Category Archives: Breaking News

Breaking News, Local

DNR land closing in Eastern Washington due to extreme fire risk

[CHELAN, Wash] The Washington State Department of Natural Resources is temporarily closing all recreational and public access to DNR-managed lands in eastern Washington beginning at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, July 23.

This temporary closure will apply to DNR-managed state lands, conservation areas, community forests, and any associated roads, trails, campgrounds, recreational sites, or recreational facilities.

“This summer is smashing all our records and leaving the state bone dry, leaving eastern Washington to face an ongoing, tremendous risk of wildfire,” said Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz, the elected official who oversees DNR.

In the most recent update to the US Drought Monitor – parts of Eastern Washington under under “exceptional drought” conditions for the first time in 20 years

“Our firefighters are already stretched thin fighting major fires across our state. We must take reasonable steps – and make sacrifices – in order to protect them and our communities.”

DNR decided to close recreational and public access to its managed lands in eastern Washington based on a number of factors, including current extreme hot and dry conditions, a forecast that shows no meaningful precipitation in the near future, current fuel loads, and a concern for public safety.

After a late-June heat wave that shattered many all-time temperature records across Washington, the vast majority of the state is currently in a drought emergency. Additionally, the number of fire ignitions in the state is approximately double the 10-year average, with months of fire season still to go. In all areas of eastern Washington, fire danger is at very high or extreme levels.

The decision to close recreation and all public access on DNR-managed lands east of the Cascades is in addition to the burn ban that Commissioner Franz enacted earlier this month on the 13 million acres of forestlands under DNR fire protection. The burn ban will remain in effect through at least September 30. Campfires also remain banned on DNR-managed lands statewide due to ongoing fire danger.

DNR joins the Umatilla National Forest and the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation in closing lands in eastern Washington to public access.

Anyone who spots a wildfire should call 911 to report it as soon as possible. DNR joins the Umatilla National Forest and the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation in closing lands in eastern Washington to public access.

Washington has had over 900 wildfires in 2021 that have burned more than 140,000 acres.

Washington State Parks are not impacted, however, state parks are under a burn ban.

Breaking News, Local

BREAKING: Prosecutors drop felony charges against 11-year old autistic child

[EVERETT, Wash] – (MTN) According to the family, charges stemming from a May 17 incident between an 11-year old child with significant autism and two Snohomish County Sheriff Deputies were dropped by prosecutors. The child, who we are not naming, was charged with two counts of assault 3. The police report never mentioned the child’s impairment and listed her as being 12 years old, not 11. In Washington state the age of culpability is 8 years old, however, the court must prove that a juvenile who is 8 to 11 years old is capable of understanding their actions and the potential consequences.

Last week we reported that an altercation with the child involving a school bus driver and an assistant resulted in a 911 call when she boarded the bus to go to school. When Snohomish County deputies arrived, the child was in the home with her mother, Lori Helmy. Deputies claim that the child charged at them, kicking one in the groin. The report says, “Due to [the child’s] size, it did not cause Deputy Watts to be immobilized.”

The report goes on to say the child struggled with both officers, called them “animals” and “pigs,” and said if she had a knife, “she would stab them with it.” The report adds, “Deputy Watts and Deputy Carson both did not have marks from the assault on them, but both had transient pain well after the incident.” 

In addition to the questions raised about age of culpability per Washington law, medical records released to Malcontent News show the child has significant impairment due to autism.

A report from Northwest Neuropsychology Learning and Behavioral Services of Bellevue from February 25, 2020, concludes that there is a “significant issue with perceptual reasoning” and “significant sensory issues that include easily hyper aroused which triggers dysregulation.” The report further states that she is “severely impaired in all aspects of community living.”

Despite the police report having her stated age wrong and her established medical history, Snohomish County prosecutors initially moved forward with the felony charges.

Breaking News, Local, Terra Firma, Weather

Wildfires erupt from BC to California – smoke arrives in Puget Sound on Friday

[KIRKLAND] – (MTN) In Canada, 54 wildfires have erupted in the last 48 hours, causing evacuations and burning the village of Lytton, while smoke from wildfires in Oregon and California has already drifted into Washington state – smoke season is here. Smoke density is light to moderate and at higher altitudes, so air quality remains good. Still, forecast models indicating significant smoke will be arriving from the Fraser Valley into Whatcom County and working its way southward on Friday.

