day : 30/09/2021 11 results

10:59 PM: For the second night in a row, police are investigating confirmed gunfire in West Seattle. Right now they have SW Charlestown blocked off in the 48th SW/49th SW vicinity, after finding shell casings following reports of gunshots. At least one person has reported bullet damage to their car. No injuries reported. The shots are believed to have been fired from a vehicle that sped away eastbound on Charlestown, but no description so far.

11:29 PM: Officers also have told dispatch that a house on 49th SW has bullet damage.

ADDED FRIDAY: Police say bullets hit one vehicle and two houses, and that they recovered more than a dozen shell casings. Meantime, an area property owner tells WSB:

There were 4 gunshots fired in the same location Tuesday, September 14th at 4am. Multiple neighbors heard the shots and called 911. SPD was dispatched but did not find anything. Neighbors report that they heard/saw a car speed away down Charlestown but did not get a description. I own a rental house in the area and found two bullet holes in the side of the house and one bullet was found in the bedroom. This shattered a window and broke a closet door. Luckily, the house is vacant at the moment – otherwise this may have been a bigger issue besides vandalism. Upon discovering the bullet and bullet holes we called SPD.

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CRIME WATCH FOLLOWUP: Plea bargain for one Westwood Village burglar, another in the works

September 30, 2021 9:40 pm

| 16 COMMENTS

| Crime | West Seattle news | Westwood

(WSB photo, February 17)

Back in February, a three-hour SWAT standoff played out at Westwood Village, ending with two arrests. Rafael Meyers and Jerry Plute Jr. were eventually charged with second-degree burglary for breaking into the building east of Target, punching holes through the walls between Wyatt’s Jewelers (WSB sponsor), Sport Clips, and the vacant space north of them, stealing a gun among other things. Meyers was arrested first; Plute eventually was taken into custody on the roof. The two were let out of jail after one day, when a judge declined prosecutors’ request to set bail. Seven and a half months later, Plute has reached a plea bargain and will be sentenced tomorrow, while court documents indicate that an agreement is in the works for Meyers. Plute, a 35-year-old Top Hat resident, pleaded guilty to a reduced charge, first-degree criminal trespass (a gross misdemeanor), and the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office is recommending a suspended 1-year sentence when Plute, who has no felony convictions, appears before King County Superior Court Judge David Steiner tomorrow afternoon. The files do not indicate yet what’s in the potential plea bargain for Meyers, but it may include other cases, as the notation on the most recent hearing notes mention a “global disposition.” Meyers has other burglary cases pending including a burglary at Peel & Press in Morgan Junction last year.

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ROAD-WORK ALERTS: Two West Seattle projects this weekend

September 30, 2021 8:16 pm

| 3 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

While we usually include weekend road-work alerts in both our Friday morning traffic watch and our weekend-morning “what’s up” lists, these SDOT alerts for this weekend are worth an advance mention too. First, West Marginal Way near the Duwamish Tribe Longhouse, more work both days this weekend:

This weekend, we’ll continue working on the new pedestrian signal at the Duwamish Longhouse as part of the West Marginal Way SW Improvements project. We’ll begin work as soon as 6:30 AM and finish as early as 4 PM on Saturday and Sunday. This work is anticipated to have minor traffic impacts, but you may see traffic slowdowns and lane reductions in the area.

Second, Sunday work toward the east end of the Roxbury corridor:

This Sunday, October 3, we will be doing a fall clean-up of the SW Roxbury St and Olson Place SW medians. We will be performing a garbage sweep, weeding, hedging, and mulching of the landscape. Traffic impacts include closure of the inside lanes on SW Roxbury St and parts of Olson Place SW. We anticipate this work to begin as early as 7 AM and conclude as soon as 3:30 PM. Please use caution while traveling in the area.

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WEST SEATTLE SCENE: ‘Licorice’ the octopus goes free

September 30, 2021 5:55 pm

| 15 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | Wildlife

Thanks to Lynn Shimamoto of Seal Sitters Marine Mammal Stranding Network for the photos and report:

This happened around 1 pm at Don Armeni. Seal Sitters was tending to a harbor seal pup at the boat ramp when a truck from the Seattle Aquarium pulled up. Liz Boggs and Chris Van Damme invited us to watch the release of an octopus. The 28-pound male octopus nicknamed “Licorice” had been residing at the aquarium, but now it’s hoped he will find a mate and live out his days in Elliott Bay.

