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
-
Grant County deputies intervene when guns show up at crowded concert
UPDATE: Aug. 24, 2022
Grant County Sheriff’s Office is back-tracking a recent assessment this morning. Officials now say they no longer believe a mass shooting was intended when an armed man was arrested outside the Gorge Amphitheater last Friday.
It is still unclear why the man reportedly loaded two handguns from the rear of his car and lingered outside the concert. The Sheriff's Office didn't say exactly why it changed its mind about the man's suspected intent, but says it is still investigating the case. The man has since posted $10,000 bail and will be in court again next month. He has pled not guilty to one count of possession of a dangerous weapon and one count of unlawful carrying or handling of a weapon.
Deputies took him into custody after concert-goers said they saw him placing two loaded pistols in his waistband. They also said he was asking what exit people would use once the concert was over.
According to a statement from the Sheriff's Office:
"Detectives have interviewed (the man) and have served search warrants on two vehicles. While the investigation is not yet finished, what we can say is that we now don’t feel that his intent was to cause a mass shooting.
We remind everyone: If you see something, say something. The concertgoers did the right thing by reporting suspicious activity, and we appreciate their involvement."
ORIGINAL ARTICLE: Aug. 22, 2022
Grant County Sheriff deputies believe they may have prevented a mass shooting amid a sold-out Friday night concert at the Gorge Amphitheater.
They arrested a 31-year-old man — a resident of nearby Ephrata — outside the gates of the amphitheater. He had two loaded pistols on him — one hidden in his waistband.
Event security were alerted to the man's presence when concertgoers allegedly witnessed him inhale a gas from a balloon, before loading the firearms in the trunk of his car. He then asked passersby what exit people would be using once the event was over. He never entered the concert grounds, however.
Deputies disarmed the man outside the venue and took him to jail. The Grant County Sheriff's Office notes that there were approximately 25,000 people attending the concert, the Bass Canyon electronic music dance festival.
The main lesson that deputies are promoting from this incident: If you see something, say something.
Continue reading » -
Deepwater diesel cleanup stalls at San Juans shipwreck
U.S. Coast Guard officials say divers won’t be able to reach the Aleutian Isle, a sunken fishing boat off San Juan Island, until Monday or Tuesday at the earliest.
The purse seiner was carrying an estimated 2,500 gallons of diesel when it sank while trying to net sockeye salmon on Saturday, Aug. 13.
An unknown amount of that diesel spilled, forming a thin sheen that spread for 2 miles up and down the island’s west coast and into Canadian waters over that weekend.
By Friday afternoon, the visible pollution had mostly evaporated and shrunken to a 50-foot by 100-foot light sheen above the sunken vessel, according to the Coast Guard.
Coast Guard officials say it’s unclear from underwater drone video whether any diesel – a clear liquid – is still leaking from the boat, but the Aleutian Isle’s fuel tanks appear intact.
Humans have yet to visit the Aleutian Isle since it sank.
On Monday, divers descended to where a sonar scan had showed the boat resting on the sea floor, but they discovered that currents had moved the boat to much deeper water since the Saturday scan.
The boat is now sitting in such deep water — more than 210 feet at the bow and 240 feet at the stern — that Global Diving and Salvage, the Seattle company hired to remove the remaining diesel, has had to order and wait for specialized equipment and gases to allow divers to work safely.
At those depths, commercial divers often breathe a specialized mix of helium and oxygen to avoid potentially fatal hazards such as nitrogen narcosis.
Between the extreme depths and the dangerous currents that often flush through Haro Strait, divers will have to work quickly before returning to the surface.
Continue reading » -
Did you know?: You are probably spoiling your dog if you live in Washington
I'll tell you about today's "Did You Know" factoid in a second. But first, I have to spritz my dog Cosmo with a fur conditioner and give him a special Himalayan yak cheese chew as he lays on a dog bed shaped like an '80s tape cassette ...
OK, where was I? Oh yeah, Washington state has the third most spoiled dogs in the USA. According to a Forbes Advisor survey of dog owners across the nation, our state comes in third, after New York in first place, and California in second. Some of the reasons we scored so high:
- 52% of Washingtonians bring their dogs with them on vacation.
- Washington state residents are second most likely in the country to order special dog treats at restaurants.
- Along with New Yorkers, Washingtonians are second in the nation when it comes to preparing homemade food for pets (38% of dog owners).
Rounding out the top five states for most spoiled dogs are Pennsylvania (fourth), and New Jersey (fifth). Surprisingly, our Northwest neighbor Oregon came in at 31st — I've seen the dogs in Portland and I thought this state would rank higher.
