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
-
New-look Seattle City Council backs new president in unanimous vote
On a day in which five newly elected members took the oath to serve on the Seattle City Council, council members new and old voted unanimously on a new president — Sara Nelson.
Tuesday ushered in a new era for the City Council, which includes newcombers Joy Hollingsworth, Bob Kettle, Cathy Moore, Maritza Rivera, and Rob Saka. They teamed up with returning members Tammy Morales and Dan Strauss to elect Nelson council president on a 9-0 vote.
Mayor Bruce Harrell may have been the biggest winner in the 2023 election. He endorsed four of the five newcomers and one of the incumbents, Strauss. The newly aligned City Council is expected to more centrist and less progressive than its previous incarnation.
In a statement Tuesday, Harrell commended Nelson, who is midway through her first term on the Council.
"Council President Nelson serves as a strong voice for critical issues facing the city, including police recruitment and retention, support for Seattle’s small businesses, Downtown revitalization, and addressing the fentanyl epidemic," Harrell said. "Council President Nelson will bring an approach focused on serving our community, good governance, and tangible progress — common values that will serve her well in this leadership role and build consensus across the Council."
Harrell also said he was excited about the new makeup of the Council and its potential to bring about changes and make decisions to move Seattle forward in the coming years.
“With members sworn in, let's celebrate that this City Council reflects a new diversity of perspectives, experiences, and ideas that will help us collectively serve our Seattle communities," the mayor said. "I am looking forward to working with Council President Nelson and with all of the new and returning members of the Council to drive progress toward our vision for a safe, welcoming, and thriving One Seattle in 2024.”
Continue reading » -
Nikki Haley debuts WA team ahead of 2024 GOP presidential primary
About two and half months before Washington's presidential primary, GOP candidate Nikki Haley announced her team Tuesday to carry her campaign forward at the state level.
“The world is on fire, and Nikki Haley is the leader we need to make America strong and proud," said Saul Gamoran, Washington state chair for the Haley campaign. "Washingtonians want a president who has the vision and grit to jump into the fight on Day One. That person is Nikki Haley.”
"We’ve got a country to save, and a deep bench in the Evergreen State to help us do it," Haley said in a statement announcing her Washington campaign leadership team. "From inflation to the border crisis to the growing threat from China, Washingtonians know we need solutions and results. No one understands that better than the members of this leadership team, and I’m incredibly grateful to each of them for bringing their expertise to our campaign.”
RELATED: DeSantis, Haley remain opening acts to Trump
Haley's campaign not only announced its local team, it also hyped a slate of endorsements from elected leaders and GOP figures from across Washington, such as state Rep. J.T. Wilcox, former House minority leader; and Rep. Drew Stokesbary, the current House minority leader. The campaign's King County chair is GOP organizer Cynthia Cole.
While former president Donald Trump has been considered the frontrunner for the GOP nomination in 2024, the Republican primaries will ultimately decide the candidate. Haley's campaign has gained momentum in recent weeks (especially among big donors).
RELATED: Nikki Haley lands endorsement from Koch-backed Americans for Prosperity PAC
Washington state's primary is scheduled for March 12.
Nikki Haley’s Washington leadership team
Chair: Saul Gamoran, President, Gamoran Legal Consulting; Co-Chair: Paul Hess, King County Committeeman; Co-Chair: Diane Tebelius, Former Chair, Washington State Republican Party; Co-Chair: Barry Kaplan, Retired Partner, Wilson Sonsini; Co-Chair: Manette Merrill, Political Organizer.
Continue reading » -
New year, new rules: 2024 brings new laws for Washington state
As a new year begins in Washington state, so do a range of new laws.
The laws were passed by state and local lawmakers over the course of 2023, and were scheduled to kick in on New Year's Day, or shortly before 2024.
Hospital staffing
Washington's hospitals now need to form staffing committees with nurses and administrators.
These committees need to create annual staffing plans, accounting for the nurse-to-patient ratio. Hospitals are also required to track how often they are not in compliance with their staffing plans.
