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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Did you know?: Why you shouldn't mess with Bigfoot in Washington state
Think twice if you're aiming to go hunt for, or just pester, Sasquatch around Washington. Some areas have laws against that.
Up in Whatcom County, the Council passed a resolution in 1992 that established the county as a Sasquatch protection and refuge area. Of course, resolutions are kind of like "happy thoughts" that councils like to pass. If the existence of Bigfoot is ever proved, then the county council might have to pass a more concrete ordinance.
That's what Skamania County has done. The county council there passed a law in 1969 that forbid any harming of a Sasquatch. Breaking this law could result in a $1,000 fine and up to a year in jail. Just in case the first ordinance wasn't clear, Skamania amended the law in 1984. According to the original ordinance, Skamania County noticed a lot of Bigfoot hunters coming through the area, some with cameras and others with guns. The lack of any laws around this made locals nervous, and lawmakers felt it encouraged "the laxity in the use of firearms and other deadly devices."
Therefore, the Council passed a law that stated, "Any premeditated, willful and wanton slaying of any such creature shall be deemed a felony punishable by a fine not to exceed $10,000, and/or imprisonment in the county jail for a period not to exceed five years."
This Did You Know segment was originally published in the Dec. 7, 2022 Today So Far newsletter.
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Kirkland on camera: Today So Far
I've slightly derided Kirkland in the past (in an endearing way, sort of), but the city deserves a virtual high five for its recent trend of innovation and embracing new tech.
This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for December 7, 2022.
Kirkland has begun phasing in body cams across its police department. The traffic department has already started using them. The patrol unit will be issued cameras Dec. 15-29. Specialty units will get the body cams in January 2023.
The body cams can be manually turned on, and they will also start recording any time an officer draws their weapon. It also turns on when an officer activates their patrol car lights. At the end of a shift, the cameras are placed in a docking station that automatically downloads the video files. Officers also have some level of discretion, such as when speaking with sexual abuse victims.
There's a sentiment that you often hear from police departments and cities when body cams come up in conversation. It's usually something like, "This is such new technology, we need to think really hard about it."
Police departments should certainly think hard about it — specifically about how to get them on every officer as fast as possible. This is not new technology. UK police started using body cams in 2005. That's before the iPhone existed. The National Institute of Justice issued guidance for the cameras in 2016. The NIJ would say that results of body cams are mixed. But studies, like this one out of the University of Chicago found that police departments using body cams have seen a 17% drop in complaints, and a 10% drop in use-of-force incidents. A DOJ study concluded that, while officers wearing cameras made more arrests and issued more citations, the cameras ended up saving cities money (fewer complaints, and resolving complaints was easier and quicker). Ultimately, the DOJ said the cameras "have compelling effects without increasing costs."
So, in short, this is not exactly some strange new tech that we don't know much about.
Kirkland's new tech doesn't stop with body cams. The city is currently engaged in a Street Racing Noise Pilot Program. The city has set up two listening stations with cameras geared toward catching illegally modified cars. The idea is similar to red light cameras — race along these streets, get caught on video. Since this is a pilot, the city isn't actually saving or viewing video data, and it's not issuing tickets. The results of the pilot could inform how this tech is used in the future.
And it's not innovative tech, per say, but Kirkland also ran a few gun buyback events over the past few months. Over the summer, the city paid $18,000 to take in more than 150 guns.
AS SEEN ON KUOW
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What are you watching for the holidays?: Today So Far
The holiday season means there is plenty to watch, both on screen and on Seattle-area stages.
This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for December 6, 2022.
'Tis the season to be watching.
Now that I've read that line back to myself, I should clarify that I don't mean it in a weird, creepy way. Rather, it's the holidays and that means there's a lot of plays and movies to watch. KUOW's Mike Davis recently reviewed two plays in Seattle running through December which he says stand out — "The Wiz" and "The Nutcracker."
Mike says "The Wiz" at 5th Avenue Theatre is special this year.
"From the costumes to the stage design, the acting, the choreography – top to bottom this play was excellent. If you are able to see a production this holiday, 'The Wiz' is definitely my recommendation."
"The Nutcracker" is currently at the Pacific Northwest Ballet.