NOAA High Resolution Rapid Refresh map showing high altitude smoke blanketing most of Washington state in the next 24 hours

Air quality in western Washington could be called superior today, while many stations in eastern Washington are reporting moderate air pollution. Around Kamloops, British Columbia air quality is unhealthy and deteriorating.

Heavier smoke from Canada is expected to arrive along the Washington border on Friday morning. Weather conditions will keep most of the smoke aloft. Models indicate that smoke may settle into central Puget Sound on Friday night, dropping air quality to moderate levels. At this time, there is nothing in the forecast or model to support dangerous levels of air pollution in the next few days.

The ongoing long-term drought and record setting heat has been devastating for British Columbia forests. Bark beetles have destroyed millions of acres of softwood trees. The beetles hatch simultaneously during periods of high temperatures and voraciously chew their way through trees. The dead trees have no commercial value and have created millions of acres of wildfire fuel.

The worst wildfires in Canada tore through the village of Lytton, British Columbia, yesterday with almost no warning. Residents were ordered to evacuate immediately, and many escaped with only their pets and the clothes on their backs. The mayor stated, “the whole town is on fire,” yesterday. Canadian officials believe the fire was human-caused.

Lytton made international news on Tuesday when the temperature reached 49.6 degrees Centigrade, almost 122 degrees, and an all-time record high for Canada. In contrast, the highest temperature ever recorded in Las Vegas, Nevada, stands at 117 degrees.

In California, the Lava Fire, which was started by lightning, has burned 17,591 acres and is only 19% contained, according to Mount Shasta News. The fire is burning on the outskirts of Weed, California. The Tennant Fire started on Monday and has grown to 8,159 acres and is only 6% contained.

Last night evacuation orders were issued for the residents of Antelope Sink and Bray, California.

In Oregon, Governor Kate Brown declared a wildfire emergency yesterday to provide aid in response to a significant fire near Redmond. Yesterday the airport in Redmond was forced to close due to smoke, and 100 residents in Wasco County received “go-now” evacuation orders. The Wrentham Market Fire has grown to over 10,000 acres. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has activated 40 people to help fight the conflagration. According to the Oregon State Fire Marshal, high winds yesterday made fighting the fire a challenge and caused several flare ups. Two buildings have been destroyed, but no homes at this time.

There are no significant wildfires in Washington at this time, but officials from the local to the state level are deeply concerned about the coming Fourth of July holiday and human-caused fires in the coming days. Some communities, such as Bellevue and Mercer Island, have made emergency declarations banning all outdoor fires, including those in approved fire pits and even charcoal grilles. Kirkland opted not to declare an outright ban, but Kirkland Fire Chief Joe Sanford made a public appeal for the community not to have any outdoor fires.

https://malcontentment.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Kirkland-Fire-Department.mp4
statement by kirkland fire chief joe sanford

The Pacific Northwest, northern California, and western Canada are reeling after a record crushing heatwave sent temperatures soaring well into the hundreds over the entire region for 3 to 5 days. Heat-related death reports from British Columbia to Oregon now number in the hundreds, and officials were finding people who had died in their homes from apparent heatstroke on Wednesday during welfare checks. Washington state is still analyzing fatality data.

Three-hundred-and-fifty-eight people had to be hospitalized due to heat-related injuries throughout western Washington and over 1,000 were sent to emergency rooms. Hospital officials stated that the patient load was similar to the worst days of the COVID pandemic at the peak of the heatwave.

The National Multi-Agency Coordination Group (NMAC) is at Level 4 preparedness, the second earliest the United States has reached this level.

Central Puget sound has experienced significant wildfire smoke every year except one, since 2015.

Breaking News, Local, Weather

‘Never seen data like this before’ – Seattle prepares for the unimaginable

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[SEATTLE] – (MTN) Seattle officials gathered to outline the city’s planned response for the historic heatwave that will bake our region in the coming days. The city has activated the Emergency Operations Center and is working on a multiagency response to protect vulnerable residents of the area.

