[SEATAC, Wash.] – (MTN) Seattle has not lived up to its soggy reputation going 30 days without rain, with the last measurable drops falling in the early morning hours of June 14. July is historically the driest month for Seattle, with .60 inches of rain typically falling. The forecast indicates no chance of rain for the next five days, and the long-range forecast suggests the same.
Drought conditions blanket southwest, central, and eastern Washington
The longest dry streak in Seattle history was 55 days, set in 2017. The driest month in Seattle history was July 2017, when only a trace of rain fell into the gauge at SeaTac Airport.
Officials sounded the alarm about growing drought conditions in the Pacific Northwest this spring when March and April were much drier than usual. A burst of sub-tropical moisture made June wetter than average but not enough to help with the rainfall deficit. While temperatures have moderated in western Washington, central and eastern Washington are under a Red Flag Warning and Heat Advisory.
The Northwest Interagency Coordination Center reports 5 large uncontained fires are burning in Washington. The Red Apple Fire near Cashmere exploded to more than 4,000 acres forcing evacuations. A portion of the North Cascades Highway outside of Winthrop is closed due to the Cedar Creek Fire burning outside Mazama. The seven-mile section is expected to be closed through the weekend.
[KIRKLAND, Wash.] – (MTN) Health officials are increasingly concerned as the COVID Delta variant takes advantage of low vaccination rates in rural areas and communities with vaccine hesitancy. In Washington state, Benton, Franklin, and Walla Walla counties have some of the highest COVID positivity rates in the country. Only three Washington counties, San Juan, Island, and Wahkiakum, have fewer than 25 cases per 100,000 people. In King County, new cases are creeping up.
The Delta variant emerged in Indian and has quickly spread through Europe and North America as the new dominant strain. Delta is more transmissible than the B.1.1.7 variant, or “UK” variant, and initial symptoms closely resemble RSV, a common virus. People infected with Delta are not reporting a loss of taste and smell, a red flag that is common with other COVID strains.
An area of particular concern is people who have opted not to receive their second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. In Washington state, up to 125,000 people have had their initial dose, but not their second. Not everyone in that group has decided not to get the second injection. Incomplete vaccinations provide less protection, but even more so with Delta.
In areas with low overall vaccination rates, Delta is dramatically increasing case numbers and hospitalizations. In southern Missouri, hospitals are overwhelmed with more patients than during the coronavirus peak over the winter, and officials searched for ventilators.
Depending on the state, 96% to 99% of people hospitalized for COVID are unvaccinated. According to the National Institute of Health, more than 99 percent of people who died from COVID-19 in June were not vaccinated.
Within Washington state, data is mixed. The positivity rate for COVID testing is 2.8%, indicating an appropriate level of testing. According to the most recent data, ICUs remain over 80% occupied. The number of COVID patients is low, with 370 in acute care and 80 in ICU.
A 2.8% positivity rate is a significant accomplishment from the spring; however, it has increased almost 50% in the past two weeks.
Governor Jay Inslee set a goal of 70% of Washington state residents 16 years and older vaccinated. The state is just under that goal at 69.8%. A lottery that included hundreds of prizes concludes today. The winner of the one-million-dollar grand prize is notified. Pundits consider the lottery a flop as it did little to move vaccination rates higher.
King County Health is continuing COVID vaccine outreach and providing transportation and childcare. You can visit the King County website to learn how to get vaccinated.
[KIRKLAND, Wash] – (MTN) Truckbane, the infamous “truck eating bridge” of Kirkland had a close encounter of the worst kind with an over-height Mayflower Movers box truck. The eastbound 12’6″ truck became firmly wedged under the 11’6″ overpass, leaving bits of aluminum on the pavement and a battered roof from above. No one was injured and no other vehicles were involved in the incident.
[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”57″ gal_title=”Truckbane July 13 2021″]
Around 6:30 PM, the truck embedded itself into the maw of the old railroad trestle, becoming the third vehicle to strike the bridge in less than two weeks. The truck was carrying cargo, but it appeared undamaged. The driver was rattled and didn’t want to make a statement.
A heavy-duty wrecker arrived about one hour after Truckbane fed, and pulled the prey from out of its gaping maw. The screech of metal echoed through the neighborhood as the box broke free.