At the bottom of the list is South Dakota, whose residents apparently don't care about their dogs. At least, not enough to serve them a homecooked meal and throw them puppy birthday parties.
I'd say more, but I just remembered that I have to go update Cosmo's Instagram profile.
Continue reading » -
Emerald City Comic Con is back ... to 2013 levels: Today So Far
- Emerald City Comic Con is back ... but it's not quite the same.
- Washington spoils its dogs.
- The U.S. Forest Service is trying some new tech to fight wildfires — balloons!
This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for August 19, 2022.
I love Thursdays at Emerald City Comicon. The event draws a considerable crowd over the weekend. You'll be sure to see cosplayers, families, collectors, and more swarming the Seattle Convention Center over Friday and Saturday like an army of orcs at the Battle of Helm's Deep. But on Thursday, it's pretty chill and I feel like Maria in the "Sound of Music" running through vendor booths, singing "The aisles are alive with the sound of comics." Not to mention the indie art, DIY crafts, and all the creativity our region's geekonomy produces. As the first day of the con, Thursday is pretty light. But I have to admit, yesterday, it felt a bit lighter than usual.
KUOW's Soundside spoke with ReedPop Vice President of Global Comic Events Kristina Rogers. ReedPop owns ECCC and it estimates this year's event will bring in between 65,000 and 70,000 people. That's back to 2013 levels. Just from random conversations I had with folks yesterday, some feel the mask requirement ECCC implemented just a couple weeks before the event rubbed people the wrong way. Personally, it made me more inclined to attend. Anecdotally, adherence to the mask rule on the first day was not 100%. Still, ECCC has mask stewards on the floor to remind people about the rule.
"Largely, it’s the science,” Rogers told KUOW. “When we were looking at rolling everything back, we were hopeful for a different space as the summer progressed, and then the summer progressed … it just wasn’t in the cards for us. We were looking at case rates, we were looking at how folks were feeling about it, and decided to bring back the masks.”
I admit that the mask thing was part of my own mental calculation I went through Thursday: "How many people will actually stick to the mask rule, and how many people will drop their mask below their nose, or chin, and call it good? King County's community level of Covid right now is 146 per 100,000 residents, which is 'low;' officials aim to have below 200/100,000. Still, I should wear an N95 mask because that convention center can get muggy."
Other considerations came into play for Jennifer Kretchmer, actor, author, and disability advocate. For her, hybrid and virtual options are a big part of the equation. She told Soundside that despite mask rules, there remains a portion of our society who still cannot participate in these beloved events.
"Having virtual components, having virtual events, making sure you have webcams and rooms and ways for people to access and participate from home. Ways for panelists to participate remotely so that you're including disabled panelists or panelists with young kids," Kretchmer explained. "Accessibility really does help everyone in so many ways."
ECCC has jumped on the virtual bandwagon (or what I'd like to call "the future") and is offering a $15 digital ticket, which allows access to stream panels and get video on demand of the con events. I have to admit ... with all the panels, and so many that conflict with each other, that sort of sounds better than attending. On the other hand, I wouldn't be able to pick up an awesome Ron Solo t-shirt in person or scan comic boxes for old issues of "Icon."
Check out Soundside's full coverage of this year's Emerald City Comic Con here.
If comicons aren't your thing (and if not, why? What's wrong with you?), then KUOW's Mike Davis has a few ideas for what to do around town this weekend, starting with Pier Sounds at Waterfront Park. Check out Mike's weekend arts suggestions here.
Switching to some science/environment news, the U.S. Forest Service is trying some new tech to fight wildfires — balloons!
Continue reading » -
First pediatric monkeypox case confirmed in Washington state
Washington state has reported its first case of monkeypox, also known as MPV, in a person under the age of 18.
The person is 17 years old. The Department of Health is not releasing any further information, such as the county where they live, to protect the person's privacy.
According to a statement from Washington's Department of Health:
"While the risk for most people remains low, this case is a reminder that anyone can get MPV. Close, personal, often skin-to-skin contact with a person with an infectious rash can cause infection, along with touching objects, fabrics and surfaces that have been used by someone with MPV, and/or contact with respiratory secretions. Monkeypox is not Covid – it is mostly spread through close, skin-to-skin contact, and far less likely to be spread in the air."
As of this reporting, Washington state has 333 confirmed MPV cases. The majority are in King County (275 cases).
This is not the only pediatric monkeypox case reported in the Northwest. The Oregon Health Authority is reporting its first pediatric case of MPV, according to the Oregonian.
Officials say the case is linked to an adult whose case was confirmed last month. No word yet on the child's age or exactly where they live.
