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 to phase out new gasoline-powered cars by 2035
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee says the state will phase out the sale of new gasoline-powered cars by the year 2035.
Inslee announced the move in a tweet on Wednesday and said a new rule will be finalized by the end of the year.
Under a 2020 state law, Washington is required to adopt California’s rules for zero-emission vehicles, the most stringent in the nation.
RELATED: California is poised to phase out sales of new gas-powered cars
California’s Air Resources Board is expected to approve that state’s phaseout of fossil fuel car sales on Thursday.
The California rules would mandate a steep increase in sales of zero-emission vehicles, either electric or hydrogen-powered, starting in just four years:
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The artistic influence of an IHOP: Today So Far
- Playwright August Wilson's connections to Seattle.
- Schools face challenges as a new school year approaches.
- How Seattle police handle mental health crises.
This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for August 24, 2022.
Artists generally soak up their environment, whatever it may be, and evolve that input into a new level of experience. That's what makes them artists. I've passed by the Olympia house where Kurt Cobain once lived; legend says the house has a lot to do with "Smells Like Teen Spirit." A while ago, I walked by Seattle's Black Dog Forge where Pearl Jam and Soundgarden crafted their sounds. I've toured Dublin to see houses and the many pubs of great Irish writers (tip: whatever Dublin pub you're in, James Joyce drank there. He was in all of them, I guess). And I've sought out the original location of The Star Club in Hamburg's red light district to see where the Beatles, and Jimi Hendrix, took the stage before they became worldwide sensations.
Though, I would never have guessed that one of America's most talented playwrights spent hours soaking up the ambiance of an IHOP. But that's what August Wilson did, right here in Seattle.
"He is the most celebrated Black American playwright, period, of all time," UW Professor Charles Johnson told KUOW.
Johnson was friends with Wilson. He said that the two would spend hours chatting it up at the local IHOP. By that time, Wilson was known for his series of plays set in Pittsburgh. He continued to add to that series while living in Seattle, now referred to as the "Pittsburgh Cycle" or the "Century Cycle."
As KUOW's Mike Davis reports, Wilson spent the 1990s in Seattle cafes and at IHOP. He also performed his one-man play at Seattle Reparatory Theatre. It was in Seattle where Wilson crafted stories ahead of their big Broadway debuts. His notable time in Seattle came to mind this week after the August Wilson House opened to the public — an arts center inside the writer's childhood home in Pittsburgh, the city he wrote about.
I often romanticize the old haunts of artists, like a perfect film set for the movie of their life. You don't often consider great talents going about everyday life, like normal people, gassing up their cars, picking up after their pets, choosing which milk to buy at the store. Or just enjoying company at a chain pancake house.
Check our more of Davis' story on Wilson here.
It sounds odd to say, given the short summer we've had (after the long, cold spring), but school is starting back up soon.
In Kent, however, teachers are still negotiating with the district for higher pay and better working conditions. They have until tonight to get things in order if they want to start classes on time tomorrow.
Seattle Public Schools is facing its own challenges as it prepares for its school year. The big problem — buses. Specifically, there is a bus driver shortage. SPS already secured contracts with school bus companies, so the buses are ready, there just aren't any drivers for them. The same shortage forced the district to cut 142 routes last year. Student families will be notified if their bus route will be operational ahead of the first day of class on September 7.
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Infant hospitalized as monkeypox continues to spread in King County
Officials with Public Health Seattle-King County say there are now 310 confirmed cases of monkeypox or MPV in King County, up from 48 cases in mid-July.
The virus was recently detected in an infant, who has been hospitalized and is in stable condition. Officials believe the baby got the virus from a family member, and not from a school, child-care facility, or other setting.
Public health officials note that the risk of monkeypox to the general public, and children, remains very low.
Also, three cis-gender females recently tested positive for MPV.
According to the latest statement from Public Health Seattle-King County:
"Anyone who has been in close contact with someone who has MPV, including having direct contact with a rash or lesions of someone with MPV, is at risk of becoming infected. Locally, most of the cases have been reported in adult men who reported close intimate contact, including sexual contact, with other men."
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It's getting cheaper to use the Tacoma Narrows Bridge
How often do you hear about tolls going down in Washington state?
The Washington State Transportation Commission has signed off on a 75 cent toll reduction for the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. This basically means the cost of crossing the bridge will go from $5.25 to $4.50 (it's more expensive if you're paying with cash or by mail).
The vote came down after Tuesday's public hearing. The new lower rate will cover most vehicles (those with two axles) and will kick in Oct. 1.
This adds up to savings of $195 annually for drivers using the toll bridge five days a week.
The toll reduction on the bridge is thanks to some money the state Legislature approved earlier this year. The new funds to pay for the bridge means that drivers don't have to spend as much to cross it. The flat 75 cent reduction is the result of months of meetings and public comment.