The National Weather Service issued an Excessive Heat Warning this afternoon, effective from 2 PM Friday to 9 PM Monday. Forecasters stated in today’s press conference, “we have never seen data like this before.” Forecast models indicate that Monday could soar to 108 degrees, which would shatter the all-time record high set in 2009.

A 24-hour emergency shelter will be opened at the Fisher Pavilion, which can accommodate up to 73 people and will be managed by the Salvation Army. The city is scrambling to open as many libraries as possible but is struggling with staffing the locations. The plan calls to have 7 libraries, including the Central Library downtown, open on Saturday, 5 on Sunday, and 3 on Monday. Later in the week, the city hopes to have 6 to 10 libraries open daily. An exact list will be available on the Seattle Public Library website.

Seattle’s Senior Centers have been closed due to COVID. The city is working to open the Greenwood, Pike Place, West Seattle, Southeast Seattle, Central Area, and Wallingford Community Senior Centers. People are advised to call ahead to confirm hours for each day. The city already started distributing fans to vulnerable seniors earlier this week.

The Lake City Community Center will be open from 9 AM to 6 PM and will have evaporative coolers to provide some comfort in the non-airconditioned facility. The International District Community Center will also be open from 2 PM to 8 PM for cooling.

Seattle City Parks and Recreation will have 8 of the 9 area beaches open starting on Saturday from 11 AM to 7 PM. The only beach closure is East Greenlake, but West Greenlake will be open. A spokesperson stated the reason for the closure was due to staffing. Additionally, the city is reopening indoor and outdoor pools, wading pools, and spray parks to the public. The 11 wading pools and six spray pools will be open from noon to 7 PM. The city’s two indoor pools and two outdoor pools will be open following their normal schedule before COVID closed the facilities down. Mayor Durkan stated that 100 public drinking fountains are now operational in the city, and they are working around the clock to turn and fix as many as possible.

Seattle City Parks also asked parents to test surface temperatures of playground equipment and surfaces to make sure they are not too hot. A spokesperson stated it could be possible to get burns.

The Seattle Fire Department has suspended training for the weekend to provide the maximum staff level and will distribute water to the public from 9 AM to 6 PM. Both Health One units will be operating over the weekend. COVID testing and vaccination sites will operate as planned, including the planned pop-up vaccination centers at Seattle Pride on 11th a the corner of Cal Anderson Park from 1 PM to 5 PM on Saturday. The HOPE Team will be performing welfare checks on the elderly and the unhomed.

Seattle City Light believes that the electrical grid will not be overwhelmed with this heat event, with peak usage typically in the wintertime. A spokesperson indicated that historically the highest demand used 75% of capacity, and summertime demand typically peaks at 50%. They will be monitoring for any possible wildfires that could threaten transmission rights of way. Finally, all planned outages for maintenance this weekend have been canceled.

The city has canceled all planned road projects this weekend (state projects may still go forward) and will be spraying bridges with water to prevent them from warping or the surfaces buckling due to the heat.

Employers who have people work outside or in non-airconditioned facilities were urged to allow workers to take frequent breaks in cool or shaded areas and have drinking water available.

Breaking News, Local, Weather

Historic, unprecedented, and dangerous – heatwave will shatter weather records

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[KIRKLAND] – (MTN) Meteorologists around the world have their eyes on the Pacific Northwest as an unprecedented and historic heatwave will send temperatures to dangerous levels never seen in the Seattle area. A strong upper-level ridge, an area of high pressure, is building off the coast of Washington and will park over British Columbia this weekend. Forecasting models have been consistent for almost a week, and what was disbelief a few days ago has turned into shock.

Hot will it get? Seattle will be hotter than Miami, Houston or Jerusalem, and forecasted temperatures will rival Yuma, Arizona and Cairo, Egypt.

During a typical heatwave, like the one the region experienced in July 2009, an area of high pressure forms over the four corners region of the United States and drifts northwest off our coast. These systems create an onshore flow, pulling dry warm air from eastern Washington into the Puget Sound lowlands and blocking the cool marine air of the Pacific Ocean.

East winds send air down the Cascades causing the air to compress. The compression squeezes out the moisture and warms the air, giving us our 90 plus degree days in the lowlands, and sometimes very strong winds in the foothills in towns like North Bend and Issaquah. For our coming heatwave the location of the ridge, how fast it is building, and how intense it is, has never occurred.