Continue reading » -
Washington salmon still facing threats, study finds
Salmon and steelhead in the Interior Columbia Basin are still facing a lot of threats, according to a report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The report, a five-year status review from NOAA, states that seven Interior Columbia and Snake River salmon and steelhead runs will remain either threatened or endangered.
Two salmon runs in Washington state are among the most endangered on the West Coast: the Upper Columbia River spring-run chinook and Snake River sockeye. Both have high extinction risks.
However, NOAA officials call current trends for threatened Snake River fall-run Chinook encouraging.
Over the last five years, climate change, drought, and high temperatures have affected salmon habitat in the Columbia and Snake River basins. Marine heat waves also caused trouble for salmon and steelhead in the ocean.
NOAA officials say the increasing pressure of climate changes makes the situation more urgent, requiring more ambitious recovery actions, such as reducing water temperatures and restoring habitat.
Continue reading » -
Seattle activists protest proposed pipelines at Sen. Murray’s office
Environmental activists in Seattle are protesting a proposed bill in Congress that would open new oil pipelines.
"There are multiple law enforcement officers lurking outside of the office here," said Alec Connon, one of about six people who went to Senator Patty Murray's downtown Seattle office Thursday night.
The legislation in question is part of a deal made with West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin. Manchin agreed to support the Democrats' climate bill — known as the Inflation Reduction Act — in exchange for concessions on fossil fuels.
Connon says they were forced to leave, but they left a message with Murray's staff.
"We're hopeful that Senator Murray will make the right decision and come out publicly opposing this bill as early as next week," he said.
A Murray staffer said they will meet with activists soon, adding that the senator hasn't had a chance to read the bill yet.
CORRECTION: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated Seattle activists protest Inflation Reduction Act at Sen. Murray's office. This story has been updated to reflect activists protested separate legislation.
This story was updated on Friday, Aug. 19 at 3:20 p.m.
Continue reading » -
Seattle Indian Health Board celebrates new Pioneer Square clinic
Seattle’s Pioneer Square neighborhood saw a grand opening Thursday – for a new health clinic focused specifically on the needs of Native American patients. It’s on the ground floor of a new 80-unit apartment building operated by the Chief Seattle Club.
The clinic is operated by the Seattle Indian Health Board, and started seeing patients earlier this month.
The Board’s president and CEO Esther Lucero said the Chief Seattle Club next door already provides human services to thousands of Native people in Seattle.
“So we knew we had to bring services to an environment where people felt safe and comfortable already, and that’s something that Chief Seattle Club offers,” Lucero said.
The new clinic offers medical care, a lab, mental health counseling ,and medication-assisted treatment for addiction, as well as a pharmacy.
It also has rows of sweetgrass lining the walls of its corridor. It’s meant to have a healing influence. Lucero said the clinic will integrate traditional Indigenous healing practices in its approach to care.
“That means as a federally qualified health center, we see all people," she said. "But we see all people in a Native way. You’re not going to get that kind of service anywhere.”
The Seattle Indian Health Board still operates its larger clinic in the Chinatown International District. And it’s expanding this fall to a clinic in the Lake City neighborhood.
Continue reading » -
Music and design highlight Seattle's weekend arts calendar
We reach out for recommendations on arts and culture events around Seattle every week. Today, Paige Browning talked with KUOW's new arts and culture reporter Mike Davis.
Pier Sounds at Waterfront Park
They’re having a free concert this Saturday featuring the Black Constellation Collective. Porter Ray is definitely one of my favorite local rappers. If you hear his laid-back delivery, it is almost like just hearing rainfall on your window. It’s so smooth. And JusMoni, she's so soulful. And Stas THEE Boss, who makes her own beats, if you want to talk about flavor, that's flavor for you right there. I'm very excited for this show. And as a special treat, Larry Mizell Jr. is going to DJ.
Seattle Design Festival in Lake Union Park
This starts with a block party Saturday and Sunday, but the event goes all next week. The theme is connection. They’re talking about how to connect different people. One of the installations I'm super excited to see is called Bridge the Gap. It comes from the Youth Advisory Board at Coyote Central. They went to Seattle schools and community centers to ask the youth to create art that talks about how the pandemic impacted them, and to remind youth in other parts of the city that the community is still very connected. I'm excited to see what those kids made.
Continue reading » -
Trans patients often travel out of state, pay more for gender-affirming care, study finds
Getting gender-affirming surgery is considered a critical part of medical care for some transgender and gender-diverse people. But researchers have found that more than half of those seeking that surgery have to travel out of state for it.
