Tag Archives: featured

Health and Lifestyle, Local

Juanita Beach swim area closed due to high bacterial levels

[KIRKLAND, Wash] – Juanita Beach is closed as of July 21, 2021, for at least one week due to elevated bacteria levels.

Water quality staff from the King County Water and Land Resources Division tested the water on Tuesday, July 20, and found that the levels of bacteria on the eastern shore of the beach exceeded the thresholds for bacteria based on the average of the last three tests. King County crews will return to the beach next week to collect further samples. The beach at Juanita Beach Park will reopen when bacteria levels return to a safe range.

People and pets should not swim, drink lake water, or engage in other water activities at Juanita Beach.

Signs will be posted to indicate that the beach is closed. City lifeguards will be onsite during the closure to communicate with beachgoers and provide information.

For additional details, visit King County’s Lake Swimming Beach Data webpage.

BIPOC, Local, National

Despite pledge to crack down, white power items still for sale on Amazon

[SEATTLE, Wash] – (MTN) Online retailer Amazon continues to wrestle with items for sale that embolden white nationalism with dozens of vendors selling “white privilege” cards. The cards of the same design declare, “White Privilege Card Trump’s Everything,” and are described as “inspirational” by sellers.

Although some may consider it humorous on the surface, two men in California have been indicted for conspiracy to destroy by fire or explosive a building used or in affecting interstate commerce. One of the men carried the same white privilege card for sale on Amazon.

The unfounded belief the 2020 election was stolen from former President Donald Trump allegedly inspired Ian Rogers and Jarrod Copeland to hatch a plot to blow up the Democratic Party Headquarters in Sacramento, California.

When investigators searched Rogers’ house in January, he allegedly had five pipe bombs, which court documents say were live. They also reportedly seized between 45 and 50 firearms, including at least three fully automatic weapons and thousands of rounds of ammunition.

Amazon has come under fire for selling Nazi memorabilia and white supremacist items as far as 2018. As recently as last year, Amazon said they would not sell these types of products.

Amazon’s published policies for Offensive and Controversial materials state that “products that promote intolerance based on race, religion, and sexual orientation” cannot be sold on the platform. Despite this policy, multiple sellers were offering one-day Amazon Prime delivery, and at least one was offering a coupon promotion. 

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.

Weather

It rained so the dry streak is over! Not exactly

[Seatac, Wash] – (MTN) Our tip line blew up this morning with reports of very light rain from Renton to Everett moving through the area. The marine layer that pushed in overnight made it almost to the Cascade crest, with low clouds all the way to Skykomish. But, as of this writing, the dry streak continues.

No rain has fallen into the rain gauge at the National Weather Service Office at SeaTac International Airport, so for now, rainfall for today is 0.00. It has been 36 days since measurable rain has fallen at the airport, where weather records are kept.

The showers and drizzle moving through the region are very light, barely being picked up by radar, and not enough to move the needle on the ongoing dry conditions.

The longest dry streak in Seattle history was 55 days and happened in 2017. During that dry streak, it rained very lightly on July 27 through many areas of the Puget Sound lowlands, but officially not at SeaTac, which got a trace of rain. July 2017 was the driest month in Seattle history and even if the rain had fallen in the gauge, it is likely it would have remained the driest month in Seattle history.

If SeaTac Airport gets 0.01 inches of rain, the dry streak will end, but that doesn’t seem likely with the marine layer starting to pull back. There is another chance for some mist, drizzle, or light rain showers tomorrow, but I wouldn’t bet money on it.

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.

Local

Oops! I did it again! Truckbane the truck eating bridge has a nighttime feeding

[KIRKLAND, Wash] – (MTN) Kirkland’s media darling, tourist attraction, and infamous truck eating bridge claimed another victim early Monday morning. Around 2 AM local residents reported hearing the telltale crash and scraping noises of yet another victim of the homicidal structure.

The driver tried for two hours to extract the truck, which struck the eastbound side before Kirkland Police showed up around 4 AM. A heavy-duty wrecker excised the latest meal from Truckbane’s jaws around 5 AM. This is the fourth truck to strike the bridge in three weeks.

Nighttime feedings are rare for Truckbane, which prefers to hunt during daylight hours.

Last Saturday a group of citizens did a banner drop on the westbound side. The community effort caught the attention of the local TV NBC affiliate KING 5, and the magazine CDL Today. In December of 2020, the city added a dozen signs to warn drivers of the truck eating bridge. The bridge’s location, architecture, and the traffic on Kirkland Way create a unique set of traffic engineering challenges.

