Here is the latest Local News from the Seattle Times.
Hawaiian islands brace for possible Hurricane Lester impact
HILO, Hawaii (AP) — With the second of two powerful storms churning across the Pacific toward a possible impact with Hawaii, officials are hoping residents take severe weather threats seriously after the islands escaped serious problems from the first storm. The islands of Hawaii, Oahu, Maui, Lanai, Molokai and Kahoolawe were under a hurricane watch […]
Hermine hits Florida coast as 1st hurricane in a decade
Florida Gov. Rick Scott warned of the danger of strong storm surge, high winds, downed trees and power outages, and had urged people to make sure they had enough food, water and medicine.
Seattle misses a deadline in long police-reform effort
The move added further delay to a long-running process aimed at bolstering civilian oversight and assuring that police officers are held accountable for misconduct.
No opinion yet from EU group on Sweden’s lobster ban request
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — An arm of the European Union has delayed issuing an opinion on a request from Sweden to deem American lobsters an invasive species in much of Europe. Sweden wants the European Union to ban imports of live American lobsters into EU nations. Sweden says 32 of the crustaceans were found in […]
DNR eases burn ban, permits Western Washington campfires
Because of cooler temperatures, the state is now allowing campfires in approved fire pits in campgrounds on DNR-protected lands.
Man killed at SeaTac motel identified
Justin Love, 28, was shot once in the chest, and his death was ruled a homicide.
Seattle mayor proposes longer hours, ending drop-in fees at community centers
Seattle Mayor Ed Murray’s new plan for the city’s community centers would extend hours at some centers and eliminate fees for drop-in use of basketball courts systemwide.
Investigators seek witnesses to fatal crash on Interstate 90
The Washington State Patrol is asking members of the public to contact a detective if they saw the collision that killed a woman and injured a man.
Photos: 50 shades of grey
Once sick, struggling, rescued sea otter now feisty, getting fatter
Rialto, rescued by the Seattle Aquarium on Aug. 1, will move to his permanent home at the Vancouver Aquarium sometime this month.
Bertha’s operators lose their license — for a few hours
Seattle Tunnel Partners’ contractor license expired this week. Why? Because the much-delayed Highway 99 project was supposed to be done by now, of course.
New film tells story of Burmese actor turned social activist
Kyaw Thu, in Seattle as part of a two-month-long tour for the screening of the autobiographical documentary “Walking a Fine Line,” says he endured government surveillance and censorship for his activism.
Burglary suspect easy to find … he left a phone behind
The Bellevue homeowner managed to chase the man down and tackle him, police said. Several items fell from the suspect’s pockets, including a cellphone.
Governor’s Arts and Heritage Awards announced
This year, winners of the Governor’s Arts and Heritage Awards included painter and community leader Barbara Earl Thomas, musician and filmmaker Quinton Morris and Tejano musician Oscar Galvan, plus the Vashon Center for the Arts and the Asia Pacific Cultural Center in Tacoma.
Corpse plant is ready to reek it up at Volunteer Park Conservatory
Northwest Wanderings: Floral smell attracts people in Seattle.
National Geographic includes Seattle on list of best fall escapes
Our area has been singled out for our active lifestyle, Ballard dining options and vibrant music scene.
Where’s Zika going next? Maybe China, India, or Nigeria
LONDON (AP) — Scientists trying to predict the future path of Zika say that 2.6 billion people living in parts of Asia and Africa could be at risk of infection, based on a new analysis of travel, climate and mosquito patterns in those regions. Some of the most vulnerable countries include India, China, the Philippines, […]
Seattle contractor faces $51.5K in fines over fatal trench collapse
State officials found safety violations in the death of Harold Felton, 36, who was killed Jan. 26 outside a West Seattle home during a sewer-repair project.
Man with chain saw killed by police had threatened parents before
Authorities have identified the man shot and killed by Pierce County sheriff’s deputies after allegedly threatening them with a chain saw.
Des Moines fed up with Pokémon Go players, asks to ‘opt out’ of game
The South King County city voted to boot the game after hundreds of players swarmed the Des Moines waterfront.
Washington tribes stand with Standing Rock Sioux against North Dakota oil pipeline
Washington tribal members encourage resistance against a North Dakota fossil-fuel project as a similar threat to developments they have opposed on their own ancestral lands.
