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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Seattle voters are in a 'back-to-basics' mood, according to latest poll
"Back-to-basics." "Focus on the fundamentals." However you put it, that is the message from Seattle's Chamber of Commerce, which says its latest polling of city voters indicates a strong shift in perceptions.
"I rarely say this, but there is a lot of clarity here in terms of what Seattle voters think," said Andrew Thibault with EMC Research, which conducted polling for the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce. "We tend to be a group who disagrees quite a bit over small differences ... the electorate is in a back-to-basics mood."
RELATED: Seattle businesses caught in tug of war between app companies and delivery drivers
"Back to basics" is a term the Chamber is using a lot when describing the results of its latest Index. This is the Chamber's status check on Seattle voters' perceptions and feelings about quality of life in the city. It conducts this poll twice a year. With help from EMC Research, 700 voters were polled in March 2024.
Still, just as its fall 2023 poll stated, Seattle residents' top concern was public safety and the homelessness crisis. Thibault's statement that voters offered "clarity" in this poll is based on a result stating that 90% of voters feel focusing on fundamentals would improve Seattle's quality of life. Such basics include public safety, road maintenance, and park upkeep.
At a press event Tuesday, Chamber CEO and President Rachel Smith said the poll questions are drawn from "competing conversations" happening in the Seattle community.
"As you look at this data, I don't think we need to have some of the ideological conversations that we've had," Smith said. "We really need to focus in on how we are going to drive results, and get the outcomes we are looking for on the fundamentals — safe streets, less potholes, responsible spending. That to me is the real big takeaway"
Since March 2022, the "quality of life" score presented in the Index has continued to rise. On a scale of 1-10, Seattle had a 3.47 quality of life score in 2022. As of March 2024, the score is 4.24.
Top 10 concerns of Seattle voters
- Homelessness (50% of those polled)
- Crime/drugs/public safety (46%)
- Cost of living/affordable housing (26%)
- Taxes (5%)
- Racial issues/policing/ police brutality (4%)
- Government/public leaders (4%)
- Traffic/congestion (4%)
- Mental health/healthcare (4%)
- Public transportation (3%)
- Cleanliness of Seattle (3%)
Poll highlights
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Seattle's Full Tilt Ice Cream announces closures
Courtney Cook via UnsplashMore changes are coming to Full Tilt Ice Cream. Co-owner Ann Magyar announced Monday the closure of its White Center store, along with its wholesale operation.
The decision came five weeks following the death of her husband and the business's founder Justin Kline.
Full Tilt opened in June 2008 in White Center. The idea was to create a fun space for families and artists.
Full Tilt expanded to Ballard, University District, Capitol Hill, and Columbia City. It wasn’t unusual to find pinball machines at the shops. In recent years, three locations were closed; the White Center and Columbia City stores remained.
In a letter shared on Instagram, Magyar wrote, “Full Tilt was never just about the ice cream. But now Justin is gone, and it just isn’t the same without him. It’s time for Full Tilt as we know it to end.”
Magyar thanked the community for support over the years.
Full Tilt’s wholesale operation will cease at the end of April. The White Center location’s last day will be May 26. The Columbia City shop will remain open, but gift cards, gift certificates, or birthday party certificates from other locations will not be accepted.
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Rainier Beach's Be'er Sheva Park to officially reopen amid $2.5 million makeover
Nature was the classroom for Tiny Trees Preschool students at Be'er Sheva Park in Seattle's Rainier Beach neighborhood.Ann Dornfeld/KUOW PhotoAmid a yearslong, $2.5 million effort to revitalize the waterfront park, Be’er Sheva Park is slated for a grand reopening on Saturday.
The park's updates, which are still underway in a three-phase process, so far include a community stage, barbecue grills, lighted walking paths, and the addition of a boat-launch.
The park, which sits across the street from the Rainier Beach High School and borders the Rainier Beach Urban Farm and Wetland, is a staple green space for the community that connects it to Lake Washington.
Community members say that neighborhood-sourced projects like these should have more of the city’s attention and resources.
“This project would not have moved forward without authentic buy-in from the community,” said Sally Li, co-chair of the Rainier Beach Link2Lake committee, which has led the park revitalization efforts.