Two months ago, “Licorice” – a Giant Pacific Octopus – played a role in the Seattle Kraken pro-hockey team’s expansion draft.

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DELRIDGE PROJECT: Major work’s done. Got questions?

September 30, 2021 3:37 pm

| 47 COMMENTS

| Delridge | Transportation | West Seattle news

(WSB photo, southbound view of Delridge/Holden)

Major work is done on the repaving/utilities project along Delridge Way to prepare for next year’s conversion of Metro Route 120 to the RapidRide H Line. In addition to the new concrete pavement, some sections have seen major changes – medians, striping, signals, sidewalks … Questions have popped up in comment threads over recent weeks, so we’re talking with SDOT tomorrow morning to get some answers. But in case more questions about this project are out there, we’re inviting you to either post yours below or email us at westseattleblog@gmail.com, and we’ll do our best to get answers. (Just the Delridge RapidRide-related project, please, as we’re talking specifically to people on that project – thank you.)

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BIZNOTE: The Missing Piece to celebrate ‘grand opening’ and 1st anniversary

September 30, 2021 1:55 pm

| 6 COMMENTS

| Arbor Heights | West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

(Photo courtesy The Missing Piece)

Alex and Lauren, proprietors of The Missing Piece café/game lounge at the northeast corner of 35th and Roxbury, are about to celebrate two milestones concurrently – their “grand opening” and first anniversary! Here’s their announcement:

We’re inviting our friends and neighbors to stop in to try out our coffee and sample our cozy atmosphere. If you’re doing the math – yes, it also happens to be our one-year Anniversary, but crazy times call for crazy Grand Opening schedules! We’ve arranged several special treats that you might want to stop by for, including the following:

-Raffles for games, coffee, teas and even a private room rental package
-Our fall “Roll Your Discount” sale (take up to 12% off all game purchases based on your dice results)
-A small selection of store-branded merchandise available for purchase for the first time
-The inaugural “Piecing It Together” meta event where you can earn prizes just by hanging out with us and doing activities in the store. This event will become a recurring staple on our calendar afterward, so you can keep the prizes flowing

This will be happening all weekend (October 2-3); The Missing Piece’s hours are 8 am-10 pm both days.

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HALLOWEEN: No Admiral District business trick-or-treating again this year

September 30, 2021 12:21 pm

| Comments Off on HALLOWEEN: No Admiral District business trick-or-treating again this year

| Coronavirus | Holidays | West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

Just in from The Admiral District’s businesses:

(Graphic sent last year, applicable again this year)

Admiral District businesses regret to announce that the annual trick-or-treating event will once again be cancelled for 2021. With the rise of the delta variant, the decision has been made to err on the side of caution. Our businesses are concerned that many children are unvaccinated and the activity of going door-to-door for treats would pose an unreasonable risk to the health of our community. Currently the vaccine is only available to children 12+. We look forward to hosting the event again in 2022.

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HIGHWAY 99 TUNNEL: Higher tolls starting Friday

September 30, 2021 11:56 am

| 2 COMMENTS

| Highway 99 tunnel | Transportation | West Seattle news

Tomorrow’s the day that tolls go up for two state-highway facilities, including the 2 1/2-year-old Highway 99 tunnel, This summer, the Washington State Transportation Commission – which sets toll rates – decided to raise tolls 15 percent in all dayparts. So here’s what that means:

As explained in this announcement following the WSTC’s vote in August, Tacoma Narrows Bridge tolls are rising tomorrow too. Tunnel tolls are required to cover a certain portion of costs, and the previously planned 3% tunnel-toll increase next July 1st is still going forward too. After that, another increase might not be necessary for about three years.

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5 for your West Seattle Thursday

September 30, 2021 10:39 am

| 1 COMMENT

| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Sunflowers, some of the last summer flowers standing – photo by Theresa Arbow-O’Connor)

Here’s what’s planned for the hours ahead, mostly from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:

SHOW OFF YOUR ART: Today’s the first of three days that you can drop off art for the Southwest Artist Showcase at Southwest Library (9010 35th SW), which is open noon-8 pm.

BUSINESS NETWORKING: The West Seattle Chamber of Commerce‘s monthly After Hours event, hosted by multiple businesses, is 5:30-7:30 pm at The Bridge (6301 California SW).

