: "Let's finish the job."
Biden touted the accomplishments of 2021's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Tuesday evening. It was a point that many of Washington's Democrats reiterated following the address. Representatives Pramila Jayapal, Rick Larsen, and other Washington Democrats said we must continue that work, improving infrastructure and the lives of Americans.
Washington's two Republican Congress members critiqued Biden's speech, both pinpointing fentanyl as an issue they say the White House isn't doing enough on. Both Republicans called for more solutions for fentanyl than Biden presented in his address, namely asking for a crackdown on dealing and drug sellers.
Republican Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, a staunch conservative leader who represents the Eastern Washington's 5th Congressional District, says Biden has a "radical rush-to-green" agenda.
Republican Rep. Dan Newhouse, who represents Washington's 4th District, said in a video, "there were good things he pointed out" and also, "I hope we can work together with the president." But he added, "I didn't see the leadership there, the unification there, that we need as a country."
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Washington won't be among early primary states ... that's OK, Democratic leaders say
Washington will not be one of the early states to hold a Democratic presidential primary next year. State party leaders aren’t taking the news too badly.
Last year, Washington’s Democratic Party launched a bid under then-chair Tina Podlodowski to join the primary reshuffle. Podlodowski said she believed Washington stood a strong chance of getting one of the few available early primary slots because of its diverse population, proportion of Indigenous tribes, and high union membership rates.
But Washington faced a lot of competition. A total of 17 states vied for just a handful of early voting slots. There was only one space open for a Western state. Washington, Nevada, and Colorado wanted the nod. Nevada got it.
State Democratic leaders took a positive view of the situation. In a statement Monday, current party chair Shasti Conrad said that Washington could claim some credit for helping steer early primaries away from longtime leaders Iowa and New Hampshire, to states whose demographics better reflect the current Democratic base.
Conrad also said Washington would be a good candidate for an early slot in 2028, if the Democratic Party wants to shuffle its calendar again. That is possible. President Biden and some national party leaders have suggested rotating the early primaries among multiple states over time.
Read the full story from Brandon Hollingsworth at Spokane Public Radio.
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WA geographical sites renamed after Black homesteaders
A lake and a wetland in Washington state are soon to have new names in honor of two early Black settlers on the Kitsap Peninsula.
A 10.5-acre acre lake near Tahuya, Wash. will soon be called "Nathaniel Sargent Lake." Sargent was a Black man born into slavery who homesteaded near Seabeck. He died in 1954.
A nearby 18-acre wetland will now be known as Rodney White Slough. White was also born into slavery in Missouri. He began homesteading in Mason County in 1890, started an orchard, and lived there until his death in 1913.
Both the geographical sites near where Sargent and White lived in Mason County previously had names which included a racial slur toward Black people.
“The stories of Rodney White and Nathaniel Sargent are important," said U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer, Mason County’s representative in Congress. "They made positive impacts on their communities, but they are not widely known. I’m proud to have supported this effort because renaming these locations in Mason County recognizes their contributions and impacts that might have been forgotten due to the color of their skin.”
RELATED: 18 sites across WA contain a slur for Indigenous women in their name, but not for long
Two other locations in Washington state are also getting name upgrades. Their previous titles included terms that are derogatory toward Indigenous women.
South Tucannon Spring is the new name for a spring in Garfield County. The name is derived from "tukanin," meaning bread root.
And Gooseberry Creek is the new name for a creek in Okanogan County. Gooseberries are common in the area. The stream is near Aeneas and is two miles long.
The name changes were approved by the Washington State Board of Natural Resources on Tuesday, Feb. 7.
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WA will need more clean energy from other states by 2050
Washington state aspires to be a leader in clean energy, but its wind, solar and other renewable energy sources can only produce so much.
Meanwhile, the state Department of Commerce recently told lawmakers our power needs will nearly double by 2050. So, the state may have to rely on energy from our neighbors.
"Essentially, we're weaning ourselves away from fossil fuels. Our state is growing at the same time," says John Stang, who reported on the impending shift for Crosscut. "Electricity is replacing fossil fuels, and therefore, we're going to need a heck of a lot more electricity."