“I think being residents ourselves, we wanted to make sure our first priority was uniting a very diverse neighborhood — diverse in every means — to come together to give us a park plan that was going to be reflective of all the different values,” Li said.
The next stages of development surround the park’s water, Mapes Creek, as ecologists work to restore the habitat for salmon and other fish. Those projects are slated to be completed by the end of the year. The final phase of renovations will be to the park’s play area, and will include the installation of fitness equipment.
The development of Be’er Sheva Park is just one part of a campaign to activate the neighborhood. Link2Lake is also working with the Rainier Beach Action Coalition to redevelop Henderson Street, the road that leads from the Rainier Beach light rail station to Be’er Sheva Park.
“Be’er Sheva really kicked off that larger vision for our neighborhood,” said Jenny Frankl, who’s on the boards of both projects. “And so now we are still in the fight…Henderson is our next big obstacle to tackle.”
Gregory Davis, the managing strategist for Rainier Beach Action Coalition, said the groups rely on advocating for these neighborhood changes at the city level.
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Washington's high-capacity magazine ban heads to state Supreme Court after 'unconstitutional' ruling
In this April 10, 2013, file photo, a stag arms AR-15 rifle with 30 round, left, and 10 round magazines is displayed in New Britain, Conn.AP Photo/Charles KrupaAfter a Cowlitz County judge ruled Washington's ban on high-capacity magazines is unconstitutional at the state and federal levels, state Attorney General Bob Ferguson quickly said the decision was "incorrect," and moved the case up the legal ladder. The issue is now before the state Supreme Court.
"This law is constitutional," Ferguson said in a statement. "It is also essential to addressing mass shootings in our communities. This law saves lives, and I will continue to defend it.”
RELATED: Federal Way store owner to pay $3 million for violating WA gun law
Ferguson spearheaded an effort to ban the sale of high-capacity magazines (which hold more than 10 rounds) in Washington state. The Legislature passed the ban and it went into effect in July 2022.
Since then, the Attorney General's Office has sent undercover investigators into more than 100 gun shops around the state to ensure the new law was being followed. A handful of firearm stores were found to be openly or covertly violating the ban, leading to tens of thousands of dollars in fines.
One such shop was Gator's Custom Guns in Kelso, Wash., which, the Attorney General's Office alleges, continued to sell a stockpile of high-capacity magazines in the open. The state sued the store in September 2023. That case went to Cowlitz County Superior Court, the county Kelso is in.
But the state's lawsuit may have backfired. Cowlitz County Superior Court Judge Gary Bashor ruled Monday that the state's ban is unconstitutional. Ferguson quickly responded and filed a motion with the state's Supreme Court.
Washington's Supreme Court has granted a stay of Bashor's ruling, which means the state's ban on high-capacity magazines will remain in effect as this case moves forward.
“Today’s decision is incorrect ... Every court in Washington and across the country [that has considered] challenges to a ban on the sale of high-capacity magazines under the U.S. or Washington Constitution has either rejected that challenge or been overruled," Ferguson said.
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On the count of 3...Go! Rapper Common surprises fans with dance solo at Seattle breaking competition
The crowd reacts as hip-hop artist and actor Common puts on his own, unexpected breakdance show while performing at the Red Bull Lords of the Floor competition on Saturday, April 6, 2024, at WAMU Theater in Seattle.KUOW Photo/Megan FarmerHundreds of spectators gathered at WAMU Theater Saturday for the Red Bull Lords of the Floor breakdance competition, back in Seattle for the first time since 2002. Sixteen international duos — one from as far away as Kazakhstan — went toe-to-toe in a series of high-energy dance battles until a winning crew was crowned.
Hip-hop legend Common performed some of his most popular songs, including "Go!" and "The Light" ahead of the final showdown. Amid his performance of "Universal Mind Control," which samples the 1982 electro hit "Planet Rock" — widely considered an old-school breakdance anthem — Common surprised fans when he erupted into an impromptu breakdance number of his own.
RELATED: Seattle's breakdance scene is center stage again — but don't call it a comeback
The crowd roared as the rapper broke out into top-rock, the upright footwork that typically marks the start of a breakdance solo.
