Ann Dornfeld
Reporter
About
Ann is a reporter on KUOW's Investigations team. Previously, she covered education stories for KUOW for a decade, with a focus on investigations into racial and socioeconomic inequities.
Her ongoing series exposing Seattle Public Schools’ lenient discipline of staff who abused students has won investigative reporting awards from the Society of Professional Journalists, the Radio Television Digital News Association, and the Education Writers Association. She was also lauded for her years of work covering disparities in the amount of recess and P.E. time students received in low-income schools.
Previously, Ann worked at Alaska Public Radio Network in Anchorage, and KLCC in Eugene, Oregon. Her freelance work, focusing on science and environmental issues, has appeared on national outlets including Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Marketplace and The World.
Ann’s marine and underwater photography has appeared in the American Museum of Natural History and the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry.
She lives with her husband and two children in South Seattle.
Location: Seattle
Languages Spoken: English
Pronouns: she/her
Professional Affiliations: Member, Investigative Reporters and Editors
Stories
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Government
Price tag for Seattle's streetcar connector skyrockets even higher
Expanding Seattle’s streetcar along First Avenue would cost an estimated $445 million - an increase of $192 million from the last cost projection.
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Washington State Patrol was not prepared for 'sheer size of the crowd' at Seattle I-5 protest
In response to a protest that shutdown northbound I-5 this weekend, Washington State Patrol says efforts to resolve it were complicated by activist tactics, miscommunication and “the sheer size of the crowd.”
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Crime
'Astonishing' increase in car theft charges as juvenile criminal cases surge in King County
Car theft charges brought against youth were up by more than 500% in King County last year. That’s just one of the charges driving a 61% increase in juvenile criminal bookings in 2023, including violent crime, gun possession and burglary.
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Arts & Life
Controversial totem poles must return to Pike Place Market, says historical commission
The city’s parks department petitioned the Market Historical Commission to be allowed to replace the totem poles with art more representative of local tribes.
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Arts & Life
Kids playground canceled at Denny Blaine Park 'nude beach'
The effort to preserve Seattle's nude-friendly beach has succeeded.
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Community members give Denny Blaine Park play area proposal a dressing down
Typically, a new playground — at minimal cost to taxpayers — would be greeted with open arms by a community. But in this scenario, it’s not that simple.
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Environment
'He's lost everything.' In Seattle, sadness — and fundraising — for Maui's wildfire survivors
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A flare-up of vacant building fires in Seattle — some deadly
Vacant building complaints are on the rise in Seattle. So are vacant building fires, like one that tore into a century-old brick building in Seattle’s Chinatown-International District the morning of July 20th.
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Government
Understaffing leads to safety problems at King County juvenile detention, draft report finds
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Crime
Seven staffers injured in youth brawl at King County juvenile detention facility