Former King County Sheriff Sue Rahr will serve as interim Seattle Police Chief, Harrell said. She will take over for Diaz beginning on Thursday.

Rahr and former Seattle Police Chief Kathleen O’Toole will assist in searching for a new permanent chief as the city conducts a nationwide search.

Diaz faces a number of complaints and lawsuits, accusing him of fostering a culture of sexism, harassment, and discrimination.

He denies the allegations.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

The company and the union representing the firefighters, IAFF Local I-66, stated they’ve reached a tentative agreement on a contract, according to KIRO 7.

No details on the deal are yet available, as of this reporting.

Firefighters still have to vote on the contract. The results of the vote are expected Thursday afternoon. If the contract is approved, firefighters could be back on the job Saturday morning, according to KIRO 7.

Boeing firefighters rejecting earlier proposals

Boeing firefighters overwhelmingly rejected the company’s previous contract offer on May 22 to the union, IAFF Local I-66, after they stepped away from picket lines for the first time since May 4.

There are about 125 firefighters in the unit, stationed across the Puget Sound and Moses Lake and represented by the IAFF Local I-66 union.

“This round of negotiations resulted in Boeing presenting its second, ‘Best and Final Offer,’ a contradiction in terms, and a clear sign of the corporate giant’s complete lack of respect for our members,” IAFF General President Edward A. Kelly said, according to KIRO 7.

Boeing responded to the firefighter’s rejection with a prepared statement.

“It’s unfortunate the union’s leadership has continued its pattern of bad faith bargaining. The union earlier accepted and agreed to endorse our strong offer which provides an average of $21,000 in increased take-home pay and additional wage increases,” Boeing stated, according to KIRO 7. “Our contingency plan remains in place and ensures that we can provide the same levels of safety and emergency response with highly qualified firefighters indefinitely.”

Boeing said the four-year deal it offered would have raised the firefighters’ average pay 23.1% from $91,000 to $112,000 in the first year with additional pay raises to follow. The company also stated the offer included an “improved wage growth schedule.”

Boeing locked out its firefighters earlier this month after they threatened to strike. The firefighters had been on the picket line since, until the two parties agreed on a tentative deal May 29.

Previous coverage: Boeing locks out private firefighters in Seattle

Other union members show up to support Boeing firefighters

As KIRO 7 explained in a story published Saturday, around 300 union workers across Washington joined Boeing firefighters on the picket line in Seattle last Saturday. The first responders have been picketing in six different locations, including Renton, Seattle, Auburn and Everett.

Representatives from more than 400 state and local unions took turns to join the efforts in Seattle near the intersection of East Marginal Way South and 14th Avenue South, leaders said, KIRO 7 stated.

As dozens lined the street outside of Boeing, hundreds of others were preparing at a nearby site.

“This is really about safety. It’s inconceivable to me and to a lot of people in the labor movement that Boeing would choose to lockout their firefighters at a time where the whole world is watching their failure to provide safety in the workplace,” April Sims, president of the Washington State Labor Council, said, according to KIRO 7.

Sims added they wanted to stand in solidarity with Boeing firefighters as they urge the global company to negotiate “fairly with their firefighters.”

“This fight is about not just about the firefighters who are doing the work at Boeing today, but future firefighters who want to join this profession. This is about pay equity, dignity, and respect. And Boeing’s decision to lockout their firefighters puts all of their employees and rest of the workers at their plants at risk,” Sims said, KIRO 7 reported.

“It is the cornerstone of the work that we do to make sure when folks go to work, they can work in a safe environment and they can get home to their families that they love and care about,” Sims added.

‘We’re having a hard time keeping people in our department’

Boeing firefighters got to the picket line after contract negotiations broke down May 4 at 12:01 a.m. A member of the firefighters union’s executive team previously told KIRO Newsradio they are so underpaid that retaining qualified firefighters is nearly impossible.

Locked out: Local Boeing firefighters hit the picket line for livable wages

“Our guys are coming in at $25 per hour and are a couple thousand dollars away from being eligible for food stamps, right now,” union Vice President John Riggsby said.

Union leaders said that has led to a revolving door at Boeing’s private fire department and paramedics are included.

“They’re having to either work a second job or find employment elsewhere, so we’re having a hard time keeping people in our department because of that,” Riggsby said.

KIRO Newsradio has reached out to the firefighters union for an updated comment on the contract offer, but have not yet heard back.

Contributing: KIRO 7; James Lynch, KIRO Newsradio; Frank Sumrall, MyNorthwest

Steve Coogan is the lead editor of MyNorthwest. You can read more of his stories here. Follow Steve on X, or email him here.

“Confronting Hate Together,” an exhibit that explores anti-Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander hate, Black hate and anti-Jewish hate, according to the museum’s website, was supposed to run from Wednesday through June 30. (A PDF of a press release providing information about the exhibit can be found here.)

“Confronting Hate” is a collaboration between The Black Heritage Society of Washington State, The Washington State Jewish Historical Society, and the Wing Luke Museum, which focuses on the culture, art and history of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders, its website states.

Looking at the Wing Luke employees’ demands

But, as The Seattle Times noted in its coverage, the Wing Luke staff members walked out in protest of the exhibit, saying in a social media post that a portion of the exhibit “shares perspectives from the The Washington State Jewish Historical Society that conflate anti-Zionism as antisemitism.” That same slide in the post added, “Despite making a revision after learning of the staff’s concerns (after the May 14 media preview of the exhibit), the edits made still conveyed Zionist perspectives.”

One of the post’s slides clearly outlines the staff members’ four demands:

• “Remove any language in any Wing Luke Museum publication and question any partnerships that attempt to frame Palestinian liberation and anti-Zionism as antisemitism.”
• “Acknowledge the limited perspectives presented in this exhibition. Missing perspectives include those of namely those of Palestinians, Arabs and Muslim communities …”
• Engage in a “community review” of the exhibit.
• “Center voices and perspectives that align with the museum’s mission & values by platforming community stories within an anti-colonial, anti-white supremacist framework.”

The social media posts state 26 members of the Wing Luke staff signed a letter outlining their demands to leadership. But the posts did not confirm all 26 people walked off the job, noting that “a collective” of staff walked out in protest of the exhibit’s unchanged text.

Response to the Wing Luke Museum walkout

The number of employees was still high enough to cause the closure of the museum and the website’s homepage confirms it is currently not open as a statement popups explaining its side of the situation.

“On Wednesday, May 22, members of Wing Luke Museum’s staff held a respectful walk-out in protest of content on display in a new exhibit,” the statement begins.

It goes on to say it supports the rights of its staff “to express their beliefs and personal truths” and that it sought to engage in dialogue with its staff.

As an organization rooted in dialogue, we acknowledge and support the right of our staff to express their beliefs and personal truths and to this end, we are holding space for a careful and thoughtful process of listening with intent to hear multiple perspectives in pursuit of a mutual way forward.

After closing the Museum this week to listen and earnestly engage in dialog with our staff, the Museum looks forward to opening our doors at a future date so that we can continue serving our community in other needed capacities during this time. Please look for updates from us.”

The statement was also posted on its Facebook and Instagram pages Friday. A reopening date has not yet been set.

Steve McLean, director of communications for the museum, told the Times it has been working with its staff  “to address their calls to action” and their four demands. He added that programs were and are being developed so other communities, including Arab American communities, are represented.

The press statement about the exhibit earlier this month states that this “Confronting Hate” exhibit is inspired by the 2022 exhibit Confronting Hate 1937-1952, which was curated by the New-York Historical Society. But this Pacific Northwest exhibition “portrays a searing contemporary portrayal of racism, antisemitism, hate and bigotry through a local lens,” the statement reads.

“Emphasis will be on the distinct stories, perspective and history of this region – driven by a singular objective to educate communities and empower them to combat the rising tide of hate and racial violence in our communities today,” the statement adds.

Lisa Kranseler, executive director of the Washington State Jewish Historical Society, also spoke to the Times and explained the intention of this version of the exhibit was to show how Black, Jewish and Asian American communities came together around redlining.

“It never was intended to exclude anyone,” she told the Seattle outlet. “It was always intended as a beginning conversation and to inspire all groups to put on exhibits and have dialogues and conversations.”

Steve Coogan is the lead editor of MyNorthwest. You can read more of his stories here. Follow Steve on X, or email him here.

The man, killed Sunday, May 19, was identified as Dale Chorman of Homer, Austin McDaniel, a spokesperson for the Alaska Department of Public Safety, said, according to The Associated Press (AP).

