day : 17/04/2021 9 results

Tonight’s pandemic notes:

NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: Here are the cumulative totals from Public Health‘s daily-summary dashboard:

*93.510 people have tested positive, 464 more than yesterday’s total

*1,493 people have died, unchanged from yesterday’s total

*5,569 people have been hospitalized, 37 more than yesterday’s total

*1,008,219 people have been tested, 5,077 more than yesterday’s total

ONE WEEK AGO: Last Saturday, those numbers were 91,054/1,483/5,439/990,933.

STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.

WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 140.7 million people have tested positive, and more than 3,010,000 people have died; U.S. deaths exceed 566,000. Most cases: U.S., India, Brazil, France, Russia (India moved from #3 to #2 since last week). See the breakdown, nation by nation, here.

LOOKING FOR VACCINE? If you’re seeking an appointment, here are links to try:

*If you’re looking for a city-site appointment, note that the official advice is to 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, Neighborcare, 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
And if travel time is not a barrier – Beth recommends this lookup for potential appointments within a few hours’ drive.

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

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UPDATE: Shooting victim found at Delridge/Andover, taken to hospital

April 17, 2021 9:12 pm

| 32 COMMENTS

| Crime | Delridge | West Seattle news | WS breaking news

(Added: WSB photo)

9:12 PM: Big emergency response to Delridge/Andover after a report of an injured person and possible ‘gunfire in the area,’ per emergency radio. Avoid the area. Updates to come.

9:17 PM: Emergency crews are asking to block traffic from getting onto the eastbound low bridge – which would be open to all at this time of night – so they have a clear path for transporting the victim.

9:23 PM: Per radio communication, one man, about 18 years old, is going to the hospital with a gunshot wound to the neck, after someone shot into the vehicle he was in.

9:32 PM: Northbound Delridge is reported to be blocked at Genesee.

9:40 PM: The gunfire may have happened at some point north of Delridge/Andover; police plan to search along SW Spokane. They say they have no suspect description yet. Our crew has arrived in the area and confirms NB traffic on Delridge is blocked north of Genesee.

10:08 PM: In both a tweet and SPD Blotter post, police have used the 2000 block of SW Charlestown – uphill/east of Delridge/Andover – as a location for the shooting. They also say the victim’s wound is not believed to be life-threatening, and they ask for anyone with information to “call the tip line at 206-233-5000.”

11:59 PM: One more note on location – the preliminary summary from the Southwest Precinct says, “SPD 911 began receiving reports of gunshots near Spokane St and Delridge Way SW. Shortly afterward a victim of gunfire was located in the 3800 block of Delridge Way SW.”

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FOLLOWUP: At least one more day of work for Gatewood tower takedown

April 17, 2021 8:28 pm

| Comments Off on FOLLOWUP: At least one more day of work for Gatewood tower takedown

| Gatewood | West Seattle news

(Wednesday photo courtesy PSERN)

We reported Tuesday that the old emergency-communications tower at Myrtle Reservoir Park was finally coming down, more than a year after its replacement went up next to it. By the end of Wednesday, the old tower was in pieces on the ground. But the Puget Sound Emergency Radio Network says at least one more day of work is ahead: “There will be demolition work – jackhammering – off and on throughout the day, Monday, April 19, and potentially on Tuesday, April 20. The Project team greatly appreciates the patience of neighbors during these challenging times as we work with multiple partners to finish.” The upgraded emergency-radio network was authorized by a countywide ballot measure approved six years ago. This is one of more than 60 towers comprising the network, which is about to start.a major testing phase. The West Seattle tower is at the city’s highest elevation.

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SPORTS: Football victories for West Seattle, Chief Sealth

April 17, 2021 6:13 pm

| 1 COMMENT

| West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | WS & Sports

As Seattle Public Schools‘ high-school students get ready for part-time in-person learning starting Monday, a delayed major-sport season is winding down. Both West Seattle HS and Chief Sealth IHS won their football games this week – West Seattle over Nathan Hale last night, 24-0, while Sealth beat Ingraham on Thursday, 23-22. The Seahawks are 5-2, the Wildcats 3-1. Another major sport season is around the corner – the delayed basketball season starts week after next, for girls as well as boys.

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WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Flower thief

April 17, 2021 4:15 pm

| 29 COMMENTS

| Crime | West Seattle news

Todd reports this happened last weekend:

My wife returned home in the Belvedere neighborhood on Sunday to find a woman in a red Toyota Corolla with the passenger side door open, which was next to the curb, digging our tulips and other flower bulbs out of the ground.

Upon being confronted the woman got shaky and apologized and slid into the car with ease through the passenger side and vamoosed it on out on there. She was tall, blonde and blue eyes. Her car was decked out inside with glittery sparkly things. She was wearing blue flip flops. The perpetrator got a verbal lesson in stealing and the respect of other’s property. No police report was filed … it’s a sad story of a young woman stealing flower bulbs, as flowers are not worth anything but happiness and if you have to steal it, that defeats the purpose.

