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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NW tribes push for removal of Snake River dams
Northwest tribes continue their push to remove dams along the Snake River with a series of events held throughout the region in recent weeks.
The events were held in Olympia, Portland, Pasco, Spokane, Lewiston, and Seattle.
RELATED: Biden calls for ‘abundant’ salmon populations, directs agencies to honor tribal treaty rights
“We’re here because the Biden administration needs to understand. This is a majority opinion: Breach those dams, save the salmon, and restore our relationship with the Snake River. That’s what we want the Biden administration to do,” Judith LeBlanc recently said at an event in Lewiston, Idaho.
LeBlanc is the executive director of the Native Organizers Alliance. The organization serves as a national network to mobilize Indigenous people around political issues.
This has been a years-long battle. Supporters of removing the dams say it’s the only way to save the salmon that rely on the waterway.
Opponents say the dams are still used for energy and agriculture.
An update is expected at the end of the month on the court case involving the dams.
RELATED: Federal report recommends removing four Lower Snake River dams to protect salmon
Northwest Public Broadcasting's Lauren Patterson has the full story here.
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Washington state gets $1 billion boost for roadwork, including EV infrastructure
The Federal Highway Administration is giving the Washington State Department of Transportation $1.08 billion in "formula funding" to pay for upgrades to state highways, bridges, and new EV charging infrastructure — the latest in a series of new funding for charging and EV infrastructure in the state.
“Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, more funding is on its way to Northwest Washington to create more jobs and build a cleaner, greener, safer and more accessible transportation system,” Rep. Rick Larsen said in a statement. “This historic investment will enable local communities to get more shovels in the ground and put people to work to reduce congestion and pollution, improve safety, and keep people and the economy moving.”
RELATED: Getting a $7,500 tax credit for an electric car will soon get a lot easier
Rep. Larsen, a Democrat, represents Washington's Congressional District 2 (Bellingham, Whidbey Island, San Juan Islands) and sits on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
The money is coming from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Most of the funding, $934.4 million, is going to projects on state highways. Just over $130 million is for bridges.
While it's not the largest share of the funding, Washington is also getting $15.1 million to fund new EV charging infrastructure. That's just the latest chunk of a total of $71 million slated to fund EV projects in Washington state, according to the White House.
The state is going to need the new EV stations, too. Demand and electric vehicle sales have been on the rise in Washington state. Currently, about 1 out of 6 cars on state roads are EVs. That's double the number from a couple years ago. The state is still shy of its overall goal to have about a third of car sales be for EVs by 2026, and to require that all new cars have zero emissions by 2035.
Most of the new EVs are being sold to residents of San Juan County (25%) and King County (23%). Washington ranks third in the U.S. for EV sales (behind California and Washington, D.C.).
Despite the rise in EVs, taking a road trip across Washington state requires some planning. KUOW's John Ryan took a summer trek across the state, and documented the ups and downs of navigating a sparse network of charging stations. Ryan concluded that EV roadtrips come with both range anxiety as well as charger anxiety.
With new funding, such anxieties could soon run out of gas. The new money from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is not the only funding, or effort, pouring into Washington. The state's Department of Ecology has targeted $16 million toward local governments, ports, and tribes to convert their fleets to EV vehicles and for charging stations. The money comes from a settlement agreement with Volkswagen, and Ecology aims to fund more EV projects.
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This Seattle author wrote a memoir for LGBTQ youth. Now it's being banned
Hundreds of books have been challenged in 2023, including numerous LGBTQ titles.
About 26% of titles banned in 2023 have LGBTQ characters or themes, according to PEN America, a free speech organization that tracks such challenges.
Seattle author Shaun David Hutchinson's memoir "Brave Face" has been among them.
It's a vulnerable look at Hutchinson's experience growing up queer at a time when he had few resources to turn to for support.
"I had been unable to find the resources that I needed to understand and come to terms with what was going on with me, to understand what being gay meant," he said.
"Brave Face" was published in 2019, well into Hutchinson's adulthood and time as a Seattle resident. Then, in 2020, he first learned his book "We Are The Ants" was being banned, then "Brave Face" followed. To add salt to the wound, it all started in his home state of Florida.