The new law also states that fines will begin in 2027 if hospitals are not compliant with the standard 80% of the time.
Cannabis testing
Employers in Washington state are no longer allowed to test for cannabis when they make hiring decisions.
Employers can still test for other drugs. They can also screen employees for cannabis use after an incident if there is suspicion that a worker was under the influence while on the job.
Tenant protections
Continue reading » -
Baby orca update: It’s a boy!
Orcas don’t have gender-reveal parties (as far as we know).
But on Thursday, when a baby orca surfaced in Puget Sound and rolled over on its side, biologist Maya Sears was able to photograph its white underside from a small research skiff.
Sears shared her photo with orca surveyor Dave Ellifrit at the Center for Whale Research, who confirmed that this whale, less than a week old, is male.
The latest addition to the Northwest’s endangered orca population is known as J60.
RELATED: Newborn orca spotted near Seattle off Bainbridge Island
Whale lovers have bestowed names on these wild animals, through votes held by the Whale Museum in Friday Harbor. Names have ranged from the silly (Oreo, Spock, Yoda) to the Indigenous (Hy'Shqa, Se-Yi'-Chn), to the oddball (Tahlequah, named for a Vashon Island ferry landing, which was named for a town in Oklahoma). The Whale Museum fundraises by getting people to adopt a named orca for $50 to $80 per year.
“While researchers love numbers, regular people love names,” the nonprofit research group Wild Orca’s website states. “It’s so hard to fall in love with a number!”
Continue reading » -
How to give your Christmas tree new life or kick it to the curb
Each year, about 25 million to 30 million live Christmas trees are sold in the U.S., according to the Christmas Tree Association.
It is thought to be bad luck to take down your tree before the 12th day of Christmas, which is Jan. 6. So unless you're one of the rare types, chances are your tree is probably still up.
Whenever the time comes for you, here are some ways to dispose your tree or give it new life.
Leave it on the curb
Many cities and counties offer curbside pickup, and you can find local schedules online. Check to see if see if you have to cut it to a certain length.
But if your Christmas tree was grown outside the state you live in, it could carry invasive species, according to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. In that case, don't dispose of the tree in your yard or compost it.
Drop it off at a recycling center
Start by searching for recycling options in your area on Google or Earth 911, which has an extensive database. In the U.S. there are more than 4,000 local Christmas tree recycling programs, according to the Christmas Tree Association.
Most cities and counties have free drop-off points. The recycling centers will often turn the tree into mulch for the community to be used in erosion barrier programs, for example. Certain non-profits, such as Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts offer pickup service for a small donation.
Flocked trees, which are coated with synthetic dust or powder to look like snow on their branches, cannot be recycled and need to be disposed of with regular waste.
Continue reading » -
There's a link between eye injuries and fireworks, UW study finds
Researchers at the University of Washington say the odds of suffering a fireworks-related eye injury are higher if you live where the explosives are legal. The study also found children, especially boys, make up a disproportionate percentage of the victims.
To many, New Years Eve means fireworks. For some doctors in Seattle, the holiday also means a busy few days of treating eye injuries.
“A lot of surgery that happened in that week and try to rescue a lot of eyes,” said Dr. Shu Feng, an assistant professor of ophthalmology at UW.
Feng has worked as the on-call specialist at Harborview Medical Center for many years. In that time she and her colleagues noticed a growing trend of patients coming in from around the state with injuries from fireworks.
“The thought came up of: ‘Well, are these people coming from places where these fireworks are banned? Or are they coming from places where they're still legal?’” Feng told KUOW in an interview.
So Feng and UW began tracking fireworks injuries over an eight-year period, focused on the two weeks surrounding the Fourth of July holiday.
They found people who live in areas where fireworks are legal, like in Snohomish County on the day of July 4, are two times more likely to be injured by fireworks than in places where they’re not legal, like in Seattle.
