West Seattle, Washington

18 Tuesday

58℉

West Seattle news 69337 results

VIDEO: Sound Transit 3 supporters make a West Seattle-specific pitch
November 3, 2016 3:38 pm
|      63 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

West Seattle hasn’t seen much bigtime campaigning this election season, but that changed today, as three elected officials headlined a media briefing today at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, making West Seattle-specific pitches for approval of Sound Transit 3. (Our video shows the entire 12-minute event.)

st3allpols-1

Mayor Ed Murray, City Councilmember Lisa Herbold, and State Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon all repeated the point that our region shouldn’t repeat the mistake it made 40+ years ago by rejecting measures that would have led to a major transit system. Herbold noted that while some in West Seattle are unhappy that ST3 won’t bring light rail to West Seattle until 2030 (here’s our coverage of the June vote finalizing the measure) – three years earlier than the first draft of the measure projected – it does include other improvements in the meantime, including more RapidRide bus service. Fitzgibbon said that while everyone wishes light rail could get here before 2030, if ST3 is defeated, any future replacement proposal won’t get it here any sooner. Supporters also have been warning that a downsized measure might not include West Seattle at all. We asked the campaign manager Abigail Doerr afterward why they’re saying that; she says the West Seattle line is projected to have less ridership than Ballard, so if one had to go, it would likely be us (the final say, of course, would be up to the Sound Transit board).

st3davidb

The only other person to speak at the news conference was David Bestock (above), who manages Youngstown, saying he’s excited about making West Seattle more accessible via light rail, and about its affordable-housing component. And Mayor Murray – after mentioning his West Seattle roots – said that light rail has been a “lifechanging experience” for his current neighborhood, Capitol Hill.

You can read the full text of the measure, plus pro/con/explanatory statements, on this page of the King County Elections website – assuming you haven’t voted already. Doerr told us many have, citing new stats showing at least a third of Seattle voters already have turned in their ballots.

Share This

YOU CAN HELP: Luna Park-area community cleanup Saturday
November 3, 2016 2:58 pm
|    Comments Off on YOU CAN HELP: Luna Park-area community cleanup Saturday
 |   How to help | Luna Park | West Seattle news

Reminder from Roxane in the Luna Park area:

Our neighborhood, along with Luna Park Merchants and the Seattle reLeaf Tree Ambassador team, will be holding a work party to continue the clean up of the Avalon/ Harbor at Manning area on Saturday, November 5th, from 9 am until noon.

This is the second in a series of work parties to ready the site for the Neighborhood Street and Park fund grant work that will commence in February 2017 AND provide a green buffer for neighboring homes and businesses. Meet at the parking area of Luna Park Café. Help us remove aggressive weeds, care for the mature trees, and improve sightlines for pedestrians and traffic. We’ll provide tools, gloves, and instruction. No experience necessary.

WE WILL BE PLANTING SOME NEEDED TREES TOO! Here is the link for RSVPs.

Rain or shine!

Share This

VIDEO: Highway 99 tunneling machine passes 1-mile mark
November 3, 2016 1:30 pm
|    Comments Off on VIDEO: Highway 99 tunneling machine passes 1-mile mark
 |   Alaskan Way Viaduct | Highway 99 tunnel | West Seattle news

The Highway 99 tunneling machine has passed the one-mile mark as of this morning, according to WSDOT. It’s also made a new video showing how the machine is steered along its designated path underground, considering there’s no GPS:

The machine is at its deepest point – around 200 feet underground – with just under 4,000 feet remaining on the route, which is shown on this map, along with the machine’s approximate current location. The most recent timeline says that absent any further major problems, the tunnel will open in 2019.

Share This

FOLLOWUP: Hearing date set for tree-vs.-house appeal
November 3, 2016 12:57 pm
|      8 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle housing | West Seattle news

(June WSB photo of Ponderosa Pine at 3038 39th SW)

Two weeks after two appeals were filed against the granting of a permit to build a house at 3038 39th SW that would take out a Ponderosa pine deemed an “exceptional tree,” the hearing date is set. January 12th is when the city Hearing Examiner will hear arguments in the consolidated case, according to a notice in today’s Land Use Information Bulletin. The tree is in what was considered to be the side yard of the house next door, neighbors say, until that house was sold and the buyer got a city opinion that the “side yard” was a separate lot on which a house could be built. We first wrote about the tree tussle back in June. The appeal hearing is scheduled for 9 am January 12th at the Hearing Examiner’s chambers on the 40th floor of the Municipal Tower downtown (700 5th Ave.), and is open to the public for observation. You can see the case documents here.

