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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Stories
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Covid cases starting to plateau, or decline, in Western Washington
Health officials in Pierce County say their Covid case rates have dropped this week, for the first time since March.
Data shows that the seven-day case rate plateaued last week. But officials still warn that the numbers are much higher than they were just three months ago. Hospitalizations are expected to continue to rise statewide.
King County's case rate has also declined over the past week. Its hospitalization rate also dropped by 5%.
Snohomish County's cases are also showing a decline.
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Lifeguard shortage leads to closure of 3 Seattle beaches this summer
Three Seattle area beaches will be closed this summer because of a lifeguard shortage.
The Seattle Parks Department has announced that Matthews Beach, Seward Park Beach, and East Green Lake Beach will be closed this summer because of a lifeguard shortage.
But six others will have lifeguards and are slated to open to the public on June 25. They include: Madison Beach; Madrona Beach; Magnuson Beach; Baker Beach; Pritchard Beach, and West Green Lake Beach.
The lifeguards will be on duty from noon to 7 p.m. weekdays and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on the weekend.
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The cherry harvest is off to a late start in Washington
The colder, rainier than usual weather across the Northwest has snarled the region's cherry-growing season.
Jim Jamison owns a small plot in Richland. Wash. and says that by now, he'd normally have hundreds of customers shopping with them at a u-pick orchard.
“I think ours in the Northwest will be late," Jamison said. "I fully expect there will be growers in the valley here picking cherries in mid-July and beyond, perhaps it depends on varieties.”
B.J. Thurlby, president of the Washington State Fruit Commission, says 40% of cherries in Washington state had yet to bloom when snow fell on the orchards in mid-April.
The bright red Bings have been the most affected by the late snowfall.
“It was the variety that was kind of right in bloom when a lot of the snow hit and again; the bees only work, they only come out of their hives when it's 55 degrees and higher," Thurlby said. "And we went through a lot of bloom where the bees just didn't get out and work.”
Thurlby also says that despite the challenges, those bright yellow Rainier cherries are growing well throughout the Northwest. Rainier cherries should be showing up in stores between now and through July.
Find a list of u-pick cherry orchards here.
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Vancouver bans picketing outside homes of elected officials and city staff
The city of Vancouver, Wash. has banned so-called "targeted picketing" after protesters recently showed up outside of the homes of city staff and elected officials.
The city contends that the move is constitutional. Vancouver's attorneys cite a 1988 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that prohibits certain kinds of picketing when it's done in an offensive way.
So long as the ordinance is content neutral about the protests, and still allows picketers to get their message out in other ways, the city says the ban is constitutional.
Elected officials passed it unanimously.
"It's an incumbent upon us as the board members of an organization to protect our staff members and to protect the public that we serve," said Councilmember Erik Paulsen.
The move comes after recent protests at the homes of local leaders over issues like Covid-19 mask mandates and fining businesses for defying lockdown orders.
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Energy storage proposal prompts controversy in Renton
Turning away from fossil fuels is the key challenge for saving the global climate. That means producing more energy from clean sources, but also storing it to be available when the sun isn’t shining or the wind isn’t blowing.
A proposal for energy storage in Renton has led to conflict there.
A Nebraska company wants to build industrial-scale energy storage facility in Renton. It would be nine acres of buildings with lithium batteries inside.
The rural spot that the company has picked isn’t zoned for industry. Neighbors living 50 feet away are crying foul.
“We do believe in green energy, but not if it threatens communities, families, the environment," said Renton nurse Nicola Robinson while speaking at Monday's Renton City Council meeting.
The city put a six-month moratorium on battery storage proposals in April while it figures out where they can be installed safely and legally.
Lithium-battery plants in other western states have caught fire and have even exploded.
Energy experts say we can expect a lot more storage to be built as the nation tries to convert from dirty power to clean.
Read the full story here: Renton neighbors object to storing climate-friendly batteries in their community
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Can you afford Seattle's price tag?: Today So Far
Whether it's housing, food, or gas, higher prices are straining the Seattle region, and beyond.
This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for June 8, 2022.
Things are getting pricey around here. Let's start with gas prices.
Despite our region's fervor for alternative fuels and public transportation, the old-fashioned car remains the go-to option for getting around. But gas prices have reached all-time highs. The national average for a gallon of gas is $4.95 right now, according to AAA. In Washington, it's $5.49 (a year ago, it was $3.60). The sudden added cost for families and commuters is becoming a significant political issue as the midterms approach later this year.
RELATED: Primaries are heating up in the NW
Democrat Kim Schrier represents Washington's 8th Congressional District, which covers much of King County where the average price of gas is $5.65 right now. She is sponsoring two gas-related bills. One will suspend the federal gas tax for the rest of 2022. That would cut prices by about 18 cents a gallon. The second bill would spur an investigation into gas companies for any price gouging. That second bill has prompted some criticism for being nothing more than political theatrics.
