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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Western Washington air quality takes a dive
Got air filters? Crank 'em if you got 'em in Western Washington this morning (July 5, 2023). Air quality throughout the region has taken a dive into unhealthy territory.
The Washington State Department of Ecology says the air quality is hazardous in the south end of Tacoma. It's also unhealthy for everyone in parts of Marysville, Seattle, Tukwila, and Auburn.
Sensitive groups should limit their time outdoors north of Seattle and around Olympia and Bremerton, where smoke from a wildfire burning near Shelton is clogging up the air.
You can blame the poor air quality on smoke from all of last night's fireworks shows and smoke coming in from local and Canadian wildfires. Down along the Columbia River, near White Salmon, Washington, the Tunnel Five fire is also sending smoke throughout Skamania and Klickitat counties. The large fire near Shelton also is contributing to those conditions.
According to the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, "As long as there are fires near Shelton, poor air quality will persist in much of our region."
The National Weather Service in Seattle expects winds from the coast will move through the region starting on Thursday and into Friday, which could blow some of the smoke away and improve conditions.
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Keep a cold campfire this NW summer
This July marks the start of wildfire season 2023. The west side of the North Cascades is getting drier and drier, so the Department of Natural Resources needs everyone’s help to prevent wildfires.
After holiday weekends, the Department of Natural Resources says they tend to see an uptick in small fires at campgrounds, especially after popular holidays like the Fourth of July.
“If anyone sees smoke, please call 911 right away, we really appreciate any help from the public," said Janet Pearce with Washington's Department of Natural Resources.
Pearce said all it takes is a tiny spark to ignite a wildfire, so it’s important to be vigilant. If a fire is still smoldering, a little bit of wind can grab a spark and ignite a wildfire. If it’s a strong wind, a spark can travel more than a mile.
"We really want people to be extremely cautious when lighting any campfire or fireworks [this time of year]," Pearce said.
The fire season could be extended depending on the weather through September or October. If you plan to camp this summer, one pro tip is to try to put out campfires at night and make sure they are cold to the touch before leaving them unattended (especially while things are so dry). Doing so not only helps prevent wildfires, but also helps keep firefighters safe.
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Shakeup of command staff at Seattle Police Department
Command staff at the Seattle Police Department is undergoing dramatic changes, according to an email sent to the department on Monday morning.
Chief Adrian Diaz has added a deputy chief role, which goes to Eric Barden, who has been with the department for 35 years. Barden previously oversaw harbor patrol, SWAT, and K9 (dogs) unit, among other units.
Diaz is also adding a Relational Policing Innovation Team. “Everything we do is about Relationships,” he wrote.
Two assistant chiefs were demoted to the rank of captain: Eric Greening and Deanna Nollette. They were the notably two assistant chiefs who threw their hat in the ring for chief, when Diaz was still interim.
Nollette was previously assistant chief of the criminal investigations bureau and has been with the department for 27 years; Greening was assistant chief of the Collaborative Policing Bureau and has been with the department for 28 years.
There is also the addition of a chief of staff position – new to the department. That role goes to Jamie Tompkins, a former TV news anchor at Q13 News in Seattle. Tompkins started at Seattle Police Department in late May as the head of communications.
In the email, Diaz said he is also downsizing bureaus because so many officers have left the department.
“With fewer sworn personnel, I have decided to downsize the number of bureaus from six to five,” Diaz wrote.
Isolde Raftery can be reached at iraftery@kuow.org or via private direct message on Twitter @isolderaftery or Instagram @isoldedenise.
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Where are the guns coming from? Today So Far
- The gun used in the Ingraham High School shooting was a stolen firearm. KUOW traces it back to its owner.
- Where are teens getting firearms?
- Covid and summer 2023.
- Dave Reichert has entered the race for Washington governor, even though he hasn't told anyone yet.
This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for July 3, 2023.
Quick hits
- What does a new consulate in Seattle say about U.S.-India relations?
