KUOW Blog
News, factoids, and insights from KUOW's newsroom. And maybe some peeks behind the scenes. Check back daily for updates.
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Stories
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Tolls just went up for 520 bridge commuters between Bellevue and Seattle
Tolls are rising on the floating 520 bridge between Seattle and Bellevue during peak commute times.
Starting Aug. 15, tolls are going up an average of 10%. The hike was approved by the Washington State Transportation Commission in July.
RELATED: Meet the guerilla gardener of Seattle's 520 bike path
Another change the commission made is that instead of eight levels of tolls, there are now six. Tolls go up or down depending on traffic levels and the time of day.
Commuters can expect the highest tolls during peak drive times: $4.90 between 7-10 a.m. and again between 3-7 p.m. on weekdays. The cheapest times to cross the bridge will be between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m., when it will cost $1.35.
After years of construction, an upgraded floating 520 bridge opened between Seattle and Bellevue in 2016. The project cost $1.2 billion. Tolls are aimed at covering the construction price tag (it will take until 2051 to fully cover the costs), while also paying to maintain the bridge.
According to the commission, the recent toll hike is a response to a 2023 report that predicted the bridge's toll revenue would not keep up with operating costs by July 2025. A similar reason prompted a 15% toll increase in 2023.
Toll revenue on the 520 bridge was $60 million in 2022, and went up to $64 million in 2023, according to the state's annual tolling report.
The bridge is expected to produce an estimated $72.1 million in 2024 and $79.5 million in 2025. The annual report also notes that traffic on the bridge is expected to decline through 2024, and that, "The reduction in toll transactions from (fiscal year) 2023 to (fiscal year) 2024 relative to the increase in revenues is primarily due to the 15% toll rate increase that took effect on July 1, 2023."
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2 months after Garfield High student's shooting death on campus, still no arrest
More than two months after 17-year-old Amarr Murphy-Paine was gunned down in the parking lot of Garfield High School, the Seattle Police Department has not made an arrest.
RELATED: 17-year-old student dies after being shot multiple times at Seattle’s Garfield High School
Murphy-Paine was shot and killed on June 6 after reportedly trying to break up a fight. An image of the alleged shooter standing over Murphy-Paine was circulated to police in an attempt to identify the suspect, who police have not publicly identified. Police have said only that the suspect was a high school-aged male who was wearing a red hoodie.
Asked about the delay Wednesday, an SPD spokesperson acknowledged "that updated information is important for Seattle community members" but declined to share details in an email: "The SPD Homicide Unit said the investigation continues to move forward and there’s been significant progress. They cannot release any specifics at this time as to keep the integrity of the investigation."
A spokesperson for Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell told KUOW his office is "satisfied with the work of the detectives and the level of resources being dedicated towards it."
KUOW also reached out to Seattle Public Schools and Garfield High School Principal Tarance Hart for comment. This story will be updated if and when they respond.
On the day Murphy-Paine was shot, parents and students caught outside of the school on their lunch break spoke to KUOW, expressing frustration and fear after one of their fellow students had again been the victim of gun violence.
In March, a 17-year-old girl was shot in the leg near the school. She was not the intended target, according to police.
In October 2023, a series of incidents involving two students put the school on lockdown.
Then in June 2023, three nearby shootings, which did not involve students, also led to a lockdown.
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What's an 'entheogen'? Magic mushrooms are now a low priority in Olympia
The Olympia City Council knocked psilocybin, and similar drugs, down to a "low enforcement priority" for Olympia police Tuesday, essentially decriminalizing the drugs in the city.
A resolution passed Aug. 13 states that such drugs "should be a City of Olympia low enforcement priority and no City funds or resources should be used for investigation, prosecution, or arrest of individuals possessing or using entheogenic plants or fungi."
RELATED: More Americans are microdosing or tripping on magic mushrooms than ever
Such drugs are known by many names: magic mushrooms, psychedelics, psilocybin, ayahuasca. Olympia calls them "entheogens," a term that refers to cultural or religious uses of plant-derived drugs such as psilocybin or ayahuasca. Olympia's resolution also includes "personal growth practices" in this definition.
