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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Carless in Seattle: Today So Far
- Can you go carless in Seattle? Or can you go carless to commute into Seattle?
- Adrian Diaz picked to be next Seattle police chief. City Council still needs to confirm.
- Washington has a lot more registered voters, but there is an age gap.
This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for September 21, 2022.
It's official(ish)! Adrian Diaz has been picked to become Seattle's new police chief. If that name sounds familiar, that's probably because Diaz has already been on the job as interim police chief for about two years.
Mayor Bruce Harrell announced that he selected Diaz for the job out of three finalists. The City Council still has to approve the selection, so it's not entirely official just yet.
Amid the prepared speeches and handshakes (see video of that here), there was one moment that has been lingering with me ever since Tuesday's announcement — an unplanned, frank comment from Councilmember Debora Juarez. She was part of the police chief committee that selected finalists for the job and said that it was one of the most "honest, raw, emotional meetings" she has experienced while in office. She noted the committee addressed some issues that have been difficult to discuss over the past two years, such as "defund the police," rising crime, and homelessness.
"But I think the thing I was most impressed with, and made me proud, is that I felt — and I don’t always feel this way — that I was finally in a safe room where people could say what they really feel and believe because they love this city, without being called a name, without getting a death threat, without people coming to their homes. You can say, ‘I don’t want, and I am concerned about, homeless people,’ that doesn’t mean you want to criminalize the homeless. You can say, ‘I’m not happy with the police,’ that doesn’t mean you hate the police.”
Despite Seattle's passive-aggressive profile, a lot of names do get thrown around town, usually in place of a genuine, firm argument. It can be quite off-putting, even when we're talking about a serious issue or good cause. I don't think this is what Juarez was aiming for when she said it, but I'm not sure I've heard anyone really call us out on it.
“We did not want this to turn into performative gestures, politicizing it, virtue signaling, all that bullshit," she continued. "No, we want to talk about, ‘our city is hurting, it needs to be healed.’”
I know not everyone agrees with me on this, but another reason this comment has stuck with me is because it can be refreshing to hear an elected official, in front of an official seal, swear like the rest of us. I'm probably not supposed to admit that, so please keep that between us.
Read the full story on the police chief announcement here.
An interesting factoid came through KUOW's newsroom recently: 80% of Washington adults are registered to vote. That's more than a decade ago, so voter registration is on the rise. But here's the thing, a lot of this increase has been among people age 65 and older. There has been much smaller growth among Millennials and younger voters. Read more here.
This week is a Week Without Driving. At least, it is for a lot of elected officials who are being encouraged by Disability Rights Washington to ditch their car commute to really learn the ups and downs of carless living.
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Seattle housing market is 'cooling' fast
A new report from Redfin says Seattle's housing market is "cooling" down faster than anywhere else in the country.
It says rising mortgage rates, inflation, and a slowing stock market between February and August of this year are fueling the decline.
Tacoma wasn't too far behind Seattle and came in 10th on Redfin's list of markets that are cooling down the most.
The report states: "The 10 markets cooling fastest are almost all either West Coast markets that have long been expensive, or places that became significantly less affordable during the pandemic because they attracted scores of relocating homebuyers. Las Vegas came in second place, followed by San Jose, CA, San Diego, Sacramento, CA, Denver, Phoenix, Oakland, CA, North Port, FL and Tacoma, WA."
The report also said many people have been priced out of the market, but adds the slowdown is lowering competition and giving those those who can afford a home more negotiating power. Redfin notes that Seattle, like others on its list, remain among the most expensive cities in the United States.
“These are all places where homebuyers are feeling the sting of rising home prices, higher mortgage rates and inflation very sharply," Redfin's chief economist, Daryl Fairweather, said in a statement. "They’re slowing down partly because so many people have been priced out and partly because last year’s record-low rates made them unsustainably hot. The good news is that the slowdown is dampening competition and giving those who can still afford to buy more negotiating power.”
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Bolt Creek Fire is 95% contained. Smoke continues to drift into Western Washington
The Bolt Creek Fire in Snohomish County is now 95% contained after charring more than 10,000 acres this month.
The fire is still burning and pumping out lots of smoke. Part of Highway 2 closed to through traffic between Index and Skykomish.
Meanwhile, the smaller Goat Rocks Fire continues to burn southwest of Ellensburg in Central Washington. It flared up again this month after lightning sparked it in August.
Smoke from both fires have been wafting into Western Washington recently, but forecast models show things should start clearing up by sometime Thursday.
In the meantime, be aware that the air quality around Darrington, Issaquah, Kent, and Tacoma is moderate right now, according to the state Department of Ecology
And the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency says air quality will be moderate to unhealthy for sensitive groups in King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties until Thursday.