Engineers give new meaning to the phrase ‘cool clothes’
WASHINGTON (AP) — Engineers have created clothing for a warming world — a fabric that allows your body heat to escape far better than other materials do. It hasn’t been worn or tested by humans, so outside experts caution this is far from a sure thing, but a team at Stanford University engineered a fabric […]
Inactive volcano spotted on largest object in asteroid belt
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A NASA spacecraft has spied what appears to be an inactive volcano on the surface of Ceres, the largest object in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. The volcano is about half as tall as Mount Everest and likely last erupted several hundred million years ago, scientists reported Thursday. “It’s […]
National Hurricane Center says Hermine has strengthened to a hurricane
MIAMI (AP) — National Hurricane Center says Hermine has strengthened to a hurricane.
Girl raped off-campus by student sex offender can sue school district, court rules
The 14-year-old left campus with a high-school student, who was also a registered sex offender, and was raped at her home.
No charges for slayer of hatchet-wielding man at Burien 7-Eleven
A man who fatally shot a hatchet-wielding assailant will not face criminal charges. Prosecutors concluded the man, a customer at a 7-Eleven store near Burien, used lawful force in defending a clerk who was wounded in the attack.
Ex-NASA astronaut indicted in traffic deaths of 2 girls in Alabama
A former NASA space-shuttle commander has been indicted in Alabama on four felony charges in the traffic deaths of two girls killed on a rural highway in June.
Poll: Half of Americans wary of travel to US Zika zones
MIAMI (AP) — Nearly half of Americans polled say they are wary of traveling to places in the U.S. where people have been infected with the Zika virus by mosquitoes, such as parts of Florida. A poll released Thursday on Americans’ health care attitudes by the Kaiser Family Foundation found 48 percent would be uncomfortable […]
5 die in midair crash of 2 small planes in Alaska
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Two small planes collided in the air over a remote area of western Alaska, killing all five people aboard the two aircraft, officials said. State troopers said the crash occurred northwest of the village of Russian Mission, 375 miles west of Anchorage. The crash scene covers a large area that is accessible […]
Astronauts take 2nd spacewalk in 2 weeks for radiator work
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Astronauts took their second spacewalk in two weeks Thursday, taking care of some long overdue radiator work outside the International Space Station. Commander Jeffrey Williams used a power drill-type tool to fold up a 44-foot-long thermal radiator that’s no longer in use. Spacewoman Kate Rubins floated nearby, making sure Williams […]
In Cowlitz County, blue-collar men see economy — and votes — shifting
BEHIND THE VOTE | Cowlitz County is a stronghold for the type of white, blue-collar men who are the backbone of Donald Trump’s national support. It’s long tilted Democratic, but disappearing jobs and slumping wages have put working- class votes up for grabs.
Red state, blue state: Watch 40 years of political change in Washington
Washington state’s voting patterns have shifted over the past four decades, through 12 presidential elections.
In national poll, only a quarter of adults give schools a good grade
Attitudes about the purpose of public education appear divided along political lines. A new poll shows that a majority of conservatives believe academic rigor should be the main goal, while liberals emphasize citizenship.
Explosion rocks SpaceX launch site in Florida during test
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — An explosion rocked a SpaceX launch site Thursday during a routine rocket test. SpaceX was conducting a test firing of its unmanned rocket when the blast occurred shortly after 9 a.m., according to NASA. The test was in advance of a planned Saturday launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, […]
Fatal shooting at SeaTac motel; authorities investigating
One man died and another man was injured in the shooting. The King County Sheriff’s Office is investigating.
Hawaii hit by strong rain, surf as tropical storm brushes by
HILO, Hawaii (AP) — Heavy rains hit parts of Hawaii and strong waves pummeled shorelines as a downgraded yet still-powerful Pacific storm passed near the island state. Though Tropical Storm Madeline was no longer a hurricane, the weather’s uncertainty couldn’t let Hawaii’s Big Island relax. There were periods of intense rainfall Wednesday as the National […]
Pat Gogerty, founder of Childhaven, dies at 86
Pat Gogerty, who lived through a traumatic childhood and later founded Childhaven, the nonprofit that has taken care of thousands of children needing help, has died at age 86.
Oregon Trail historical markers get a face-lift
The Sacagawea chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution is undertaking a mission to restore 11 markers that designate stopping points along the Oregon Trail.
Claim that rancher turned out cattle on wolf den untrue, WSU says
A researcher’s statements about wolves interacting with livestock that stirred up controversy were inappropriate and inaccurate, Washington State University says.
Forecasters have issued a hurricane warning for portions of Florida’s Gulf Coast as Tropical Storm Hermine strengthens
MIAMI (AP) — Forecasters have issued a hurricane warning for portions of Florida’s Gulf Coast as Tropical Storm Hermine strengthens.