- Man who stalked and threatened Rep. Jayapal to lose guns for 8 years
- Where to see July fireworks shows around Western Washington 2023
It's been less than a year since the fatal and tragic shooting at Seattle's Ingraham High School. Police reports following the incident stated that the Glock 32 used in the shooting was a stolen firearm, from a home in nearby Lynnwood. That has left a lingering question as to where it originally came from.
The short answer: The gun owner did not lock up the firearm, in a home where children were present.
The long answer: The gun owner's teenage son was able to easily access the weapon, which he did to show his friends. One 14-year-old friend took the gun, after which it exchanged hands and was used in a crime before ending up at Ingraham High School.
For the full story, KUOW's Ashley Hiruko and Isolde Raftery have that here.
A total of 68 kids under the age of 18 died by a firearm in King County between 2017-2022, whether it was suicide or homicide. Among that number, 18 of the guns were stolen, six were ghost guns, three were made with a 3D printer, two were from family, and 26 have unknown origins.
In April 2023, there were 54 open cases involving guns and teens ages 12-17. The majority were ages 14-16. And most of the cases are out of South Seattle and South King County. These are among the insights that KUOW uncovered while reporting on kids and firearms in the Seattle area.
Over the past few summers, Washington saw spikes in Covid cases that prompted concern and distancing. Things are a bit different this summer. Covid hospitalizations and deaths are at the lowest levels since the start of the pandemic. Still, there were 15 Covid deaths per week in early June.
Having three years of experience with the virus, local health officials are not easing up on Covid vigilance.
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Puget Sound starts getting crabby with it for summer 2023
The 2023 Puget Sound summer crab-fishing season is now underway. It started July 1.
A crab biologist with the state Department of Fish and Wildlife says the boat ramp in Everett on opening day was as busy as he's ever seen it.
Just be aware some areas will have limited crabbing or will remain closed because Dungeness crab numbers are still low. And a reminder: Crabbing will be closed on the July 4 holiday.
“The summer seasons being announced today are very similar to what was announced for summer 2022," said Don Velasquez, WDFW crustacean biologist. "Some areas with continued low abundance of Dungeness crab will see limited seasons or remain closed this year to continue to promote Dungeness population recovery.”
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Washington Cares tax hits worker paychecks
Workers throughout Washington will start noticing their upcoming paychecks will be a little lighter, now that the state has started collecting taxes for the new Washington Cares Fund.
The new tax began on Saturday, July 1.
RELATED: What you need to know about the WA Cares Fund
The fund is the first of its kind in the United States. It aims to eventually provide funding for long-term care for aging residents.
"States across the country of all stripes — red, purple, blue — are all looking at this because everybody has a growing aging population," said Ai-jen Poo with the National Domestic Workers Alliance, noting that states such as California and Michigan are now considering similar programs.
Outside of some exemptions, Washington workers who don't have a long-term care policy will contribute 58 cents for every $100 they earn to the Washington Cares Fund.
People eligible for exemptions include military spouses and out-of-state workers.
More than $36,000 worth of benefits will be available starting in 2026. The money is for long-term care costs, including pay for homecare workers.
The tax was initially slated to start in January 2022, but Gov. Jay Inslee paused it until July 2023 so state lawmakers could revise and modify the program.
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Make that TWO orca calves spotted in Salish Sea
Whale watchers delighted with news in late June of a new orca calf spotted in the Salish Sea. But that report wasn't entirely accurate — there are two calves.
The Center for Whale Research has confirmed that that the southern resident orca L-pod now has two new calves swimming with it.
Researchers were responding to a public tip in late June about a new calf, spotted off Tofino, British Columbia when they came upon a small group of whales with a little baby. They started taking pictures when they saw something was different.
“We’re like, huh, it’s not with the same mom," recalled CWR research director Michael Weiss. "Its dorsal fin looks kind of different. And we finally got a picture of its eye patch, and yeah, that’s a different calf.”
Weiss says they eventually found the the calf that was first reported
The calves have been named L126 and L127. L126 is the first calf born to L119, and L127 is L94's third calf.
