day : 05/10/2020 10 results

The President’s out of the hospital; the pandemic continues. Here are tonight’s local toplines:

NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: Here’s today’s daily summary from Public Health – the cumulative countywide totals:

*23,149 people have tested positive, 126 more than yesterday’s total

*766 people have died, 2 more than yesterday’s total

*2,386 people have been hospitalized, 11 fewer than yesterday’s total*

*434,142 people have been tested, 2,280 more than yesterday’s total

One week ago, the totals were 22.212/758/2,362/434,142.

*The PHSKC explanation for the drop in hospitalizations: “A correction was applied to hospitalization data, which resulted in a decrease of 13 hospitalizations. There were 2 new hospitalizations reported on Oct. 5.”

STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.

WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: See them – nation by nation – here.

WE’RE NOT #1: The city says Seattle has the lowest case rate among 30 major cities.

REOPENING: Play areas at Seattle city parks will reopen tomorrow (details here); parking lots that have been closed at parks (Lincoln Park, for example) will reopen on October 19th.

NEED FOOD? Again this week, Food Lifeline will distribute free emergency boxes of food to anyone who shows up, 2-5 pm Friday (October 9th) at its South Park HQ, 815 S. 96th.

MEALS FOR STUDENTS & FAMILIES: All students/parents/guardians – regardless of family income – are welcome to pick up meals at 7 Seattle Public Schools sites in West Seattle/South Park, 11:15 am-1:15 pm weekdays. (Also at that link: Info on the one bus route by which meals are delivered in north WS.)

GOT SOMETHING TO REPORT? westseattleblog@gmail.com or 206-293-6302, text/voice – thank you!

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City ‘learning hubs’ still have room for middle- and high-school students

October 5, 2020 8:39 pm

| 2 COMMENTS

| Coronavirus | West Seattle news | Westwood

(WSB photo from March, Southwest Teen Life Center)

One month ago, the city announced it was creating “learning hubs” for middle- and high-school students, with Southwest Teen Life Center among the sites. Now, there’s a reminder, because there’s still room:

… Free, with wifi, these spaces are equipped with community center and youth program staff who can help your student get engaged in learning.

To help support local students during the pandemic, Seattle Parks and Recreation has opened these hubs for the 2020-21 school year. The facilities offer a stable, productive environment by providing access to Seattle Public Schools’ virtual learning portals, along with recreational, enrichment and mentoring programs and in-person assistance with connectivity and academics. Breakfast and lunch are provided daily.

The hubs adhere to current public health standards by performing regular cleaning, sanitizing and daily wellness/temperature checks. All staff and students are required to wear masks, and social distancing and room occupancy limits are followed. …

Today’s reminder includes information on how to register.

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WESTWOOD VILLAGE: Repaving work closing southeast, central lots

October 5, 2020 6:37 pm

| 3 COMMENTS

| West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news | Westwood

The Westwood Village QFC parking lot isn’t something you’ll usually see empty at 5 pm – but it’s emptied out and closed off right now because of the ongoing repaving project at the center. Also closed off, the Rite-Aid lot south of there:

And the central lot between Bed Bath Beyond and Ulta Beauty:

The businesses are all still open, as are the sidewalks in front of them. Meantime, the driveway between the Barton and Trenton sides of the center has reopened, so you can get to the Post Office and Trenton-fronting businesses from either side. The repaving work is expected to continue into late October.

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Following up on that mystery helicopter over West Seattle

October 5, 2020 4:53 pm

| 27 COMMENTS

| Helicopter | West Seattle news

This past Thursday night, in the 7-8 pm vicinity, a helicopter hovered very high over south West Seattle for a very long time. We received multiple texts asking about it – mostly from Westwood and Fauntleroy – and saw/heard it ourselves. Nothing showed on flight trackers, and various other inquiries went nowhere, so beyond a mention on Twitter, we didn’t write about it. But we kept checking around the next day, including with a regional FAA spokesperson, who told us today that the best he could find out was “this was some sort of law-enforcement operation.” Not local – we re-checked with the King County Sheriff’s Office, which operates the only law-enforcement helicopters in our area, and KCSO confirmed Guardian One wasn’t up at all Thursday night. The State Patrol operates fixed-wing aircraft, so it wasn’t them either.

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Washington Medicare Insurance Services: Welcome, new West Seattle Blog sponsor

October 5, 2020 2:52 pm

| Comments Off on Washington Medicare Insurance Services: Welcome, new West Seattle Blog sponsor

| Health | West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

Today we welcome Washington Medicare Insurance Services as a new WSB sponsor. New sponsors get the opportunity to tell you about what they offer, and here’s what Washington Medicare Insurance Services would like you to know:

Medicare Insurance Services was founded to meet the expanding need for information and expertise on Medicare planning and insurance. Medicare Insurance Services is recognized as one of Washington State’s experts in the field. Our company and leaders stand out and are highly respected throughout the entire insurance industry. We have earned a reputation for providing informed, honest and ethical representation of health-insurance products. Our representatives are trained exclusively on Medicare Insurance. We market a variety of the best Medicare Insurance products through our general agency in West Seattle. We provide a no-obligation comparative analysis of different plans to interested individuals.

Our mission is to help you obtain quality Medicare Insurance without sacrificing your assets, independence, or dignity. We commit ourselves to unparalleled excellence and integrity. Thank you for choosing us to help you with your insurance needs.