"'The Nutcracker' is a Christmas production, complete with wrapped-gifts and Christmas tree that, at one point, literally grows until it appears to be 100 feet tall! The acting and dancing blends together to present a story that is easy to follow, and my daughters loved seeing kids their own age on stage."
If you can't make it to a stage, then maybe you can make it to your TV.
Last year, I offered seven holiday films to watch. They included: "About A Boy," "Tokyo Godfathers," "Single All The Way," "Love Actually," "Die Hard," "The Office" season 7 episode Classy Christmas, and "The Family Stone."
I still love watching those. This year, I'd like to throw a few more options at you.
- "Spirited": A new holiday offering featuring Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell. I'm not a fan of musicals, however, this film has themes quite apt for our times and helps us see the modern Scrooges in our midst.
- "Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special": A super short watch. Even if Marvel or sci-fi isn't your thing, this special is just plain fun. Its song "I Don't Know What Christmas Is (But Christmastime Is Here)" has quickly become a favorite of mine (and I also don't much like Christmas music either).
- "Gremlins": Yep. It takes place at Christmas.
- "A Christmas Story Christmas": A decent sequel to the 1983 classic that maintains the spirit of the first film, while offering a refreshing modern update.
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Reporter's Notebook: Teatro Zinzanni — a theatrical experience that feels truly post-pandemic
As an arts and culture reporter, I spend a lot of time going to galleries, theaters, concerts, events. And in these past few months, I’ve heard over and over again that the arts are “back.” But something still felt off.
On Tuesday night, at Teatro Zinzanni, everything clicked back into place. And I had my first revelation that the arts are truly back.
When we think of the arts, one aspect that cannot be overlooked is the communal nature of experiencing art. Sure, Hollywood elites pushed back on the idea of blockbuster movies bypassing theaters and streaming into our homes for financial reasons. But for many of the directors who we would consider to be auteurs, the resistance to in-home films was rooted in their desire for their art to be viewed on big screens with high-end sound systems and live audiences who experience the films together.
Even now that we can go to these theaters in person, we still exhibit pandemic induced self-disciplining. My family and I went to a packed theater to see "Wakanda Forever," and most people left an empty “courtesy” seat between themselves and strangers. I’ve been to art galleries where tickets are staggered to ensure only so many people are in exhibits at a given time. I’ve also been to galleries with limited entry and have observed galleries that require advanced ticketing as opposed to unscheduled visitors.
None of this is to say that these precautions are not warranted. Covid is still here, as well as RSV and influenza. There is plenty of reason for caution, especially for those with compromised immune systems. But, for better or worse, our government has decided it is time to move on, and, observationally speaking, it feels like even as we are forced back to work and school as if everything is OK, the arts world still seems to carry the lingering effects of the pandemic.
Then, I went to Teatro Zinzanni. Coming into the show, I didn’t have many expectations. I was aware of what I may see, but, as a reporter, I’ve molded myself into the habit of not reading the thoughts of critics before attending shows. I like to experience art for myself, which is admittedly difficult in the age of social media.
The show takes place in a nondescript building in SODO, smack in the middle of an industrial area. But walking into the building was like stepping into a portal that transports one to a fantastical world of lavish costumes and lively conversation. And I don’t just mean patrons conversing amongst themselves – it was with the performers, who were scattered through the tables mingling with seated guests.
As I took my seat, I was immediately approached by a costumed individual who offered charming banter, who claimed to be the chef (she absolutely was not!). Our exchange was delightful, and she casually touched my shoulder, which I noticed immediately.
My work often brings me into spaces with performers, but these are usually closely monitored, manicured situations with rapid Covid tests and mandatory masking. Here, the performers were making rounds table to table and engaging audience members, passing around props, and later in the show – playing practical jokes!
When you go to a show in a theatre, there is a wall that divides audience from performer. Even when cast members appear from beyond the audience, and perform their way to the stage, this wall still exists. Furthermore, in theatre, be it plays or movies, the audience remains stationary. Viewers have their bubble, and they mostly remain in their self-contained space throughout the show.
