Just got an e-mail tip that the Seattle Great Wheel – aka the Seattle ferris wheel – that’s been drawing so much attention across the bay was testing its full-color light show tonight. Our “tipster” didn’t have a camera handy but, searching Twitter and YouTube, we found this clip that someone posted. Vertical video, but wow! The wheel is scheduled to open June 28th, if you hadn’t yet heard.

ADDED MONDAY MORNING: “Mz Cher,” who published the YouTube video, notes in a YT comment that she had posted Instagram photos, too. Here’s one:

Just last Thursday, when City Council President Sally Clark was speaking to the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce, she was asked “Where did the (Seattle Great Wheel) come from?” since for some, its appearance was something of a surprise, with little advance publicity. Clark’s answer was not extensive, but as noted in comments here last night, the project did get city approval last November – here’s the written decision (which briefly mentions the prospective lights, though not as in “multi-colored display,” on page 10).

ADDED MONDAY AFTERNOON: KING 5 seems to have found some video from their tower cam – see it here.

SDOT‘s weekly list of what’s happening Friday/Saturday/Sunday has arrived – and it includes a reminder of WSDOT‘s all-weekend Alaskan Way Viaduct/Highway 99 closure (11 pm Friday-5 am Monday); note that the southbound Aurora Bridge is getting work done this weekend too. The roundup does NOT mention high-school graduations at Memorial Stadium, but there are several, including Chief Sealth International High School at 1 pm Saturday and West Seattle High School at 5 pm Saturday. To see what IS on the list, read on!Read More

Also from SDOT – the weekly spring/summer roundup of big events around the city that just might affect traffic. In particular, Saturday afternoon in SODO will be crowded, so if you are NOT either going to the UW commencement at CenturyLink Field or the Mariners’ game next door, you will likely want to keep your distance. Here’s the full lineup, Friday-Sunday:Read More

Summer weekend with lots of events – and that means SDOT has created a list of the events that are drawing crowds around the city and potentially affecting traffic. It’s just arrived; read on!Read More

(4:41 PM UPDATE: Amber Alert canceled, children found safe)

(Photo of car, provided by King County Sheriff’s Office, added 2:59 pm)
1:26 PM: Not far from here so we’re repeating the alert – King County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Sgt. Cindi West says they’re “working on an Amber Alert” – a man named Michael Riley III left the Burien Library, she says, with his 7-month-old and a 2-year-old who’s not his, “violating an order.” He’s said to be in a four-door 1994 green Lexus, WA 299UOM; call 911 if you see it.

2:33 PM UPDATE: Here’s the full Amber Alert, including descriptions. And KING 5’s Elisa Hahn has tweeted this link to a photo of the man and the children:

4:42 PM UPDATE: The Amber Alert is canceled; the children were found safe, according to the King County Sheriff’s Office. Awaiting more info.

5:13 PM UPDATE: Sgt. West has this postscript via Twitter:

Thanks to David DeSiga for that view of Air Force One touching down at Boeing Field this past hour (see more of his photos on the WSB Facebook page). Half an hour ago, President Obama’s motorcade headed eastward on 520 for his first of two major fundraising stops, a private event. WSDOT caught this screengrab of the motorcade on the otherwise-empty northbound I-5 deck:

Later in the afternoon, the president heads to downtown Seattle for a fundraising event at the Paramount. Remember that there are some downtown bus and street effects as a result. He’s scheduled to leave Boeing Field in the 4 pm hour, off to Southern California. If there are any additional advisories or unexpected problems, we’ll update this story.

10:30 PM: All went smoothly, by the accounts we’ve seen; he left shortly after 4 pm. We have a few more photos to add, first from Doug B:

You can see more of Doug’s work via Flickr. Then, as Air Force One soared over West Seattle, Mike Russell caught this view:

And back at Boeing Field, Leann photographed this vehicle:

Our partners at the Seattle Times have a wrapup of what the president said and did today, while NOT at the airport.

In case you saw/heard this from east-facing West Seattle, or South Park and vicinity: Seattle Fire had a big response to Airgas (near East Marginal/14th South) earlier this afternoon; it was at first an explosion call, then reduced to “hazmat,” and no one was hurt. We have the story on our partner site The South Park News.

Yet one more sign that spring/summer events are here – SDOT‘s first major citywide alert of big events around Seattle that might affect traffic, starting with tonight’s Mariners game – read on if you’re planning to be outside West Seattle this weekend (or if you’re just curious what else is up!). P.S. for food-truck fans, the Sunday Mobile Food Rodeo in Fremont will affect who’s in West Seattle that day (Snout and Co. told us last weekend they’re skipping West Seattle this Sunday as a result):Read More

Bob A in North Admiral took this photo around 8 this morning – looking north toward Magnolia – and shared it with WSB, wondering what the smoke was from. All we could tell at the time was, nothing in Seattle. Our friends at KING 5 said they had heard about something in North Kitsap. And now the Kitsap Sun has details – the community of Indianola actually had two fires to deal with today, including one at a “large new house,” though their time frame and description would correlate the smoke with the other fire, involving a garage and exploding propane tanks sending flames high into the air. So now you know.