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Seattle hikes electricity rates
Seattle City Light customers will have to pay more on their energy bills next year.
The City Council approved a 6% rate hike for residential customers, and a 5.6% hike for businesses.
The average renter or homeowner will see their bill go up by about $5 each month, according to Seattle City Light. Hikes will be closer to $2 a month for lower-income customers (who enroll in the utility discount program).
The city evaluates how much it charges residents every couple of years. Rates were kept the same during 2021 due to the pandemic, but did go up by 2% this year, which was seen as a modest increase by city officials.
The new electricity rates still need to be signed into law by the mayor.
The City Council is also considering hikes to the garbage and compost pick-up fees this fall.
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Seattle is very thirsty right now
The Seattle area is thirsty and could really use a nice, cold rainy day. According to the National Weather Service, summer 2022 was the driest on record.
The Weather Service also notes that of the half an inch of rain that fell over the summer, about a third of it came on Sept. 16. So, it's been pretty dry.
It's important to note that by "Seattle," the National Weather Service generally means the Seattle area. A lot of measurements happen at Sea-Tac Airport south of the city. In this case, the data speaks to "Total precipitation June 21 to September 21 – Seattle Tacoma area, Wa."
The data caught the attention of Dr. Meade Krosby with the University of Washington's Climate Impacts Group.
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What were all those fireworks all about?: Today So Far
- Why did someone put on a massive fireworks display in Puget Sound?
- Study finds drinking wells contaminated after decades of nearby military exercises.
This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for September 20, 2022.
Everyone living on the shores of Seattle, or around the eastern side of Bainbridge Island, probably had the same thought Saturday night: "What the hell was that?!"
A massive fireworks display erupted across the night sky from a barge moored close to the north end of Bainbridge. The show could be seen, and heard, across Puget Sound in Ballard. That's right — these weren't the rockets folks bring home for the Fourth of July. These were massive, barge-level fireworks for sky-high displays.
Fireworks in July — sure, that's to be expected. But the thunderous commotion on September 17 startled a few folks. And it created quite a mystery. Where did it come from? Why? KUOW's Isolde Raftery looked into it and got a few answers ... which opened up more questions.
In short, someone hired a professional fireworks company to put on the show. The Seattle Fire Department approved a permit to load the explosives onto a barge, which departed Shilshole Bay before the show.
But why? Theories have been thrown around, like how it was Gov. Jay Inslee's anniversary (Inslee is overseas right now). Or perhaps it was for the reopening of the West Seattle Bridge? Probably not.
I put on my thinking cap and came up with a few theories of my own as to why the fireworks show happened:
- "M*A*S*H" debuted on Sept. 17, 1972. Could this could have been the work of a sitcom super fan?
- The long awaited season 5 of "Cobra Kai" debuted the week prior, and there is a passing remark about Bainbridge Island in the opening show. It also stars Seattle actor and restaurateur Yuji Okumoto. Perhaps a karate fan got excited?
- It was Baz Lurhmann's birthday. We all know this auteur filmmaker is a fan of flashy lights and spectacle. Maybe a Bainbridge birthday blast was in order. (It was also Dustin Nguyen's birthday, aka Harry from "21 Jump Street" which was filmed just over there in Vancouver, BC).
- Someone on Bainbridge ordered up a fancy light show because, let's be honest, it's Bainbridge Island.
- Ancient aliens.
Any thoughts or theories of your own? Check out the full story here.
The U.S. military is now providing bottles of water to about 100 homes in the Yakima Valley after it was proven that Army exercises resulted in poisoning local wells.
If this sounds familiar, a similar story has unfolded on Whidbey Island (and a lot of other places near military bases) where a particular firefighting foam was used, mostly in training exercises to practice putting out real fires. Without getting too sciencey, the foam has a chemical in it (called "PFAS") that is pretty toxic. It leads to increased risks of cancer, lowered immunity, and other health issues. And after decades of using this foam, its chemicals have made their way into the surrounding environment, including drinking water wells.
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King County executive proposes millions for law enforcement and behavioral health
King County Executive Dow Constantine is laying out his public safety plan.
Constantine will unveil his full two-year budget proposal next week, but he has provided a sneak peek into a few law enforcement investments he has planned. The proposal calls for hiring new deputies. It also aims to spend $21 million to support transit security officers who keep tabs on the transit centers and bus stops.
Some other highlights of the plan include:
- Expanded behavioral health services for those in crisis, and assistance finding them someplace to go other than jail.
- Help 850 young people who commit non-violent crimes receive services through the Restorative Community Pathways program.
- The executive also wants to use millions to help 80 repeat adult offenders by addressing their underlying housing and health needs.
- Body cameras for deputies.
