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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

  • Rain has finally arrived in the Northwest ... watch out

    After a late start to the fall, rain has finally come to the Northwest. That is good news for firefighters combatting wildfires, and for the region's air quality. But with rain comes a warning: Watch out for road hazards and landslides.

    "The roads haven't been washed off for a while, and so there's an accumulation of oils and all the crude and so forth," state climatologist Nick Bond told KUOW. "It's going to be especially slippery, and so, everybody should take a chill pill."

    The rain that is in the forecast over the next several days could also trigger landslides, especially in areas around Skykomish and Highway 2, where the Bolt Creek fire has now burned nearly 15,000 acres.

    WSDOT warns of possible road closures along Highway 2 because of falling trees around the burn area, which crews have been working to clear.

    Meteorologist Maddie Kristell says this weekend will bring just round one of the rain.

    “We might have a little break on Sunday, but by Sunday night into Monday, round two effectively comes in and brings in another dose of precipitation to the area," Kristell told KUOW. "And all of the longer range models at this point support additional systems coming through at least into mid to late next week.”

    Meanwhile, the Nakia Creek fire burning in southwest Washington near Camas has now burned nearly 2,000 acres since it started Oct. 9, possibly by people shooting off fireworks in the area.

    Continue reading »

  • Light rail service between Rainier Beach and Tukwila to be suspended

    Sound Transit's Link light rail service between Rainier Beach and Tukwila International Boulevard is going to be suspended for the next few days.

    The disruption will begin, Saturday, Oct. 22, and will run through Wednesday, Oct. 26. Crews will use that time to conduct power-line work and make other repairs between the two points.

    “The ST Team is acutely aware that this required system maintenance will create a substantial travel burden to our riders during these five days, and they are pushing to keep the impact window as short as possible,” Sound Transit CEO Julie Timm said in a press release. “Preventive maintenance and system repairs are unavoidable as we work to maintain, improve and expand the light rail network. Sound Transit is committed to increasing communication around these events and providing transportation options to support riders and their need to reach their destinations with minimal disruptions.”

    Free bus shuttle service will be provided for riders and will run every 10 minutes. Sound Transit is recommending travelers plan an extra 30 minutes for their trips. It is also encouraging commuters to consider bus routes to get around the area.

    Sound Transit also says during this time, the 1 Line will continue to run between Northgate and Rainier Beach, but service will be reduced to every 12 minutes between Angle Lake and Tukwila.

    Continue reading »

  • Seattle is a smoky dive bar: Today So Far
    • For two days, Seattle has had the worst air quality on the planet (thanks to wildfire smoke). It's made outdoor conditions a lot like indoor dive bar conditions from 20 years ago.
    • A public meeting that almost wasn't so public.

    This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for October 20, 2022.

    Going outside right now is a lot like going inside a bar a couple decades ago, when cigarette smoke lingered through the air. When you woke up the next day, your head would be aching and that smoke had something to do with it (the loud music and beer didn't help, either). Western Washington is like a giant smoky bar right now, minus anything fun.

    Without getting too sciencey about AQI numbers (which measure air quality), having an AQI of 150 is like smoking seven cigarettes a day. As I write this newsletter, Seattle has an AQI of 207. For anyone who turned 21 after 2005 (when Washington banned smoking indoors), and wants to take a time machine back a couple decades — turn on a playlist with Nelly, Evanescence, Nickelback, and Shaggy. Grab a Mike's Hard Lemonade and experience the wonderous days when Seattle still had smoky dive bars. Expect headaches, smelly clothes, and embarrassment about the music quality of the day.

    For the second day in a row, Seattle has the worst air quality on the planet. The Northwest is strongly represented among the top five cities with the worst air quality across the globe: Seattle, Portland, Beijing, Wuhan, and Vancouver, B.C.

    Just in case you haven't heard this across every local news outlet (or you're that one neighbor who says, "It's nothing, when I was a kid .... blah blah blah"), this is what you should know: Stay indoors, avoid outdoors, and if you can, crank your air filters up to "high." If you have to go outdoors, wear an N95 mask. Also, it's a good idea to keep your dogs and cats inside.

    Nearby wildfires that continue to burn (which is becoming a new seasonal normal) have pushed our region's air quality into the red and purple. That means air quality ranges from unhealthy to hazardous for everyone. This is not just a concern for people with medical conditions. This affects everyone from average folks going to work, to people like my mom who can sit down in any restaurant, take a couple whiffs, and then ask for a new table because she can tell someone smoked there sometime around 1997.