Current law in Olympia states that possession of these drugs is a gross misdemeanor that could result in jail time between 180-264 days, and/or a $1,000 fine. Now, the Council has instructed the city's police not to use city resources for "the investigation, arrest, and prosecution of anyone engaging in entheogen-related activities..."
There are exceptions, however. While possession of the drugs is a low priority, driving under the influence is still illegal. Distribution at schools is also not allowed. Manufacturing and sales are also prohibited. The Council also leaves open any "conduct that puts public safety at risk or causes a public nuisance that violates the law."
According to Council materials, Olympia police have not made any arrests strictly for entheogens over the past five years, however, there were five arrests where the drug was also present. These arrests involved narcotics possession (fentanyl, methamphetamine), a DUI, and a warrant where narcotics were found.
RELATED: A scientist took a psychedelic drug — and watched his own brain 'fall apart'
Washington state lawmakers have considered multiple proposals in recent years that would either ease restrictions or decriminalize psilocybin across the state. Olympia's resolution echoes the state Legislature's arguments around these issues — that these drugs are used for cultural or religious purposes, and could have mental health benefits.
While no such proposals have passed Washington's Legislature, state lawmakers have mandated that the University of Washington study psilocybin and how it affects the mind. That study is slated for 2025 and will focus on about 40 first responders and military veterans with PTSD or alcohol-use disorder.
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Seattle City Council considers 'prostitution loitering' law amid intense debate
People packed the Seattle City Council chambers Tuesday to offer passionate testimony on both sides of the council’s effort to create a Stay Out of Area of Prostitution (SOAP) zone on Aurora Avenue North, above North 85th Street.
The bill would put new gross misdemeanors into Seattle’s criminal code, targeting people charged with prostitution-related offenses, with special emphasis on pimps and buyers of sex. (The council is also reviewing similar legislation for new exclusion zones that could ban people with drug-related charges from areas in downtown Seattle and the Chinatown International District).
Residents near Aurora described chaotic gun fights this summer that police say stem from turf battles related to sex trafficking.
“Right now on Aurora, pimps are running the show with reckless abandon and the city is letting it happen,” Sarah Loebner told the council’s Public Safety Committee.
A teen resident, Fiona Wilson, also spoke to the council.
“I just turned 14 recently and the night before my 14th birthday, I heard a woman screaming as she was shot three blocks from my house. I hear frequent gunshots and I see the girls, and it is so heartbreaking to think about because these are girls who could be in high school with me,” she said.
But other residents, including Carlo Alcantara, said the city has provided one effective type of relief by installing a jersey barrier to keep cars from turning off Aurora onto North 101st street, where shots were being fired.
“Almost one month later we’ve seen no gun violence on 101st and have gone from 5 to 10 911 calls per night to a single call since July 17,” Alcantara said.
Opponents of the SOAP zone legislation said the additional penalties will only further harm and stigmatize sex workers, by making them more vulnerable to profiling and arrest.
The Coalition Ending Gender-Based Violence submitted a letter saying the new zones “would limit and compromise critical pathways to safety and stability for the individuals that everyone here has been expressing concern for,” according to board co-chair Ally Jurkovich.
Aurora Commons Executive Director Elizabeth Helendi said her nonprofit can’t keep up with current demands for assistance in the neighborhood.
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Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe poised to help manage key Salish Sea wildlife refuges
The Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe is close to finalizing an agreement with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to co-manage two Clallam County wildlife refuges: the Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge and the Protection Island National Wildlife Refuge, both key breeding places for Salish Sea animals.
If plans move forward, Dungeness would remain open to the public while Protection Island would stay inaccessible to the public. U.S. Fish and Wildlife said the tribe would be working alongside several conservation groups to manage ecosystem recovery and animal life health, research climate change, and respond to oil spills and other cleanup needs.
Managing the Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge would be a historic role for the tribe, being the first of its kind in Washington state, according to Jamestown S'Klallam Tribal Chairman Ron Allen.
RELATED: An ancient beach reborn — and renamed for a clam
“Our tribe has a strong historical and cultural relationship with the Dungeness Refuge since our original village was sitting at the mouth of the Dungeness River," he said. "We have grave sites on the spit that we want to protect, and we are the original stewards of the site."