The female moose had recently given birth to the calves in Homer.

“As they were walking through the brush looking for the moose, that’s when the cow moose attacked Dale,” McDaniel said, according to the AP.

The attack happened as the two were running away, he said. The second man, who has not been publicly identified, was uninjured.

That person did not witness the attack, so authorities cannot say if the moose killed Chorman by kicking or stomping him, or a combination.

Medics pronounced Chorman dead at the scene. The cow moose left the area, Alaska State Troopers said in an online post.

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game normally receives reports of aggressive or unusual moose behavior, said Cyndi Wardlow, a regional supervisor in the Department of Wildlife Conservation told the AP in a later story about Chorman’s death.

“In this case, we’re obviously very concerned about public safety,” she said. “If there was an animal that was behaving in a way that continued to present a public safety threat, then we could possibly put that animal down but we’re not specifically pursuing that course.”

How many moose are in Washington?

Staci Lehman, the communications manager for Region 1 of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) told MyNorthwest in an email that moose in this state are Shiras moose, which are a little smaller than those located in Alaska.

As of 2015, there were approximately 5,000 moose estimated to live in the state of Washington, the WDFW website states.

It goes on to say “the majority are in the Selkirk Mountains (Pend Oreille, Stevens, Ferry, and Spokane counties) with smaller populations in the north Cascades, Okanogan, and Blue Mountains.”

Meanwhile, there are up to 200,000 moose in Alaska, a state with a human population of about 737,000, the AP explained.

More U.S. moose news: Wandering bull moose is captured in Santa Fe, moved to habitat in northern New Mexico

Do moose pose a danger to people in Washington?

People and moose generally live in harmony in Washington and other places. In fact, there has been an increased number of sightings of moose entering areas where larger populations of people reside.

“An even greater testimony to the parallel growth of both human and moose populations in Washington is the increased incidence of moose wandering into the suburban and urban areas of Spokane. Moose sometimes take up residency where water and succulent vegetation is more readily available. By 2015, almost daily reports of problem or ‘nuisance’ moose were received by the (WDFW),” the state agency’s website states.

The incident in Homer, Alaska, is just the second fatal moose attack in Alaska in the last three decades with the last coming after students in Anchorage harassed one in 1995, the AP reported. The WDFW stated Moose attacks on humans are considered “very rare.”

“If you encounter a moose in Washington, it’s a really cool thing,” Staci Lehman wrote in her email to MyNorthwest. “We have them in yards and parks and even business parking lots often in the Spokane area but that doesn’t happen in most of the state.”

Animal searches for a snack: Moose feasts on lobby plants in Alaska hospital building

Be cautious: Moose are still considered ‘dangerous wildlife’

But the WDFW website also states it is important to remember that anything as large as a moose can be dangerous; this is why these animals are classified as “Dangerous Wildlife.”

Moose are not normally aggressive, they can become so if they’re provoked, according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s website.

Also, while the Shiras moose may be a bit smaller, they’re still large animals. as adults measure nearly six feet at the shoulder. The adult male moose (bulls) weigh between 850 and 1,100 pounds and adult females (cows) weigh between 600 and 800 pounds, the WDFW says.

While Lehman may have praised a moose encounter as something cool, she also cautioned what people should do if they discover one while out.

“If you see one in the woods, it is best to give it plenty of space, don’t approach it, and back up and leave the way you came into the area,” she said.

Also, as the WDFW website explains, “moose consider dogs, which are close relatives of wolves, to be a direct threat.”

They’ve been known to go out of their way to kick at a dog, even one on a leash or in a fenced yard. Therefore, those people who do have a dog where they live should bring their dogs inside. In addition, they shouldn’t be loud if they’re out with their owners in the woods.

“If you are hiking with a dog, keep it on a leash and try to keep it quiet,” Lehman said in her email to MyNorthwest.

Colorado incident: Moose charges, headbutts and stomps on woman who was walking her dog on wooded trail

The WDFW also stated that moose can be aggressive at any time of the year, but this time of year — May through June — is when cows give birth to calves and can feel provoked.

“Cow moose with calves are going to be some of the more aggressive moose you’re going to come in contact with, McDaniel told the AP.

For those who see a calf in the area, be extremely careful, because the cow probably is close by.

“Moose can get defensive during the mating season or when a female moose has young with her so the main thing is to give them lots of space,” Lehman said.

Contributing: The Associated Press

Steve Coogan is the lead editor of MyNorthwest. You can read more of his stories here. Follow Steve on X, or email him here.

Marcus has spent 23 years of his 32-year career with the WSP on the state’s roads working the weekend night shift — Wednesday through Saturday — when the dangers of impaired driving are particularly pressing.

In a related video released by the WSP, Marcus spoke about the tragedies he has seen in his career, along with the agony of delivering next-of-kin notifications in collisions where impaired driving was involved.

“People haven’t had to do that or see that they don’t quite understand it,” Marcus said in the video.

But instead of being frightened or exhausted by those tragedies, they motivated the state trooper.

“In me, it lit a flame that keeps burning pretty bright as far as what I want to try to stop that … and then keep other people from having to experience that. I’d rather stop people prior to getting into a collision,” Marcus added.

WSP District 4 Captain Jeff Otis complimented Marcus for his passion and said it rubs off on the people around him.

“For him to do what he’s done for this long and to deal with the most challenging typical suspects that we deal with on a nightly basis is just incredible,” Otis said. “He does not slow down and continues to take these dangerous drivers off the road.”

Helping animals: Federal Way police go above and beyond, save litter of kittens

In the video, WSP Sergeant and District 4 Public Information Officer Greg Riddell also noted Marcus’ fervor and eagerness to get people driving under the influence off the streets.

“His tenacity, his ambition is, bar none, the highest I’ve ever seen out of any trooper,” Riddell said. “It’s his personal fulfillment to go and take impaired drivers off the roadway and go out and create a safer environment for the residents here in Spokane and in Washington.”

WSP Chief John R. Batiste explained as part of the news release that Marcus’ DUI numbers put him consistently in the top annual performance category and “to do that for more than three decades is something we just hold in awe and appreciation.”

“Trooper Marcus has saved untold lives by removing so many dangerous drivers from the roads. Perhaps yours, perhaps someone you love, perhaps my own,” Batiste added.

How Trooper Marcus got here

Marcus grew up in Spokane and had a friend whose dad was a trooper. During a ride-along with that trooper in October 1991, Marcus saw how the trooper handled himself when pulling over an impaired driver.

“I was impressed, and right at that point, I said this is the job for me, Marcus said in the agency’s statement. “There was no looking back after that – that’s the job that I wanted to do.”

Trooper Marcus graduated with the 75th Trooper Basic Training Class in 1992.

Marcus, in the WSP video, also called out and praised his wife and family for their roles in Marcus’ career as the hours required to be successful and make those arrests required sacrifices from multiple people.

“For almost 23 years I’ve given the state Friday and Saturday nights because, primarily, that’s when you’re going to have your highest DUI numbers,” Marcus said. “This is something that my wife had to be fully on board (with). She deserves a tremendous amount of credit for allowing me to do this part of the job.”

‘Asset to law enforcement’: Edmonds police dog retiring after nabbing 166 suspects in nearly 10 years of service

Alcohol and impaired driving numbers in Washington

In the conclusion of its news release, the WSP reminded drivers that now the Memorial Day weekend is here, “driving impaired can be the worst and most dangerous decision in your lives.”

According to a December 2023 report from the Washington Traffic Safety Commission (WTSC) delivered to the Washington State Legislature, the state saw the number of traffic fatalities involving a driver impaired due to drugs and alcohol rise over four consecutive years between 2019 and 2022. (A PDF of the report can be seen here.)

Notably, Washington recorded 674 traffic fatalities in 2021 and 345 occurred in crashes involving an impaired driver (51.2%). In 2022, the number jumped to 740 fatalities with 389 linked to an impaired driver (52.6%, a rise of 1.4%).

Given the numbers, the WTSC, in its report, suggested the Washington State House and Senate should seriously consider legislation to lower the legal BAC limit from 0.08% to 0.05% in Washington. A Senate bill, SB 5002, was introduced to address the possibility but it did not advance out of committee.”

The agency wants state residents to enjoy the holiday weekend, but to do it safely.

“Drive responsibly, obey the speed limits, put the phones and devices away, don’t follow too closely and never drive impaired,” the WSP said in its statement.