Normal highs for June are the high 60s to low 70s, so even our “cool” day on Wednesday with a high of 77 was above normal. Thursday will be pleasant before the blowtorch is pointed at the region.

Thursday: The marine layer and low clouds that came in this morning didn’t push as far inland as yesterday. Today will be sunny with some possible high clouds north of the Kirkland-Bellevue-Woodinville area. Temperatures will be 79 to 83 degrees.

Thursday Night: A marine layer will try to push in from the coast one last time, but it won’t make it to our area. It will be partly cloudy before dawn, with temperatures from 59 to 63.

Friday: The onshore flow will start and intensify through the day. Friday will be similar to Monday this week with sunny skies and temperatures from 87 to 91 degrees. Winds will be light.

Friday Night: With high pressure building to our north, hot air from the desert southwest will flood into our region. Friday night lows will be 64 to 68 degrees under clear skies.

Saturday: Hot air will entrench into the region, sending temperatures soaring. The further away from the water and south you go the hotter it will get. Highs on Saturday will be 97 to 101 in the Kirkland-Bellevue-Woodinville area. It may be slightly cooler right on the shore of Lake Washington. Our hot spots like downtown Bellevue, Totem Lake, and Kingsgate will see the highest temperatures. Saturday’s record high is 93 degrees set at the Federal Building (91 at SeaTac Airport), and both records will be smashed. The all-time record high for June is 98 degrees, and that record is at risk. If it doesn’t get broken on Saturday, it will get destroyed on Sunday.

Saturday Night: The ridge of high pressure will continue to intensify, providing little relief from the heat. Low temperatures will be record-setting, dropping only to 69 to 73 degrees under clear skies.

Sunday: It will be historically and dangerously hot. High temperatures will soar to 102 to 106 degrees through our area under sunny skies. The record high for Seattle is 91, and it will be obliterated. The all-time record high for Seattle is 103 degrees, set on July 29, 2009. That record is at risk of being broken.

Sunday Night: Historically hot with the highest low temperatures in Seattle history. Lows will be 72 to 76 degrees under clear skies with no wind. The heatwave is happening during our longest days of the year, with less than 8 hours between sunset and sunrise, offering little respite from the heat.

Monday: Unprecedently hot with historic and dangerous temperatures. Highs will soar to 103 to 107 degrees under cloudless skies and light winds. The record high for Seattle is 91 degrees and will be shattered.

Monday Night: The ridge of high pressure will finally start to move eastward, allowing cooler air from the coastline to moderate our temperatures. Temperatures will be 65 to 69 degrees under mostly clear skies.

Tuesday: Temperatures will still be 20 to 25 degrees above normal. Highs temperatures will reach 91 to 95 degrees. The record high for Seattle is 93 degrees and will be at risk of being broken.

Typically after heatwaves, our region gets a big push of marine air and returns to near normal temperatures with a cool gray morning. The long-range forecast as far out as we can see shows a very light offshore flow will return, but will not bring a big push of marine air. Temperatures will remain 10 to 15 degrees above normal according to long range models.

Burn bans instated throughout Washington as fire danger soars

The King County Fire Marshall has issued a stage 1 fire safety burn ban effective Thursday until further notice for unincorporated areas of King County. For the Kirkland-Bellevue-Woodinville area, sections of Woodinville are impacted. The ban applies to “all outdoor burning, except for barbecues and small recreational fires in established fire pits at approved campgrounds or private property with the owner’s permission.” An approved fire bit is 25 feet from all structures, 20 feet away from overhanging branches, has no vegetation within 10 feet, is no more than 36″ across, and is made of concrete or metal. The fire must be attended at all times and must be fully extinguished.

The Washington State Department of Natural Resources has also issued multiple burn bans throughout Washington state.

King, Pierce, Kitsap, and Mason counties are under a level 4 burn ban until further notice due to moderate fire danger. Industrial fires are banned, and only recreational fires are allowed and must be attended.

Grays Harbor, Jefferson, and Clallam counties are under a level 2 burn ban until further notice due to moderate fire danger. Rule and permit fires are banned, industrial or debris fires are not allowed, and campfires are allowed only in designated campgrounds on DNR land.