On Saturday a group of citizens did a banner drop on the westbound side. It appears it may have saved a truck from being consumed by Truckbane on Monday morning. Some onlookers on the Cross Kirkland Corridor mused that the latest meal may not have happened if there was a second banner on the other side.
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.
[KIRKLAND, Wash] – (MTN) On Saturday evening a group of residents hung a warning banner above “Truckbane,” the infamous truck-eating bridge in Kirkland. Less than 48 hours later, the sign has been credited with its first save.
Debbie Smith McLeod has photographed 45 trucks stuck under, or badly damaged after squeezing through the underpass over the past few years. A white box truck almost became her 46th subject.
“9:42 AM Monday. I heard the brakes squeal, he (or she – any stats on that?) was able to stop short and back away,” she wrote in a Facebook community group.
Due to the complexity and location of the intersection, a range of improvements suggested by the community is not possible. The retired Northern Pacific railroad bridge is part of the Cross Kirkland Corridor. The corridor is a rail to trails project that is heavily used and replacing the bridge is cost-prohibitive.
The banner became a hot topic in multiple social media groups only hours after it was hung on Saturday night, receiving high praise and speculation if it would make a difference.
[KIRKLAND, Wash] – (MTN) On Saturday evening, a group of residents placed a warning banner on an infamous Kirkland bridge that frequently “eats” trucks due to the 11’6″ clearance. According to Kirkland officials, the retired Northern Pacific railway bridge located at Kirkland Way and Railroad Ave is cosmetically battered but structurally sound despite dozens of close encounters of the worst kind.
Marked on Google Maps as a tourist attraction as Truckbane, the Truck-Eating Bridge, a combination of low clearance, unique geography, and the street layout makes it challenging to create a better solution to warn truck drivers.
The bridge has become so famous in Kirkland it has its own Instagram and at least two Facebook pages. Local social media lights up with pictures and comments every time Truckbane claims another victim. In a recent Tweet by the Kirkland Police Department, a sketch artist drew what appears to be Truckbane revealing its true self. Just this past week, Truckbane was able to feed twice.
Kirkland police investigating another “kill,” caught this short video of truckbane before it disappeared down the cross kirkland trail
In December of 2020, Kirkland officials installed 12 new signs to supplement the existing signage warning of the low overpass. Despite the additional warnings, Truckbane continues to feed on unsuspecting vehicles.
At a thousand feet out, the first signs warn of a low bridge ahead. At 700 feet, two more signs warn of a low overheight bridge with 11’6″ clearance. Approximately 300 feet away, a final sign warns that overheight vehicles must turn onto an alternative road to avoid the bridge. Then, at both intersections, an additional sign indicates again that overheight trucks must turn.
City engineers have stated that having a suspended overheight sign isn’t possible. Because the bridge is part of the Cross Kirkland Trail and in a combined residential and light industrial area, the city is concerned a snapped cable could strike a pedestrian. Having an overheight detector isn’t possible either because of Department of Transportation requirements on its location, making it unfeasible due to the unique intersection.
Some have suggested lowering the road under the bridge, creating more clearance, but the road already sits at a low spot. Additional lowering could create drainage problems and would come with an expensive price tag. Others have suggested replacing the bridge itself with more clearance, but it is impractical from a cost perspective.
Truckbane feeds exclusively out of sight. Due to the Cross Kirkland Trail location, the trestle, and the intersection layout, no homes or businesses have a clear view. Despite numerous appeals for a webcam to capture Truckbane hunting its prey, photographers have only been able to get shots after a kill.
Complicating things, Kirkland Way is frequently used as a bypass to move between downtown and access to I-405 at 85th. Apps such as Waze, Google Maps, and Apple Maps recommend Kirkland Way as an alternate route to bypass traffic. For southbound drivers, a blind turn obscures the bridge until it’s too late if they didn’t notice the signs – and despite the city’s best efforts, drivers are missing the signs.
The banner serves as a final warning for drivers now but the city of 90,000 wonders, when will Truckbane strike again?
[SEATTLE, Wash] – (MTN) The Seattle Office of Police Accountability released its highly anticipated report today on the January 6 conduct of 6 SPD officers in Washington D.C. during the insurrection and has recommended two officers be fired. A combination of Crosscut, The Stranger, and Divest SPD, identified the six officers two months ago. According to The Stranger, “named employee 1” and “named employee 2,” are tentatively identified as Alexander Everett and Caitlin Rochelle.