In a recent experience, at Cafe Nordo, performers similarly used audience engagement in their show. The Cafe Nordo stage was set in the front of the room, but portions of scenes would happen in various places around the audience. At select times during the show, audience members (one section at a time) were encouraged to leave their seats and move through rooms to view story related art installations that doubled as vessels for serving food. During these moments, people were allowed to take pictures. It was highly creative, and a great experience.
But Teatro took that experience to the next level. The main stage was nonexistent. They moved multiple types of stages, which were used in unique ways, to the middle of the space at different times. I don’t want to spoil the show, but they did this in a creative way.
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Green crabs are not giving Washington a break: Today So Far
The news is a bit crabby lately...green crabby.
This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for December 5, 2022.
Those pesky green crabs continue to push farther into Puget Sound. So far this year, trappers have caught nearly a quarter million European green crabs in Washington's waters. That's more than twice the amount taken in last year. This crab is very destructive to local habitats that our native crabs, and other species, rely on. In fact, Washington has declared a green crab emergency.
And they keep expanding. Green crabs were found in Alaska for the first time this year. So far, the main response has been to capture them and send them to a landfill. We could technically eat the green crabs, but they're not the most economic catches. Dungeness crabs have a lot more meat on them. The green crabs take a lot more work. Read more here.
NPR had another interesting story recently from the East Coast. Whole Foods is stopping its purchases of Maine lobster. This means no Maine lobster will be found at any of its stores, nationwide, including in Washington state.
The decision comes after warnings from sustainability groups that state the fishing practices for lobster could harm the North Atlantic right whale. This runs afoul of certain sustainability standards the grocery chain has. Read more here.
AS SEEN ON KUOW
It has been a year since the great Sumas flood hit Whatcom County and British Columbia. The flood was extra destructive because it sent a section of the Nooksack River north into Canada, over dry land that is now occupied by homes, farms, churches, and businesses. (Elaine Thompson / Associated Press)
DID YOU KNOW?
After publishing last week's factoid about comedian Jo Koy's Tacoma roots, fellow online content editor Stephen Howie said to me, "You wrote 'McChord Airforce Base,' but isn't it 'Joint Base Lewis-McChord?'"
He's right. It is called Joint Base Lewis-McChord, today. Back in the 1980s, when Jo Koy was living in the area, it would have been called McChord Airforce Base, and was located adjacent to Fort Lewis. The airfield at that location was established in 1930 as Tacoma Field. The federal government took over the site in 1938 and renamed it McChord Field, after Colonel William Caldwell McChord, a pilot who died in a crash a year earlier. When the Air Force was created in 1947, it officially became an Air Force base.
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Seattle is one step closer to making 'streateries' permanent
Seattle’s “streateries” were the city’s answer to help restaurants survive the pandemic while protecting public health: the city waived permits and fees to allow businesses to use sidewalks and curbside space.
Now, the city council is one step closer to making its café street program permanent.
Taylor McAtee was among the many Seattle business owners who built an outside seating area for his brewery in Greenwood. It was meant to be temporary, but he recently tore that down for a permanent structure.
“Some people in the community are never really going to feel comfortable about coming into a crowded restaurant and prefer the health benefits that these street cafes offer,” McAtee said.
Seattle’s streatery program was designed to be temporary; it’s set to expire in January. But the city council has been working on a long-term solution.
On Tuesday, the council’s transportation committee approved legislation that includes a fee structure for outdoor dining permits. For example, restaurants could pay more than $1,200 in issuance fees to cover expenses like lost parking space and the cost of reviewing their sidewalk setups. Other additions would be extra.
“I’ve been waiting for this day, even before I thought I would run for office,” said Councilmember Dan Strauss, who sponsored the ordinance. “I have wanted to see us have more vibrant street space by using entrepreneurial spirit of our small businesses.”
The full council will vote on the new program and fee structure next week.
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The Troyer trial has begun: Today So Far
The trial for Pierce County Sheriff Ed Troyer began this week and we got a first glance at how things are going to play out in court.
This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for December 2, 2022.
The Troyer trial is on. So far, it's been filled with testimony about hostile newspaper throwing and "freaking douchebag" text messages.
After a brief delay (Troyer was sick), the court has selected its jury and opening statements were made this week. If you haven't tuned into this story so far, here's the basics. I'll try to be as brief as possible.