The Point No Point Treaty of 1855 changed a lot of that, compelling the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe and others in the area to move onto reservations. After the treaty was signed, land that the tribes previously stewarded and lived on was privatized by non-Native governments, excluding many Native people, said Allie Taylor, the tribe’s Historic Preservation Officer.
“These policies and acts prompted tribal leaders to purchase 210 acres to the east of Dungeness in 1874, at what is now called Jamestown,” she wrote in an email to KUOW.
Allen said that as a sovereign nation, the tribe is uniquely suited to help manage the Dungeness and Protection Island refuges.
“Our tribe can access other public and private resources to improve on the management of the refuge that the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service can't access,” Allen said. Those resources include fisheries and tribal aquaculture, a volunteer corps, and environmental education programs.
RELATED: Tribe looks to bring back oyster farming to Dungeness Spit
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Old Seattle-area homes should be demolished with care, county says
King County is training formerly incarcerated people in a new skill.
They’re learning the art of “deconstruction.”
That means taking apart a building piece by piece, so the parts can be used in new buildings.
Old wood, in old homes, comes from old-growth forests.
So it’s stronger, of higher quality, and some would say, more beautiful, than modern wood.
“Deconstruction” preserves that old wood when homes are torn down, rather than throwing it into a landfill. The recycled wood can then be turned into new homes.
It’s more labor intensive than “demolition,” where old buildings get crushed into splinters that aren’t reusable.
Ben Peason of Sledge, which processes and sells deconstructed wood materials, says the industry suffers from "a bit of a chicken and egg problem. Do you build the demand first or train the workers first?"
King County Solid Waste is supervising the deconstruction training program.
Kinley Deller is the county's Construction and Demolition Materials Diversion Coordinator.
“We're really trying to get people so they're knowledgeable in the deconstruction field so that they can work in that when those jobs are available, which hopefully will be happening very soon.”
Deller said there are numerous benefits from training formerly incarcerated workers for the job. They come from many different neighborhoods. And as they train up, some may be able to use their new skill to start a deconstruction business of their own, expanding the industry's footprint.
RELATED: 'Good bones' from old homes help build Seattle's future
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Bellingham man fined $1,000 for steering yacht through orca pod
A Bellingham man has been fined $1,000 for driving his 51-foot recreational vessel through a pod of killer whales off the west side of San Juan Island in 2022.
Matt Ryan acknowledged to NOAA Fisheries investigators that he was at the helm of the boat, M/V Cypress Point, heading into Roche Harbor when he passed through the pod, an incident caught on video by a wildlife photographer.
“The high-resolution video provided strong evidence in this case,” Greg Busch, assistant director of NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement, West Coast Division, said in a statement. “We’re fortunate that people watching knew what they were seeing was not right, documented it in detail, and reported it so that we could take action.”
Ryan steered the boat dangerously close to the orcas even though the captain of a nearby vessel was sounding his horn and waving his arms to get Ryan's attention in hopes that he would change course.
Federal regulations at the time required vessels to remain at least 200 yards away from killer whales in Washington’s inland waterways. Since then, state and federal regulations have increased that required distance for Southern Resident killer whales to 300 yards to either side of sighted pods or at least 400 yards in front or behind them. Starting in 2025, the required distance from Southern Resident orcas increases to 1,000 yards in any direction.
The whales that Ryan’s vessel approached were Bigg’s killer whales, not the endangered Southern Resident killer whales. Federal law requires vessels to remain at least 200 yards from Bigg's transient killer whales.
Both subspecies are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act.
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Primary night hot takes: First queer Latina to Congress? Republicans grasp at gov's office
The first votes were counted on Tuesday night for the Washington state primary – here are a few takes on what it could mean come November.
Bob Ferguson is way, way ahead
Attorney General Bob Ferguson held a wide lead after the initial ballot drop in the governor’s race, with 46% of the vote.
Former Congressman and King County Sheriff Dave Reichert, who has run a law-and-order campaign and frequently notes his role in catching the Green River Killer, came in second. Reichert stood at 28% on Tuesday night.
Although Reichert will likely move ahead to the general election, the numbers are challenging for his campaign. It’s held that Republican candidates need to win at least 40% of the vote in populous, deep blue King County to win the governor’s mansion. After the first ballot drop, Reichert stands at 20.64% in King County.