"Go, Common! Go, Common!" the crowd chanted as the rapper shifted his moves to the floor, in what's called down-rock, before going into a series of windmills— one of the most recognizable breakdance moves, executed by rolling around on a circular axis with one's legs in a v-shape.
While Common's dance break lasted all of 15 seconds, the moment is sure to live on in fans' hearts for years to come.
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Sneak peek of proposed Seattle police contract shows big raises, but little increase in accountability
A badge on the arm of a Seattle police officer.Seattle Police Department / FacebookA long-awaited agreement between the city of Seattle and its largest police union would significantly boost officer salaries. But according to a copy of the agreement posted briefly on the website of the Seattle Police Officers Guild Friday, it lacks some of the city’s professed goals around accountability.
The contract details were first reported by the news website Publicola, which linked to a copy of the agreement posted on the website of the Seattle Police Officers Guild. Within hours, however, the contract was removed and replaced with a smiling headshot of guild president Mike Solan.
RELATED: Did Seattle defund the police? Five graphs explain this enduring myth
Members of the Seattle Police Officers Guild have been working without a contract since 2020 and the department has suffered an acute staffing shortage.
If ratified by union members, this tentative agreement would extend through 2023 and grant officers a retroactive 23% raise. This means by the time the contract passes, it will already have expired.
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King County drivers better be on their best behavior — these signs are watching you
A pilot program for "SmartSigns" is underway in King County. The signs use infrared technology to detect if a driver is distracted, speeding, not using a seatbelt, or other driving issues. The sign will then show a personalized message for that driver, telling them to slow down or put their phone down.Courtesy of Washington Traffic Safety CommissionEvery text you take. And every call you make. Every speed sign you break, if you're being unsafe, they'll be watching you.
Some very smart signs aim to send a message to King County drivers who may not behave their best on the road.
A pilot program recently began placing "SmartSigns" throughout King County. The signs use sensors (microwave and infrared tech) that can reportedly determine if a driver is distracted, speeding, not wearing a seatbelt, or committing another driving faux pas — what organizers call "unique signatures of unsafe driving."
RELATED: Both hands on the wheel, Washington drivers. Your insurance rates are about to jump 24%
When that happens, the driver will be presented with an appropriate message, like "Put your phone down" or "Slow down." On the other hand, if the signs detect a good driver, they'll be greeted with a smiley face.
“Each time a driver passes a SmartSign, it reminds them to drive safely, and that can make a real difference in their behavior,” said SaferStreet Solutions CEO Tim Hogan in a statement. “For instance, SmartSigns reduce distracted driving by up to 40% when left in one area over a four week period. By rotating these signs throughout King County, we can help create a safer driving environment throughout the surrounding community.”
RELATED: In 'vexing' trend, traffic fatalities in Washington state continue to rise
Four of these signs will rotate across 12 locations in King County, including in: Seattle, Fairwood, Pacific, Algona, Maple Valley, White Center, Skyway, Kenmore, Issaquah, Newcastle, and unincorporated King County. Traffic data was used to determine the locations, and times, to deploy them. They'll be placed at each location eight weeks at a time.
The pilot has been organized by Target Zero King County and the Washington Traffic Safety Coalition. The organizations note that more than 900 people were seriously injured or killed on the road last year in King County.
This is the first time such tech has been used in King County, but organizers hope that they can eventually bring the SmartSigns to other parts of Washington state.
RELATED: Can AI reduce traffic deaths? These Seattle engineers are putting it to the test
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What Ciscoe Morris says you should know about spring gardening around Seattle in 2024
The sun shines on a camellia blossom on Monday, March 18, 2024, in Seattle.KUOW Photo/Megan FarmerSpring gardening season has arrived in the Seattle area. Since every year has its seasonal quirks, expert Ciscoe Morris spoke with "Soundside" to deliver some spring 2024 gardening tips.
A few quick tips:
- Right now (April 2024) is a good time to start planting salad greens, like lettuce and mustard.
- It's also a good time to plant shrubs.
- Ryegrass is a good option for lawns that take a beating and need repair.
- If the plants are at the nursery, then it's OK to plant them at home. Don't leave them in the nursery pots. They can suffer in pots and get root bound if you wait too long.