Steve Coogan is the lead editor of MyNorthwest. You can read more of his stories here. Follow Steve on X, or email him here.

According to a statement from the Valley Independent Investigative Team (VITT), deputies with the King County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team and the Auburn Police Department responded to 24 Auburn Way S in Auburn to serve a “high risk civil eviction order” late Friday morning. Within minutes of arriving at the building, deputies made contact, “which led to them utilizing deadly force.”

Despite first responders’ efforts, the subject was pronounced dead at the scene. No officers were injured.

According to KIRO 7, a video of the shooting shows a SWAT team approached a home and was fired on before they fired back.

The VIIT is serving as the independent investigative team for this officer involved shooting, its statement reads. The VIIT is a multiagency team made up of investigators from seven south King County Police Departments: Auburn, Des Moines, Federal Way, Kent, Renton, Port of Seattle, and Tukwila. Since the VIIT incident involved the King County Sheriff’s Office and Auburn Police, their departments have been excluded from this investigation.

Six deputies were involved in this incident and have been placed on administrative leave.

Detectives from the Valley Independent Investigative Team (VITT) responded and are actively investigating the incident. The Des Moines Police Department is the lead investigating agency.

Earlier Friday, the King County Sheriff’s Office confirmed in a post on X its deputies were involved in an officer involved shooting Friday morning in Auburn.

This morning, KCSO deputies were involved in an Officer Involved Shooting . The Valley Independent Investigation Team will be handling the investigation. All media inquires should be directed to Commander Rossie-Tukwila PD @TukwilaPD

— King County Sheriff's Office (@kingcosoPIO) May 24, 2024

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Steve Coogan is the lead editor of MyNorthwest. You can read more of his stories here. Follow Steve on X, or email him here.

“We haven’t seen Memorial Day weekend travel numbers like these in almost 20 years,” Paula Twidale, Senior Vice President of AAA Travel, stated.

Going further, road trips are expected to set a record. AAA projects 38.4 million people will travel by car during the Memorial Day weekend, the highest number for that holiday since AAA began tracking in 2000. The number of drivers this year is up 4% compared to last year and 1.9% higher than in 2019.

Traveling by car is appealing for many people because of the convenience and flexibility it provides. But while it may be convenient, many other people throughout the Pacific Northwest will likely have the same idea and get in the car for their trip. That’s going to cause a lot of traffic.

“I say this every year on holiday weekends like Memorial Day and Labor Day. Leave early or leave late. It’s really just that simple,” KIRO Newsradio traffic reporter Chris Sullivan said this week. “If you don’t want to be stuck sucking on the fumes of the cars in front of you, you need to beat them to the road or wait until they’ve already gone through.”

Sullivan also advised listeners to expect issues on the afternoon and some of the major roadways.

“You really don’t want to be on the road late this afternoon, as some people head out early,” Sullivan said. “The worst time to be on the road Friday will be between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. The worst roads will be Interstate 90 (I-90) East from North Bend to Ellensburg and Interstate 5 (I-5) south from Tacoma to Olympia.”

Some notes on specific Washington roads

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) released their Memorial Day weekend travel charts and the agency noted that I-5 between Lacey to Tacoma will see some level of congestion all day Sunday before it lets up later in the day. This was after drivers saw congestion in some spots through 7 p.m. Friday and large parts of Saturday too.

The news from WSDOT on I-90 between North Bend and Cle Elum is a bit better. But the travel charts reveal that area will see some level of congestion going west Sunday afternoon before the traffic completely lightens up later in the evening. Going east should be better, but travelers will see some “moderate to heavy traffic” between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Sunday.

Drivers can also expect to see heavy traffic or congestion at various times all weekend on U.S. 2 between Stevens Pass and Skykomish and on I-5 between Bellingham and the U.S.-Canada border. Notably, travelers can expect to see congestion or “moderate to heavy traffic” going west from Stevens Pass to Skyhomish between 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. and both directions between Bellingham and the Canadian border Sunday.

Friends don’t let friends travel on Memorial Day weekend without checking the travel charts for I-5, I-90 and US 2: https://t.co/RbRAD9UOUJ pic.twitter.com/lZ6PjKrnAf

— Washington State DOT (@wsdot) May 22, 2024

“The worst day of these three-day weekends is always the ‘get-back’ day on Monday. That’s going to be a grind from about 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.,” Sullivan said.

Looking at the Washington State Ferries (WSF), more than 350,000 people are expected to use the ferry system over the next four days, Sullivan said. The westbound trips will be jammed through Friday. Coming home eastbound on Monday, you had better be in line early, Sullivan added.

Also causing issues for ferry riders: Low tides. WSF had to cancel sailings Saturday and was forced to cancel several more Sunday. Head here for the latest information.

Expect the airport to be busy

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) expected to screen over 365,000 passengers leaving Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac Airport) from through Tuesday. That is a nearly 10% increase from last year, KIRO 7 reported.

Airport officials estimate 760,000 passengers will be departing and arriving at the airport over the holiday.

When fliers take off and which airline they have booked with likely will make a difference for travelers as well.

JW Surety Bonds analyzed data from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Air Travel Consumer Report to identify the best and worst airlines to rely on for fights.

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac Airport) has the second most on-time departures during Memorial Day weekend, with 86.1% of all flights departing on time, according to the company’s analysis. Hawaiian Airlines, Alaskan Airlines, and Delta Air Lines are the best airlines to fly during Memorial Day weekend. Meanwhile Virgin Atlantic, Frontier Airlines, and JetBlue Airways are the worst airlines.

The company also reported flights scheduled between 6 and 7 a.m. across various airports tend to have the highest on-time departure performance, with percentages as high as 96.4%. On the other side, afternoon and early evening flights generally have the worst on-time departure performance, with flights between 2-3 p.m. tending to have lower on-time percentages. Some airports drop as low as 64.8% during that time.

Some advice to navigate the airport

In addition to this being a busy travel season, KIRO 7 notes travelers are also having to navigate through all the construction inside the airport which has shut down one of the TSA checkpoints, making lines longer and causing tons of confusion

Sea-Tac Airport spokesperson Peter McGraw told KIRO Newsradio earlier this week that he recommends users check Sea-Tac Airport’s website ahead of time to see what the recommendation is for arriving. A good rule of thumb is to get to the airport two to three hours before the flight is scheduled to depart.

To keep up to date on security waiting times, travelers can download the flySEA app. The app has information about ground transportation, parking, security screening, international travel and more. Head here for a few more tips on getting around Sea-Tac Airport.

More on PNW travel: Why was Sea-Tac Airport so busy last weekend? Will it get worse?

For those people who are heading to the airport, but not to travel, one tip Sullivan brought up during an appearance on KIRO Newsradio’s “The Gee and Ursula Show” Friday was to “think opposite.” The essence of the advice is for drivers who need to do a pickup during a busy period, consider getting people coming in at the departures area and if you need to do a drop off during a busy time, bring those people to the arrivals area.

“It works. It really works,” Sullivan said.

Contributing: Julia Dallas, MyNorthwest; Tom Brock, KIRO Newsradio.

Steve Coogan is the lead editor of MyNorthwest. You can read more of his stories here. Follow Steve on X, or email him here.

South County Fire reported in a post on X that the truck was parked when it started rolling down hill toward the the home around 11 a.m.

In a separate post as part of a thread on X, the agency said the driver sustained serious injuries while attempting to stop the truck before it crashed into the house. He was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle to get treated.

South County Fire Public Information Officer Christie Veley confirmed to KIRO Newsradio by email late Thursday afternoon the patient transported to Harborview is a man in his 60s. He was dragged a short distance while trying to stop the truck and trailer.

Exclusive: Edmonds investigating its police chief for firing her service weapon

One person who was inside the home at the time of the accident wasn’t hurt.

Members of South County Fire’s Technical Rescue Team had to engage in a process called shoring to the house as they assessed the damage. Veley explained to KIRO Newsradio shoring involves “creating a temporary support for the outer wall of the home and that just helps makes it stable and safe and won’t further collapse.”

Veley told KIRO Newsradio in an email South County Fire estimates the damage to the home will cost $150,000 to repair.

“The damage was confined to one room at the corner of the home and will not impact the structural integrity of the rest of the home,” Veley added in her statement. “A concrete wall in the area hit likely prevented further damage.”