According to Report 2021PA-0013, the officers violated 3 policies each. The officers claimed that they went to the Capitol because Donald Trump had asked them to, but didn’t enter any restricted areas. However, as part of a parallel FBI investigation, OPA received pictures that clearly showed the officers in a restricted area witnessing people scaling the Capitol walls and officers being assaulted.
In a written statement, OPA Director Andrew Myerberg said, “That they were direct witnesses to people defiling the seat of American democracy and assaulting fellow law enforcement officers—and did nothing—makes this all the more egregious.”
Everett and Rochelle allegedly went to Washington D.C. to see Trump at the Stop the Steal Rally as part of their honeymoon.
Acting Police Chief Adrian Diaz stated on January 8 that if evidence was provided that showed officers violated any laws, he would fire them. Both the Seattle Police Department and the Seattle Police Officers Guild indicated they would make statements later today.
Three officers were determined to have not violated any policies or laws and only exercised their First Amendment rights. A sixth officer refused to cooperate with the investigation. the OPA does not have the power to compel or order an officer to provide evidence, so the case for “named employee 3” is “non sustained, inconclusive.” The Stranger reported on Twitter that there is an ongoing FBI investigation into unspecified SPD officers and their conduct on January 6.
Crosscut reported yesterday that the Seattle Police Officers Guild has filed a grievance against the city over the request for information from the OPA as part of its investigation. In the days following the insurrection, Mike Solan, the SPOG President, was outspoken in blaming Antifa for the insurrection and sharing false claims on social media and his podcast. The City Council along with several organizations called for Solan to resign for his statements, which he ignored. Solan’s conduct on Twitter is currently subject to two OPA investigations.
So far over 530 people have been arrested for the January 6 insurrection, which left at least 5 people dead and forced the evacuation of Congress and the Vice President from the House chambers, and delayed the certification of the 2020 national election. Donald Trump and his supporters have continued to push “the big lie” that the 2020 election was corrupt and stolen, despite no meaningful evidence to support the allegations.
The Department of Justice has not made a statement to confirm or deny any SPD officers are under active investigation for their actions on January 6.
[SEATTLE, Wash] – (MTN) A year after Dawit Kelete, 28-years old, allegedly killed Summer Taylor with his vehicle, the community gathered to remember their legacy and wonder when there will be justice. Approximately 75 people gathered on July 4 to honor and remember Taylor, including former protest organizers and those on the freeway the night of the tragedy.
“Summer was the absolute life of the party,” said Marilyn Manslam as she reflected on the events from last year, “Summer was a magnetic personality.” That evening, a high point was the group dancing together in the northbound lanes before moving to leave the highway for the night. “Getting to dance with Summer that night was one of the best exchanges of my life,” said Manslam through a quivering voice.
“I personally will never have the words to say how much Summer Taylor impacted my life.”
Protesters had been marching on to Interstate 5 for 18 days in a row when July 3, 2020, had arrived. The Washington State Patrol, in coordination with the Washington Department of Transportation (WDoT), would shut down a stretch of I-5 and the Express Lanes between SH-520 and I-90, along with other access ramps. Protesters used spotters on bicycles and vehicles to form a blockade to protect the group further.
The Black Femme March group left Capitol Hill and moved onto the freeway as part of anti-police brutality protests in Seatle. The nighttime protests combined with COVID closures occurred during low traffic periods, making the closures more symbolic versus creating major traffic issues in the city. The highway was closed as in previous nights. As the group moved into the southbound lanes, horror was forming north of them.
Dawit Kelete is alleged to have entered I-5 driving the wrong way up the Olive Street off-ramp, avoiding the police and WDoT roadblocks. He then turned southbound on I-5 and started going at highway speed toward the group despite the closure.
Omari Salisbury of Converge Media spoke to the group that had gathered to remember Taylor a year later. “Seattle is maybe the only place in America that you can say you can see a straight line to people being in the streets to actual change,” Salisbury reflected. “That’s part and parcel to these young people who came out and made their voices heard, and in some cases, lost their lives.”
“People were so impacted by this crime against humanity, against George Floyd, to get into the streets. It went from the streets to city hall, to county, and down to Olympia, where Governor Inslee signed 13 bills for police and police accountability.”