Get pruning right now
Check in on those plants in the yard, especially since they went through the recent cold snaps that struck the Northwest. Severe cold may have knocked a few down, even if they don't show it.
If you have outdoor plants that are woody, get out some clippers and give them a little scrape.
"I scrape it near the base, if it's green under there, don't cut it down, it's probably going to branch out. If it's brown under there, you might as well cut off that dead branch and then you just got to hang on and hope it comes back," Morris said.
Morris notes that some plants may not come back until June. So be patient.
What the 9A?!
Gardeners may have noticed a certain code changing at their local plant nursery. Whereas Western Washington plants used to state they were good for USDA zone 8B, they now say their apt for hardiness zone 9A.
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Migrants descended on a Seattle tennis court. Then an anonymous donor paid for their hotel
“Your support is important” reads a sign, translated to English, as asylum seekers once housed at the Sleep Inn in SeaTac march to Seattle City Hall along with activists, mutual aid organizations and allies to ask for assistance with housing from Seattle city councilmembers on Tuesday, February 27, 2024, in Seattle.KUOW Photo/Megan FarmerThe tents appeared on Tuesday evening. Migrants and asylum-seekers from Venezuela, Congo, and Angola set up camp on tennis courts down the street from Seattle’s Garfield High School and slept there overnight.
On Wednesday, more tents popped up on the green concrete. At least 150 people milled about inside the court’s chain link fence.
By Wednesday evening, they were gone. An anonymous donor put up $50,000 to move the migrants to a Quality Inn in Kent, a 30-minute drive south.
King County Councilmember Sara Perry, who helped coordinate the donation and hotel arrangements, told KUOW that the donor was working through a nonprofit but did not want to be identified.
“They are going to house as many people as possible,” Perry said, adding that the donation was enough to move up to 250 people into 61 rooms at a rate of $70 a night – that is, until the money runs out.
Migrants who camped at the tennis courts had previously stayed at the Riverton Park United Methodist Church in Tukwila and later found temporary housing at the Kent Quality Inn. After several months in the hotel, their funding dried up.
On Tuesday, they appealed unsuccessfully to the King County Council for more assistance and had to move out of the hotel rooms.
An employee at the Kent Quality Inn confirmed Wednesday night that a large group of migrants had moved back into the hotel, but couldn’t confirm the precise number of people occupying the rooms.
This group represents just a sliver of the migrant crisis unfolding in western Washington, and across the U.S.
Last December, agents with the U.S. Border Patrol logged close to 250,000 encounters with migrants crossing from Mexico – a record high in a single month.
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A food union officer and district alumna: Meet Seattle schools' newest board members
Students, educators and supporters gathered to protest and demand full-funding of Black history and ethnic studies for students during an SPS school board meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2023, at the John Stanford Center along Third Avenue South in Seattle.KUOW Photo/Megan FarmerThe Seattle School Board has chosen two new members to join their ranks.
In unanimous votes Wednesday, the board selected Sarah Clark to represent District 2, which includes neighborhoods like Ballard, Green Lake, and Magnolia, and Joe Mizrahi for District 4, spanning Fremont, Queen Anne, and Belltown.
Clark and Mizrahi fill the vacancies created by Vivian Song and Lisa Rivera, who unexpectedly resigned in February amid concerns they were violating state residency requirements.
Clark is the director of policy at the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce. She's lived in Crown Hill for the majority of her life, and is a graduate of Madrona Elementary, Washington Middle School, and Garfield High School.
Board Vice President Michelle Sarju said Clark brings an important perspective to the board as a woman of color who attended Seattle Public Schools — something she said she knows is difficult from her own children's experiences.
"She understands deeply what it means to try to be seen for the bright, intelligent student that she was, regardless of the color of her skin," Sarju said. "And yet, she still persisted and she still went on to do great things.”
Mizrahi is the secretary-treasurer of United Food and Commercial Workers 3000, Washington's largest labor union. He is a first generation American who grew up in suburban San Diego, but says he has lived in North Seattle for 16 years and has three kids in the district.
Board member Gina Topp said Mizrahi's lived and professional experiences — particularly serving on a board and managing a more than $32 million budget — would be valuable.