Firefighters are shoring up an outer wall of the home to stabilize the structure and ensure it’s safe. pic.twitter.com/t4q5RtdVRh

— South County Fire (@SouthSnoFire) May 23, 2024

Steve Coogan is the lead editor of MyNorthwest. You can read more of his stories here. Follow Steve on X, or email him here.

According to a post on the department’s SPD Blotter, officers responded to the 9400 block of 27th Avenue Southwest at around 2:40 a.m. Wednesday to the report of a woman being shot. They discovered the victim who had been shot twice in the legs. The officers then provided medical aid until the Seattle Fire Department (SFD) arrived and transported her to Harborview Medical Center. That victim is in stable condition, the department said.

Department officers learned the victim and her child were sleeping in the same bed when gunfire rang out from a nearby courtyard, the SPD Blotter post states. The toddler managed to escape the incident unharmed.

More gunfire in Washington: Child, 2, hit with stray bullet in Skyway apartment shooting, in critical condition

Surveillance video shared with KOMO News from a neighbor shows three people dressed in black walking around an area outside of the residence where the woman and young child were sleeping and pointing toward the victim’s home and windows. Those three people then fired dozens of shots into the side of the building, including through the windows, before running from the scene. (The video of the shooting can be seen on the KOMO website. Viewer discretion is advised.)

“I saw three guys walk up, pull guns out, walk up to my neighbor’s window and they start shooting several shots, probably like 50 or 60 shots,” the neighbor said to KOMO News. “(Crime is) getting worse, like the rest of Seattle, but it’s in particular really bad. Out of control.”

SPD officers “located dozens of casings and recovered several spent bullets,” according to the SPD Blotter. The post also stated that the circumstances leading up to the shooting remain under investigation.

Anyone who has information has been asked to call the SPD Violent Crime Tip Line at (206) 233-5000. People can also call the Crime Stoppers line at 1-800-222-TIPS. Crime Stoppers reminds potential callers it never asks for names and those who call can remain anonymous.

Steve Coogan is the lead editor of MyNorthwest. You can read more of his stories here. Follow Steve on X, or email him here.

Officials reported ground crews discovered the crash site around 1:30 p.m. in a heavily forested area of the mountain. The plane’s 69-year-old pilot was found dead in the plane.

WSDOT Air Search and Rescue was notified Sunday of a missing aircraft piloted by Jerry Riedinger. Riedinger, who was the only known occupant of the plane, left the Arlington Municipal Airport Sunday at 4:30 p.m. Riedinger’s wife reported him missing around 6 p.m. after he did not arrive at his destination in Ephrata, WSDOT explained in its blog.

A search got underway and included assistance from the King County Search and Rescue Association and the King County Sheriff’s Office on the ground. The 50-person ground search also included an aircraft searching from above in the sky.

PNW aviation news: NTSB is investigating small plane crash in Oregon that left ‘no survivors,’ authorities say

The group focused efforts on a concentrated area in the Humpback Mountains west of Snoqualmie Pass, WSDOT said in its statement. That is where the last known cell phone data was recovered. WSDOT requested other pilots give the air search and rescue team room to work safely.

Riedinger, the pilot, was reportedly carrying a parachute, and the aircraft was equipped with “a new 406MHz Emergency Locator Transmitter.” However, there had been no communication from the aircraft nor any emergency beacon signals, WSDOT reported in its blog entry.

More from WSDOT: Agency claims $500M needed to fix state’s ‘declining’ rest stops

The agency’s statement added that WSDOT, by statute (RCW 47.68.380), is “charged with the coordination and management of aerial search and rescue within the state. The agency works in conjunction with volunteer search and rescue groups, law enforcement and other agencies, such as the U.S. Navy, in carrying out such searches.”

WSDOT said further information will be released by the King County Sheriff’s Office.

Contributing: Julia Dallas, MyNorthwest

Steve Coogan is the lead editor of MyNorthwest. You can read more of his stories here. Follow Steve on X, formerly known as Twitter, here and email him here.

Seattle’s population grew by nearly 6,000 people from 749,134 to 755,078, or about 0.8%, between July 2022 and July 2023. (The Census Bureau’s annual estimates of the resident population for incorporated places of 20,000 or more can be viewed as a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet here.)

But as The Seattle Times explained in its coverage, that 0.8% growth ranks Seattle 13th for growth among the United States’ Top 50 cities. Geekwire noted the same statistic but focused on cities with a population of over 250,000. The Census Bureau data shows 91 U.S. cities have populations that high.

The development comes just a year after the state of Washington’s largest city grew about 2.4%, between July 2021 and July 2022. That ranked Seattle No. 1 overall, a whopping 0.4% ahead of Fort Worth, Texas, the Times noted in 2023. It was also more in line with what Seattle saw through much of the 2010s.

Ursula Reutin in 2023: Seattle isn’t dying, it’s the fastest-growing big city in US

Seattle’s growth may have slowed, but this is the second consecutive year the city has gained population. Between 2020 and 2021 — the height of the COVID-19 pandemic when many cities reported losing people to smaller places– the population dropped nearly 9,000 people (740,565 to 731,757) or about 1.2%.

Also, as the Times stated, Seattle is continuing to gain people while 15 of the top 50 cities overall are losing people. That includes the three largest cities: New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago. Philadelphia, the city ranked No. 6 for total population, lost more than 1% of its population. New York City’s population loss wasn’t as high percentage-wise as Philadelphia’s, but it did lose nearly 77,800 people between 2022 and 2023.

Portland, Oregon, also lost people during that time period. The city’s population dropped from 634,668 to 630,498, or a loss of 0.67%.

Seattle’s population of 755,078 makes it the 18th most populous city for at least the fourth consecutive year and, barring a significant population boom or bust in the near future, appears poised to stay in that spot. San Francisco sits at No. 17 with 808,988 people, nearly 54,000 more than Seattle. Meanwhile, Denver is at No. 19 with 716,577 or a hair above 38,500 fewer residents than Seattle.

What does the Seattle population change mean?

What Seattle’s population change means likely depends on who is providing the analysis or opinion. Geekwire‘s coverage described Seattle as a city transformed by the tech industry that experienced major population growth between 2010 and 2020, before the pandemic. Then it added the recent tech downturn resulted in job cuts at Amazon and various other tech companies throughout the region. Is the slower growth a harbinger of things to come?

That said, Danny Westneat of The Seattle Times exclaimed “Hooray for us!” in a recent column, saying Seattle is doing just fine, particularly since other West Coast cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose, California and Portland have all seen their populations shrink since 2020.

It’s rather that Seattle finds itself in an unusual spot. For the first time in ages, we are neither boom nor bust. Seattle has instead made a steady, restrained recovery from the pandemic, one that is unique among West Coast cities.”

Some additional Washington population numbers

The top 15 cities by population in the state of Washington all gained or lost people between July 1, 2022, and July 1, 2023. However, none gained or lost any more than 1.2% of their previous number.

Spokane remains Washington’s second largest city by population, but it did dip 0.4% losing just shy of 1,000 people (230,405 to 229,447) between 2022 and 2023.

Meanwhile, Tacoma, still at No. 3 by largest population in Washington is hot on Spokane’s tail as its population grew 0.5% from 221,731 to 222,906. Seattle, Spokane and Tacoma remain the only three cities in the state with more than 200,000 people. Nine Washington cities have populations over 100,000.

Vancouver, the fourth largest city by population, saw the biggest jump of the state’s top 15 cities, jumping 1% from 194,500 to 196,442.

Bellevue comes in at No. 5 again but saw a notable 0.8% loss in population between 2022 and 2023. That city’s 2022 number was 152,745 and its 2023 number was 151,574.

Eight of Washington’s top 15 cities by population gained people during that time period. Those were Seattle, Tacoma, Vancouver, Spokane Valley, Renton, Bellingham, Kirkland and Kennewick. The seven that lost people were Spokane, Bellevue, Kent, Everett, Federal Way, Yakima and Auburn. The city of Auburn’s population fell by 1.2% from 84,855 to 83,870.

In another notable development, the Census Bureau called out Bothell in its primary press release reporting the estimated population numbers as one of five U.S. cities that reached 50,000 people between 2022 and 2023. Bothell’s population is at 50,213 after sitting at 49,030 previously. That 1,183 population growth is a significant 2.4% jump, which is what Atlanta saw as the No. 1 large city in terms of percentage growth in the U.S.

Overall, Washington’s total population rose by 0.4%.

Some other notable federal numbers

Large cities in the Northeast and Midwest grew in 2023, reversing earlier population drops, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s press release.