    This is all expected to end tomorrow afternoon when the wind starts to blow and fall rain finally arrives. Then we can move on to complaining about how everybody forgot how to drive in the rain.

    And before anyone starts emailing me about how wildfire smoke and cigarette smoke is very different, chemically: You're thinking too much and your lungs don't care.

    KUOW's Isolde Raftery went to a public meeting in the Greenwood neighborhood this week to find out that you, almost, weren't allowed to hear about it.

    The meeting featured Seattle Councilmember Dan Strauss, state Rep. Noel Frame, Josh Castle with the Low Income Housing Institute, Seattle Police Officer Mike Cruzan, and Karen Lund of Taproot Theatre. The issue at hand was public safety amid concerns of drug trafficking in the neighborhood, and following the recent shooting of an apartment building security guard. On top of that, there is a tiny house village for unhoused people proposed for the area. There was a lot to discuss.

    Despite a press release promoting the event, reporters showed up to find out they were banned from entry — no press allowed. Beyond that, no recording allowed. It didn't go over well, as Raftery explains, and media was eventually allowed inside. Rep. Frame and Councilmember Strauss followed up with KUOW and said they suggested the "no recording" rule to help foster an environment where people could speak candidly about the topics at hand. Strauss said he regretted the suggestion.

    Continue reading »

  • Orting School Board member resigns following Jan. 6 charges

    The Orting School Board member who is facing federal charges for his involvement in the Jan. 6 insurrection has resigned.

    Orting's School Board President Carrie Thibodeaux issued a statement Wednesday saying that board member Rick Slaughter, 40, has stepped down, effective immediately.

    "As a Board, we remain committed to transparency and open communication lines between the District and the local community," Thibodeaux's statement reads. "While we appreciate Rick’s service to the District, we are also saddened by the hurt and frustration recent events have caused. This community, our schools, staff and students will continue to be at the heart of what we do, while building your trust and confidence."

    The Orting School Board will now plan on filling Slaughter's vacant seat.

    Slaughter was arrested on Oct. 12, along with his stepson, Caden Paul Gottfried, 20, of Puyallup. According to the Department of Justice, Slaughter and Gottfried illegally entered the Capitol on Jan. 6 and moved through the Lower West Terrace with other rioters.

    The DOJ says it has evidence showing Slaughter at a tunnel entrance to the Capitol, grabbing a police shield from another rioter in an attempt to keep it away from officers. The DOJ adds that Slaughter yelled at police: “You guys need to stand down. Just walk away, nobody will f------ hurt any of you.” He then allegedly used a long pole to attack police, and handed chemical spray to another rioter.

    Gottfried is accused of clashing with a line of police officers before being detained in the tunnel. He was eventually released.

    At least 14 Washington residents have been charged in connection with the attack on Jan. 6.

    Slaughter shared his resignation letter with Conservative talk radio station KTTH, which states that he initially didn't want to resign and give in to "mob rule." He said he ultimately decided to step down to be with this family during this time. Slaughter argues that he has not been given the benefit of the doubt and has been judged, but not by a jury of his peers.

    "This was a news article, not a court trial," Slaughter said.

    Continue reading »

  • Seattle Councilmember Sawant reports 'disturbing incidents' at her home

    Update: Shortly after this story was posted Oct. 20, the Seattle Police Department issued a notice, asking for help identifying a suspect who has been spotted throwing feces at a council member's home.

    SPD does not state who the council member is, but the details align with the incidents Councilmember Kshama Sawant has described (read more below).

    The police call the incidents in the Leschi neighborhood "harassment with possible political motivations." An unknown person has been spotted throwing plastic bags of feces, potentially human, in the council member's yard between 5-8 p.m.

    A suspect reportedly spotted throwing a bag into the yard was confronted on Oct. 13. A witness took photos of the person. More details about the suspect can be found here.

    Anyone with information relating to the incidents is asked to call the SPD tip line at 206-233-5000.

    Original post

    Seattle City Councilmember Kshama Sawant is accusing the Seattle Police Department of not properly investigating "disturbing incidents" happening at her home.

    The Seattle Times reports that Sawant has found bags of human waste on her lawn at least six times recently. The latest incident happened last week.