The tolls are being used to pay off construction of the eastbound span of the bridge, which opened in 2007, increasing its capacity. The Tacoma Narrows Bridge is a major connection between Tacoma and the Kitsap Peninsula. The initial span was built to handle 60,000 cars each day. It currently serves more than 90,000 cars.
Fun fact: The west and east Tacoma Narrows Bridge spans are the 61st and 62nd longest suspension bridges in the world ( 2,798 feet). That might not sound too impressive, but at least we're bigger than that measly, sorry excuse for a suspension bridge, the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge, at 2,309 feet.
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138K green crabs pulled from Washington waters ... so far in 2022
So far this year, Washington's Department of Fish and Wildlife says more than 138,000 European green crabs have been removed from Washington waters. It's a considerable increase in green crabs captured locally than previously reported this year.
A total of 85,000 were captured near Bellingham last year.
According to WDFW's recent update, a number of agencies, tribes, and other groups are still working to limit their numbers in places like Lummi Bay, Willipa Bay, and Grays Harbor.
The green crabs first showed up around Washington state in 1998 and have slowly been advancing into Puget Sound. It's one of the most successful invasive species in North America. Gov. Jay Inslee has declared a state of emergency over their spread. They threaten local varieties of crabs and habitats, many of which are relied upon by local fisheries and restaurant menus.
Some solutions to the green crab invasion have been proposed, such as eating them. An East Coast distillery has even used green crabs to make whiskey. No solutions large enough to meet the threat have yet been found aside from pulling them out of the water as fast as possible.
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King County gets another award for its election observer system
The National Association of Election Officials is recognizing King County Elections for its robust election observer system and innovative use of technology. King County Elections has now received two annual awards in a row for its observation efforts.
This is the second consecutive year King County Elections received the Eagles Award. This year, it was for adopting many virtual processes for election administration, a move spurred by the pandemic. The department now uses a range of remote work platforms, which it argues has upped efficiency and communication.
Last year, it earned an Eagle Award for its custom-built app suite to manage and track ballot collection from every drop box.
County Elections Chief of Staff Kendall Hodson says the honor is a testament to the department's commitment to transparency.
"I can't tell you how many times we've had folks who are really, genuinely skeptical about the process, and they come in and they spend time with our incredible ballot processing team, and they ultimately walk away and say, 'Wow, I had no idea how much care and attention goes into processing every single ballot,'" Hodson said.
King County won awards alongside election departments in California, Colorado, Ohio, and Missouri. They're determined based on best practices from small, medium, and large jurisdictions around the country.
Election observers in King County must be trained, and they must represent both major political parties. The counting process is also shared over a video feed.
According to Julie Wise, King County's director of elections, the department embraces "radical transparency."
"That means sharing our processes, explaining the details, and welcoming observers across the political spectrum," Wise said in a statement. "We have observers who come to us completely skeptical of the system, usually because of rumors and rhetoric. When they get to see how ballots are processed up-close and meet their neighbors who do this work every day, these same skeptical observers become our greatest advocates."
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Two Pacific lamprey have made history in Oregon
Two Pacific lamprey have made history. The eel-like fish made it past the Soda Springs Dam on Oregon’s North Umpqua River. It's an important milestone as the region deals with climate change.
“The access to cool water habitats are going to be pretty important in the future," said Bob Nichols, the fish forest program manager for the North Umpqua National Forest.
Nichols says the current hope is that more lamprey will be able to reach more habitat north of the dam.
Pacific lamprey are a culturally important food for indigenous people and are a source of some traditional medicines.
Biologists think, in this case, one lamprey may have followed the other because if its pheromones. That can help guide lamprey to good spawning habitat.
Read the full story on this milestone here.
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Kent teachers threaten strike if contract not reached Wednesday
Kent School District and its teachers union have until Wednesday night to reach a contract for school to start on time Thursday.
A mediator from the state Public Employment Relations Commission sat down with the two sides Tuesday to help them reach a deal.
Kent Education Association Vice President Layla Jones said the district needs to boost pay to reflect inflation and the teacher shortage, and to ease staff workload by lowering class sizes and case loads.
“We're also looking at wraparound supports, those mental health services provided by counselors, behavior support, making sure we're having nurses in our buildings to help take care of our kids, just, you know, those basic things that our students need, especially coming out of a pandemic," Jones said.
District spokesperson Faith Sisley declined an interview request but referred to the district's website, which said the district has already "offered similar increases to our neighboring and regional districts who have recently completed their bargaining processes and keeps teacher salaries competitive."
Seattle and Federal Way Schools are also still in contract talks, but with longer runways - those districts have two weeks to go before the first day of school.