Cities with populations of 50,000 or more grew by an average of 0.2% in the Northeast and 0.1% in the Midwest after declining an average of 0.3% and 0.2%, respectively, in 2022. Those in the West went up by an average of 0.2% from 2022 to 2023. Cities in the South grew the fastest – by an average of 1.0%.

“The population growth across the South in 2023 was driven by significant numeric and percentage gains among its cities,” said Crystal Delbé, a statistician in the Census Bureau’s Population Division said in the Census Bureau’s press statement. “Thirteen of the 15 fastest-growing cities were in the South, with eight in Texas alone.”

More US numbers: South dominates US population gains as deaths drop

Finishing No. 1 on the list of fastest-growing cities with a population of 20,000 or more is Celina, Texas, which is near Dallas. That city’s population grew by 26.6%, more than 53 times that of the U.S. growth rate of 0.5%, the agency stated.

Also in Texas, San Antonio added more people than any other city in 2023 — about 22,000 total. That allowed the city to reclaim the top spot on the list of gaining cities. The leap pushes it close to the 1.5 million population milestone.

Steve Coogan is the lead editor of MyNorthwest. You can read more of his stories here. Follow Steve on X, formerly known as Twitter, here and email him here.

Martin Quintana, 53, has been trying for about three years to open his second The Famous Taco location in Fort Wayne, a city about 120 miles northeast of Indianapolis.

But the initial written commitment for the development at a plaza Quintana owns limits the business to “a sandwich bar-style restaurant whose primary business is to sell ‘made-to-order’ or ‘subway-style’ sandwiches.”

Quintana said the nearby Covington Creek Association contacted him to say that his The Famous Taco proposal “somehow ran afoul” to that commitment.

He sued the Fort Wayne Plan Commission in December 2022 after it denied his proposed amendment that would specifically allow his restaurant to offer made-to-order tacos, burritos and other Mexican-style food items, The Journal Gazette reported.

Allen Superior Court Judge Craig Bobay ruled Monday that the plan commission acted correctly when it denied Quintan’s proposed amendment. But the judge also found that his request was not needed and he found that the original commitment allows restaurants like the proposed The Famous Taco.

“The Court agrees with Quintana that tacos and burritos are Mexican-style sandwiches, and the original Written Commitment does not restrict potential restaurants to only American cuisine-style sandwiches,” Bobay wrote.

Quintana said Thursday he is relieved the legal fight is over, and he is looking forward to opening his second The Famous Taco restaurant in Fort Wayne, which is Indiana’s second-most populous city with about 270,000 residents.

“I’m glad this thing is over. We are happy. When you have a decision like this the only thing you can be is happy. We’re excited,” he told The Associated Press.

KIRO Newsradio hosts weigh in: ‘They’re tacos.’

Gee Scott and Ursula Reutin, hosts of “The Gee and Ursula Show,” and show producer Andrew Lanier all agreed that tacos aren’t sandwiches.

When asked by Lanier about the topic, Gee was blunt with his response.

“No. They’re not. They’re tacos and burritos. They’re not sandwiches,” Gee said.

“Why would even anyone even try to argue that a taco is a sandwich?” Ursula Reutin replied in agreement.

Lanier then spelled out specific parameters of what a sandwich is.

“For it to be a sandwich, there needs to be two pieces. There has to be two pieces of bread that can be separate or they can be connected as in a kaiser roll or a hot dog roll, something like that for a po’boy,” he said.

Fernando from Seattle texted in to “Gee and Ursula” and clarified further.

“No, a Mexican sandwich is called a torta,” Fernando said, according to Ursula.

Earlier Friday, “Seattle’s Morning News’ tackled the subject and agreed with the folks on “Gee and Ursula.”

“There’s no way I would call (a taco) as a sandwich,” KIRO Newsradio traffic reporter Chris Sullivan said on “Seattle’s Morning News” Friday.

Nick Creasia, a KIRO Newsradio board operator and show contributor, allowed for some exceptions but largely dismissed the idea.

“I do not stand for such things, Creasia said. “I suppose if you’re folding something and you’re putting in between two quesadillas, maybe, or two tortillas, perhaps? I don’t know, that sounds ridiculous if you ask me.”

Later Friday, Sullivan had some fun with the topic and suggested a new name for other products.

“Why don’t we change the word ‘sandwich?’ A sandwich should be what a sandwich is, an actual thing between two pieces of bread,” Sullivan said. “(How about we) call them ‘handhelds?’ Because that includes everything … If it’s a wrap or it’s a burrito or if it’s a taco, it’s a handheld.”

“Seattle’s Morning News” producer David Burbank agreed with Sullivan but went a slightly different way with his comments.

“It feels like every sandwich has its own name anyways. So, why don’t we just delete the word ‘sandwich?'” Burbank said. “You don’t say a ‘BLT sandwich.’ You just say a ‘BLT’ or you say a ‘sub.’ So … it seems like ‘sandwich’ is an arbitrary term anyway.”

“You shouldn’t be allowed to discriminate against somebody who makes something that is similar (to a sandwich),” Sullivan went on to say. “But I don’t think calling it something that it isn’t (works). Why can’t a burrito just be a burrito?”

“It’s a sandwich, that’s why. That’s what a judge in Indiana has ruled and so it shall be,” “Seattle’s Morning News” co-host Colleen O’Brien said, tongue in cheek, to end the show’s segment.

Contributing: The Associated Press

Steve Coogan is the lead editor of MyNorthwest. You can read more of his stories here. Follow Steve on X, formerly known as Twitter, here and email him here.

Listen to Gee Scott and Ursula Reutin weekday mornings from 9 a.m.- noon on KIRO Newsradio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.

Listen to Seattle’s Morning News with Dave Ross and Colleen O’Brien weekday mornings from 5-9 a.m. on KIRO Newsradio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.

One of the fires was at a commercial location on the 6200 block of 238th Place South. The other was at an abandoned and boarded-up house in the 26100 block of 116th Avenue SE.

Pat Pawlak, division chief and public information officer for the Puget Sound Regional Fire Authority, said in a video posted to X, formerly known as Twitter, early Friday that the fire at 238th Place South was a leasing office of an apartment complex and firefighters responded to the call at approximately 12:30 a.m. He reported the fire was extinguished in 45 minutes and while the fire was being out, the roof partially collapsed.

Puget Sound Fire was on location of a commercial fire in the 6200 block of 238th Place South on Friday, May 17, 2024. (Image provided by Puget Sound Regional Fire Authority/@PugetSoundFire on X)

Later, Puget Sound Fire moved to the fire at the vacant home on 116th Avenue SE. The agency first posted on X about the fire at 3:40 a.m. Pawlak said in a separate video posted to X that when firefighters arrived to the scene, they discovered fire shooting from the roof of the structure. He went on to explain that the department fought the fire defensively due to firefighter safety concerns and it was extinguished in 30 minutes.

Pawlak confirmed there were no injuries to firefighters or residents as a result of these fires.

The causes of the fires are under investigation.

Puget Sound Fire is on location of a residential fire in the 26100 block of 116 Avenue SE. pic.twitter.com/ukZSuONKBg

— Puget Sound Fire (@PugetSoundFire) May 17, 2024

Contributing: Sam Campbell, KIRO Newsradio

Steve Coogan is the lead editor of MyNorthwest. You can read more of his stories here. Follow Steve on X, formerly known as Twitter, here and email him here.

The Snohomish County Multiple Agency Response Team (SMART) said in a statement that just after 4 p.m. Thursday, Washington State Patrol (WSP) responded to a report of a road rage incident on the shoulder of I-5 north near milepost 197. According to the SMART website, members of that law enforcement team are from “various Snohomish County law enforcement agencies and (WSP) who respond to and investigate police use of force incidents.”

The suspect began ramming his vehicle into a Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) vehicle and a lift that was on the shoulder of I-5 with two employees onboard, the statement reads.

From there, “an altercation” ensued between the suspect — who was armed with a hammer — WSDOT employees and a WSP trooper, SMART reported. During the incident, the WSP trooper shot the suspect. Members of law enforcement rendered aid to the suspect. But he was pronounced dead at the scene.

During the dispute, a WSDOT employee sustained minor injuries and was treated on the scene, SMART Public Information Officer Courtney O’Keefe told KIRO Newsradio.