    Sawant sent a letter to police and city leaders, saying that police told her "the material can't be sent to their lab for further investigation due to its hazardous nature." She adds, "That seems quite odd considering that hospital labs do tests on human fecal matter all the time..."

    She also says she called poison control after one of her dogs got into one of the bags of waste. Sawant says she believes the "extreme and hostile" incidents are politically motivated.

    Sawant is also accusing police of not taking video evidence from a neighbor, ignoring two other witnesses, and failing to investigate what she considers a threatening email that was recently sent to her.

    Continue reading »

  • Expect your ballot to arrive soon in the mail


    With a couple weeks to go before Election Day, candidates are starting to make their final push for votes. That includes a swirl of campaign ads.

    Ballots should start showing up in mailboxes in King County through the end of October. Pierce County will begin mailing ballots to voters on Friday.

    King County has 1.4 million active voters. About 32% of them voted in the August primary election, determining who would face off in November. Election officials predict a much higher amount, 72%, will vote in November.

    To make the election transparent, King County invites members of the public to observe election activities. Once volunteers and staff start processing ballots, people can watch a live stream video. Eight official observers will be on the counting floor.

    Continue reading »

  • Community mourns after death of Central District leader, business owner


    Hundreds gathered along Seattle's Martin Luther King Jr. Way Thursday night, in remembrance of D'Vonne Pickett Jr. who died this week.

    “He wanted to show everybody you could do it different," Pickett's wife KeAnna told the crowd gathered near their small business, The Postman.

    Flowers and heartfelt messages lined the door of The Postman Thursday, leading up to the evening's vigil. That's where D’Vonne Pickett Jr. opened a third-party mail service center, building upon his family's legacy established generations ago in the same neighborhood.

    Pickett died Wednesday evening after he was shot waiting at a bus stop, not far from his store. Seattle police report that, along with King County SWAT teams, officers have arrested a suspect in the shooting. Detectives allege that the suspect is also involved with another homicide and other shootings in the area.

    Continue reading »

  • The rise of Krogersons: Today So Far

    Two big grocery companies, with stores throughout Western Washington, aim to merge. What that could mean for the region's grocery options.

    This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for October 19, 2022.

    Grocery companies Kroger and Albertsons aim to merge. Now, this is one of those business and economic stories that comes across as boring to a lot of folks. But it's one you should care about, or at least keep an eye on where you shop.

    There's a reason I don't regularly shop at Whole Foods, PCC, or Metropolitan Market. Nothing against their food; I just don't feel like taking out a loan just to afford their prices. On the other end of the spectrum, I've never relied on Costco because there's no way I'll ever eat that much broccoli. Avoiding luxury grocery stores means your options are places like Fred Meyer, Safeway, Albertsons, or QFC. Kroger owns Freddys and QFC. Albertsons owns Safeway.

    It seems these two companies are set on joining forces. Kroger would get access to communities it currently doesn't (and Albertsons does) and vice versa. Krogersons (my name for them) would measure up against their giant competitor Walmart. Also, the chains could up their online-shopping game. When it comes to our region, however, these companies operate more than half of all the grocery stores that our households rely on, The Seattle Times reports. It is understandable that Krogersons' market influence would make folks around Western Washington a bit wary.

    A merger like this generally means there are going to be store closures, as Seattle Times reporter Paul Roberts told Seattle Now this morning. For example, when Albertsons purchased Safeway in 2014, the company ended up with both stores across the street from each other in Poulsbo. Today, Poulsbo has kept its Safeway and Albertsons closed.

    "We have to assume that Kroger and Albertsons haven't gotten this far without coming up with a list of stores they think they'll have to divest," Roberts said. "I think we can assume that, given the Seattle area in particular has an unusually high concentration of Safeway's and Kroger stores, that there's gonna be a fair amount of divestiture happening here."

    That is making the local grocery workers' union nervous.

    "There is strong worry that a massive merger at this scale would threaten thousands of jobs of workers across the region," said Tom Geiger with UFCW 3000, a union that represents 50,000 workers in Washington state. "It would also, we believe, threaten their pensions, the wages and other benefits of workers that continue to work in those stores. And we feel it would threaten the competition in the grocery market and negatively impact grocery store shoppers, as well, who might see higher prices and less product availability across their community."