"It is not the same place it was when I was growing up," Hutchinson said of Florida, which has been front and center in the battle over books, in part, because of its Republican governor and 2024 presidential candidate, Ron DeSantis.
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Why Mercer Island is permanently closing its city hall
Mercer Island's city hall is closed — for good.
When city officials found asbestos in the HVAC system in April, it was the last straw, adding to a range of other problems in the aging building. City Manager Jessi Bon favored closing the facility entirely, and replacing it. This week, the City Council agreed.
"City Hall was built in 1957 and has been repaired and renovated over the years, with the last major renovation occurring in the late 1980s," Bon said in a statement explaining the reasons behind the decision to close city hall.
"Prior to the asbestos situation, the City Council recognized the need for a replacement strategy for this building .... The building suffers from structural and seismic deficiencies. Almost all the interior walls have been identified as lacking lateral bracing and, unless reinforced, are at risk of failure in the event of seismic activity, potentially rendering the building inoperable. Additionally, the building does not conform with current energy or building code requirements, and multiple building systems are failing or need to be substantially replaced."
City officials expect to begin discussions on how to replace city hall next year. In the meantime, officials are considering proposals to lease facilities from the city of Newcastle for municipal court business. Police operations may be set up in a mobile unit in city hall's parking lot. These decisions have yet to be made.
In April, asbestos was found among broken floor tiles in the city hall's basement. Since then, the city conducted a cleanup and began testing inside the facility. No asbestos was found in air samples throughout the HVAC system, yet it was found in dust collected inside the HVAC. That system was shut of in May.
During this time, the majority of city staff (80%) have been working in-person at various other facilities on Mercer Island. Others are working from home. Plans to move into parts of the city hall were considered, but the costs to do so ranged from $4 million to $10 million.
RELATED: Don’t believe everything you read on Nextdoor, especially when it comes to politics
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Paid parking coming to this popular Capitol Hill stretch in Seattle
Park 'em while you got 'em along this popular stretch of Seattle's Capitol Hill. Paid and timed parking is coming soon.
RELATED: More housing is on the way, but parking? Maybe not
Two-hour paid parking is coming to the commercial corridor of Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood along 15th Avenue East and 16th Avenue East from Denny Way to Mercer Street. The corridor features a range of shops, restaurants, bars, doctors' offices, new housing, and a grocery store.
Paid parking will be enforced from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
- 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. is 50 cents per hour
- 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. is $2 per hour
Signage and new pay stations are expected to be up and running by the end of October.
Not every space will be converted to paid parking. SDOT also plans to add a variety of loading zones, disabled parking, car share spots, and spaces for street cafe seating.
The Seattle Department of Transportation argues the change is needed because the area has experienced an increase in residents and visitors who need parking. The department claims the new system will free up more parking spaces, more often.
A study in January concluded that 90% of spaces were filled most of the day in this area. It was at more than 100% capacity over the afternoons. Cars were parked for more than two hours in 16% of spaces, and three hours in 9% of spaces — despite current two-hour limits.
RELATED: Street racing cameras coming to 10 Seattle roads
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Another reason to stay away from harbor seals in Puget Sound: Bird flu
Federal officials are warning the public to stay 100 yards away from harbor seals, after at least three became the first marine mammals on the West Coast to test positive for the highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 strain.
HPAI is a zoonotic disease that can potentially spread between animals and people, but officials with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration say the risk to the general public is low. Beachgoers and their pets, nonetheless, are being warned to not approach seals, dead or alive, and to stay at least 100 yards away.
“The discovery of HPAI H5N1 in seals brings to light the potential for cross-species transmission and highlights the complexity of managing infectious diseases in wildlife populations,” said Kristin Wilkinson, NOAA Fisheries’ Regional Stranding and Entanglement Coordinator.
RELATED: Most of Western Washington's largest Caspian tern colony is dead. Can the seabirds rebound?
“As the investigation continues, the collaboration among agencies remains essential to understanding and addressing this situation.”