Weiss says the mortality rate in their first year is high, given threats from lack of food, toxins, and noise pollution. All are inter-connected. Disturbance and noise pollution make it hard for them to find food. And when orcas are wasting away, that triggers another problem.
Said Weiss, “A lot of these toxins bind to fats, so binds to their blubber and don’t become a huge problem in their bloodstream until they use that blubber for nutrition.”
But for now they're setting aside those worries.
“Any time there’s new calves it’s a moment for this kind of cautious optimism.”
These are the first calves born to the L-pod since 2021. They are thought to be about two months old. Observers say they were both active and social.
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10 states plan to sue the EPA over standards for residential wood-burning stoves
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Attorneys general from 10 states plan to sue the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, saying its failure to review and ensure emissions standards for residential wood-burning stoves has allowed the continued sale of appliances that could worsen pollution.
That means programs that encourage people to trade in older stoves and other wood-burning appliances, such as forced-air furnaces, haven’t necessarily improved air quality, the states say.
“If newer wood heaters do not meet cleaner standards, then programs to change out old wood heaters may provide little health benefits at significant public cost,” the states wrote Thursday in a 60-day notice of intent to sue.
The states involved are Alaska, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Vermont and Washington, as well as the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency.
They allege that the EPA’s current standards aren’t good enough and that even if they were, the agency’s testing and certification program is so ineffective that it has failed to ensure those standards.
The EPA declined to comment on pending litigation.
The states allege that the EPA’s current standards must be reviewed and that its testing and certification program is so ineffective, it has failed to ensure the existing standards.
The EPA’s Office of Inspector General, in a report released in February, found the EPA’s 2015 performance standards for residential wood heaters was flawed and said the agency has “approved methods that lack clarity and allow too much flexibility.”
“As a result, certification tests may not be accurate, do not reflect real-world conditions, and may result in some wood heaters being certified for sale that emit too much particulate-matter pollution,” the report said.
The agency supports programs aimed at replacing older, dirtier wood heaters with newer, cleaner models and distributed about $82 million in grants for residential exchanges between fiscal years 2015 and 2021, the report said.
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Dave Reichert enters 2024 race for Washington governor
There is a new Republican candidate for Washington state governor in 2024. Dave Reichert has filed the paperwork.
So far, that's all Reichert has done, officially file as a candidate with the state's Public Disclosure Commission. He registered on Friday, June 30, but as of Monday morning, there has been no official announcement.
Reichert's name is familiar across Washington state. He first came to prominence when he was on the King County Sheriff's task force to bring in the Green River Killer, which led to the arrest of Gary Ridgway in 2001. He was King County Sheriff from 1997 to 2005, after which he ran for Congress as a Republican. He was elected to represent Washington's 8th Congressional District in 2004 (officially starting his term in 2005). After 14 years, he opted not to run again and stepped down in 2019.
RELATED: Washington Republicans believe governor's race is winnable
The field of candidates for Washington governor has steadily grown ever since Gov. Jay Inslee announced in May that he would not seek a third term in office. Washington's last Republican governor was John Spellman, who held office from 1981 to 1985.
Other official Republican candidates, so far, include Dr. Raul Garcia of Yakima who ran in the last gubernatorial election, and Richmond School Board member Semi Bird. Other candidates who have officially filed are Chehalis restaurant owner Laurel Kahn, James Daniel, Kristin Schuler, Martin Wheeler, Tony Tasmaly, and Daniel Miller.
Democrats also have a growing list of candidates, including State Attorney General Bob Ferguson, Public Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz, and State Sen. Mark Mullet.
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How AI would design Seattle's future: Today So Far
- What kind of city would an AI program design if we asked it to create a thriving downtown Seattle?
- It's time to talk about fireworks, injuries, and local bans.
This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for June 30, 2023.
Quick hits
- What does SCOTUS' ruling against affirmative action mean for WA?