Lewis, Cowlitz, Clark, and Pacific counties are under a level 4 burn ban due to moderate fire danger starting Friday, June 25, until further notice. industrial or debris fires are not allowed, and campfires are allowed only in designated campgrounds on DNR land.

Chelan and Wenatchee counties are under a level 4 burn ban due to high fire danger. Rule and permit fires are banned, industrial or debris fires are not allowed, and campfires are allowed only in designated campgrounds on DNR land.

Power grid in Western Washington should hold, Oregon officials fret

Area officials aren’t concerned about the power grid and its ability to keep up with demand. Seattle is the least air-conditioned city in the continental United States, with only 33.7% of Seattle homes equipped with central air or a room AC unit, compared to 89% of the United States. Many office buildings and commercial spaces remain empty due to COVID restrictions.

Oregon officials are more concerned particularly in the Portland area where 70% of homes now have air conditioning. PGE in Oregon has stated they are ready for the surge in demand and do not anticipate a need to do rolling blackouts in northern Oregon. Temperatures could reach over 110 degrees Saturday to Monday in Portland.

Breaking News, Local

King County Sheriff reports body found in Lake Washington drowning

[KIRKLAND] – (MTN) The King County Sheriff’s Office has reported that in cooperation with the United States Coast Guard, the body of a 32-year old man who disappeared after falling off an innertube near O.O. Denny Park in Kirkland was found this afternoon. The Sheriff Department tweeted the body has been found about a 1/4 mile offshore, and at a depth of 145 feet.

On Sunday, reports came in around 6:00 PM for three people who fell off an inner tube being towed behind a boat in Lake Washington. Two people were rescued, but a third still unidentified person could not be located.

Officials started a search that was suspended on Sunday night and restarted Monday at dawn. Officials declared on Sunday night that the search was becoming a recovery, but still held out some hope that the victim might be found alive. News helicopters circled over Juanita Bay in Kirkland yesterday as the grim search continued.

There were 5 drownings in area lakes in the last week and multiple rescue operations. Although temperatures may soar to 100 degrees this weekend and an Excessive Heat Watch was issued by the National Weather Service, area lakes, rivers, and Puget Sound remain dangerously cold.

Breaking News, Local, Weather

UPDATED: Get ready to roast, historic heatwave ahead for Pacific Northwest

Update: The National Weather Service has issued an Excessive Heat Watch from Friday afternoon through Monday afternoon for temperatures approaching 100 degrees.

[KIRKLAND] – (MTN) Seattle tied the record high on Monday, with SeaTac Airport recording a high of 89 degrees, but if the forecast models hold, 89 may seem like sweater weather compared to what lies ahead. Puget Sound could see a historic heatwave this weekend and into early next week.

A powerful ridge of high pressure is expected to develop and push into our area on Friday, allowing a tongue of brutally hot air from the desert southwest to flow into our region. How hot? Some computer models are forecasting temperatures as high as 110 degrees for Seattle on Monday! Relax, those models are outliers, but the use of the word “historic” to describe what could be coming isn’t hyperbole.

The Pacific Northwest is notoriously tricky to forecast because a weather system moving 50 or 100 miles off the predicted path can dramatically impact accuracy. The location of the ridge, how effective it is on blocking any offshore flow, and the strength of the ridge has forecast models indicating a 25 degree spread for this weekend. It is like looking at snowstorm weather models forecasting 2″ of snow to 14″ of snow and trying to decide which one is right.

Stop stalling, or I’ll stop reading!

So far, this is what I think we are looking at, but my confidence isn’t high enough to say, “this is the forecast.”

The ridge will arrive on Friday, and the marine layer that pushed in a little bit today, and will push in hard tomorrow, will be on its way out. Friday looks like a near copy of Monday, with highs from 86 to 90 in the Kirkland-Bellevue-Woodinville area.

Friday night won’t offer much relief, and temperatures will be from 62 to 65 under clear and windless skies. Saturday is when the furnace kicks in.

Saturday could be historically hot. Temperatures in the Kirkland-Bellevue-Woodinville area will be 97 to 101 under clear skies and almost no wind. The record high for Saturday is 93, and I feel confident enough to say this record is at risk. If SeaTac Airport reaches 100 degrees on Saturday, it will be the fourth time in history Seattle has officially reached 100 degrees. Some forecast models are putting the dewpoint in the high 50s, which isn’t southeastern United States sticky, but it will be enough to notice this isn’t exactly our typical dry heat.