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The dual narrative around Dan Price: Today So Far
- We're slated for a third La Niña winter in a row. That's rare. But what could it mean for the Northwest?
- Dan Price is known as a CEO saint in the headlines and on social media. But those closer to him have varying perceptions.
This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for August 23, 2022.
Three La Niña winters in a row?! That's rare, and it's what we are facing heading into the winter ahead.
“It is unusual,” assistant state climatologist Karin Bumbaco told KUOW, further noting that state weather records only go back 73 years. “This has only happened two other times in that 73 record. The winter of 2000-2001 was a third La Niña, that was a triple-dip La Niña event. The other one was the 1975-1976 winter.”
The Northwest is currently in a La Niña pattern that is expected to continue through December, January, February (aka "winter"). It means Washington state can expect colder-than-average temps during that time — probably about 1 degree or 1.5 degrees lower, according to Bumbaco.
Just so you know, this does not mean snow ... but it could also mean snow. La Niña makes it colder, but it doesn't guarantee precipitation. At this point, there are equal chances of snow or no snow this winter. Best to just be prepared ahead of time.
Take those two other triple back-to-back La Niñas that Bumbaco mentioned above. In 2001, we had an extremely dry winter with low snow pack; the region entered a drought after that. In 1976, it was wetter than normal and we entered spring with above average snow.
However the coming winter plays out, Bumbaco tells KUOW that she does not expect an anomalous season like the extended cold spring we just had, which was about three degrees colder than normal.
In case you're curious, in the more near-term, the Climate Prediction Center expects above normal temps over the next three weeks. September looks fairly normal with chances of above average precipitation for the Olympic Peninsula and north Puget Sound. Hear all of Bumbaco's climate and weather insights here.
Maybe you know Dan Price because he’s the CEO who took a pay cut to give his employees higher salaries so they can live in a city like Seattle. Maybe you know him because of the recent allegations of abuse and assault. Or maybe you just know him as that guy who looks a lot like that painting of Jesus that was on your grandparent’s wall … just me?
Price has built a bit of an online persona. For lack of a better term, he feels like an “influencer,” promoting that CEOs be compassionate and look out for their employees — such as pay them decently. He initially made headlines when he established a $70,000 minimum wage at his Seattle-based company Gravity Payments. New York Times technology correspondent Karen Weise has been skeptical of Price’s persona for a while now, and tells KUOW’s Seattle Now that there is more of a dual narrative going on, depending on who you ask.
“There is a lot that they say is true,” Weise said. “That they do have this minimum wage, I believe it’s now $80,000 a year. People talk about feeling empowered at the individual level, they are not micromanaged, they talk about having great colleagues, a mission to help small businesses.”
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Stay out of the water at Seattle's Howell Park and Madrona Beach
King County officials are warning people and pets to stay out of the water at Howell Park, Madrona Beach, and the stretch of Lake Washington shoreline between the two parks.
A sewage spill Tuesday morning is behind the warning, which also applies to the street-end parks at East Olive and East Pine streets.
See a map of closed Lake Washington beaches due to high bacteria levels here.
Meanwhile, Gene Coulon, Matthews, Meydenbauer Bay, and Newcastle beaches along Lake Washington remain closed because of high bacteria levels in the water.
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King County health officials tracking E. coli outbreak with unknown source
Public Health Seattle and King County is investigating an E. coli outbreak, which it says has sickened at least seven people among the county's east African communities. The source of the bacteria is currently unknown.
The seven patients are between 11 months and 35 years old. Six have recovered. Four were hospitalized.
The first case of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli was reported in December 2021, but the last six were reported since June 2022. Health officials also say that most patients reported eating different types of meat, from goat to ground beef.
While health officials cannot rule out multiple contamination sources, genetic fingerprinting indicates that all seven people have the same strain of the bacteria, which means they likely got sick from the same source.
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Seattle's school bus routes uncertain ahead of new school year
Seattle has about two weeks to go before the new school year starts, but families are waiting to find out if school bus routes will be up and running this fall.
Seattle Public Schools sent a letter to families Monday, warning them that it is still dealing with a bus driver shortage. Districts across the U.S. are dealing with similar issues. The bus driver shortage in Seattle led to the district suspending 142 routes in October 2021.
Families will find out if their routes will be affected by driver shortages before the new school year begins on Sept. 7. School officials are reminding everyone that students can ride King County Metro, Sound Transit, and other transit services for free.
With a two-tiered (staggered) school bell schedule, school officials say there is an increased need for bus drivers. The district back-tracked on plans to create a three-tier system, which it said would improve drive times/routes, after parents spoke out.
The district announced earlier this year it secured new transportation contracts with First Student and Zum — school bus companies — which are still trying to get up to full staffing levels themselves. The district says, once more drivers are hired, suspended bus routes will be reinstated.
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