The law enforcement agency stated the identity of the suspect will come from the Snohomish County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Video recorded by KOMO News from a WSDOT traffic camera shows some sort of physical confrontation between a driver and, possibly, a construction worker on the side of I-5 ahead of the shooting. O’Keefe did not definitively confirm the video posted and seen widely online is from the altercation that led to the suspect’s death. However, that video may be connected.

“I know detectives are working on getting a copy of that at this time. I can’t confirm for sure that (it’s the video). But it does appear that footage is a clip of what led up to this,” O’Keefe said to KIRO Newsradio late Thursday.

I-5 north in Everett reopens after the officer-involved shooting

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) confirmed on X, formerly known as Twitter, just before midnight Thursday night that I-5 north reopened after the officer-involved shooting.

CLEARED: NB I-5 at US 2 in Everett has reopened. Thank you for your patience. Continue to expect some delays as traffic clears. https://t.co/kSatPh5mB3

— WSDOT Traffic (@wsdot_traffic) May 17, 2024

Previously, all lanes of I-5 north had been blocked and the left lane of I-5 south near Marine View Drive also was closed. WSDOT first announced the I-5 north blockage on X at 5:05 p.m. Subsequent updates at 6:34 p.m. and 8:49 p.m. provided the same message before announcing the reopening: Travelers and commuters should avoid the area and use alternate routes.

Traffic backed up on State Route 9 in Lake Stevens after Interstate 5 north in Everett was shut down and blocked on Thursday, May 16, 2024. The closure was due to an officer-involved shooting. (Image courtesy of Washington State Department of Transportation/@wsdot_traffic on X)

On Thursday afternoon, before WSDOT began providing traffic updates, WSP Trooper Kelsey Harding wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the freeway was “blocked due to ongoing police activity.”

She also asked “everyone to avoid the area until the incident has been resolved.”

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Will the show continue this week?

Forecasters have suggested mixed news for those who are interested: Those in Washington may get a chance to see them Monday night, but it looks less likely going forward.

Examining Monday first, the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration‘s (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, Sunday night that, “During periods of geomagnetic storm conditions, aurora will potentially be viewable at the middle (and higher) latitudes.”

Geomagnetic storming to persist tonight… pic.twitter.com/FdIRFiiXGP

— NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center (@NWSSWPC) May 13, 2024

The best visibility happens away from light pollution and on clear nights. To see how polluted your area is, visit ClearDarkSky’s light pollution map.

Looking ahead to Tuesday, the prediction center stated the aurora could be visible from some spots between New York and Idaho, and not Washington.

A G2 Watch is in effect for May 14… pic.twitter.com/DU4Bo3advf

— NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center (@NWSSWPC) May 13, 2024

In its coverage, however, USA Today added a word caution that forecasting space weather is difficult as researchers have to rely on observations of the sun, which is 93 million miles away from Earth to make their predictions.

What has caused the northern lights phenomenon?

The phenomenon comes after NOAA issued a rare severe geomagnetic storm warning when a solar outburst reached Earth on Friday. Geomagnetic storms, which can trigger the picturesque light displays we have been privy to, range from G1, which NOAA considers “minor” to G5, which are “extreme.”

NOAA explained Saturday that G3 (strong) and G4 (severe) conditions persisted through much of Saturday and a G4 watch is on for Sunday as well. The agency previously stated it hadn’t seen a solar storm like this since 2005. The strength of the storms has decreased significantly since last week, causing the likelihood to see the northern lights to fall significantly.

The spectacular event occurred because of a series of strong coronal mass ejections from the sun. Notably, NOAA stated on X, the source of the storm is a large complex sunspot cluster that is 17 times the diameter of Earth, or the size of 17 Earths.

As to why admirers looking up in the sky see different colors, the prediction center explained that it is defined by the altitude of the aurora. It linked to a PDF explaining more about the colors that can be seen here.

Red, Green, Blue? Why does the Aurora change colors? Chemistry! https://t.co/sAmnBfvL0q #SpaceWeather pic.twitter.com/ILpwHSJA1T

— NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center (@NWSSWPC) May 13, 2024

Do these geomagnetic storms impact people on Earth?

NOAA states on its website that G5 storms can cause “widespread voltage control problems and protective system problems can occur. ” In addition, “some grid systems may experience complete collapse or blackouts. Transformers may experience damage.”

The federal agency also said there were preliminary reports of power grid irregularities, degradation of high-frequency communications and global positioning systems.

But the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) said that no region had reported any significant impact from the storms. The U.S. Department of Energy said Saturday it is not aware of any impact from the storms on electric customers.

not aware of any impact from the storms on electric customers.

SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service said on its website Saturday that service had been degraded and its team was investigating. CEO Elon Musk wrote on the social platform X overnight that its satellites were “under a lot of pressure, but holding up so far.”

But it shouldn’t affect the people who live on Earth.

“For most people here on planet Earth, they won’t have to do anything,” said Rob Steenburgh, a scientist with NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center.

“That’s really the gift from space weather: the aurora,” Steenburgh added. He and his colleagues said the best views may come from phone cameras, which are better at capturing light than the naked eye.

This storm posed a risk for high-voltage transmission lines for power grids, not the electrical lines ordinarily found in people’s homes, NOAA space weather forecaster Shawn Dahl told reporters. Satellites also could be affected, which in turn could disrupt navigation and communication services here on Earth.

An extreme geomagnetic storm in 2003, for example, took out power in Sweden and damaged power transformers in South Africa.

Even when the storm is over, signals between GPS satellites and ground receivers could be scrambled or lost, according to NOAA. But there are so many navigation satellites that any outages should not last long, Steenburgh noted.

Send us your photos

If you capture some spring pictures or do get to see the northern lights, please share your photos with MyNorthwest on our Share With Us page.

Contributing: The Associated Press; Julia Dallas

Editors’ note: This story originally was published on Saturday, May 11, 2024. It has been updated and republished multiple times since then.

Steve Coogan is the lead editor of MyNorthwest. You can read more of his stories here. Follow Steve on X, formerly known as Twitter, here and email him here.

According to votewa.org, the state’s voter registration and ballot management portal, 182 candidates running for 88 offices submitted paperwork ahead of Friday’s filing deadline. Of those 182, 30 are running for governor, including known high-profile candidates such as Republicans Dave Reichert and Semi Bird and Democrat Mark Mullet.

Washington GOP convention: Semi Bird wins endorsement for governor from state Republicans

Now three of them are also named Bob Ferguson.

It was already known current Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson is running to be the state’s next governor as he announced the formation of an exploratory campaign in May of last year. Current Washington Gov. Jay Inslee also publicly endorsed Ferguson early last fall, over a year before the November election.

Key endorsement: Sen. Patty Murray endorses Bob Ferguson for Washington governor

What was not known until Friday is that two additional Fergusons would be entering the race. They both are Democrats and registered within an hour of each other Friday with the same mailing address in Olympia, which traces back to a UPS Store mailbox.

Conservative Republican activist Glen Morgan confirmed Friday on Facebook through his own profile and the profile of his company, We The Governed, that he is the “volunteer campaign manager” for the two Bob Fergusons running who aren’t the current attorney general.

According to the Washington State Standard, Morgan said this had been in the works for some time as he reached out to some of the 53 Washington residents named Bob Ferguson.

“Not every one of them wants their name associated with the guy running for governor,” Morgan said, the Standard reported. Deciding to file on their behalf “was pretty impulsive” and he said he had to scramble to raise money to cover the filing fee of $1,982.57 for each of the two Fergusons.

Morgan provided few details about the individuals, the Standard said. There is a Bob Ferguson from Yakima who is a retired state worker and the other who filed Friday is from Graham and is a military veteran, he said. Neither is politically experienced but both share a distaste for the state executive with the same name, Morgan said.

Democratic response to the filings

Ferguson, the attorney general, has not yet officially commented about the filings. But in a post on his on his X account, @BobFergusonAG, Saturday Ferguson made reference to the political operation after watching his daughter take part in an athletic event.

“Nothing soothes an attack on democracy like watching your daughter set a personal best in the 100 meters,” the post on X, formerly known, as Twitter, states. The post also links to The Seattle Times’ coverage of the Ferguson filings.

Washington election coverage: Official dismisses concerns Joe Biden may be left off election ballot

On Friday, Ferguson posted a statement on the @BobFergusonAG X account from former Democratic Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire, who served from 2005-13 before Inslee took office, panning the maneuver.

“There’s no doubt this last-minute filing by two unknown ‘Bob Fergusons’ is an effort to deliberately confuse Washington voters,” Gregoire’s statement reads, in part. “It’s nothing less than an attack on our democracy.”