Photo credit: Debbie Smith McLeod

Health and Lifestyle, Local, National

CDC moves Washington state up to “substantial transmission” as COVID cases skyrocket nationwide

[SEATTLE, Wash] – (MTN) COVID cases are increasing in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, as the Delta variant of COVID rapidly spreads through the unvaccinated population. The South and Central Midwest show the most significant increases, with hospitals in Missouri, Arkansas, and Louisiana strained by caseloads.

COVID cases are up 140% nationally in the last seven days and are showing exponential growth. Only Vermont, one of the highest vaccinated states in the country and predominantly rural, is the only state with a low transmission rate. Tennessee has seen cases increase 340%, Massachusetts 261%, and Alabama 257%. Florida is trending 6,500 new cases a day, 21% of all new infections in the United States.

Hospitalizations, which is a lagging indicator of infections, are up 34% nationally. Arkansas, Missouri, Florida, and Nevada have more hospitalized COVID patients than the third wave over the winter and early spring of 2021.

Clark County, Nevada, which includes Las Vegas, joined Los Angeles County in California, mandating masks for all residents and visitors. Governor Jay Inslee of Washington has said the state would not be moving forward with a renewed mask mandate. The CDC recently moved Washington state to “substantial transmission of COVID” in its latest weekly update.

The Delta variant of COVID originated in India. It brought the medical infrastructure of the nation of one billion to the brink of collapse. Officials wrestled with shortages of Oxygen, ventilators, and fuel to cremate the victims. 

In a non-peer-reviewed study of 167 patients infected with the Delta variant, viral load was 1000% higher than previous variants. Another study found the viral load to be 1200% higher, adding more weight to the first study. The increased viral load indicates that Delta is 225% more transmissible. In the United States, Delta now accounts for 58% of infections.

Another challenge facing health officials is some states moved away from reporting daily COVID data. Many believe infections numbers are worse. In Texas, for example, most COVID tests are happening at hospitals when patients are arriving much sicker than with previous strains. Many states, including Washington, converted testing sites to vaccination sites, making it more challenging to get tested.

Wall Street reacted negatively to the news of the “fourth wave.” The Dow Jones was down over 900 points, and the price of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil dropped almost 6% to $67.28 a barrel. Concerns over the economy slowing down again while most social safety nets related to COVID are ending were causing the retreat.

King County is offering free transportation to get vaccinated and is even offering free childcare for vaccination appointments and the recuperation period for those still unvaccinated.

Although side effects are mild, many have reported feeling fatigued, experiencing headaches, and having brain fog 24 to 48 hours after the second dose for a day or two. The one-dose Johnson and Johnson vaccine has been reported to have lesser side effects, but that evidence is anecdotal.

Vaccine hesitancy still is holding along political lines. Twenty-eight percent of Republicans and 20% of Independents have stated they will not get vaccinated. The survey also indicated 50% reporting they who would not get vaccinated were taking a wait and see approach and were somewhat likely or likely to get vaccinated in the future.

If you or a family member needs to get vaccinated in King County, you can visit the Getting Vaccinated King County page on the Public Health website.

Local, National

Union warehouse workers vote unanimously to strike against Fred Meyer

3 Comments

[TUKIWLA, Wash] – (MTN) Teamsters Local 117 warehouse workers at Fred Meyer voted unanimously to authorize a strike on Saturday setting the stage for possible food distribution disruptions at 180 grocery stores across Washington, Idaho, Oregon, and Alaska. The vote was unanimous (335-0), despite a notice posted by the Company in the lunchroom pressuring workers to vote no.

Contract negotiations between Teamsters Local 117 and Fred Meyer have been underway with little progress. The contract between the Union and the Company is set to expire on Sunday, July 18. With workers having voted to authorize a strike on Saturday, a work stoppage could be called by the Union as early as 12:01 a.m. Monday morning.

“With all the COVID outbreaks that wreaked havoc on the warehouse, you’d think they’d be a little more concerned about our safety and the safety of the public,” said Matt Collins, a Shop Steward who believes he contracted COVID-19 in the workplace last year. “But, sadly, that’s not the case. Fred Meyer ignored our petition to lower production standards, which led to crowded aisles and people getting sick, and they suspended safety meetings during the worst parts of the pandemic. Now they’re inexplicably rejecting our proposal that would make conditions safer for workers and the community.”

Teamsters Union Representatives met with Fred Meyer numerous times throughout the pandemic to demand they take more aggressive steps to address COVID outbreaks, but the Company was slow to respond. Fred Meyer rejected a proposal outright that would have given workers the ability to refuse to complete a task if they reasonably believed it would put themselves or the public in danger.

The strike votes occurred on the same weekend that Teamster union workers authorized a new contract with Safeway.