Some in Chinatown ID nervous about further restrictions on homeless sweeps
There’s some anxiety in Chinatown International District about a proposal to further restrict the city’s ability to clear unauthorized homeless encampments, a museum director says. The neighborhood had problems with one over the summer.
Could artificial intelligence help humanity? Two California universities think so
Even as science and technology pundits, including Stephen Hawking, Bill Gates and Elon Musk, warn of the overthrow of humanity by advanced artificial intelligence, scientists are increasingly looking to the ways in which AI might aid humans.
Almost a half-century after battle in Vietnam, Pierce County veteran gets Silver Star
Edward Dvorak, of Lake Bay, was just 20 years old and an Army sergeant in the Vietnam War, when he led a patrol team in an intense gunbattle that left him seriously wounded — but somehow still able to fight.
How LinkedIn’s search engine may reflect a gender bias
A search for a female contact may yield website responses asking if the searcher meant to search for a similar-looking man’s name. This comes as some researchers warn that software algorithms aren’t immune from human biases.
Hurricane warning downgraded for Hawaii’s Big Island
HILO, Hawaii (AP) — Forecasters on Wednesday downgraded Hurricane Madeline to a tropical storm as it veered past Hawaii’s Big Island, but officials reiterated warnings to prepare for heavy rain and strong winds. The National Weather Service downgraded the storm as its winds decreased to 70 mph. Its center wasn’t expected to make landfall on […]
Amazon, Wells Fargo student-loan promotion is off
Wells Fargo’s offer of discounted student-loan interest rates for members of Amazon Prime Student has been canceled after an unusually short life.
Woman who says she was brutalized at Tacoma Mall adds city and police to lawsuit
Monique Tillman, 15 at the time of the incident, has amended her suit to include two more security guards, the city of Tacoma and the police department.
FDA orders stronger warnings about risk of using opioid painkillers with certain antidepressants
The new FDA order calls for some 400 products to carry one of several “black-box warnings.”
Husband of Heart singer Ann Wilson charged with assault
Dean Stuart Wetter, 65, is charged with assaulting two young male relatives at Heart’s Aug. 26 concert at White River Amphitheatre.
Authorities: Man severely burned in Auburn fire has died
Police found the 43-year-old man with severe burns while responding to the fire in an apartment on Monday. He died at Harborview Medical Center on Tuesday, medical investigators said.
WSP: Woman died in crash on I-90 near Snoqualmie Pass
The woman was a passenger on a motorcycle that apparently lost control after another vehicle made an abrupt stop in a construction zone, troopers said.
Quartermaster Harbor beaches closed for recreational shellfish harvesting
Because of unsafe levels of paralytic shellfish poison (PSP), public-health officials have initiated the temporary closure.
Fact-checking Trump’s speech in Everett
Fact check: Donald Trump correctly described Seattle’s heroin problem and the percentage of Washington Latino children in low-income homes during his rally Tuesday in Everett. But he also told a couple of whoppers.
Bail decision delayed in Selah explosives case
Melvin Thomas Neifert, 41, is charged with receiving potassium nitrate and other materials to make a sugar bomb. Authorities questioned him the day of anti-capitalist May Day protests in Seattle.
Rare whale’s recovery hurt by entanglements, scientists say
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The ability of an endangered whale species to recover is jeopardized by increasing rates of entanglement in fishing gear and a resultant drop in birth rates, according to scientists who study the animal. The population of North Atlantic right whales has slowly crept up from about 300 in 1992 to about […]
Scientists find 3.7 billion-year-old fossil, oldest yet
In a newly melted part of Greenland, Australian scientists found an estimated 3.7-billion-year-old leftover structure from a community of microbes that lived on an ancient seafloor, according to a study in Wednesday’s journal Nature.
19-year-old man charged in fatal Beacon Hill shooting
Police say a fatal shooting last month on Seattle’s Beacon Hill was motivated by the theft of an embossing machine used to make counterfeit credit cards. A 19-year-old man was charged with second-degree murder in the death of a 31-year-old man.
National Hurricane Center says Tropical Storm Hermine has formed in Gulf of Mexico
MIAMI (AP) — National Hurricane Center says Tropical Storm Hermine has formed in Gulf of Mexico.
KPLU officially begins broadcasting as KNKX
The public-radio station is broadcasting as the independent KNKX after a 10-month scramble to raise $7 million after discovering Pacific Lutheran University was planning to sell the station to the UW.