The USDA National Veterinary Services Laboratories say the adult seals were found stranded on Marrowstone Island on Aug. 18 and Aug. 25. No pups tested positive.
An ongoing HPAI outbreak has also killed 1,700 birds (Caspian terns and gulls) on Marrowstone Island and Rat Island since July. Both are located next to one another in the north Puget Sound.
RELATED: Bird flu and egg prices
If you encounter a sick, injured, or dead seal, do not move it. Call the West Coast Regional Stranding Hotline at (866)767-6114. You can also use an online form to report sick or dead birds and other injured animals.
While these are the first HPAI cases in marine mammals on the West Coast, the infection was found in four harbor and gray seals in Maine last year. That population experienced a spike in dead seal strandings that was roughly three times larger than normal, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
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Seattle sweater weather is back — but will we need rain gear?
Fall has arrived in Seattle. Summer already feels like it was so far in the past, thanks to this wet, chilly start to the season.
The precipitation was welcome as we head into an El Niño winter, which has experts expecting things to be a bit warmer and drier in the months ahead.
"Especially after the first the calendar year, it will tend to give us warmer and drier conditions than usual," Washington State Climatologist Nick Bond told KUOW. "Its big impact is on how much water is in that [mountain] snowpack at the end to winter, to get us through the dry season. Right now, it's looking like it's going to be less than usual. Hopefully, not a lot less."
According to the National Weather Service, September ended with just under three and half inches of rain, with about two and half inches falling in the last week of the month alone. That made it the third-wettest final week of September in 79 years, for those of you keeping track at home.
RELATED: Water usage around Seattle is down, but the recent rain still won't help reservoirs
Unfortunately, the recent rain has not been enough to offset the dry months that preceded it. Public utilities are concerned about reservoir levels after these past dry months. Those concerns are compounded by the forecast of drier-than-normal seasons ahead. Cities like Bellevue, Kirkland, and Seattle continue to ask residents to conserve water as much as possible.
Seattle weather around the corner
Meanwhile, we are expecting a whisper of summer this upcoming weekend. Don't blame the El Niño, though; Bond said it's just a fluctuation in the weather rather than a sign of conditions to come.
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Push to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples' Day continues in Congress
The effort to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples' Day at the federal level continues, with help from a Washington lawmaker.
“Indigenous Peoples’ Day is an opportunity for us to unite in celebration of the rich tapestry of tribal nations, their diverse cultures, and the important contributions they have made to our communities,” said Suzan DelBene, a Washington Democrat who represents the 1st Congressional District and is a co-sponsor of the bill. “Cementing this observance also acknowledges the current and historical injustices Indigenous communities face and renews our commitment to preserving their rights as we work toward a more inclusive and equitable society.”
RELATED: Which Indigenous lands are you on? This map will show you
The Indigenous Peoples’ Day Act would switch out the federal holiday Columbus Day and replace it with Indigenous Peoples' Day on the second Monday of October. DelBene is among 56 House sponsors and 11 Senate sponsors, including Oregon Rep. Suzanne Bonamici.
This is not the first time these lawmakers have pushed for the holiday change. They first introduced legislation to change Columbus Day to Indigenous People's Day in 2019.
There have been various observances of Columbus Day throughout United States' history, but it didn't become an official federal holiday until legislation was passed in 1968. The first federal observance was in 1971.
RELATED: Indigenous Peoples' Day is only a start, Swinomish chairman says
Momentum for an official Indigenous Peoples' Day in place of Columbus Day has been growing for decades. As many as 20 states celebrate the holiday in place of Columbus Day. In 1988, Hawaii began a version of it called "Discoverers' Day" honoring Polynesian discoverers of the Hawaiian islands. South Dakota began celebrating Native American Day on the second Monday of October in 1989. Oregon passed legislation in 2021 making Indigenous Peoples' Day official. President Biden was the first U.S. president to acknowledge the day in 2021.
Spokane officially recognized the holiday starting in 2016, and Yakima started in 2017. Seattle has recognized the day in the past, but the first time it was celebrated as an official city holiday was in 2022.