(Photo by Danny McMillin)
Thanks to everyone who sent photos of that startling sight – a fire on Bainbridge Island, clearly visible from west-facing West Seattle this morning. According to the Kitsap Sun, the fire was in the 12000 block of Country Club Road (map), and one person was taken to Harborview Medical Center for treatment of smoke inhalation.

8:16 AM UPDATE: KING 5 Morning News just talked live (by phone) with Bainbridge’s fire chief, who says a Seattle fireboat responded to the scene. The fire is under control, he said; five people were in the “large 2-story waterfront home,” all got themselves out, and one, as mentioned, was airlifted. The fire chief told KING 5 that one of the 20 firefighters who responded suffered a minor burn injury. Too soon to say what caused the fire.

(Photo by Julie Williams)
9:04 AM: Adding two more photos – above, Julie’s view from Wing Point, looking south; below, DLC in West Seattle, with a wider view from this side of the Sound.

(Photo by DLC)
This is an area of spectacular multi-million-dollar waterfront homes; we found one listed online in a different block (we do NOT know the exact address of the home involved in this morning’s fire) for more than $8 million.

9:31 AM UPDATE: New information just added to the Kitsap Sun story – the house is a century-old vacation home and was to be the scene of a wedding later this year; the engaged couple were among those who escaped the fire.

4:13 AM: The Washington State Patrol is getting the word out around the region about a truck they’re seeking this morning – as they try to catch the man who shot and killed a state trooper in Kitsap County:

The shooting happened around 1 am in the Gorst area, along Highway 16 between Port Orchard and Bremerton. The Kitsap Sun says it was on the eastbound side (map), and since that’s not far from the Southworth side of the ferry run that ends in Fauntleroy, all the more reason to keep a eye out over here (though there’s no run from Southworth between 1:40 am and 4:30 am).

4:41 AM UPDATE: According to tweets from TV crews covering this in Kitsap County, the truck has been found near Port Orchard, but no one was inside.

2:53 PM UPDATE: Regional media, as well as the Kitsap Sun, have been updating this all day, but just in case you happened onto this story first – a man described as a “possible suspect” is dead, after, according to investigators, shooting himself. The murdered trooper is identified as 44-year-old Tony Radulescu.

Also just in via Twitter – King County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Sgt. Cindi West says the Vashon man who’s been missing since Wednesday (reported widely on Thursday) has “been found alive.” The Vashon/Maury Island Beachcomber has details, reporting 83-year-old Jack Randles was found at a home in the Luana Beach area (map).

4:42 PM UPDATE: From the Voice of Vashon Facebook page, a few more details, ahead:Read More

12:23 PM: An 85-year-old Vashon Island man with Alzheimer’s is missing, and King County Sheriff’s Office and the Alzheimer’s Association have asked media on this side of the Sound to also distribute his photo, in case he managed to get onto a ferry. His name is Jack Randles; he is described as 6’ 1”, 150 pounds, with white hair and mustache. He was last seen in the downtown Vashon area around 4:30 pm yesterday. KCSO is searching on the ground and in the air. If you see or have seen him, please call 911.

8:58 PM UPDATE: The Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber reports the search has been called off for now.

Elsewhere in the city, several big events will offer traffic challenges – as well as fun! – over the 4-day weekend, so SDOT has provided a weekend traffic-alert list just like the ones it routinely sends in summertime. Friday’s parade downtown and Sunday’s marathon are just part of it – read on:Read More

This story is still developing, but the victim’s family is sending a regional request for help in solving the attack: A developmentally disabled man is in the hospital with major injuries suffered last night – though no one is sure exactly what happened or where. He was found at his Burien home. Here are more details from our partner site White Center Now; our partners at the Seattle Times are covering it too.

From SDOT:

A march is currently scheduled for 4:30 p.m. today. The march will start at the Seattle Central Community College on Broadway and will proceed westward on Pine Street to Fourth Avenue, escorted by Seattle Police Officers, ending with a rally at Westlake Park. Up to 500 participants are expected. Drivers should anticipate traffic congestion along the route and in the area around Westlake Park. Drivers are advised to take alternate routes if possible.

(President Obama at the Paramount; photos courtesy Cindy S)
11:58 AM: According to our friends at KING 5, President Obama has just arrived at Boeing Field – which means you might encounter motorcade traffic. (Watch their coverage here.) He’s scheduled to head first to a fundraiser on the Eastside and then to another one at the Paramount Theater downtown. According to Seattle Times (WSB partner) political reporter Jim Brunner via Twitter, the president’s welcoming party at Boeing Field includes King County Executive Dow Constantine as well as Mayor McGinn and Governor Gregoire (among others).

1:03 PM: Roads are open right now since the President is in Medina for fundraiser #1, but he’ll be heading back across the lake before too long, and on to the Paramount event. For minute-by-minute traffic updates, check this KING 5 page; also remember we have an array of West Seattle-and-vicinity “live” cameras on the WSB Traffic page.

3:21 PM: Per KING, the President is headed back to Boeing Field right now, after finishing his speech at the Paramount downtown. (Added above – Cindy S’s photo of NBA Hall of Famers Bill Russell and Lenny Wilkens, who introduced him.)

3:58 PM: After four hours on the ground, Air Force One has taken off and President Obama is off to the Bay Area.

Reports on today’s visit: Seattle Times here; LA Times here