Ed Troyer was elected to be Pierce County Sheriff in 2020. In 2021, Troyer was following a newspaper carrier, Sedrick Altheimer, as he was driving his early morning route through Troyer's neighborhood. This led to a confrontation. Troyer alleged that Altheimer was a porch pirate. Altheimer argued that he was being racially profiled. Troyer was not on duty at the time. Generally, an elected sheriff doesn't go patrolling.
As the two had a confrontation, Troyer called dispatchers to report that Altheimer made threats against his life. It prompted dozens of officers to respond to the scene. Officers then reported that Troyer's statements didn't exactly match what he said on the phone; now he was saying that Altheimer didn't threaten his life. An investigation was launched by the county which found Troyer violated policies. Another investigation by the state Attorney General's Office resulted in two charges: false reporting and making a false or misleading statement to a public servant. Troyer is now on the Brady list. If you don't know what that is, follow the link for more info.
In the weeks that followed the incident, Troyer also faced calls for his resignation. In a statement to KUOW, he said that would not happen, arguing, “I’m being called a racist, not true. Resigning would add credibility to that claim.”
That brings us to the current trial that started this week. In just a couple days, we've gotten a first glance at how things are going to play out in court. The AG's Office opened by leaning into the gap between what Troyer said on the phone and what officers reported he stated to them. The AG's Office aims to prove Troyer lied.
Troyer's attorney, Anne Bremner, essentially opened by saying that the true account of what happened is not fully known, and she intends to reveal that full story. Bremner has noted that Troyer called a non-emergency phoneline, and said that some officers' credibility will be questioned, as well as Altheimer's.
Some of those officers spoke yesterday in court, revealing that they responded a second time to Troyer's house that morning. Sometime after the initial incident, an officer was dispatched to Troyer's home after someone "maliciously" threw a newspaper at it (Troyer doesn't subscribe to any newspapers). The newspaper was in the driveway, showing no signs of malice, so the officers drove away.
It's not exactly clear how this fits into the legal narrative, but for some reason, the defense really wanted it on the record that an officer called Troyer a "freaking douchebag." Defense attorneys got a text message thread that included the statement from Officer Aaron Baran. Baran said in court that it was a joke that wasn't meant to be public and that he was expressing “a level of frustration with how high profile this incident is.”
Read more here.
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Seattle is bringing back late fees for parking and traffic tickets
The city of Seattle is going to start charging late fees once again for those who have unpaid parking, camera, and traffic tickets.
The city cut drivers a break in March of 2020, because of the pandemic. Now, the Seattle Municipal Court wants to start charging those late fees again, starting Jan. 30, 2023.
Late parking tickets will cost an extra $25, and unpaid traffic tickets will get an extra $52. So you should try to settle your accounts before then.
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Rep. Marilyn Strickland elected as whip for Congressional Black Caucus
Washington Democrat Marilyn Strickland has been elected to serve as whip for the Congressional Black Caucus.
Strickland says the job involves making sure the caucus votes as a group on a variety of issues.
"And that includes everything from voting rights, health-care disparities, economic opportunity, housing, all the things that are so important to Americans at large, but really have a huge significance in the African-American community," Strickland said.
Rep. Strickland says the key to keeping the caucus together will be listening to members' concerns and bringing that back to the leadership.
"I remind folks that the Congressional Black Caucus is not a monolith," she said. "We represent a lot of different communities from around the country with different needs. And so we want to make sure we're in tune with each of our members, but as a caucus show unity and strong consistent messaging."
Strickland is the first Black representative, ever, from Washington state. She first won the 10th District seat in 2020 and was re-elected this November. She is also the first member from the Pacific Northwest to serve on the executive committee of the Congressional Black Caucus.
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Another La Niña winter arrives in Seattle and the Puget Sound region
After starting fall off on an unseasonably dry and warm note, the Seattle area is ushering in the coldest start to December in nearly four decades.
If the recent snow was any indication, that third consecutive La Niña forecasters have been promising is here. State climatologist Nick Bond spoke with KUOW's Angela King about what's in store for the region.
This interview has been edited for clarity.
Angela King: You know, I started questioning last month if that La Niña was actually going to unfold. After setting a new dry spell record for November, though, it looks like we came pretty close to catching up with our rain totals for last month, correct?