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Brown water in West Seattle, and what to.do if it happens to you

April 17, 2021 2:02 pm

| Comments Off on Brown water in West Seattle, and what to.do if it happens to you

| Utilities | West Seattle news

Thanks to the texter who reported brown water in the Belvidere area. First thing to do if that happens to you is, report it to 206-386-1800. That’s the 24-hour Seattle Public Utilities hotline. If there have already been other reports, they might be able to tell you what the problem is – say, a water break in your area. More often in weather like this, it is the Seattle Fire Department using/testing hydrants, and that’s what the texter was told. That stirs up sediment – basically, rust. West Seattle had so much trouble with this five years ago, a special flushing-the-lines project ensued. Back to what you can do: Today’s texter was told, don’t use the water for a few hours, then run cold water for 20 seconds or so and that should clear things up. Here’s more advice.

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BIZNOTE: West Seattle Caffe Fiore closes

April 17, 2021 11:53 am

| 6 COMMENTS

| West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news | WS beverages

Though the banner says “We Are Open,” Caffe Fiore at 2206 California SW is closed – permanently. After tips (thank you!), we went over this morning to check, and found this note on the door:

To all of our loyal and supportive Caffe Fiore customers: It is with a very heavy heart that we are announcing our permanent closure here in West Seattle. We have had 10 amazing years here and want to thank you for all of your support and patronage. As much as we had hoped we could get this store through this very difficult time, the situation has just been too much for us to sustain financially and this coincides with the end of our lease here. Thank you again for your amazing support over the years and we encourage you to please come visit us at any Caffe Vita or Fiore in the Seattle area. Thank you again and we wish everyone all the best.

The shop opened in November 2011. The micro-chain’s founder Deming Maclise took over Caffe Vita – which has a two-decade history – early last year.

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What’s happening on your West Seattle Saturday

April 17, 2021 6:34 am

| 1 COMMENT

| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Hiawatha trees, photographed by Mark Jaroslaw)

After a high of 79 on Friday, we might get past 80 degrees today. Here’s some of what’s scheduled:

LAST DAY OF COVID-19 TESTING AT SWAC: After today, the city-run site at Southwest Athletic Complex (2801 SW Thistle) becomes vaccinations-only. If you’re looking for a testing appointment today, go here.

FREE COMPOST: Starting at 9 am and going until it’s gone – which could be relatively quickly – bring your own container and shovel to get up to a half-yard of free compost at the South Seattle College (6000 16th SW; WSB sponsor) north parking lot. (UPDATE: Karen notes that by 10 am, the line was estimated at up to an hour and a half long. 2ND UPDATE: As of 12:17 pm, SPU says they’re out.)

FREE SHREDDING: 10 am-1 pm, you can bring up to three boxes of paper for free shredding at this drive-up/walk-up event at Daystar Retirement Village (2615 SW Barton; WSB sponsor).

DUWAMISH ALIVE! VOLUNTEERING: 10 am-3 pm, the twice-yearly multi-site mega-work party – here’s where help’s needed.

BEACH VOLLEYBALL: The University of Washington continues hosting a tournament at Alki today, with play starting at 10 am.

DONATE CAR SEATS: 11 am-2 pm, WestSide Baby‘s White Center hub (10002 14th SW) would love to accept your gently used or new donations – details in our preview.

WYATT’S JEWELERS ANNIVERSARY SALE: 10 am-6 pm at Westwood Village, the 16th-anniversary celebration at Wyatt’s Jewelers (WSB sponsor) continues with 10 percent off everything in the shop.

QUALITY CLEANERS PICKUP, DAY 1: Noon-4 pm, it’s the first of three days for customers who still have items at the closed cleaners (2601 California SW) to go in and retrieve them – unclaimed items will be donated. Mask required; one person in the shop at a time.

VISCON CELLARS: 1-6 pm, the Viscon Cellars (WSB sponsor) tasting room (5910 California SW) is open for tasting, glasses, and bottle sales.

Anything we’re missing? Text 206-203-6302 – thank you!

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UPDATE: About the plane circling over West Seattle

April 17, 2021 1:13 am

| 62 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news

1:13 AM: Thanks for the tips. Flight tracker shows a small plane registered to the Washington State Patrol is what’s been circling in the Junction area – and other points south – originating in Olympia. We’re not sure yet why. It’s shown with a most unusual flight pattern:

(Image from Flightradar 24)

1:33 AM: It’s finally moved on, heading southwest. Still no specifics on what it was doing – we might not be able to find out until Monday – but here’s what the WSP aircraft are generally used for.

1:49 AM: Listening to archived police-radio audio to try to catch more context on a mention of a trooper in West Seattle while the plane was overhead, there was a mention of a WSP vehicle and a suspect vehicle, at a West Seattle location where SPD was going to assist, but no details on why or where.

8:32 AM: Here’s what WSP spokesperson Trooper Rick Johnson tells us:

We pursued what I believe was a stolen vehicle and then our aircraft got involved and the ground units backed off.

Two occupants fled on foot from the vehicle that I believe was in an apartment parking garage where they abandoned it.

This was not part of the street racers.

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