“To find a difference between the odds of injury if you're from one area where there's legal fireworks versus banned was surprising,” Feng said.
One finding from the study that might be less surprising is that fireworks injuries tend to happen to people who interact with them the most: nearly all of the injuries (90%) happened to men and boys.
Feng says these injuries happened at a private event, not at a public display show.
“It's from people mostly setting them off at home,” she said. “It's from misfires, it's from homemade fireworks, it’s from those large fireworks that kind of shoot towards people."
Continue reading » -
Mountlake Terrace man charged for participation in Jan. 6 riot at US Capitol
Another Washington state resident has been charged for his alleged participation in the Capitol insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021.
Matthew Lawrence Stickney of Mountlake Terrace has been charged with unlawfully entering the Capitol building, two counts of disorderly conduct, and demonstrating in the Capitol.
Stickney is the latest Washington state resident to be charged in relation to Jan. 6. A total of 18 Washingtonians have reportedly been arrested, including Ethan Nordean of Auburn, a Proud Boy who served as a leader among rioters that day. Nordean has been sentenced to 18 years in prison. The Associated Press reports that more than 1,200 people have now faced charges for their involvement in the riot.
RELATED: Seattle man among those charged in violent pro-Trump insurrection at U.S. Capitol
According to the charging document, the FBI obtained flight records that show Stickney took an airplane to and from Washington, D.C., around Jan. 6.
An agent identified Stickney by tracking two phones associated with his Google email and Google voice account. That data allegedly indicated that Stickney was inside the Capitol during the time of the riot. Stickney was also allegedly identified on video posted to social media, as well as surveillance footage from inside the Capitol building.
The FBI also points to Stickney's Google search history, which was obtained through a search warrant, and argues it is relevant to activities in D.C. that day. Alleged searches listed in the charging document include:
- how do i take my gun with me on a flight
- is weed legal in d.c.
- can i bring a gas mask on a plane
- can i carry a knife on a plane
After the events on Jan. 6, the charging document claims Stickney further Google searched for:
- hands burning from pepper spray
- cs gas
- us capitol
- hd security cameras
Stickney also allegedly searched for the term, "Boy, that escalated quickly," in the hours following the insurrection, which the FBI notes is a line from the 2004 film "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy" in reference to a fight scene "that got out of hand, resulting in serious injury and death to some participants."
Continue reading » -
State workers see dramatic increase in workplace injuries and illnesses as Washington tops national average
The rate of workplace injuries and illnesses in Washington's private industry has risen above the national rate. Washington finds itself among the states with the highest rates of nonfatal workplace injuries.
The results of a new survey from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics was released this week. About 89,600 cases of nonfatal workplace injuries were recorded in Washington over 2022. That's 44% higher than the national rate.
Washington's "incident rate" was 3.9 cases per 100 full-time workers in 2022. The national rate was 2.7.
The only state that ranked higher than Washington was Maine (5 cases per 100 workers). Oregon and Vermont matched Washington with a rate of 3.9; Wisconsin was 3.7; California and Montana had a rate of 3.6 per 100 workers.
Among private industry, the largest jump in workplace injuries came in the education and health sectors. But overall, the biggest increase in both government and private sector jobs was the number of people injured while working in state government.
State workers saw a 78% increase in injuries and illnesses in 2022, over the previous year. No breakout of the kinds of state government jobs was provided.
Continue reading » -
Newborn orca spotted near Seattle off Bainbridge Island
Beachgoers and whale researchers were excited to spot a newborn calf swimming with the Northwest’s endangered orcas on Tuesday near Seattle.
“Oh my gosh,” schoolteacher Neil Davis said, standing on the beach at Fay Bainbridge Park on Bainbridge Island as a group of southern resident killer whales sliced through the glassy water just offshore.
With the snow-covered Cascades on the horizon, the afternoon was quiet except for bursts of air from the marine mammals’ blowholes and the oohs, wows, and other excited exclamations bursting from the mammals standing on shore.