    Kroger's digital sales are growing in excess of 100%, and its most recent profits aren't looking to shabby either. Albertsons has its own good numbers to report. All this has come during a time when pandemic woes have hit other parts of the economy hard and inflation has driven prices higher. The Wall Street Journal reported in October 2021 that some grocery store companies have attempted to protect consumers from rising costs, but that hasn't been the case for companies like Kroger. In fact, Kroger finance chief Gary Millerchip is quoted: "We’ve been very comfortable with our ability to pass on the increases that we’ve seen at this point. And we would expect that to continue to be the case.”

    To be fair, Millerchip made similar comments at an earnings meeting in September 2021, where he commented that some cost hikes are being passed to the customer, while others are not.

    And that brings us back to the wariness around food deserts. Stores could close, and price competition could go down. If we have the option, we know to go to different stores for better prices. Personally, I head to Safeway for frozen veggies, H Mart for fresh veggies and fish, Freddys for other options, and QFC if I'm in a pinch (or for that massive booze selection in University Village). This merger would mean my options would dwindle to Krogersons and H Mart.

    Continue reading »

  • Snow is returning to Western Washington

    After experiencing one of the hottest days on record for October, snow will start falling in the mountains in Western Washington this weekend. Yes, snow!

    The National Weather service says snow levels will drop between 3,000-4,000 feet Saturday night through Sunday morning. That means higher elevations in the Cascade Mountains will receive some fresh ice. We could see some flakes flying around places like Stevens Pass, Mount Baker, and Paradise. The Olympics are also expected to see snow.

    The Weather Service says now is the time to prepare for more typical late-October weather conditions following the unseasonably dry and warm start to fall.

    Continue reading »

  • Kent passes anti-camping measure

    The Kent City Council has unanimously approved a measure that will ban people from camping in public places, specifically in areas along the Green River, in parks, along trails, and other green spaces.

    "This ordinance is prepared in a way that's intended to balance the needs of individuals who are experiencing homelessness with the requirement of city to preserve the investments it has made to the general public, which includes parks, streets, sidewalks, our economic development resources, etc., to ensure that those are available as intended when this council establishes budgets and approves projects," said Pat Fitzpatrick, Kent's chief administrative officer.

    The ordinance is an expansion of camping rules Kent has had on the books since 2000. The update focuses on activity such as fires, littering, and destroying vegetation in "sensitive" areas, such as wetlands, playfields, and trails. It also addresses city-owned property.

    Fitzpatrick added that police have advised the council that there has never been an instance of not having shelter to offer unhoused people in the city, and that people "virtually never take shelter."

    "That is what this ordinance is going to give us leverage to deal with," Fitzpatrick said. "And the sad fact is some people need that push to make the choice to change the situation they are in."

    But opponents say there aren't enough shelter beds in the area for those in need. If no shelter is available, the ordinance "suspends authority to arrest and file charges for unlawful camping," according to a presentation given to the council before voting. People will still be required to remove their camps.

    City leaders say they don't plan to do any massive encampment sweeps and will continue the current policy of offering resources and encourage people to accept offers of shelter.

    The ban is set to go into effect in November.

    "This is still only half the answer," Kent Councilmember Brenda Fincher said at Tuesday's meeting.

    "We still need housing. We heard that housing is not available for people the police department runs into, but those are not the only people who are unsheltered in our neighborhood.... We've talked about tiny homes, we've talked about other forms of shelter.... We've suggested going to the county and saying we need more done, especially with winter coming," Fincher added. "More is still needed. This is only half of a solution."

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  • How Seattle aims to give small businesses a facelift


    Small business owners in Seattle can now apply to receive up to $2,000 in grant money to fix broken windows and storefronts that were damaged over the past year.

    Here is how Seattle's Storefront Repair Fund works. The money is slated for damage to storefronts that happened after Jan. 1, 2021. Qualified applicants must net less than $7 million annually, have no more than two locations, and have fewer than 50 workers. They must also be currently open for business.

    Have your repair receipts, police reports, and photos of the damage ready.

    All businesses must be independently owned, which means no chains or franchises. Also, adult entertainment businesses along with cannabis shops, growers, and dispensaries are ineligible to receive the money.

    More information and the online application can be found here.

    Money for Seattle's Storefront Repair Fund comes from $2 million in federal relief funds. It is being managed by the Office of Economic Development.

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