- Theo Chocolate announces merger, plans to close Seattle factory
- Good deal: Savers Value Village worth nearly $4 billion after strong public debut
What kind of city would an AI program design if we asked it to create a thriving downtown Seattle?
Thanks to an effort from Mayor Bruce Harrell's office, we actually have an answer to that question. Harrell has been hyping his Downtown Activation Plan, which not only includes near-term policies, it also considers plans for far into the future of Seattle. The city could look at policies around housing and transportation, etc. to remedy current problems, but Harrell asked the architecture firm Olson Kundig to come up with AI-developed scenes for a future Seattle.
The idea was to think of a Seattle that took big steps, like it did when the Space Needle was built, forever changing the skyline, and which now iconically represents the city. KUOW's Joshua McNichols presents us with the results: a sports field under a massive umbrella; a new downtown arts and entertainment district; new markets and lots more food trucks. AI even drew up images if Seattle ever did decide to put a lid over I-5, creating a massive tree-lined park through the core of downtown. Check out the full story here.
Growing up, my folks were very anti-fireworks. The reason for this happened before I was born. My older brother loved fireworks. So did his friend from down the street, Larry. They liked to light firecrackers and throw them as high as they could into the air and watch them explode. That's what they were doing in our driveway one Fourth of July, long ago. Larry grabbed a firecracker, took a lighter, lit the fuse, and then threw the lighter. After the trip to the emergency room (Larry was fine, aside from some scrapes), I think my folks got a bit paranoid, so by the time I came along, I was lucky if I could get my hands on sparklers and smoke bombs.
Stories like this are why a hospital like Seattle's Harborview Medical Center is expecting to treat 65 people (adults and children) for fireworks injuries. That's its average over the past few Fourth of July holidays. And that's just one emergency room in our region. On top of that, there is the wildfire risk.
It's a good idea to find out if fireworks are banned in your area. I'm going to cut to the chase and say, "yes, most likely." While rounding up as many Western Washington fireworks bans as I could find, I found myself thinking that it might be a much shorter list if I just noted where fireworks are allowed.
Most major cities in our region have banned the sale or use of them, such as Seattle, Bellevue, and Tacoma. In King County, it's illegal to set off fireworks in unincorporated areas, which is most of the county. Pierce County has similar rules. I understand there is a holiday and all, and I enjoy a good fireworks show, but some illogical folks in the past said to themselves: "Ya know what, let's set off a bunch of explosions during the driest, hottest part of the year. What could go wrong?" We now know that it basically equals fires.
If you are planning to light a few fireworks this year on your own, my own personal advice (other than checking out a professional display, of which there are many to choose from in our area), is to have a water hose nearby and ready, and a bucket full of water to dispose of used fireworks. Also, it's a good idea to have something other than your hands to pick up spent fireworks, in case there are lingering explosions waiting to go off.
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Commuters beware: 520 bridge tolls rise July 1
The cost to cross a major connection between Seattle and Bellevue is slated to rise July 1, 2023.
Tolls for the 520 bridge will go up somewhere between 20 cents and $1.10.
According to the Washington State Department of Transportation: "The rate increase was approved by the Washington State Transportation Commission in 2021 to address long-term pandemic-related effects on bridge finances."
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Where to see July fireworks shows around Western Washington 2023
There are various professional fireworks shows scattered across Western Washington around the Fourth of July holiday. Shows generally start around dusk. Check out the list below.
RELATED: Where fireworks are banned in Western Washington
July 1
Bremerton / Port Orchard: 10 p.m. Fireworks over the Sinclair Inlet
Issaquah (Lake Sammamish State Park): 10 p.m. between Vasa Park and Lake Sammamish State Park. Best viewing from the south lake shore
Muckleshoot Casino, Auburn, Wash.: 10 p.m. at the casino
Newcastle: 10 p.m. at Lake Boren Park
July 3
Carnation: 10:15 p.m. Remlinger Farm
Kingston: 10 p.m. at Mike Wallace Park
Lacey: 10 p.m. at Rainier Vista Park
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