“There’s only one Bob Ferguson who is qualified to be Governor – one who has a long and distinguished career standing up for Washingtonians. There’s no doubt this last-minute filing by two unknown “Bob Fergusons” is an effort to deliberately confuse Washington voters. It’s… pic.twitter.com/bQjje13LWV

— Bob Ferguson (@BobFergusonAG) May 11, 2024

The Cascadia Advocate, a publication of the Northwest Progressive Institute, called the move an “ostensible con,” adding, “This is merely the latest in a long and rapidly growing list of Republican dirty tricks.” The publication also suggested these filings are against the law, citing RCW 29A.84.320 from the Washington State Legislature.

Morgan responds to early attacks

Morgan returned to Facebook Saturday morning with another post promising “aggressive and extensive legal action against any individuals or organizations involved in current efforts to subvert the 2024 elections in our state …”

According to The Seattle Times, Morgan says he thinks “a lot of people” are upset about the attorney general “trying to pretend that he cares about public safety when he’s done everything to look the other way and avoid solving any of the problems and almost every activity he’s done as the attorney general has actually made it a lot worse.”

Additional details about the election process

Under state law, if two or more candidates file for the same office with names similar enough to confuse voters, information can be added on the ballot to help differentiate them, the Standard noted in its coverage. Secretary of State Steve Hobbs must decide what extra wording to add. A decision is expected late Monday, after the deadline for candidates to withdraw.

Adding another layer to this new development, state election officials set the ballot order for the primary Friday through the random number drawing. The Bob Fergusons who filed Friday will be listed second and third on the ballot. The current attorney general sits in Spot No. 13. (A PDF of the ballot order released by the secretary of state’s office can be viewed here.)

Steve Coogan is the lead editor of MyNorthwest. You can read more of his stories here. Follow Steve on X, formerly known as Twitter, here and email him here.

The SPD Blotter published a blog post late Thursday night announcing the department’s arrest of a 26-year-old man Monday for multiple counts of armed robbery. The department’s post did not name the suspect.

The department’s online post reported SPD detectives have been investigating a series of Seattle armed robberies in the East and West Precinct areas in recent weeks.

During their investigation, they determined the suspect was contacting victims through online ads and meeting those people at their homes. Once he got inside, the suspect would pull out a gun and demand money from the victims, the post states.

Detectives located the suspect, served a search warrant on the residence where he was and arrested him Monday. The department’s detectives also found two firearms and multiple pieces of evidence at the scene.

The post concluded by saying the suspect was, subsequently, booked into King County Jail for four counts of first-degree robbery.

Crime blotter: Covering crimes committed in the Puget Sound region

Analysis: Washington robbery rate has jumped, burglary rate highest in the US

The number of robberies in Washington jumped a significant 29.5% between 2020 and 2022, according to crime data from the FBI. The law enforcement agency reports there were 5,209 robberies in the state in 2020 and 6,747 in 2022.

Going further, Washington has the highest burglary rate of any state in the U.S., according to an analysis of that FBI data conducted by Suzuki Law Offices reported by multiple outlets, including The Bellingham Herald.

Looking at the agency’s numbers from 2022, the Arizona-based law firm concluded the state of Washington saw 548.4 burglaries per 100,000 residents, more than double the national rate of 254.3, the Herald explained. Going further, Washington’s burglary rate was more than seven times higher than last place New Hampshire, which saw 76.2 burglaries for every 100,000 people.

‘Path of least resistance’: Vandals dump 100 old tires at Shoreline church

The state with the second highest burglary rate was New Mexico, with 481.1 burglaries per 100,000 residents. The next two on the list were Oklahoma at 456.3 and Arkansas at 433.6, the Herald stated, citing the law firm’s report.

Washington saw 43,481 burglaries total in 2022, a 5.8% jump from the previous year (41,092), the FBI crime data shows. The number of burglaries in the state rose every year from 2019 to 2022 after seeing a drop for the previous eight years before that.

Steve Coogan is the lead editor of MyNorthwest. You can read more of his stories here. Follow Steve on X, formerly known as Twitter, here and email him here.

Comcast: Vandalism caused Kitsap County service interruption Friday

Comcast disclosed on a company website Friday some Xfinity and Comcast Business customers in Kitsap County experienced an interruption to their services, which began early in the day when the company’s cable lines “were damaged due to vandalism.”

The website post included a photo of a severed cable line on a roadside.

A Comcast spokesperson said to The Seattle Times in an email Friday that the affected cities and towns included Bainbridge Island, Hansville, Indianola, Kingston, Poulsbo, Silverdale and Suquamish.

The company’s network maintenance crews initially waited for safety officials to provide access to the damaged lines. From there, technicians replaced the damaged lines to get customers back online. Comcast reported the issue was resolved by 5 p.m. Friday.

Comcast also reported in a similar company website post last month another cable issue as a result of vandalism. The company stated customers in Tacoma and several areas of Pierce County experienced an interruption to their services due to vandals damaging cable lines.

When events like this happen, the company has suggested to customers they check for outages or service issues at xfinity.com/status or the Xfinity app.

From 2023: Widespread vandalism in Seward Park leaves neighbors on edge

Customers to pay for $100K damage after King County equipment was ‘sabotaged’

KIRO 7 explained in a new story published this week that a vandal cut fiber lines near transmission towers in Renton on April 6. The lines are used for communication within the transmission system, according to Doug Johnson, a Bonneville Power Administration spokesperson.

This was the second attack on the company’s equipment, which took place a few blocks away from the first incident, last December Johnson noted.

“It is interesting they were so near one another and again four months apart,” he said to KIRO 7.

Last December, Johnson explained that a power line pole was cut in half.

“This was a deliberate attack,” Johnson said. “Both acts deliberately done in what we believe was an effort to disrupt power.”

The spokesperson also told KIRO 7 he doesn’t believe those involved were looking to steal any equipment, including copper wire.

“These deliberate attacks on equipment take line workers and other personnel off tasks and ratepayers’ money,” Covington district manager Stefan Schildt said to KIRO 7. “We are hoping anyone with information about who may have caused this damage will come forward and help bring that person or persons to justice.”

‘Why would you do that?’: Seattle University’s chapel another target of hateful vandalism

Families did not lose power in either incident, but that doesn’t mean they won’t be impacted.

“This hits the pocketbooks of anybody that pays PUDs, municipal electric utilities, or rural electric co-op in the Puget Sound Energy,” Schildt also said to KIRO 7. “We had to take staff off tasks. That cost money. These incidents cost us about $100,000 to repair and we have to recover those funds from somewhere and unfortunately, it’s going to be from our rate payers.”

Utility vandalism: King County power lines and equipment were “sabotaged” in two attacks, in a span of months, KIRO 7 has reported. (Image courtesy of KIRO 7)

Many customers will see their monthly bills increase in order to cover the total damage.

“Anybody who is served by a public utility district, municipal electric utility or a rural electric co-op in the Puget Sound area is affected by the costs,” Johnson shared.

KIRO 7 reached out to the King County Sheriff’s Office to learn more about both incidents and an agency spokesperson said they didn’t have details on a possible suspect or if both cases were connected.

Contributing: KIRO 7

Steve Coogan is the lead editor of MyNorthwest. You can read more of his stories here. Follow Steve on X, formerly known as Twitter, here and email him here.

According to a statement from the PAPD sent to KIRO Newsradio, the incident began just before 10 a.m. Friday when Peninsula Communications‘ (PenCom) 911 dispatch center received notification of a confirmed “Hold Up” alarm from the Chase Bank on W. Front Street. PAPD officers were immediately dispatched and arrived at the bank just after the 911 call. Clallam County Sheriff’s Deputies and Officers from the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe also responded, the statement reads.

From there, the two PAPD officers responding to the bank alarm discovered what appeared to be a subject armed with a handgun outside the bank. That person was associated with the reported incident in the bank and was reportedly noncompliant and uncooperative upon the officers’ arrival. That led to the officers firing on the suspect.

“The PAPD Officers were confronted with a lethal threat and that they carried out their duties to protect the public and other officers,” the department said in its statement.

Officers and deputies immediately rendered emergency medical aid to the male suspect. The City of Port Angeles Fire Department also responded and paramedics attempted to save the suspect’s life, but he died at the scene.