In the weeks and months since Taylor’s death, four police officers in Washington state have been charged with second-degree murder or first-degree assault in two separate incidents. From the establishment of Juneteenth as a holiday to mandatory reporting of police misconduct laws passed by the legislature, Washington state had more police reform measures than another state in the country. Before Jeff Nelson, a city of Auburn police officer accused of murdering Jesse Sarey in the line of duty, no officer had been charged in Washington for 30 years. Further, no officer in Washington state history has ever been convicted of killing a suspect in the line of duty.
Kelete approached two blocking vehicles that were positioned to prevent cars from moving past the travel lanes. Shocking video from a traffic camera shows he never slowed down, veered into the median, then veered again into a travel lane aiming at fleeing protesters. As they ran to the gore, he swerved at them, sending two into the air. Chaos erupted, and one of the block vehicles drove off to search for Kelete.
Kelete stopped about 3/4 miles away on I-5 and was initially confronted by a small group of protesters who blocked his vehicle from driving further. A short time later, the Washington State Patrol took him into custody.
Also hit that day was Diaz Love, who uses they/them pronouns. Both were rushed to Harborview Medical Center in critical condition. Taylor died from their injuries 16 hours later, and Love would spend almost a year in recovery.
Love’s physical injuries were massive, but they also experienced a severe closed head injury amplified by PTSD and survivor’s guilt, per their social media posts which provided an intimate and public window into their recovery. Love ultimately relocated to Portland, where they continue to recover and have regained much of their autonomy despite impossible odds.
Speaking at Taylor’s memorial, TK, a high-profile and charismatic organizer, said, “Life is always going to knock you down. But when life knocks you down, are you going to get up again? Because you can get back up and keep going.”
MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR SUMMER TAYLOR A YEAR AFTER THEIR DEATH – video by renee raketty
Balloons, flowers, signs, and candles punctuated the memories of Taylor, from a group that went from laughter to tears and back to laughter as the moments passed.
Kelete was charged on July 8, 2020, and arraigned on July 22. His bail was initially set at $1.2 million for vehicular homicide and reckless driving. Kelete alleged he was impaired at the time of his arrest, but he passed a field sobriety test and a blood draw did not indicate he was under the influence. Despite not making bail, Kelete was released on December 31, 2020, with adjusted requirements of a $100,000 bond. Love, the surviving victim of the attack, claims prosecutors never notified them of Kelete’s pending release.
A trial date has not been scheduled.
Taylor, a Seattle native, would have been 25. Friends and family remembered them for being committed to racial justice, the LGBTQIA+ community, and a lover of animals who worked as a veterinarian assistant for Urban Animal in Seattle.
TK’s words were met with applause on Monday when she said, “We can hurt and do nothing, or we can heal, and do a Hell of a lot more. We are the cornerstone of change.”
[SEATTLE] – (MTN) Statewide ICUs are over 85% capacity and nationally the available blood supply for Type O is less than a day just as the busy summer trauma season is starting. The ICU is at full capacity at one area hospital, while Pierce County is over 90%.
“I think one of the things for people to realize is injury and trauma and having a major injury that requires blood can happen at an instant to any of us,” said Dr. Saman Arbabi, Medical Director of the Surgical Intensive Care Unit at Harborview to the Seattle PI. “It is a matter of life and death. We don’t give blood to anybody unless they have to have it. And when they get it, it is the difference between whether “I am going to be alive and I’m going to be dead.” So, it’s a major part of what we do.”
Despite the end of COVID restrictions, 9% of all patients in the ICU have COVID according to the Washington Department of Public Health. Earlier reports have shown that 97% of hospitalized COVID patients in Washington have not been vaccinated.
The end of statewide COVID restrictions, a national increase in violence, and the Fourth of July holiday have emergency departments girding themselves for patients.
[KIRKLAND] – (MTN) Some Puget Sound residents were out of luck when they found a handful of area stations were out of gas – but this isn’t due to a gas crisis or shortage. A check on the Gas Buddy app indicated that about a dozen stations in the Kirkland-Bellevue-Woodinville area reported they were out of fuel this morning, with some complaints on social media. The culprit isn’t a lack of gasoline and diesel. It is a national shortage of truck drivers.