"Joe exemplifies some of the things that we're looking for and is able to sort of hit the ground running," she said.
Mizrahi and Clark will serve through the next regularly-scheduled school board election in November 2025.
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7 Washington culinary hotshots are still in the running for a 2024 James Beard Award
A cook at Pho Bac Súp Shop serving the broth. Owners Quynh-Vy and Yenvy Pham were nominated for "Outstanding Restaurateur" in the 2024 James Beard Awards.KUOW/Juan Pablo ChiquizaThe race for top prizes in the 2024 James Beard Awards has gotten tighter, leaving just seven culinary heroes from Washington state still in the running.
Semifinalists for the coveted foodie awards were announced in January and included plenty of Seattle-area representation — 14 chefs and restaurateurs were nominated. That list has been whittled down. Now, seven contestants from Washington state remain in four categories (including a mix of chefs, restaurants, and restaurateurs).
RELATED: There are as many pho restaurants as Starbucks coffee shops in Seattle. Here's why
Outstanding Restaurateur
Quynh-Vy and Yenvy Pham who operate Phở Bắc Súp Shop, Phởcific Standard Time, and The Boat in Seattle.
They are up against four other restaurateurs from Colorado, New Hampshire, Michigan, and Washington, D.C.
Emerging Chef
Janet Becerra from Pancita in Seattle. They're up against four other chefs from New York, South Carolina, and Washington, D.C.
Best New Restaurant
Bar Bacetto in Waitsburg, Washington. This is located roughly 22 miles northeast of Walla Walla. Bar Bacetto is competing against 10 other restaurants, including Hayward in McMinnville, Oregon.
Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific (Alaska, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington)
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Queer eye for the home buy: Bonney Lake model homes boast Bobby Berk designs
Interior designer Bobby Berk for "Queer Eye" fame stands in a model home for Tri Pointe Homes. Berk partnered with the developer on home designs. The first model homes bearing Berk's designs in Pierce County opened at a Bonney Lake development in April 2024.Courtesy of Tri Point HomesBobby Berk may be widely known for his role on Netflix's hit series "Queer Eye," but around Western Washington, he can also be known as the celebrity designer behind a handful of new homes in Bonney Lake.
“Your surroundings affect every aspect of your life, including your physical and mental well-being," Berk said in a statement. "My passion is creating spaces that are designed and organized in a way that nourishes one’s spirit. The ongoing projects with Tri Pointe Homes have given me an opportunity to tie local inspiration with timeless design trends.”
RELATED: You need to earn how much for a 'starter home' in Seattle?!
On "Queer Eye," Berk is the show's interior design and home organization expert. That celebrity status has added up to a book, an appearance in a Taylor Swift music video, and partnerships, such as the one Tri Pointe Homes is now showcasing in Bonney Lake.
"Queer Eye" has little to do with the interior design packages Berk has brought to model homes at "Glacier Pointe at Teheleh." Don't expect TV cameras. A home featuring interior designs by Berk means that he picked and organized details such as flooring materials, light fixtures, and cabinets. Such elements are what Tri Pointe is now boasting at its three model homes in Pierce County (15317 204th Avenue East, Bonney Lake).
Berk said the collaboration is based on "our shared desire to create innovative designs that speak to how people live in their homes."
These are not the first homes in Washington state to boast the celebrity connection. In 2022, Tri Pointe brought Berk in for designs at a Kirkland housing development. Following that venture, Berk and Tri Pointe established a more official partnership.
At between 2,612 and 3,306 square feet, the Bonney Lake homes are massive, with three to five bedrooms, up to four bathrooms, and three-car garages. Prices for these new homes start at around $750,000, with some going as high as $956,000. Tri Pointe is marketing them as "flexible work-from-home spaces" with access to local parks and trails.
RELATED: Seattle area now has more 'million-dollar cities' than ever
According to a statement from Tri Pointe Homes, the Pierce County models "provide a fresh take on classic farmhouse styling and draw inspiration from traditional, modern and organic elements. Plus, the third model is a custom design that combines Scandinavian style with a light and airy ambiance layered with primary colors that create a vibrant yet serene space that Bobby has named 'Retro Scandinavian.'"
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