Davis had alerted his husband’s family and a friend’s family that the orcas were nearby. About 15 people gathered on the beach to watch the orca families swim quietly by.
“Look at ‘em!” one beachgoer said.
“They’re really close, huh? You don’t need binoculars for that!” another said.
“Oh! The baby!” Davis said as the smallest of fins sliced through the water.
On Wednesday, the Center for Whale Research confirmed that the baby orca is the newest member of J pod, one of the Northwest’s three family groups of the endangered killer whales known as the southern residents.
“I spent quite a bit of time during the pandemic watching whales from shore. But this is the closest I’ve seen them,” Davis said in a text message.
Whale researchers Maya Sears and Mark Sears had seen the 25 members of J pod on the afternoon of Dec. 23, but no baby, meaning this 26th member was probably born on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.
The father-daughter team was out on the water again in their small research boat on Wednesday, hoping to scoop up floating fecal samples from the endangered orcas.
RELATED: It's getting quieter in Puget Sound and easier for orcas to find dinner
Continue reading » -
Lummi Nation opposes BP's oil plans for Cherry Point
The Lummi Nation is voicing its opposition to British Petroleum's goal of expanding oil operations at Cherry Point, near Ferndale, Washington, north of Bellingham.
The Lummi call this area "Xwe’chi’eXen," consider it a cultural and archaeological site where many of its ancestors lay, and have a track record of pushing back against industrial activity and development of Cherry Point. The tribe also argues that BP's industrial operations would interfere with its fishing rights.
RELATED: Olympic Pipeline leaks 25K gallons of gasoline into Skagit River delta
"For thousands of years, and continuing to this day, our people have lived here, fished here, gathered plants here, raised families here, and buried loved ones here,” Lummi Nation Chairman Anthony Hillaire said in a statement. “The connection the Lummi Nation has to this place is beyond archeological significance. We have a sacred obligation to protect our lands and our ancestors, the ancient ones who rest here. We also have a moral and legal obligation to protect our rights. We have opposed, and will continue to oppose, the development of Xwe’chi’eXen because of the unavoidable and unacceptable impacts it would have on our people and on our treaty fishing rights.”
A BP spokesperson told KUOW that the company notified the Lummi Tribe about the land purchase on Dec. 13. The sale was completed on Dec. 22. BP said that the total price tag is confidential, however, a public tax document states that the total price for all parcels was $49.9 million.
Cherry Point is already home to a handful of industrial operations, mixed between vacant, undeveloped land, and small housing developments.
BP currently operates its Cherry Point Refinery there, the largest refinery in the Northwest. The Olympic Pipeline runs alongside it, leading down to a docking facility for ships. BP also owns the land to its east, which leads down to the Cherry Point Aquatic Reserve along the shoreline. The land BP has acquired is located to the refinery's south, and includes additional shoreline property.
BP says this new property will be used as a "buffer area" for its existing refinery operations, similar to the vacant land it owns east of its Cherry Point facility. A spokesperson also said the acquisition is also intended to, "Increase the opportunity, as appropriate, for future environmental restoration and wetlands mitigation."
The company also wants to expand access to Gulf Road which is used to off-load large equipment and construction materials.
And finally, BP bought the land to, "provide options for possible future projects at the refinery, pending approvals."
Also on Cherry Point, Phillips 66 operates its Ferndale oil refinery. The Lummi Nation further says it opposes the company's plans for a renewable diesel refinery. Phillips 66 previously pursued a renewable diesel refinery at Cherry Point, which aimed to recycle waste oils and fats into fuel. It abandoned that project in 2020.
RELATED: Price of pollution in Washington hits $2 billion
Alcoa's Intalco site is also located at Cherry Point. It has produced aluminum, with an annual capacity of 279,000 metric tons. Alcoa is in the process of closing down this location, however, and has an agreement with AltaGas — a Canadian natural gas company — to take over 1,600 acres of the site.
KUOW has reached out to the Lummi Nation for comment. This post will be updated with any responses.