For more information, contact us at 206-933-0100 or visit our website at washingtonmedicareinsurance.org.

We thank Washington Medicare Insurance Services for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news via WSB; find our current sponsor team listed in directory format here, and find info on joining the team by going here.

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YOU CAN HELP: Volunteer for Fauntleroy Creek’s 2020 Salmon Watch

October 5, 2020 1:26 pm

| 1 COMMENT

| Environment | Fauntleroy | How to help | West Seattle news | Wildlife

(2019 photo of coho schooling in Fauntleroy Cove, by veteran watcher Anne Samenfink)

The orcas are here because the salmon are here. Only a few salmon-spawning creeks remain in the city, and one of them will be under volunteer observation again this fall. Want to help? Here’s the announcement from Judy Pickens of the Fauntleroy Watershed Council:

If you’d like to experience coho spawners up close, consider joining Salmon Watch 2020 on Fauntleroy Creek starting Monday, October 19. Individuals and family groups may sign up to watch near the fish ladder (across from the ferry terminal) during the five daylight hours after high tide. A veteran watcher will provide training during your first shift.

This all-outdoor activity is well suited to physical distancing but you’ll need to have a mask at the ready. To learn why West Seattleites eagerly get wet and cold to document fish, contact Judy Pickens at judy_pickens@msn.com.

Here’s Judy’s wrapup report from last year, when 19 spawners were counted.

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ORCAS: Southern Resident Killer Whales were headed this way – for a while

October 5, 2020 11:31 am

| 7 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | Whales | Wildlife

11:31 AM: Early heads-up for potential whale-watching – from shore! visibility’s improving, too – today: Kersti Muul reports Southern Resident Killer Whales from J-Pod are headed southbound toward central Puget Sound, seen this morning off Edmonds. This is the time of year the resident orcas often swim this far south, seeking salmon. J-Pod, as announced recently, is the group with two newborns, too. Let us know if you see them.

2:56 PM: Texter says they’re still southbound, “spread out midchannel off the north end of Golden Gardens.”

4:28 PM: Kersti says via a comment below that they’ve turned back north.

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CITY COUNCIL NOTES: Seattle Parks reopenings, including play areas; your chance for budget comments Tuesday; Town Hall stats

October 5, 2020 10:25 am

| 9 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle parks | West Seattle politics

Three notes from the City Council‘s weekly briefing meeting, just concluded, when councilmembers share quick updates:

(Photo from Lincoln Park, sent by Carolyn in March)

PARKS REOPENINGS: City Councilmember Debora Juarez, who chairs the Parks Committee, had some big news. She said that Parks will reopen play areas tomorrow and parking lots October 19th. We’re inquiring with Parks for details. (Play and fitness equipment at parks were first taped off in the early weeks of the pandemic, more than 6 months ago.) ADDED 11:23 AM: Confirmed by Parks – here’s the update, with the rules.

BUDGET COMMENTS TOMORROW: What do you think the city should – and/or shouldn’t – be spending money on? Tuesday night is the first major public hearing in the budget process. This is an all-public-comment event, online, starting at 5:30 pm. Signups for commenting start two hours earlier; the agenda explains how you can do that beginning at 3:30 pm Tuesday.

TOWN HALL FOLLOWUP: West Seattle/South Park City Councilmember Lisa Herbold told her colleagues that more than 500 people signed up to attend her Town Hall last Wednesday, with 88 questions submitted. (Our coverage, including links to the video, is in two parts – the first hour-plus, focused on public safety, here; the second part, focused on the West Seattle Bridge, here.)

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WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH; Double-shooting followup; yard theft

October 5, 2020 8:42 am

| 13 COMMENTS

| Crime | West Seattle news

Two West Seattle Crime Watch notes:

DOUBLE SHOOTING FOLLOWUP: Early Sunday, we reported on a police and fire response in the 7200 block of Dumar Way. The initial report was that two people were shot. but the house was empty when police arrived; one victim showed up at Harborview Medical Center. The Southwest Precinct has just released a few more details: “A large house party was being hosted at an Airbnb … Two suspects arrived that did not get along. They got into an argument before shooting 15-20 rounds at each other. Two victims were transported to Harborview Medical Center by personal vehicles. It is unknown if they were the shooters. Both victims were uncooperative with the police. One victim was shot in the arm and the other in the back.” SPD was seeking a warrant to collect more evidence.

ADDED 9:09 AM: We’ve just received additional information in response to our original inquiry with SPD media relations. The warrant actually has already been procured; officers reported finding “bloodstains, ,,, disarray, and an identification card … inside the house” as well as “five bullet holes in the wall. Four of them had visible exit holes and the fifth had a bullet still lodged in it.” This information also clarifies that four people were inside the house when police arrived, though the victims were gone. It also notes the Washington State Patrol tried to stop the vehicle carrying the victims for suspected DUI on I-5 – and arrested the driver after arrival at Harborview. The victims were a “juvenile male” who tried to “flee the hospital without receiving treatment” for a gunshot wound to his right arm, and a female victim who said she was standing on the house’s balcony when hit in the back by a bullet and didn’t even realize for a few minutes that she had been shot. Two casings were found in the street.

(back to original 8:42 am report) YARD CART THEFT: The video and report are from Denise in Highland Park:

Some lady came from the front side of our house through a closed gate, stole a Gorilla Cart from us, and went out the back gate as well. This happened at 8:06 (Sunday) morning.