CANDIDATES ON HOMELESSNESS: The Seattle Times is presenting more online candidate forums focused on homelessness tonight, starting at 5:30, including candidates for Seattle City Council and City Attorney – register here for the viewing link. (Update: The 5:30 pm debate is for King County Council District 3 – not our area. then Seattle City Attorney at 6 pm and Seattle City Council Position 9 at 6:30 pm, per co-sponsoring organization We Are In.)

OPEN JAM THURSDAY: 6 pm at Best of Hands Barrelhouse (35th SW/SW Webster).

SMOKEY T AND THE LARKS: Live music at The Skylark (3803 Delridge Way SW), 7 pm, also featuring Mountain Holler and Active Measure. No cover, all ages.

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Scare up Halloween fun with West Seattle Girl Scout troop’s ‘boo bucket’ fundraiser

September 30, 2021 9:46 am

| 1 COMMENT

| How to help | West Seattle news

Only a month until Halloween! A West Seattle Girl Scout troop has a fun fundraiser going – here’s the announcement:

Join Girl Scout Troop 41169 in the thrilling Halloween tradition of Boo’ing- dropping tricks and treats on the porch of a special friend, neighbor or your own kids! Our Girl Scouts are excited to get the Halloween spirit started this year and spread some fab-boo-lous fun around West Seattle!

After a successful yard sale this summer, the troop is still working to earn their way to Savannah, Georgia; which in addition to being the birthplace of Girl Scouts is often considered one of America’s most haunted cities. Spooooky!!

Our boo buckets are kid, tween, mom, teacher, and Pinterest approved! They are packed full of unique activities to keep your little ghosts busy all month! We’ve got crafts, STEM activities, tricks and treats galore!

Want to spread the Halloween cheer but don’t have a little goblin in your life? Our troop is working to donate additional boo buckets to a local non-profit for kids in need. When you purchase, make a note in the comments that you’d like your bucket delivered to a kid who would enjoy it and we’ll make sure someone deserving gets it!

Some of the Girl Scouts have also created additional items that would complement your boo bucket, or be great on their own! Check out our website for tic-tac-toe sets, mummy surprise balls, scrunchies, and decorative ghost garlands.

troop41169.square.site

Pick up in Genesee neighborhood on 10/9 – or our troop would be happy to make a super stealthy delivery to West Seattle or Burien addresses for an additional $5 (details on website)

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TRAFFIC, TRANSIT, WEATHER, ROAD WORK: Thursday notes

September 30, 2021 6:04 am

| 3 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

7:10 AM: Thanks for the tip – backup at the east end of the Roxbury corridor because of a crash at Olson/Cambridge. SFD has cleared from the scene, though. (Added) CJ describes the crash as SUV vs pole.

Earlier:

6:04 AM: Good morning!

WEATHER

Rainy, cool, breezy – with another 60-ish high (yesterday’s high was just 58)..

ROAD WORK

26th SW – Final week for northbound 26th SW closure between Roxbury and Barton; then the closure shifts to southbound.

25th SW & Barton – More county-led RapidRide prep work.

Delridge project – No major work this week.

(added) This weekend – Rescheduled work on I-5 southbound, Friday night through Monday morning, between Yesler and I-90.

TRANSIT

Buses are on regular schedules today – except for the rerouting in RapidRide H Line work zones. Watch @kcmetrobus for word of canceled trips. Reminder – the fall “service change” is Saturday; here’s our preview of West Seattle changes.

For ferries and water taxis, regular schedule today. Watch @wsferries for ferry updates.

BRIDGES AND DETOUR ROUTES

555th morning without the West Seattle Bridge. Here are views of other bridges and routes:

Low Bridge: Automated enforcement cameras remain in use; restrictions are in effect 5 am-9 pm daily – except weekends; the bridge is open to all until 8 am Saturday and Sunday mornings. (Access applications are available here for some categories of drivers.)

West Marginal Way at Highland Park Way:

Highland Park Way/Holden – Note: We asked SDOT about the camera angle again last week, and it’s been readjusted:

The 5-way intersection (Spokane/West Marginal/Delridge/Chelan):

The 1st Avenue South Bridge (map):

For the South Park Bridge (map), here’s the nearest camera:

Are movable bridges opening for boats or barges? The @SDOTBridges Twitter feed will tell you. (1st Ave. South Bridge openings also are tweeted on @wsdot_traffic.)

See all local traffic cams here; locally relevant cameras are also on this WSB page.

Trouble on the streets/paths/bridges/water? Please let us know – text (but not if you’re driving!) 206-293-6302.

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