Paul Allen’s elephant census gives ‘bulletproof’ data on elephant declines across Africa
An African elephant census financed by Seattle’s Paul Allen has found that populations fell by 30 percent in seven years. But there were some bright spots where animal numbers were on the rise.
APNewsBreak: US set to destroy big chemical weapon stockpile
DENVER (AP) — The Army says it plans to start operating a $4.5 billion plant next week that will destroy the nation’s largest remaining stockpile of mustard agent, complying with an international treaty banning chemical weapons. Officials said Wednesday that the plant at the military’s Pueblo Chemical Depot in Colorado will begin destroying about 780,000 […]
Man found stabbed near Seattle City Hall
The man was found with a stab wound near the intersection of Fourth Avenue and James Street.
Woman jumps from window during home-invasion robbery on Seattle’s First Hill
The woman was injured as she jumped from a window as four men forced their way into a First Hill residence, police said.
Stem-cell doctor did surgeries with ‘inadequate’ proof
LONDON (AP) — An independent commission investigating Italian stem cell scientist Dr. Paolo Macchiarini, whose work was once considered revolutionary, says there were numerous problems in how he treated patients and that the scientific basis for his work was “inadequate.” Macchiarini was part of the team that conducted the world’s first transplant using a windpipe […]
Tiny particle blows hole in European satellite’s solar panel
BERLIN (AP) — The European Space Agency says a tiny particle has knocked a gaping hole in a solar panel on one of its Earth observation satellites. The agency said Wednesday that the Copernicus Sentinel-1A satellite was hit by an unknown particle just a few millimeters big on Aug. 23. Engineers determined that the hole […]
5 takeaways from Donald Trump’s rally in Everett
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump rallied supporters Tuesday at the Xfinity Arena in Everett. The rally drew thousands of supporters and hundreds of protesters.
Africa’s elephants rapidly declining as poaching thrives
HONOLULU (AP) — The number of savanna elephants in Africa is rapidly declining and the animals are in danger of being wiped out as international and domestic ivory trades drive poaching across the continent, according to a study released Wednesday. Africa’s savanna elephant population plummeted by about 30 percent from 2007 to 2014 and is […]
Body found on beach near Bainbridge ferry terminal
A beach walker came across the body near Hawley Cove Park, authorities said.
Study: Ohio’s abortion pill law led to worse health outcomes
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio’s restrictions on the so-called abortion pill led to a higher rate of side effects, more doctor visits and additional medical treatment for patients, according to a new study. The requirements cleared a Republican-controlled legislature in 2004, but legal challenges delayed them from taking effect until 2011. Once implemented, Ohio’s law […]
Mother and man cited in case of boy, 4, tossed from bridge
Two people have been cited after a 4-year-old boy was tossed from a Grays Harbor County railroad bridge into the Wynoochee River, about 25 feet below.
Naked man in river photobombs high-school senior’s photo shoot
A high-school student was getting her senior photos taken when a man in the buff — and his dog — showed up in the background.
Milestone completed in demolition of Manhattan Project plant
OAK RIDGE, Tenn. (AP) — Demolition workers in Tennessee have taken down the last building in a massive Oak Ridge uranium enrichment complex built more than 70 years ago as part of the top-secret Manhattan Project. The Knoxville News Sentinel reports (http://bit.ly/2bXtn45) Sen. Lamar Alexander was among those commemorating the milestone Tuesday. He says the […]
At least 11 dead as Typhoon Lionrock floods northern Japan
TOKYO (AP) — At least 11 people were found dead in Japan on Wednesday, most of them elderly residents at a nursing home, as heavy overnight rain from Typhoon Lionrock left towns flooded across the country’s north. Police discovered nine bodies in the town of Iwaizumi while checking another facility in the flooded neighborhood, said […]
Hurricane churns toward Hawaii; people stock up, board up
HILO, Hawaii (AP) — Preparing for what could be the first hurricane to make landfall in Hawaii in years, residents on the Big Island are stocking up on food and water and seeking shelter for their animals. The National Weather Service issued a hurricane warning as the storm dubbed Madeline churned west Tuesday toward the […]
Death threats, new conflicts over killing of wolves
Conflict over the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) killing a pack of wolves to protect ranchers’ cattle has boiled over to death threats and the withdrawal from the debate by a researcher who had put himself at the center of it.
The Magic Hat at Rendezvous: part comedy show, part confessional booth
Every Monday night, on a tiny basement stage in Belltown, The Magic Hat gives comedians a place to tell jokes and audience members a chance to tell personal stories — and, at the end, people tell secrets in the dark.
Anti-refugee hype ignites quiet backlash of compassion in U.S.