Saturday night has the potential to be historically hot. Forecast models are indicating almost no breeze to look forward to and an onshore flow. The only saving grace is it will be clear a night, allowing some of the heat to radiate to space. Lows will be 67 to 71.

Sunday is looking even hotter. The ridge will further entrench offshore, pumping the historically hot air into our region. Highs on Sunday could be 98 to 102. The record high on June 27 is 91 degrees and even if the forecast moderates, that record will almost certainly be broken. Some models show the dew point reaching 60 degrees. Last year during our hottest days we had desert humidity as low as 14%. Dew points will be about 15 degrees higher. It won’t’ feel like Georgia, but it won’t feel like eastern Washington either.

Sunday night looks like a copy of Saturday night. A relentless onshore flow, near windless and clear. Lows will be 67 to 71.

Monday is too far out to predict with confidence, but the models indicate it could be as hot or even hotter than Sunday. If the ridge aligns in the right spot and parks for long enough, there is a real possibility of three 100 degree days in a row for our area with dewpoints near 60, which would be unprecedented.

The ridge looks to move eastward on Tuesday and the onshore flow finally breaks up. Real relief won’t come until Wednesday, June 30. Writing a forecast more than 4 or 5 days out is throwing darts, but if I had to make a prediction, Tuesday could reach 90.

If you think this all sounds horrible, it could be worse. Portland, Oregon could reach 100 on Friday and 110 on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Spokane is looking at a 6-day streak over 100 degrees as a possibility, with highs reaching up to 110 by Monday.

The all-time record high in June is 98 degrees. Historically, Seattle has never seen three 100 degree days in a row, and in my 21 years here, I have never seen a forecast model so supportive of this kind of heatwave. The all-time record high for Seattle is 103, reached on July 29, 2020. That record appears safe, but that will be cold comfort for many.

Last year, forecast models supported several days but not in a row, possibly reaching 100 degrees or higher, but dense forest fire smoke moderated our highs by 4 to 8 degrees keeping us in the mid-90s on the worst days. There is no smoke in the forecast, but the risk of brushfires and wildfires even in the lowlands will dramatically increase as we approach the Fourth of July, even if these high temperatures moderate into the 90s as we get closer to the weekend and our confidence grows in the forecast.

Breaking News, Local

UPDATED: Recovery operation for a missing man who fell off innertube into Lake Washington

[KIRKLAND] – (MTN) King County officials stated that a search for a man who fell of an innertube into Lake Washington has become a recovery operation. Reports came in around 6:00 PM for three people who fell off an innertube being towed behind a boat near O.O. Denny Park. Two people were rescued, but a third person could not be located.

Officials suspended their search overnight and restarted at dawn on Monday. It is reported the man is a father of three. There were 3 drownings in area lakes over the weekend and several rescue operations. Although temperatures may soar into the 90s over the next week, area lakes, rivers, and Puget Sound remain dangerously cold.

BIPOC, Breaking News, Local

Lake Washington School District site hacked by white nationalists

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[KIRKLAND] – (MTN) White Nationalists hacked the Lake Washington School District website and replaced the homepage and other resources with offensive and racist content on Thursday. Reports of the site being defaced spread quickly on social media during the afternoon hours.

The website was restored briefly by officials, but moments later returned to its defaced state. The content was so offensive, Facebook was removing screenshots of images people were sharing.

Additionally, some people received an offensive message from a school district e-mail address named, “Very Important! Heil Hitler.” The content contained the same graphic and a similar message that was on the website.

The homepage of the website displayed a small graphic of what appeared to be a woman dressed as a German World War II SS soldier and a swastika. The site then had a list of racial slurs and praised Brenton Tarrant, Anders Breivik, Timothy McVeigh, and Dylann Roof. Brenton Tarrant was a mass killer in New Zealand, Anders Breivik a mass killer in Norway, Timothy McVeigh was the Oklahoma City Bomber, and Dylann Roof executed nine people in a historic Black church in South Carolina.