- A new unit focused on gun violence along with $9 million for a community based gun violence program.
“The health of our communities depends on the ability of every person to live a safe and productive life, and starts with knowing that when you call for help, it will be there," Constantine said in a statement. "To deliver genuine community safety and uphold our highest values, we must invest in the programming and workforce that will both stop immediate harm and get to root causes to prevent future offenses. By breaking down silos, working with community-based organizations, and broadening our options beyond just the traditional responses, we can help end harmful cycles and implement new partnerships that bring about systemic change.”
See a roundup of Constantine's budget proposal here.
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'Very unusual': Lines at Sea-Tac Airport stretch into parking garage
Officials at Sea-Tac Airport say they’re looking into the cause of major security checkpoint delays that recently emerged.
Twitter erupted with videos and photos of seemingly endless lines stretching into the airport's parking garage over the weekend.
Lisa Jensen was one of those people. She came to Seattle from the San Francisco Bay area for a Husky game and was heading back home.
“I've traveled abroad," Jensen said. "I've never seen anything, anywhere like this. Even at JFK during Christmas time.”
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More Washington adults are registered to vote, but younger voters are lagging
Tuesday is National Voter Registration Day and the latest registration data shows that more people in Washington state are engaging in the election process.
About 80% of Washington adults are registered to vote, compared to about 75% a decade ago.
A big factor in the voter increase has been removing barriers to voting, according to Halie Watkins, spokesperson for King County Elections.
"We provide grant dollars to community based organizations to go out and do voter registration in non-English speaking communities, communities of color, young people, and traditionally disenfranchised communities," Watkins said.
Other takeaways from recent data: As older voters increase, the generations behind them have not made up the gap. Election data from the past decade shows that the oldest voting block — those 65 and older — has grown by 5%. Voters 45-64 experienced the largest decrease.
The percent of voters in the youngest bracket, 18-24, has slightly decreased since 2012, from 10% to 9.19%. And looking at Millennials, since just 2020, the percent of voters who are aged 25-34 has bumped up by a couple percentage points.
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Adrian Diaz officially picked as Seattle Police Chief
Adrian Diaz will drop the “interim” from his police chief title and is slated to become next leader of the Seattle Police Department. Mayor Bruce Harrell made the announcement Tuesday afternoon at City Hall.
The Seattle City Council still has to vote to approve the hiring decision.
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Seattle teachers approve new contract
The Seattle Education Association has approved a new contract with the school district, putting to rest the potential for another strike as the school year begins.
A total of 4,143 members of the teacher's union voted. According to the union:
- SAEOPS voted 82% in favor
- Paraprofessionals voted 66% in favor
- Certificated voted 71% in favor
The tentative agreement included some annual pay bumps, or accommodations for inflation (whichever is greater).
Seattle teachers went on strike this month, delaying the first day of classes by about a week. A tentative agreement between the union and Seattle Public Schools was struck last week. Union members voted on the contract Monday evening.
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Man sentenced to 140 months for trafficking minors on Aurora Avenue, across state lines
On Friday, Judge Josephine Wiggs sentenced Curtis Coleman to 140 months in prison, after he pled guilty to the felony charges of human trafficking in the second degree and promoting prostitution in the first degree in August.
The investigation into Coleman was led by Seattle Police Detective Maurice Washington, who got word from victim advocates and service providers in May 2019 that two teens reported being trafficked, Washington wrote in his case investigation report.
King County prosecution said Coleman trafficked five victims — including three minors — along Aurora Avenue North in Seattle, an area known for prostitution, in Yakima, Wenatchee, the Tri-Cities, and across state lines in Idaho and Montana.
Coleman used social media and dating apps to recruit vulnerable women and children into prostitution, according to court documents. Two of his victims were ages 14 and 16 when Coleman allegedly groomed them.
Coleman instructed the victims on which sex acts to perform and how much to charge, the prosecution wrote in court records, and the victims were expected to work constantly.
One woman said Coleman beat her violently during their five-year relationship. Another woman said Coleman hurt her when she told him she couldn’t work because she was ill. Coleman had a strict “no disrespect” policy, the victims said according to court records.
Three years after Detective Washington heard from advocates, Coleman was before Judge Wiggs for sentencing.
The courtroom gallery was packed with Coleman’s family members, some of whom asked that the judge give Coleman “mercy” and sentence him to 140 months, which Coleman’s defense asked for, instead of the 171-month sentence prosecutors argued he should be given.
Ben Gauen, senior deputy prosecuting attorney, said during the court hearing that he usually recommends sentences of no more than 36 months for a first offense committed by young people who traffic other young people, because he said they had the capacity to change.
But at age 50, Coleman isn’t young, and this wasn’t his first offense.
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