Remember last fall, when Republicans whipped up a frenzy about Syrian refugees? Well, the refugees came anyway, so far without incident. Relief agencies say they were helped by an unexpected “backlash to the backlash” that hasn’t gotten near the attention it deserves.
Medical investigators ID woman who died diving in West Seattle
Rescuers found the 22-year-old woman under water Sunday, and she was pronounced dead less than two hours later, investigators said.
In Everett, Trump makes pitch for black voters
Republican Donald Trump on Tuesday brought his campaign to Washington for a second time, with nearly 10,000 supporters packing a rally at the Xfinity Arena here.
Fight brews over parklike Weyerhaeuser campus
The Federal Way property’s new owners plan to build more than 1 million square feet of warehouses, including a frozen-fish processing plant, but neighbors say they were blindsided and think the proposal stinks.
Joe Sutter led ‘the Incredibles’ who pioneered Boeing’s 747 jumbo jet
Joe Sutter, who died Tuesday at age 95, was lauded by Boeing Commercial Airplanes chief executive Ray Conner as ‘one of the giants of aerospace.’
Intoxicated in the air: Drunken pilots make news but are rare
Each day, there are 90,000 flights around the world, carrying more than 8 million people. And the overwhelming majority of pilots in those cockpits are sober.
Franciscan Health moves to close Harrison hospital in Bremerton
Officials with CHI Franciscan Health, which operates Harrison Medical Center’s two campuses, have taken first steps to close the Bremerton site and shift more than 250 beds to the Silverdale site in Kitsap County.
Mid-day service to begin in September on south Sounder line
Mid-day service begins Sept. 12 on the south Sounder line, connecting Lakewood, Tacoma, Kent and other stations to Seattle.
Thousands of Seattle police dashcam videos lost due to computer glitch
A glitch in the city’s computer systems led to the loss of almost 2,300 dashboard-camera videos, authorities said.
Hurricane to pass ‘dangerously close’ to Hawaii’s Big Island
HONOLULU (AP) — Residents of Hawaii’s Big Island are bracing for what could be the first hurricane to make landfall in the state in decades. Hurricane Madeline, now a major Category 3 storm, is expected to weaken but likely to remain a hurricane as it passes the state, said meteorologist Chevy Chevalier of the National […]
National Weather Service issues hurricane warning for Hawaii’s Big Island as category 3 Madeline approaches
HONOLULU (AP) — National Weather Service issues hurricane warning for Hawaii’s Big Island as category 3 Madeline approaches.
Photos: Donald Trump holds rally in Everett
Donald Trump is holding a rally Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2016 at Everett’s Xfinity Arena. Democrats are having a counter-rally at Clark Park, then marching to the arena.
Loyal Heights group continues fight against elementary ‘mega school’
Loyal Heights Elementary parents and community members have filed a court appeal of a Seattle School Board decision as they seek to halt the district’s big expansion of the school.
Colorado city sends snowplows to clean up heaps of hail
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — A strong summer storm that walloped Colorado Springs forced authorities to rescue people from their stranded cars and move heaps of hail with snowplows. More rain is possible Tuesday after the deluge Monday flooded roadways and left hail piled up on sidewalks. Eight people were rescued from their cars after […]
Public-records requests a costly cornerstone of democracy: $60M over 12 months
State and local governments in Washington spent more than $60 million in a recent 12-month period complying with public-records requests, a new report says.
Live updates: What you need to know about Donald Trump’s Everett rally
Donald Trump is holding a rally Tuesday at Everett’s Xfinity Arena. Democrats are having a counter-rally at Clark Park, then marching to the arena.
SpaceX gets taker for 1st flight of recycled rocket
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — SpaceX has a taker for the first flight of one of its recycled rockets. The Luxembourg-based company SES — a longtime SpaceX launch customer — said Tuesday it will send its next communications satellite up on a previously flown Falcon rocket. It will be the first true reuse of a […]
Deputies in Pierce County shoot, kill man after he charges at them with chain saw
Pierce County sheriff’s deputies in Graham shot and killed a man who was armed with a chain saw, officials said.
Tony Reed’s sentencing delayed so he can testify against his brother in Oso murder case
A judge has agreed to postpone the sentencing of a man who admitted to helping his brother cover up the killing of a rural Snohomish County couple.
Fleeing, flaming mice may have rekindled Frog Hollow fire
The fire chief in Touchet, Walla Walla County, is not joking when he says burning mice running onto unburned surfaces may have restarted the blaze.
In study of Tasmanian devils with bizarre cancer, WSU scientists find reason for hope
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