The Lake Washington School District released the following statement:

Just after 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 17, we received reports of a hack to our district’s website and all of its pages. The page that was presented as part of the hack included vile, disgusting and disturbing language that is filled with hate, racism and is completely unacceptable. Lake Washington School District (LWSD) does not, in any way, condone this type of language and we are saddened that this action is intentionally trying to hurt people of certain races and cultures. We will get to the bottom of this hack and in the meantime we want to apologize to everyone who had to see this page, and we especially want to say our sincerest apologies to anyone who may have felt personally impacted by this. LWSD is committed to all of our students, staff and families, and in this moment, we stand united in protecting our community as anti-racist educators and leaders. We will continue to provide updates as necessary.

Editor’s note: Our service agreements with Google News and NewsBreak prevent us from sharing these images on those services. If you want to see the photo gallery you will need to visit using a PC, Mac, iOS, or Android web browser such as Chrome, Edge, or Safari. Viewer discretion is advised.

[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”53″ gal_title=”Lake Washington Website Hack”]

The image also declared, “long live Evropa,” and 14/88.

Evropa is a possible reference to Identity Evropa, a white nationalist group that is aligned to identity politics. On May 31, 2020, Identity Evropa created a fake Twitter account declaring that Antifa and Black Lives Matter protesters were coming to the suburban and rural areas on June 1, initiating near panic in some communities, including the local town of Snohomish.

The number 14 is code for 14 words, a white nationalist view of, “We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children,” according to the ADL. The 88 is code for “Heil Hitler,” with H being the eighth letter in the alphabet.

The Lake Washington School District website currently has a single message, “We’re experiencing technical difficulties and are working on restoring service. Thank you for your patience.”

Dylann Roof, a person highlighted in the hack, executed 9 Black members of the Emanuel African American Methodist Episcopal Church six years ago today. The timing of the hack may just be coincidental, or coordinated to commemorate the horrific event.

Roof was taken alive by police in Shelby, North Carolina, who received harsh criticism for taking him to Burger King before booking him into jail. Roof boldly confessed to the massacre and stated to authorities he hoped to start a Race War. His racist views were formed after the 2012 death of Trayvon Martin. He was convicted of 33 crimes in federal court on December 15, 2016, and 13 additional state crimes in South Carolina on March 31, 2017. He was sentenced to death in federal court and made a plea deal to serve nine consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole in South Carolina.

Roof appealed his death sentence in federal court on May 25, 2021.

BIPOC, Breaking News, Local

Seattle Police use aggressive tactics, arrest 3 during George Floyd memorial protests

Video

[SEATTLE] – (MTN) Seattle Police are reporting 3 arrests, and a fourth potentially unrelated arrest, in downtown Seattle today after two small groups marched on the one-year anniversary of widespread George Floyd protests. According to Seattle Police, two were arrested for pedestrian obstruction and resisting arrest, and one was arrested for pedestrian obstruction. Pedestrian obstruction is under Seattle Municipal Code and the City Attorney Office has said repeatedly they aren’t prosecuting low-level non-violent cases.

Seattle police arrest 3 during protests on may 29, 2021

Around 3:15 PM a group of approximately 40 protesters marched to City Hall from Occidental Park without incident. Just north of City Hall, another group that had assembled at Westlake and was marching south joined up. Seattle Police appeared to show bias in enforcement, making a female protester move out of the line while letting local agent provocateur and Turning Point USA evangelist Katie Daviscourt stay in the bike line. Daviscourt refused to answer questions about how she got a concussion on January 6, 2021, while in Washington D.C. with Turning Point USA, and why she posted about it on her Twitter account.

Seattle Police became increasingly aggressive, simultaneously telling people to stay out of the street and off the sidewalks, creating an untenable situation. Two were arrested at the intersection of 5th and James. One police officer appeared to have a small scrape on their elbow during the second arrest. A third arrest happened outside of the King County Courthouse. In that incident, a man on a bicycle had been riding repeatedly in the bike line of the police officers. Officers punched the man and several wrestled him to the ground.

The group marched back to Occidental Park together. There was another incident where an individual was pepper-sprayed and mutual threats were uttered, but both parties separated.

According to the Seattle Police, there was an additional arrest, “later,” in downtown of an individual possessing a fixed blade knife, which is illegal in Seattle. The post did not say if that individual was part of the protests or their alignment.