Before high gas prices became an issue, the 8th Congressional District was slated to go either way in the upcoming November midterms — Schrier could hold the district for Democrats, or a Republican could take over.
Reagan Dunn is one such Republican. KUOW Reporter David Hyde points out that Dunn is echoing GOP rhetoric from decades ago when high gas prices contributed to Ronald Reagan's win over President Jimmy Carter. It should be noted, however, that unlike years ago, the United States is currently the world's biggest producer of fossil fuels. That hasn't helped at the pump, however. And according to one expert KUOW spoke with, gas companies are wary of dropping prices too fast because of the risks to profits and shareholders.
RELATED: Should workers return to the office? Do they even want to?
Meanwhile, people in the 8th District, and everywhere else in Washington, have to get from point A to B. Read the full story here.
There's good news and bad news about the cost of housing in the Seattle area. The good news is that prices seem to be leveling off and more housing supply has opened up. The bad news is that this is still the Seattle area and those prices are leveling off higher than most home hunters can afford. The typical home value in Seattle is about $985,000, according to Zillow.
"The biggest negative impact comes to first-time buyers," Matthew Gardner, chief economist for Windermere, told Seattle Now. "We have, in our area, about 600,000 Millennials. They are getting older and they do want to buy homes. And all they've seen is mortgage rates skyrocket, which obviously impacts them significantly, and they've also seen rental rates jump, again by double digits. For many of them, they are thinking, 'Do I pay my rent, or do I save up for a down payment?' And if even I can do a down payment, the cost of financing is up..."
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Is Washington's housing market balancing out?
The latest housing report on the Northwest shows things looking slightly better for buyers. Inventory of houses for sale was nearly 10% higher in May than it was the same time last year — 8,700 listings available in May, up from 5,500 last May. It's the largest selection of for-sale homes since September 2020.
The report from the Northwest Multiple Listing Services states that prices are still rising. There remains less than one month supply of homes.
Mike Larsen is on the board of directors of the Northwest Multiple Listing Service. He says that in Pierce County, the days of "multiple offers and waived inspections" are behind us.
“Home sellers really need to re-think their expectations,” Larson said in a statement.
Larson said the housing market is “more balanced and not so crazy, and that’s a good thing. Buyers are getting a little relief – not much, but a little as we’re slowly easing back into the kind of market we had pre-Covid.”
Snohomish and Douglas counties more than doubled their listings from a year ago.
“The significant increase in the number of homes for sale has some speculating that the market is about to implode, but that is very unlikely,” said Matthew Gardner, chief economist at Windermere Real Estate. “What’s more likely to occur is that the additional supply will lead us toward a more balanced market, which after years of such lopsided conditions, is much needed."
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Covid hospitalizations are still going up in Washington state
Washington State Hospital Association says 600 people were hospitalized with Covid symptoms at end of last week. That is more than double the number in April.
To complicate matters, people who delayed elective surgeries are now also being scheduled. And they’re staying longer than necessary.
Dr. Steven Mitchell is with the Washington Medical Coordination Center that oversees hospital capacity across the state. He says normally, these patients would transition to a nursing care facility after their procedure. But that’s been a challenge.
“In quite a few of them there is space, there are beds within their different facilities, but they haven’t had the ability to hire the staff to properly care for them," Dr. Mitchell said.
Still, health officials are asking people not to delay medical care. And they’re urging everyone to step up their Covid precautions. This includes wearing masks, especially at indoor gatherings.
About 10% of the state's overall supply of hospital beds are currently occupied by Covid patients, according to the state Department of Health. Washington state is currently averaging 263 cases per 100,000 people.
But there are signs that the spread of Covid is flattening out in King County. New case counts dropped 14% last week over the previous week, according to Public Health - Seattle & King County. Currently, King County is experiencing 1,092 new cases each day. And hospitalizations across King County slightly dropped by 5% (a total of 16 daily hospitalizations).
In Seattle alone, however, there is an average of six hospitalizations each day, a 34% increase.
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Should workers return to the office? Do they even want to?: Today So Far
- Washington state's tax system has a local twist for online shopping. Rural communities are liking it.
- A Seattle neighborhood is debating the pros and cons of a potential light rail station. Either way, Sound Transit will likely disappoint one group.
- Should workers return to the office? Do they even want to? That's what employees are discussing at a Bothell company.
This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for June 7, 2022.
I have this subtle joke I sometimes pull out in conversation. I say that I like to shop local (a good goal for conscious consumers). Ya know, Third Place Books, Mox Boarding House ... Amazon.