Speaking to KUOW's Morning Edition, Stang says much of the additional energy we'll need will likely come from Montana and Wyoming, where the wind and solar energy industries are thriving.
In fact, the state Department of Commerce expects about 36% of Washington's clean energy will come from those states by 2050. That would represent a significant shift for the state, which currently exports energy to other states.
So, why can't Washington just increase its own clean energy output to keep up with demand?
"A major problem with that is, essentially, every way that you can produce electricity has a hurdle or something wrong with it," Stang says. "Hydroelectric dams hurt migrating fish. Solar can mess up a critical habitat. Wind turbines can mess up some critical habitat and could kill threatened species of birds."
Other proposals across the state have clashed with Indigenous cultural concerns. And then, of course, "you have fossil fuels, which put carbon in the air."
But getting energy from out of state is easier said than done.
Stang explains the state will need to invest in significant infrastructure, particularly transmission lines, that will take years, if not decades to build.
Lawmakers in Olympia are currently considering a bill to start the planning process.
That's just the beginning.
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Turkish Americans in Washington state raise money for earthquake victims
A Seattle group has been so overwhelmed by donations to Turkey and Syria in the wake of Monday's devastating earthquake that the group now says it is accepting financial donations only.
According to Turkish Airlines, six tons of care packages have been sent from Sea-Tac Airport to support victims of the earthquake, which has killed more than 12,000 people. Tufan Erdinc, president of the Turkish American Cultural Association of Washington State, says care packages included blankets, sleeping bags, winter clothing, diapers, baby formula, and feminine products.
Erdinc says it’s a sad and devastating situation. Many cities have been cut off due damage to the roads. Erdinc also worries as survivors of the earthquake now need to also fight hyperthermia.
“They don't have that much time. Even if they survived the earthquake, they might still be in danger, fighting with cold weather and the harsh conditions,” Erdinc says.
Related: Turkey's Fault lines similar to those under Puget Sound
Although Erdinc's organization has stopped accepting the donation of goods, it is still raising money to help earthquake victims and their families.
Donate here.
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Top cop criticizes police culture in Washington: Today So Far
- Former King County Sheriff Sue Rahr says police culture has to change for progress to be made.
- King County and Seattle are dropping a Covid vaccine requirement.
- Someone in Washington has a winning Powerball ticket.
This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for February 7, 2023.
Years ago, I was in a Kansas City BBQ joint and found myself chatting with a local police officer. The conversation started over an agreement that "The Wire" was the best show we've seen on TV. He went further and said that it was the best representation of police culture on screen.
"Ya know, it doesn't always make cops look all that great," I said.
"Uh huh," he responded.
The comment I remember most from that conversation is that, in his opinion, the patrol car had a very negative effect on officers. He said that officers don't get out in their communities. Instead, they stay in a car where they live in an us-versus-them mentality. It was them inside the car, and everybody else out there. The nuance, the reality, was lost.
I thought of that interaction while listening to Sue Rahr's conversation with KUOW about cultural issues plaguing police departments far and wide. She worked her way through the ranks at the King County Sheriff's Office before becoming the county's first female sheriff in 2005. She went on to lead Washington's Criminal Justice Training Commission in 2012. After serving, leading, and training, Rahr says she learned a few lessons too late, and now wants new recruits to learn them from the start.
"What I told the class of (recent) recruits is, 'This is the best time to go into policing. We are at the front end of a changing era in policing. This is a time where people who really are motivated to make their communities better, to improve safety, we're on the brink of getting better at doing that.' I believe that with every fiber of my being," Rahr said.
This "changing era in policing" deals with a police culture that Rahr says has to change.
"The mythology is about fighting a war between good and evil, and so being a warrior is very consistent with that. Also, being a warrior, particularly for young men, that's a wonderful identity to say, 'I'm a mighty warrior, I'm strong, and I'm capable.' I also think during the '80s and '90s when politically it was very popular to be tough on crime, the warrior mentality fit into that. Post–9/11, when we had all kinds of excess military equipment, the convergence of all these factors came together to really fan the flames of making frontline police officers look like and operate like the military."
Rahr says she now has the benefit of hindsight.
"I realize why this all keeps coming out so wrong, because the premise is false. Just simply arresting lots of people and putting them in jail is not what contributes to community safety."
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