Nick Bond: Yeah, that's correct. Fall lasted about a week, so we're catching up. And I think we're liable to do pretty well in terms of precipitation in the winter ahead.
Are La Niña patterns typically marked by steady precipitation, or are these big dumps of rain and snow more typical?
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When homeless people seek treatment or shelter, where do their pets go?
When people experiencing homelessness need to go into residential treatment for drug or alcohol addiction, finding a place for their pet to stay can be a big barrier.
“In April, over the course of two weeks, I got four calls from different organizations,” said Vickie Ramirez, who works at a clinic that serves homeless youth and their pets. “And they’re like, ‘My client’s ready to go into treatment today. I have a bed for them today — if I can find someone to foster their animal.”
Ramirez said she couldn’t find a foster for any of them, so none of them went into treatment.
As many as one in every four people experiencing homelessness has a pet. But in Seattle, as in most cities across the country, there are few options for short-term foster care for the pets of people in crisis.
“Seattle Humane has a program, but they’re slammed,” Ramirez said. “There’s this huge need for emergency fostering in Seattle that is not being met, especially since the eviction moratorium ended.”
Diaz Dixon works with animal shelters across the country to make more emergency foster programs available to people who need them.
“It is a huge issue,” he said. People view their pets as family members, so if they can’t find a safe home for them, “they won’t go into a substance abuse treatment facility, or into a domestic violence shelter or a homelessness shelter. They end up spiraling and oftentimes getting even worse.”
Dixon said if people don’t get treatment or other help, it can make it even harder for them to get out of homelessness. And, he said, people sometimes stay in abusive living situations to avoid being separated from their pets, or to protect their pet from a violent partner.
He said one key is for animal shelters to have a case manager on hand who can help people find a place for their pets and deal with all the paperwork.
Ramirez said it’s also important not just to have a bank of potential foster placements to call upon, but to also have a transitional space for pets.
“If I’m going to take in a big dog, I need to know the history of that big dog and whether my family is safe with that big dog,” she said. “Will Seattle Animal Shelter take that dog in for three days to do a dog assessment and then have a foster group be able to take over?”
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Chief Seattle Club's new café dishes up tradition: Today So Far
- The ʔálʔal café specialized in Native food from around the USA.
- 19,000 patients in Seattle could soon be finding a new doctor, or be forced to pay out-of-network prices.
- Syphilis cases in King County have considerably spiked.
This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for December 1, 2022.
ʔálʔal is a Lushootseed word. Pronounced "ahl-ahl," it means "home." It's a fitting title for Chief Seattle Club's new café that features Indigenous foods.
The Chief Seattle Club is a social service organization that provides services to the city's Native population. With its ʔálʔal café, it aims to bring in food from across the country, drawn from Native cultures, such as bison tacos, blue corn mush, and wild rice and wojapi parfait. Ingredients are largely sourced from Native producers.
“We’re trying to serve as many types of traditional foods from various regions of the country as we can,” said café manager and chef Anthony Johnson.
Read more here.
Insurance companies and health care providers bicker all the time. It's a tense relationship. But when 19,000 patients are at risk, that's a pretty big deal. That's what's involved as Regence and Polyclinic fail to see eye-to-eye — 19,000 Regence BlueShield customers who currently rely on Polyclinic for health care. If the two parties break, then two things will happen: thousands of patients will flood other doctors in the area; or thousands of patients will discover just how expensive health care is when they're suddenly out-of-network.
Read the full story here.
An uptick in syphilis cases across King County has been noted in recent years, but looking at a graph of 2021 and 2022, it's safe to say that cases have exploded in our region.
Since 2015, syphilis cases have shot up five-fold, specifically in cisgender women.
“The increase in syphilis in cisgender women and pregnant people suggest that syphilis may be spreading in the general population and among women in particular,” said Dr. Matthew Golden, director of the Public Health – Seattle & King County HIV/STD Program. “Rising rates of syphilis in cisgender women and pregnant people is alarming, which is why we are recommending that most sexually active women 45 and under get tested if they haven’t had a test since 2021, and why we are asking providers to increase syphilis testing in pregnant persons.”
The issue is increasing the risks of congenital syphilis. Read more here.
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