day : 04/04/2021 9 results

Tonight’s pandemic news:

NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: From the King County Daily Summary Dashboard page, the cumulative totals:

*89,356 people have tested positive, 253 more than yesterday’s total

*1,472 people have died, 1 more than yesterday’s total

*5,372 people have been hospitalized, 12 more than yesterday’s total

*976,899 people have been tested, 388 more than yesterday’s total

One week ago, those totals were 87,382/1,461/5,288/959,558.

WEST SEATTLE TRENDS: Time for our weekly check. These numbers are shown in two-week increments via the “geography over time” tab on the daily-summary dashboard; to determine WS status, we combine the totals from the West Seattle and Delridge “health reporting areas” (HRAs): For the past two weeks, 103 positive test results; 97 in the 2 weeks before that; 66 in the two weeks before that. … We also are noting WS death totals each week. The total deaths for the entire pandemic in the two HRAs comprising West Seattle: 65, one more than last week.

STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.

WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 131.2 million cases and 2,852,000+ deaths, 555,000+ of them in the U.S. – see the nation-by-nation breakdown here.

BACK TO SCHOOLS: Seattle Public Schools elementary students return to part-time in-person learning starting tomorrow.

LOOKING FOR VACCINE? Here are links to try:

*Check for West Seattle city-run site appointments (updated) here; sign up for the city’s notification list for all four of its sites here.
*Health-care providers (particularly bigger ones like UW Medicine (one reader specifically recommends Valley Medical Center), Franciscan, Swedish, Kaiser Permanente, etc.)
*covidwa.com (volunteer-run aggregator) – you can also follow its tweets for instant notifications
*The state’s Vaccine Locator (as mentioned above)
*The CDC’s Vaccine Finder
*Pharmacies big and small – Safeway, Rite Aid, QFC, Pharmaca, Costco
*Sea Mar clinics

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

Share This

WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Purse-snatching; catalytic converter taken; gun arrest; another alert about repeat mail-theft suspect

April 4, 2021 7:24 pm

| 21 COMMENTS

| Crime | West Seattle news

Four reports in West Seattle Crime Watch:

PURSE SNATCHED: According to the police-report summary, an officer at Westwood Village (2600 SW Barton) noticed a “disturbance” in the parking lot around 2:15 pm today and went over to investigate. A 56-year-old woman told police her purse had been stolen; she fought the robber but he shoved her to the ground and took her purse. They found a suspect, “who still had the victim’s property,” according to the report. He was booked into King County Jail for investigation of robbery. The victim suffered neck injuries.

CATALYTIC CONVERTER STOLEN, AGAIN: We got a call this afternoon from a woman who reported that her Honda Element’s catalytic converter had just been stolen. It happened in the parking lot of Bridge Park (3204 SW Morgan), while she was there visiting her mom for Easter.

GUN ARREST: A man was arrested for unlawful gun possession after an incident in the 9400 block of 18th SW just before 11 am today. The police-report summary says a 911 call came in from a woman saying she had been threatened by someone with a gun. Police say the victim and suspect, who know each other, got into a fight about a jacket. The suspect got mad and pulled a 9mm handgun from his fanny pack, then walked toward the woman. She fled and called police. They found and arrested the suspect, discovering he had a felony criminal record and so could not legally possess a gun. He was booked into King County Jail.

MAIL-THEFT SUSPECT ALERT, AGAIN: A week and a half after repeat mail-theft suspect Jason A. Turner‘s most-recent release from jail – seventh time this year – North Delridge residents say he’s still stealing mail and packages. We got a text from one person last night, and today we heard from Southwest Precinct commander Capt. Kevin Grossman, who says he’s been hearing from upset residents. He says, “I’d like to encourage people to call 911 if they see him stealing mail. SPD will respond and arrest him — again. We are just as frustrated with Mr. Turner’s continued criminal behavior as the residents of West Seattle, and we will continue to work with the King County Prosecutor’s Office to persuade the judge to keep him in custody.” Turner is tentatively set for trial in May on the four counts of felony stolen-mail possession filed against him in February. (Here’s the original police alert we published in February, including a police-provided photo.)

Share This

WEST SEATTLE BIRDS: 9 views

April 4, 2021 5:29 pm

| 14 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | Wildlife

“Bey” the rescued Bald Eagle, photographed by James Tilley as she fended off competition for food, starts our gallery of readers’ West Seattle bird photos. Staying on the shore, we have two from Lawrence Heeren – Sanderlings in flight:

And Brant:

Two forest birds from Mark Wangerin – a Downy Woodpecker:

And a Dark-eyed Junco:

Trileigh Tucker sent this photo to show that the Rufous Hummingbirds are back:

A Spotted Towhee, photographed by Mark MacDonald:

Matthew Olson sent this photo of a Finch:

Theresa Arbow-O’Connor calls this Steller’s Jay “Bluebell”:

Thanks again to everyone sharing bird photos – westseattleblog@gmail.com is our best address for non-breaking news.