Clearly, one of those places is not like the others. And clearly, I am not making a living as a stand-up comedian. But the logic behind my little quip may be more true than I previously realized. KUOW's Joshua McNichols just reported an intriguing angle around online shopping. Washington's rural communities have a tougher time collecting taxes than more populated areas. Think about it — more people means more stores; more stores means more sales; more sales means more sales tax; more sales tax means more revenue for cities. But rural communities are, well, rural.
In 2008, Washington moved to a "destination-based sales tax." That means if a person buys something online and has it delivered to Wahkiakum County, the sales tax goes to where they live, the county. Not the city of the online store. That has been a game changer for a lot of rural areas around the state. The surge of pandemic deliveries has pushed things even further.
“We had communities like Concrete which suddenly had huge increases in sales tax collection, where before they didn’t have very much because they didn’t have a retail presence,” said James McCafferty, co-director of Western Washington University's Center for Economic and Business Research.
I was just camping outside of Concrete, and I can report that the Amazon trucks are making their rounds out there. So I guess I could still say my little joke. I'll just have to end with "Starbucks" now. Read Joshua's full story here.
The Seattle area loves light rail. Voters keep approving more of it, and locals celebrate when a new station opens. But one community is wary of Sound Transit's plans for a light rail station in its backyard — the Chinatown-International District. There are two options for the station: one on Fifth Avenue and one on Fourth Avenue. Both have problems that would disrupt the community and are receiving pushback. Whichever it chooses, Sound Transit is going run afoul of locals. Read the full story here.
Pandemic conditions are easing up more and more. Should workers return to the office? Do they want to?
Let's add a few things up. Some folks don't like virtual meetings. Others love them. Let's call that a wash. Returning to the office means commuting, during a time when gas prices are inching closer to $6 a gallon. And does losing a significant chunk of your day while sitting in traffic seem appealing? There could be a gain in morale from being out and about and seeing co-workers again. And there could be a loss of morale from having to wear pants again.
That's the sort of conversation happening around a Bothell company at the center of this NPR story. Jonathan Pruiett works at the company, which updates Google maps. He has only known the job from a distance, working from home. But now, the company wants to flip a switch and get workers back into the office, full time. This flip-a-switch approach has not gone over well. Employees have negotiated a stretched-out approach to the office return, but many still don't see the benefit as long as the job gets done.
At the same time, some companies have learned a lesson that the office doesn't necessarily equal quality work. But jobs vary and not all are apt for remote-work. Read the full story here.
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Seattle refunds $4.5M in parking ticket fees
Seattleites could get parking ticket refunds for any they received between September 2021 and April 2022, because of a mistake on the part of the city.
Last August, the Seattle City Council moved parking enforcement officers out of the Seattle Police Department, and into the Seattle Department of Transportation. The move was part of re-imagining policing in the city.
Now, the city says that officers didn't have the authority to issue tickets after the change.
The mistake will cost the city an estimated $4.5 million.
Mayor Bruce Harrell and City Council members are looking into why this problem occurred.
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Would you pay $56K to secure a parking spot in Seattle?
Parking in Seattle is a major headache for drivers. One driver was willing to pay tens of thousands of dollars to secure a spot.
A parking spot in Seattle's Belltown neighborhood has sold for $56,000 ... and according to its Redfin ad, you get to park next to a Delorean!
RELATED: This West Seattle parking lot is chock-full of drama
The parking space is in a garage connected to condos. Though the pricey spot alone does not come with housing or other amenities, according to the Seattle Times.
This is the second spot that's sold for five-digits in Seattle over the past year, both by the sale real estate agent Jimmy Chuang. He also sold a space in Capitol Hill, notorious for difficult parking.
In a twist, the Belltown buyer has actually owned this spot before, and bought it again because its close to their home.
RELATED: Seattle's first robotic parking garage opens
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Study: Homes with higher wildfire risk are more expensive
Homes with high fire risk sell for more money than low-risk homes, according to a report by the real estate company Redfin. The average price difference is $120,000 between homes deemed high and low fire risk.
“Suburban homes tend to be more expensive because they’re large, and demand for large homes skyrocketed during the pandemic as Americans sought respite from crowded city life,” said Redfin Senior Economist Sheharyar Bokhari. “Pandemic buyers also hunted for deals due to surging home prices, and while fire-prone homes aren’t cheaper on average, buyers may feel they’re getting more bang for their buck because they’re getting more space. And for some pandemic buyers, the fire-prone home they bought in suburbia was actually cheaper than their last home because they were relocating from somewhere like San Francisco or Seattle.”
Americans continue to move further into "fire-prone suburbs" which offer larger homes, but are often adjacent to forestland. Redfin notes that there has also been a recent surge in homebuyers moving to the suburbs as remote work becomes more common.
RELATED: The idea of working in the office, all day, every day? No thanks, say workers
Also according to Redfin's data: "The median sale price of high-risk homes was up 51.7% in April from two years earlier, while the median sale price of low-risk homes was up 40.9%."
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