At the time, Mayor Bruce Harrell and Councilmember Debora Juarez released a joint statement:
"Our city is indelibly connected to Indigenous Peoples. Seattle was named after Chief Si’ahl (also known as Chief Sealth) of the Duwamish and Suquamish tribes and was built on the lands of the Coast Salish people who occupied them since time immemorial. But it is up to each of us to make these connections more than historical artifacts."
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Art vs art: $1 million worth of murals coming to Seattle walls
The city of Seattle aims to use art to combat graffiti, and is putting $1.13 million toward the effort.
The city's Office of Arts and Culture announced grants to local artists this week, who will be charged with producing an array of new murals throughout downtown. The work will begin in October and continue into 2024.
RELATED: How an invisible Seattle neighborhood is making itself known, one mural at a time
Gülgün Kayim, the interim director of the arts and culture office, said in a statement that the artwork should resonate "with the diverse voices that make Seattle truly unique.”
“Seattle’s arts community is the heart of our economy and cultural identity. By supporting the creative sector through a diverse range of grants, we not only empower our artists to thrive but also to enrich our communities,” Kayim said.
RELATED: Murals by henry bring joy to Seattle, but it took decades to get there
The funding is not only aimed at spurring more public art. It is also part of the city's campaign against graffiti, aka the Many Hands Art Initiative. The idea is to use the public art to "mitigate and prevent" graffiti. Earlier this year, Mayor Bruce Harrell's office reported that graffiti was up 50% in Seattle since 2019. The mayor's office has also implemented a Graffiti Abatement Program and has handed out graffiti cleanup kits to local residents.
RELATED: Artists call Seattle's plan to tackle unwanted graffiti 'ethically tricky'
The new grant money will be distributed to more than 75 artists, as well as local organizations. The bulk of the funding — $700,000 — is going to Hope Corps and its Downtown Seattle Mural Project. This will fund nearly 40 murals slated for SoDo through Belltown.
There will also be temporary murals popping up at public restrooms at 18 Seattle city parks.
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All clear at Seattle's Garfield High after gunfire reported near school grounds
Seattle's Garfield High School was under a precautionary lockdown order Wednesday afternoon while police investigated a reported shooting nearby.
A Seattle Public Schools spokesperson later clarified Garfield was under a shelter in place order, which happens when there’s a threat in the area, but not on or near school grounds. Nova High School, across the street from Garfield, was the only school on lockdown, which means there might be a threat closer to school boundaries.
All students and staff are safe and school was dismissed on time. After-school activities went on as scheduled.
District officials said the incident began with an altercation between two students on the Garfield campus.
There were also reports of gunfire in the Garfield neighborhood. Seattle police are investigating, and the district doesn’t yet know if any Seattle students were involved.
RELATED: What can be done to prevent further gun violence in or near Seattle schools?
At the end of the last school year, a spate of after-hours shootings near Garfield caused community concern. In response, the district hired additional private security. The Seattle Police Department also increased patrols before and after school.
Seattle schools have different levels of lockdown responses, depending on the type of threat.
A shelter in place order means the regular school day goes on, except all exterior doors are locked and students must remain inside. Students can move between classrooms.
A lockdown, on the other hand, means both exterior and classroom doors are locked, and students have to remain in their classrooms until the order is lifted.
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What have been your experiences with Seattle Police? We’re listening
We’re looking for people who have opinions on the Seattle Police Department. We want to hear from people of all ages, occupations, and communities around the city. If you’ve ever called on the police for help or had another encounter, we want to hear about it. Maybe you’ve been pleasantly surprised — or felt you should take matters into your own hands.
Please email programming@kuow.org.
Thank you!
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What do you wonder about the Seattle area? You ask, we report
KUOW Wonders asks our listeners and readers to ponder their surroundings.
Why won't this pink stuff stop growing in my Seattle bathroom?
Do Pacific Northwesterners have an accent?
What are YOUR questions? A panel of KUOW journalists will review these questions, select three, and put them to vote. The winning question will be reported on — and we may enlist you to help.
Please email your questions to Isolde Raftery: iraftery@kuow.org.
Thank you!
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