That's according to a study co-published this summer by the University of Washington and Oregon Health and Sciences University.
UW epidemiologist Sarah Holt is one of the authors.
"At University of Washington, we get people traveling from quite far, and then they have to go back home and they might not have the appropriate providers in place to help them," Holt said. "And so what we worry about is this patient population possibly having worse outcomes, having more re-admissions."
Holt said one reason these patients are not getting care in their home state is that they can't find a surgeon who can do the procedure.
Holt added that those who have to travel end up paying at least 50% more out of pocket for gender-affirming surgery.
The study is published in JAMA Network.
Continue reading » -
Crisis in our 'health care continuum': Today So Far
- Harborview Medical Center is at 130% capacity. Why?
- A new energy source for this Snohomish County PUD.
- Get ready for some more high temps coming our way.
This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for August 18, 2022.
Am I the only one who thinks it's a big red flag when Harborview Medical Center starts saying it needs help?
Headlines broke last week that Harborview is at 130% capacity. Dr. Steve Mitchell, medical director of Harborview's Emergency Department, tells KUOW's Seattle Now that "staffing, staffing, staffing" is the root cause of the issue.
"This is, frankly, a new adventure for us; we've never been this high before," Dr. Mitchell said.
Ambulances cannot unload some patients because there's no room for them in the Emergency Department. That department is stalled because there are no beds to move patients into. Many of those patients could be moved to other facilities, where they can get longer-term care, but there is no room at those facilities. And on it goes.
"It's staffing in all parts of the health care continuum," Mitchell said. "...it starts when people call 911 and ask for a medic unit or an ambulance, it continues with hospitals. And importantly, this is where the primary bottleneck is today — what is referred to as the 'post acute care setting' — Harborview right now has 100 patients who no longer require hospitalization ... but we can't release them. They need that next level of care. They need help with various things ... but patients are unable to provide for themselves, or they need help with medications, or they need help with physical therapy."
The result is that a lot of care at Harborview is actually being done in the waiting room. Patients are being placed in hallways and in what used to be office spaces. Some ambulances are being turned away, Mitchell said.
Harborview Medical Center is a level 1 trauma and burn center. It's our region's disaster control hospital. Patients are flown in from as far as Alaska and Montana. So if a problem gets so big that Harborview is strained, that says something. At the heart of the issue are difficulties with staffing, at the hospital and other medical facilities in the area.
Dr. Mitchell notes that Harborview experienced 40% turnover last year. That means it's hiring as fast as it can, and new recruits for its front line are still getting up to speed. The strain is falling largely on front line nurses and technicians.
"What we've been seeing, unfortunately, our nurses are leaving and choosing ... less stressful positions, in a lower acuity clinic," Mitchell said. "And then we are seeing a larger number of retirements than we've ever seen before as well."
Continue reading » -
What Washington's SoS candidates think of ranked-choice voting
The two candidates vying to become Washington's next secretary of state are sharing their views on rank-choice voting, and they don't agree.
Democrat Steve Hobbes and Pierce County Auditor Julie Anderson (running as an independent) will be on the November ballot for the job. They squared off in a debate Wednesday, hosted by the Association of Washington Business.
Anderson says she supports a bill in the Legislature that allows for local communities to adopt ranked-choice voting, if they want.
“Ranked-choice voting is coming to Washington state and I don’t know which local jurisdiction it’s going to land first, but what I do know is that we need a secretary of state that’s not going to stick their head in the sand and who will get ahead of this," Anderson said.
Hobbs, however, said he doesn't support ranked-choice voting, at this point. He argues that it would further undermine trust in elections and can be hard to understand, especially for people like this mom, who is an immigrant, and his son who has developmental disabilities.
“What I would ask the advocates, is to just take a pause; take a moment because there are effects to this that you’re not thinking about — negative effects that affect communities of color and people with developmental disabilities," Hobbs said.
Hobbs is Washington's current secretary of state. He was selected by Gov. Jay Inslee to fill the role after former Secretary of State Kim Wyman left the job to work for the Biden administration.
Voters in a ranked-choice system rank their candidates in order of preference, instead of just choosing one. Then there is a runoff process to select the ultimate winner.
In Seattle, two twists to the city's election system will be up for voter consideration on the November ballot, one of which is ranked-choice voting. That measure is being put forth by the Seattle City Council. Another idea on the ballot will be "approval voting," which also allows voters to pick more than one candidate. The two candidates with the most votes move forward.
Ranked-choice voting is already used for elections in the United States. Alaska and Maine both use it for state and federal elections. New York City used it for its last mayoral primaries. And Minneapolis uses it for city races.
Continue reading »