Trucking industry officials are reporting that the country is short approximately 50,000 drivers nationwide. Additionally, there is a shortage of engineers, mechanics, fuel carriers, and specialists to inspect and repair the tanks that haul gasoline and diesel. The deficit has been looming for years. The lack of drivers created a perfect storm at the pump with the arrival of the 4th of July holiday weekend and the end of COVID restrictions.
According to Business Insider, trucker pay has dropped as much as 50%, with the average annual salary falling to $50,000 a year. Long hours, time away from home, regulations, and technology that tracks time on task and driver actions caused an exodus of experienced drivers. Many drivers are paid by the mile, not by the hour. Inexperienced drivers are hit the hardest, and time spent during load, unloading, or inspections are not compensated.
When COVID restrictions slowed down the economy, many trucking companies laid off or offered early retirement to their drivers. The loss of experienced operators hit the motor fuel carriers hard.
Federal regulations require additional experience to haul motor fuel and other hazardous cargo and have more extensive background checks than regular cargo haulers. Insurance companies won’t cover inexperienced drivers, forcing motor fuel carriers to look for seasoned operators in an environment of low pay and low reward.
Independent truckers have been hit hard by several regulations and the debate over “gliders.” Gliders are older trucks that are remanufactured and cost 25% to 30% lower than a new rig. They are a popular choice for owner-operators to enable them to be competitive. EPA regulations have bounced around to force gliders to meet current EPA standards, essentially eliminating the remanufacturing industry. The 25% to 30% cost increase is enough to keep independent truckers from jumping in and forcing others out when their rigs require replacement.
The Pacific Northwest is practically a “closed-loop” system, with most crude oil processed in the region coming from Alaska. The Rocky Mountains create a significant engineering challenge to build large pipelines into the Pacific Northwest. Local refineries aren’t calibrated for tar sands from Canada, and Pacific Northwest ports are a long journey from the Middle East.
Almost all of the fuel Washingtonians use is refined in Washington state. Outages earlier this year in Texas and issues like the Colonial Pipeline shutdown have no material impact on our supply. These issues impact what we pay at the pump, despite being separated from the rest of the country.
Spot outages are expected to continue through the summer driving season, but local drivers should not have problems finding gas, even if their station of choice is empty at the time they need to fuel up.
According to the Energy Information Administration, the average price of gasoline in the Seattle area is $3.71 a gallon, an increase of a dollar a gallon from last year when COVID shut the country down. It is up 30 cents a gallon from 2019 and 35 cents a gallon from 2018.
[MILL CREEK] – (MTN) Savannah Jackson had a vision of creating a welcoming and inclusive place for the Black community while introducing her customers to Ecuadorian delights. On June 19, that vision came to life when Mixed Coffee opened its doors in Mill Creek. The cozy and welcoming cafe has artwork from local artists and even a conference room for meetings.
“Our coffee is from Arken Roasters,” Jackson, who is Black-Latinx, told us. “They get their beans from all over South America and Africa. The blend we are using is a Latin American blend, and it tastes so good.” Jackson isn’t just passionate about starting with great beans. She is also passionate about enabling her staff to be successful. “We all went to Seattle Barista Academy. We had two days of full jam-packed training.”
Mixed Coffee is more than just great coffee. The food menu is full of standard fare such as breakfast pastries but offers so much more. Sandwiches make Mixed Coffee a place for lunch, and they have other drink options beyond all the coffee-based drinks you can imagine, tea, and hot chocolate.
The real magic is empanadas and Jackson’s signature pan de yuca. “Pan de Yuca is up and down South America,” Jackson explained. “You can find it in Brazil, Columbia, and Ecuador, where my family is from. It is tapioca flour, cheese, butter, eggs, and some salt. It is like a cheesy ball bread.” If you’re looking for even more pop for your tastebuds, Mixed Coffee had pan de yuca with bacon.
mixed coffee grand opening on june 19, 2021
Mixed Coffee also offers ice cream including vegan options. The cookies are made in-house, and use Ecuadorian chocolate. That same chocolate is used in the mochas and the hot chocolate Jackson explained, to a very approving audience.
Mixed Coffee is located at 800 164th Street SE, Suite N in Mill Creek, Washington. The cafe is open Monday through Thursday 7 AM to 6 PM, Friday 7 PM to 7 PM, Saturday 8 AM to 6 PM, and Sunday 8 AM to 5 PM. You can learn more by visiting their Facebook page.
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