This post was originally published on Dec. 27, 2023. It was updated on Dec. 28 and Dec. 29, 2023 with comments from a BP spokesperson and the price for the property sale.
Continue reading » -
Seattle crews remove Black Lives Matter garden in Cal Anderson Park
Since 2020, Seattle's Parks and Recreation Department has often warned that it intended to take down or relocate a Black Lives Matter garden in Cal Anderson Park, despite support for the garden from some community members. On Wednesday, the department finally followed through on that intention and removed the garden.
"In recent months, the temporary garden has created unsafe conditions for all park users, including the vandalism of Cal Anderson public bathrooms, public drug use, unauthorized camping, and a significant rodent problem, along with other issues," the city's Parks Department said in a statement Wednesday.
RELATED: Cal Anderson BLM garden to be removed by city despite pushback
The removal is the latest chapter in the garden's three-year story, which has been filled with dueling voices over its place in Seattle's Black Lives Matter movement and protests against police violence.
The department said that the "makeshift garden" was removed due to public health and public safety issues. The statement said that the area required maintenance, such as reseeding and turf restoration.
As part of the removal, Seattle's Unified Care Team also cleared a nearby encampment. Parks officials noted that this is the 76th time the city has "resolved" encampments in Cal Anderson Park in 2023 alone.
While an online petition to keep the garden received more than 5,000 signatures, city parks officials said there was also "significant feedback" from the public favoring moving the garden to another location in the park. The area where it was located, called the "Sun Bowl," is intended for large gatherings in the park. The department said this made the location of the garden inappropriate.
The Parks Department also said it will partner with Black Farmers Collective and leaders in Seattle's Black community to create a new garden at Cal Anderson Park. Among the voices in that partnership is Councilmember-elect Joy Hollingsworth, who is slated to represent District 3 where Cal Anderson Park is located.
“We should continue to maintain all Seattle parks to be safe, clean and welcoming," Hollingsworth said in a statement. "Cal Anderson Park is the living room of Capitol Hill and a focal point of our city. It’s important that we prioritize sanitary conditions within shared public spaces so that our neighborhoods can continue to flourish."
BrownGirlFarmer's Mariay Rose Jones also commented: "As a 20-year-old farmer, navigating the fields of the Black Lives Matter Memorial Garden as the ‘Brown Girl Farmer’ has been a complex journey. Sadly, each attempt to immerse myself in farming activities has been overshadowed by the pervasive drug activity within the space. For someone of color like me, this Memorial Garden seems far from representing the essence of farming and agriculture."
Continue reading » -
Trees and contaminated soil are removed following gas pipeline spill in Skagit County
Crews have begun removing trees and contaminated soil in Skagit County, following a gasoline line spill in Conway earlier this month.
Approximately 25,000 gallons were released from a BP-owned pipeline on Dec. 10 after a pressure check valve failed. The pollution flowed into an irrigation canal called Hill Ditch. That ditch feeds into Bulson Creek, and that water eventually flows into the Skagit River delta. Response crews deployed 1,600 feet of absorbent boom to catch any spilled gas as far as 2.5 miles downstream.
RELATED: This week’s catch on the Skagit delta — Tasty crabs, toxic soil
Washington's Department of Ecology ran tests and concluded that none of the spill reached local water wells in the area surrounding Hill Ditch. Surface water tests are still underway at 16 sites. Contaminants from the spill were identified along at least one-third of a mile of shoreline.
While local wells appear to be unaffected, so far, damage to the soil and trees along Hill Ditch are another matter. The trees are being removed along the edge of the canal and neighboring farmland. The the soil will then be trucked away. That work is expected to wrap up by the end of the week.
Contaminated soil is being loaded onto trucks and transported to a hazardous waste facility in Arlington, Oregon.
In the wake of the spill, Ecology has found a handful of dead animals — one beaver, a pine siskin bird, a mallard duck, and an American widgeon duck.
Continue reading »