It’s been nearly 40 years since Washingtonians elected a Republican governor. The last one was John Spellman, who left office in 1985.
The first queer Latina in Congress?
Washington’s 6th Congressional District – which includes the Olympic Peninsula, Kitsap, and most of Tacoma – could make history.
Democrat Emily Randall was leading the pack of candidates in this open race to replace Rep. Derek Kilmer on Tuesday night, with 33.3% of the vote. If she wins in November, she could be the first queer Latina elected to Congress – ever.
Trailing closely behind her was Drew MacEwen, a Republican, with 30.5% of the initial primary vote. This is a safe Democrat district, however, so odds are in Randall’s favor.
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New research reveals vision loss, high cholesterol are risk factors for dementia
New research has uncovered two health factors that, if addressed, could significantly lower the risk of developing dementia.
By targeting these issues, nearly half of all dementia cases might be prevented or delayed, according to research published by the 2024 Lancet Commission on dementia prevention, intervention, and care.
RELATED: Medicare explores a new way to support caregivers of dementia patients
Released late last month, the study identified untreated vision loss and high cholesterol as conditions that increase the risk of developing dementia. With these additions, there are now 14 “potentially modifiable” risk factors for dementia. Other risks include lower education levels, hearing impairment, high blood pressure, smoking, obesity, depression, physical inactivity, diabetes, excessive alcohol consumption, traumatic brain injury, air pollution, and social isolation.
Dr. Eric B. Larson, a researcher with the University of Washington School of Medicine and one of the co-authors of the study, emphasized the importance of addressing these risk factors. Specifically, Larson pointed out that lowering high LDL cholesterol (often referred to as “bad cholesterol”) in midlife could help reduce dementia risk. He also highlighted research from ophthalmologist Dr. Cecilia Lee at the UW School of Medicine, which found that individuals who underwent cataract surgery were less likely to develop dementia compared to those who did not have the procedure.
The research demonstrated how cognitive and physical growth over a person's life can impact their risk of dementia. It also suggests reducing vascular damage — by addressing issues like smoking and high blood pressure — has likely helped lower dementia rates among older adults.
RELATED: A Seattle hub where people with memory loss can stop by
Larson said the latest Lancet Commission report included insights from experts in low- and middle-income countries, offering a broader international perspective.
“The first two reports primarily focused on high-income countries in North America, Europe, and parts of Asia. This report now includes low and middle-income countries, where many people are living to old age,” he said.
The report highlighted the idea that if the 14 modifiable risk factors can be targeted, people could have up to a 45% reduction in the risk of dementia in their lifetime.
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Prosecutors won’t charge woman who says she abandoned newborn in Ballard
Prosecutors have declined to file charges against a woman who admitted abandoning the body of her newborn along a Seattle roadway. They said they lack independent evidence to prove that a crime was committed and that the baby, who had a gestational age of just 32-36 weeks, was in fact born alive.
On July 23, 2024, Seattle police arrested the woman, who told them she gave birth outdoors in February 2023 and abandoned the body of her newborn in the bushes. Her arrest represented months of work by investigators to figure out how the infant’s remains came to be along Shilshole Avenue in the Ballard neighborhood.
That's where the remains were ultimately discovered and reported to police via Seattle's Find It Fix It App. (Police told the man he should have instead made an emergency call because the discovery involved a human being.)
According to court documents, DNA analysis led them first to the biological father, who “appeared genuinely surprised” when police informed him about the baby. The man identified a woman as potentially the baby’s mother and said he had intermittent contact with her but did not know she was ever pregnant.
Police eventually arrested the woman when she visited the man’s apartment.
The woman told police she didn’t even know she was pregnant when she began experiencing labor pains. She said she went into the bushes by the railroad tracks in Ballard and gave birth. She said the baby “made little noises that I had never heard before” for 2 to 4 minutes. She said she stayed with the baby for 4-5 hours before leaving the scene. She did not seek any medical attention.
During her interview police observed that the woman “was having separate conversations with herself.” Prosecutors said the 41-year-old woman faced possible charges of manslaughter, reckless endangerment, and unlawful disposal of human remains. But they said ultimately they lacked independent evidence that a homicide was committed.