Share This

WATER TAXI: Doc Maynard’s return to West Seattle run

April 4, 2021 3:35 pm

| Comments Off on WATER TAXI: Doc Maynard’s return to West Seattle run

| King County Water Taxi | West Seattle news

The latest fill-in stint for M/V Spirit of Kingston on the West Seattle Water Taxi route is almost over. It’s been filling in these past two weeks while regular, larger vessel M/V Doc Maynard has been out for annual maintenance. Metro spokesperson Al Sanders tells WSB that Doc Maynard is scheduled to get “picked up” at the shipyard tomorrow, and to return to the West Seattle run on Tuesday. While we’re talking about the Water Taxi, a reminder – we’re just two weeks away from the spring schedule, adding midday and 7-days-a-week service starting April 19th.

Share This

Stay Healthy Streets, Keep Moving Streets, and now School Streets: 1 launching in West Seattle

April 4, 2021 2:08 pm

| 16 COMMENTS

| Safety | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

With Seattle Public Schools‘ elementary students returning to classrooms starting tomorrow, West Seattle’s Roxhill Elementary is one of the first four schools to pilot a new SDOT no-through-traffic program, School Streets. These are similar to Stay Healthy Streets – explained by SDOT as “closed to most cars and open to people walking, biking, and rolling to school (to) provide more space for social distancing at school pick-up and drop-off.” This will affect the block of 34th SW in front of Roxhill, between SW Holden and Kenyon, in effect stretching the existing Stay Healthy Street one more block south.

Here’s an SDOT flyer explaining the plan. The Roxhill block is the only School Street in the first four to launch citywide, but SDOT says it will work with other schools interested in requesting one.

Share This

FOLLOWUP: Beach Drive crash victim identified as retired fire captain

April 4, 2021 11:52 am

| 7 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle people

(WSB photo, Friday)

Two days after a collision on Beach Drive killed a scooter rider, he has been publicly identified as a retired Kirkland Fire Department captain. The Kirkland Firefighters union posted this:

Your Kirkland Firefighters are so sad to announce the sudden and tragic passing of one of our own. Retired Captain Keith Adams was killed [Friday] in a motor vehicle accident in West Seattle. Captain Adams served the citizens of Kirkland for 37 years until his retirement in May of 2018. It isn’t possible to capture how we are all feeling at this moment, but we can say that we are grateful to have known Captain Adams and his family. Please say a prayer for his wife and three daughters who are now struggling to figure out how to move forward without their husband and father. The family requests privacy at this time. Captain Adams loved his career of service to this community and it only felt appropriate to tell you of his passing.

(In addition to that announcement, we have separate confirmation of the crash victim’s identity.) Police say he was riding northbound on Beach Drive in the Me-Kwa-Mooks vicinity when a driver parked on the east side of the street pulled out into his path to attempt a U-turn. The online case record does not yet show whether that driver has been or will be cited.

ADDED MONDAY: From Mr. Adams’ family: “In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the Medic One Foundation. Donations can be made here: mediconefoundation.org/ways-to-give/donate-online.”

Share This

FOLLOWUP: Nantes Park improvements and artistic options – your input needed

April 4, 2021 10:36 am

| 2 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle parks

By Jason Grotelueschen
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

Additions and improvements with an artistic focus and international flair are coming soon to a small park in west Admiral.

At an online “community review” meeting on Tuesday night (as we previewed here), attendees discussed the proposed plans for Nantes Park (5062 SW Admiral Way), which was established in 2006 in honor of Seattle’s “sister city” relationship with Nantes, France. The launch of the Nantes Park Beautification Project this year will commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Seattle/Nantes partnership, with a goal as follows: “The project will transform a small, rarely used pocket park… into something that is fun, family-friendly, accessible, and reflective of the sister city relationship with Nantes, France.”

Project organizers want to hear from you: In case you missed the meeting, this online survey is still open, but closing soon.

On Tuesday, the plans for temporary art installations and permanent walkway improvements were presented by Susan Kegel, president of the Seattle-Nantes Sister City Association (SNSCA), with assistance from project manager Pam Kliment from Seattle Parks. Go here to see the presentation.

Share This

ORCAS: In Elliott Bay

April 4, 2021 9:19 am

| 2 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | Whales

Quick note for would-be whale watchers – Kersti Muul of Salish Wildlife Watch says the transient orcas that passed West Seattle headed southbound yesterday are in the area again, seen in Elliott Bay by the grain silos as of about half an hour ago.

Share This