Investigation shifts to another agency

Since it was determined the PAPD officers fired their duty weapons at the suspect, the investigation of the underlying crime and the use of force will fall under the investigative purview of the Kitsap Critical Incident Response Team (KCIRT), the department’s release states. (Readers can learn more about the KCRIT by viewing a PDF available here.)

Investigation of the original crime and the use of force will fall under the investigative purview of KCIRT. The PAPD will not be involved in the criminal investigation. The department will conduct an internal investigation at a later time.

An earlier statement on the city of Port Angeles’ Facebook page stated that “Front Street (between Lincoln Street and Oak Street) and Laurel Street (between First Street and Railroad Avenue) were closed. Traffic heading west on Front Street is being re-routed to Lincoln Street to get to Highway 101.”

This detour is expected to be in place for approximately 12 hours, meaning it should end late Friday night.

Analysis: Port Angeles shooting is 15th involving Washington officers in 2024

The Washington Post began, in 2015, to log every person shot and killed by an on-duty police officer in the United States.

According to that media outlet’s analysis, Friday’s officer-involved shooting in Port Angeles is the 15th in the state of Washington this year.

The state’s last shooting involving police officers took place on April 17 when Seattle Police Department (SPD) officers shot and killed 67-year-old Bruce Meneley. He was suspected of committing crimes against children and was killed inside the DoubleTree Hotel in Tukwila.

More on this case: Seattle police kill man suspected of committing crimes against children, officer injured

SPD said the Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce was conducting an operation inside the hotel when gunfire broke out.

Steve Coogan is the lead editor of MyNorthwest. You can read more of his stories here. Follow Steve on X, formerly known as Twitter, here and email him here.

The owner, who is based in Montana, was hauling four zebras in a trailer when they escaped near North Bend last weekend. Three of them were corralled and recaptured later that day with the help of civil service workers and intervening citizens.

Shug, that’s actually the zebra’s name, had eluded capture despite daily sightings from North Bend residents, property owners and hikers. Multiple neighbors told KIRO Newsradio this week the zebra was spotted several times along the Snoqualmie Valley Trail, with multiple encounters happening near the Riverbend neighborhood and Boxley Creek.

While Regional Animal Services of King County (RAKSC) officials previously said they were no longer “actively searching” for the missing zebra, that didn’t stop people from reporting real sightings of the animal and fake sightings in the form of memes and jokes that can be seen on any social media channel near you.

More on the zebra: Evasive missing mare recovered in North Bend, is safe

Zebra memes: Z and Sasquatch

Unsurprisingly, a number of jokesters have assumed that Z and Sasquatch met, formed a fast friendship and are now roaming the Pacific Northwest together.

North Bend Zebra Just Gonna Lie Low with Sasquatch Until This All Blows Over: https://t.co/CKBmvH4pxn pic.twitter.com/OVLaeVHjcM

— The Needling (@TheNeedling) May 3, 2024

It’s a beautiful morning here are at Mt Adams!!

Seems I have some visitors!! Good to see them enjoying themselves!! 🤪♟️♟️♟️#zebra 🦓 #Bigfoot #MountAdams #MtAdams #Washington #dawn pic.twitter.com/tG0qDytIqR

— Mt. Adams 🌋💥 (@MtAdamsWA) May 2, 2024

Z enjoying the local fast food chains

Perhaps Z got a couple of Dick’s Deluxe burgers before meeting some friends at Ivar’s.

Zebra spotted in Bellevue, living his best life. #bagofburgers #onthelam pic.twitter.com/P6nL765rbN

— Dick’s Drive-Ins (@DicksDriveIns) May 1, 2024

Did Z stop for a pie, a cookie or both?

Zebras can place friendly wagers too

According to a couple of the local casino resorts, zebras like to pop in play some games, walk the grounds and enjoy a night’s rest in a nice room.

It’s possible Z just wants to enjoy some nice views or a relaxing walk

We wouldn’t blame Z if she wanted to head to the San Juan Islands or just wanted to stay near Seattle and relax.

Missing #zebra spotted walking on historic Wilburton trestle toward downtown Bellevue #bvue #bellevuespotting pic.twitter.com/QPP7R9ppAu

— Bellevue.com (@BellevueDotCom) May 2, 2024

Quite the views across Western Washington this afternoon. You could say they attract visitors of all stripes. #wawx #dadjokes #zebra pic.twitter.com/BHowEQ3THu

— NWS Seattle (@NWSSeattle) May 2, 2024

Z takes in what else Washington has to offer

Perhaps Z and her friends just wanted to eat some peanuts and enjoy a ballgame with one of the area teams?

While searching for the legendary missing zebra, we followed hoof prints and found him testing out the Bike Park and disc golf course before it opens in June! Looks like our striped friend is pedaling ahead of the game and throwing some surprisingly skilled frisbee throws! pic.twitter.com/HluWH7OBUM

— Stevens Pass (@StevensPass) May 2, 2024

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Dog Yard Bar (@dogyardbar)

Law enforcement agencies have been following Z’s movements carefully

Some of the city’s departments in the state are trying to recruit her and put her to work.

Grit City Zebra’s taking a spin with the Grit City cops. Now that’s a ride-along you don’t see every day!#zebra #northbendzebra#gritcitycops#zebrahunt#lostzebra pic.twitter.com/QIwPP4LFza

— Tacoma Police Department (@TacomaPD) May 2, 2024

No you can’t have our zebra. pic.twitter.com/xZ9bxZIjXf

— Seattle Police Foundation (@SeattlePF) May 2, 2024

When we heard we were adding another black-and-white unit to the fleet, this wasn’t exactly what we had in mind, but we’ll roll with it 🦓 pic.twitter.com/0BIwxiGngE

— Tukwila Police (@TukwilaPD) May 2, 2024

One local fire company is using Z as a recruiting tool and brought a couple of colorful quips to the forefront.

We couldn’t resist! 🦓

Come join our team. Apply @ https://t.co/Y75TORUbXO

Also, we are glad to see that our newest probationary Firefighter Z. Ebra is getting the hang of the pump! It wasn’t so black & white at first.#skfrcares #zebra #washington #firefighter #kitsapcounty pic.twitter.com/bAQOdqXxsL

— SK Fire & Rescue (@SKFR_Media) May 3, 2024

Other government agencies are keeping a close eye on Z

A lot of state and city employees have an eye out for the most popular zebra in Washington.

The teams at @WaDNR are always working to make sure our wildlife have healthy habitat. While this one was an unexpected challenge, we wanted to make sure that our new zebra friend felt comfortable for however long their stay in Washington ends up being. pic.twitter.com/JHZUWbYYhr

— Hilary Franz (@Hilary_FranzCPL) May 1, 2024

We can confirm that a wayward #zebra stopped in briefly this morning at our West Seattle driver licensing office. He said he needed an enhanced ID to cross the border. We reminded him that he’s a zebra and he can just, you know, cross if he wants to. 🦓 pic.twitter.com/XjSqt7YHv4

— Washington State Department of Licensing (@WA_DOL) May 2, 2024

It’s amazing what we see on our traffic cameras. #zebra pic.twitter.com/xNGL7deKI6

— WSDOT Tacoma (@wsdot_tacoma) May 2, 2024

We had an unexpected surprise at one of our outreach events today! 🦓

If you’d like to request a presentation from DFI on a financial topic, visit our website: https://t.co/z3ozNVqJ97#zebra #washingtonstate #financialeducation pic.twitter.com/C9fnHkiX3j
— Washington Department of Financial Institutions (@dficonsumers) May 2, 2024

Stay safe out there, #Zebra #SafetyFirst pic.twitter.com/2Pp81po0On

— Labor & Industries (@lniwa) May 2, 2024

Attention all! The striped creature has been seen at Bayview Playground indulging in a lively spin on the merry-go-round. For your safety, we suggest keeping a safe distance and perhaps opting for the slides instead. #SafetyFirst #ZebraSighting pic.twitter.com/WIsglIV0Fa

— Seattle Parks (@SeattleParks) May 2, 2024

Don’t forget these

“It’s the Z the missing Zebra/Fruit Stripe/Kitsap Credit Union mash-up you didn’t know you needed,” Kitsap Credit Union wrote on its Instagram page this week. Indeed.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Puyallup Public Library (@puyalluplibrary)

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Kitsap Credit Union (@kitsapcu)

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Seattle Magazine (@seattlemag)

Steve Coogan is the lead editor of MyNorthwest. You can read more of his stories here. Follow Steve on X, formerly known as Twitter, here and email him here.