Fred Meyer has locations locally including Kirkland, Bellevue, Bothell, and Redmond. Fred Meyer is owned by Kroger, which has a portfolio of grocery brands including QFC.

Local, Splendid Saturday

Spencer are you out there? Your lost teddy bear from the 90s has been found and wants to come home!

[KIRKLAND, Wash] – (MTN) Ellen Noir was going through a dresser in her spare bedroom when she made a discovery tucked behind a drawer. Lost for 25 years, a handmade-looking teddy bear with the name Spencer on its ear and the date June 13, 1996, was found.

“My roommate bought the dresser second-hand in the late 90s while living here in Kirkland, but he doesn’t remember where,” she wrote.

The bear looks homemade, with button eyes and roughly cut blue tartan ears, paws, and face. On the backside of the ear in black ink is the name Spencer and the date.

The name and date inscribed on the ear of the teddy bear

Ms. Noir is looking to reunite Spencer with his family. “The fact that someone wrote a name and date on it made me wonder if there was some grownup named Spencer out there who still remembers losing this little guy.”

What has been pieced together is that sometime between 1996 and 1999, the bear became lost behind a dresser drawer, and the dresser itself ended up at a second-hand store in Kirkland. Ms. Noir’s roommate bought the dresser in 1998 or 1999, not knowing the bear was there. Up until this weekend, the small bear has been lost to the world.

The dresser that the teddy bear was found in – the bear was stuck behind one of the drawers

If you know who this bear belongs to or the story behind this lost toy, you can contact Malcontent News. Let’s get this lost bear home!

Local

Exclusive: Snohomish County prosecutors charge 11-year-old autistic child with felony assault in May incident with deputies

1 Comment

[EVERETT, Wash] – (MTN) Snohomish County prosecutors have charged an 11-year old autistic girl with two felony counts of assault 3 after a May 17 incident in Everett. In a police report, officers claim that although they were no visible injuries to either officer, the child’s words and actions warranted the charges against her. Despite the child not being of the age of culpability in Washington, flaws in the police report, and documentation of significant mental impairment, prosecutors continued to move forward with the criminal charges. Malcontent News is not identifying the child by name because this is a juvenile case.

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.” 

“Watts said due to [the child’s] actions, he believed she would carry out the threat of stabbing the Deputies with it,” a deputy claims.

According to a report issued by the Snohomish County Sheriff, the justification for referring the child for criminal charges was, “Due to [the child] being 12 years old and her actions (verbal and physical) I believe she knew she was using unwanted force against both Deputies.” But there are significant problems with the case. 

The child involved is 11 years old, not 12, and had only recently had her 11th birthday at the time of the incident. In Washington state, the age of culpability is eight years old per RCW 9A.04.050. In the section called People capable of committing crimes – Capability of Children, the law states, “Children under the age of eight years are incapable of committing crime. Children of eight and under twelve years of age are presumed to be incapable of committing crime, but this presumption may be removed by proof that they have sufficient capacity to understand the act or neglect, and to know that it was wrong.“

In the charging documents sent to the parent, the child’s birthday is correctly listed as April 12, 2010, making her 11 years old at the time of the incident. She is listed as 4’10” tall and weighing 115 pounds. Deputies claim they had significant challenges in restraining the child as she kicked and yelled at them.

At no time did she possess a knife or attack deputies with any physical item. The report does say that she grabbed keys at one point and claimed she would stab deputies. Her mother was able to restrain her per the police report, and the child relinquished the keys without contacting the officers or requiring their intervention. According to Ms. Helmy, deputies escalated the situation due to their conduct, would not listen to her advice on assisting her daughter, and ignored her statements that she is 11 years old.

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 moved forward with the felony charges. The first hearing was scheduled for July 19, but the incident has put Ms. Helmy’s child into an emotional spiral, and the juvenile is currently hospitalized.

The court would only delay the initial hearing for two weeks, pending the child’s release from the hospital. At the time of publication, the public defender’s office has stated that a motion to dismiss is with the court.

Upon hearing the news from the public defender’s office, Ms. Helmy said, “Dropping charges is not good enough. Had my daughter known what she was doing, there would be real consequences. The cop knew what he was doing and there needs to be real consequences.”

According to Mental Health America, Washington state ranks 43rd in the nation for youth mental health while ranking number 3 (including the District of Columbia) for the number of mentally ill residents. According to the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, 58% of inmates in Washington state are in treatment for mental illness when they are incarcerated. 

The Snohomish County Prosector’s Office and Snohomish County Sheriff Department did not respond to our request for a statement. At the time of publication, the child’s public defender had not provided any additional information.