Casey McNerthney, spokesperson for the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, said in a statement that “the only evidence that the baby was born alive comes from the woman’s statements that the baby made noise for a couple of minutes after he was born. Due to her mental state at the time her statement was made — including hearing voices, according to police investigators — it is difficult to determine how reliable her statements are.” The autopsy by the King County Medical Examiner was unable to determine whether the infant was in fact born alive.
“A defendant’s statement is only admissible if there is some independent evidence that a crime occurred,” McNerthney said and for that reason prosecutors have declined to file charges.
Records indicate the woman was released from King County Jail on July 26.
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Washington nonprofit goes public with claims against state lawmaker and founder
Staff members and leadership at the nonprofit Civil Survival are now speaking publicly about why the group fired Washington state Rep. Tarra Simmons.
Simmons, a Democrat from Bremerton, is the founding director of the legal aid and advocacy organization. She's also the first formerly incarcerated person elected to the state Legislature.
As KUOW reported this week, Simmons was placed on administrative leave last August and received a notice of termination two weeks ago.
In an open letter posted to the organization’s website Thursday, the Civil Survival board alleged that Simmons had engaged in "repeated violations of our organizational policies and conduct standards," and that she "engaged in unprofessional and inappropriate interactions with staff, including verbally berating an employee."
The post also said that Simmons "threatened Civil Survival’s funding and the continued employment of Civil Survival staff members."
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Seattle officials revisit ‘exclusion zones’ to disrupt drug activity, sex trafficking
Seattle City Attorney Ann Davison and members of the City Council are seeking new criminal penalties to ban certain people from zones of drug-related crime and prostitution.
They say the restrictions are needed to disrupt drug-related crime in downtown Seattle and the Chinatown-International District, as well as sex trafficking linked with recent gun violence on Aurora Avenue at North 85th Street and above.
Municipal court judges would have discretion to issue these no-go orders for people charged with or convicted of related offenses. Violating the order would be a gross misdemeanor.
Davison said Thursday her office supports creation of two new SODA (Stay Out of Drug Area) zones in the downtown core and the Chinatown-International District. These locations “are strategically created,” in that they are meant to allow people to still access addiction treatment and social services, she said.
Councilmember Bob Kettle, who chairs the council’s public safety committee, said Belltown was not chosen to become one of the exclusion zones, because of those priorities.
“Second and Bell, it’s a problematic area, but the Catholic Community Service providers are just outside of it,” he said.
Judges could issue the SODA orders for any cases "in which the court finds a nexus between the offense and illegal drug activity." That includes violations of the Controlled Substances Act and crimes ranging from assault to theft and criminal trespass in those zones.
Council President Sara Nelson said when these proposals come before the council in coming weeks, she’ll reiterate the argument she made when Seattle increased criminal penalties for public drug use last September — that keeping people charged with or convicted of drug-related crimes out of specific neighborhoods is not analogous to the “war on drugs.”
“We’re talking about misdemeanor, gross misdemeanor,” Nelson said. “The war on drugs threw people in jail on trumped-up felonies for years and years and years.”
Councilmember Cathy Moore’s proposal to address prostitution and related gun violence on Aurora Avenue aims to pass a suite of ordinances to target buyers of commercial sex, sex traffickers, and to create exclusion zones for “anyone arrested or convicted of a prostitution-related crime.”
But King County Public Defender Anita Khandelwal said these exclusion zones have been tried and discarded before — 20 years ago Seattle police enforced them through misdemeanor trespass charges. Laws prohibiting loitering related to drugs or prostitution were overturned by the Seattle City Council in 2020, based on recommendations from the Seattle Reentry Workgroup due to the "disastrous racialized impacts of these policies on Black and Indigenous communities and the growth of mass incarceration."
“We all want a safer city and we should really spend time thinking about what’s going to be an effective, evidence-based, and humane way of achieving that shared goal," Khandelwal said. "And this is not it.”
In a statement, Seattle Police Chief Sue Rahr said the exclusion zones are being used by other cities in the region and could be “important tools” if used as part of a holistic approach.
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