Share This

West Seattle art: Sculpture installation @ Junction Plaza Park
November 3, 2016 10:57 am
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle parks | WS culture/arts

img_0469
(WSB photo)

10:57 AM: You’ll see something new at Junction Plaza Park (42nd/Alaska) next time you go by: The 20-foot-tall kinetic sculpture that’s been in the works for a while. We last reported on the plan when concepts were shown at a Junction open-house event during last February’s West Seattle Art Walk; now, local artist Troy Pillow has completed the work, and it’s being installed this morning. It’s funded by public-benefit money from local development as well as a city grant. Update later, after it’s fully installed!

ADDED: By the time we got back in late afternoon, the base was already in shadow, but you can see the top of the sculpture:

img_7259

Share This

4 options for your West Seattle Thursday
November 3, 2016 10:22 am
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

annashb1016-19
(Another beautiful Anna’s Hummingbird, photographed by Mark Wangerin)

Four highlights from what’s up for the rest of today/tonight, via the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar and inbox:

THRIFTWAY HOLIDAY TASTE: 4-7 pm, West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor) invites you to come sample appetizer, main course, side-dish, and dessert possibilities as you start thinking about your holiday-season celebrations – Thanksgiving, for starters, is only three weeks from today! (California/Fauntleroy/Morgan)

WEST SEATTLE MONTESSORI SCHOOL & ACADEMY OPEN HOUSE: Looking for school(s) for next year? Thursday night brings a chance to find out more about West Seattle Montessori School and Academy (WSB sponsor). From 6 to 7:30 pm, the open house “gives parents and prospective families a chance to meet our staff, teachers and tour the facilities. You’ll be able to view samples of student work and pick up application materials. Our teachers and staff are available during and after the Open House to answer questions.” (11215 15th SW)

9030 35TH SW DESIGN REVIEW: 6:30 pm at the Sisson Building/Senior Center, the Southwest Design Review Board looks at this proposed mixed-use building with 40 apartments and ground-floor retail. The design packet is linked in our preview; the meeting includes a public-comment period. (4217 SW Oregon)

WHITE CENTER SHELTER UPDATE @ NHUAC MEETING If you are interested in the proposal to open a shelter at the former King County Public Health building at 8th SW/SW 108th, which we’ve continued to follow via our White Center site, WhiteCenterNow.com, tonight county department head Adrienne Quinn is scheduled to speak at the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council meeting, which is tackling other topics too. All welcome, 7 pm, NH Fire District headquarters. (1243 SW 112th)

SEE MORE FOR TODAY/TONIGHT … by going here.

Share This

Metro likely going ahead with removing 2 Junction shelters, Southwest District Council told
November 3, 2016 9:54 am
|      27 COMMENTS
 |   Southwest District Council | Transportation | West Seattle news

From last night’s Southwest District Council meeting:

A Metro planner told the SWDC that they’re likely to go ahead with removing two bus shelters in The Junction as part of a “problem-solving plan” to deter loitering.

img_0268
(WSB photo, October 27th)

While Metro is taking comments for two more weeks, so far few have come in, and more are in support than against, planner Dale Cummings said at the meeting. Read More

Share This

Seen off West Seattle: USS Nimitz
November 3, 2016 8:56 am
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Seen at sea | West Seattle news

img_2747

Thanks to the texter who sent that photo a few minutes ago. It’s the USS Nimitz, headed back to Bremerton after leaving October 5th for sea trials and flight certification following a quarter-billion dollars of work at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. The Navy announced last December that even after that work, the Nimitz will remain homeported in Bremerton at least three more years.

Share This

TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Thursday alerts and updates
November 3, 2016 6:57 am
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)

(Click any view for a close-up; more cameras on the WSB Traffic page)

6:57 AM: One problem so far today, and it’s inbound instead of outbound – a crash is blocking all lanes in the SOUTHBOUND Battery Street Tunnel.

Now that it’s Thursday, weekend notes:

WESTBOUND I-90 LANE CLOSURE: Between Seattle and Bellevue, all weekend, westbound I-90 traffic will be shifted to the express lanes.

DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME ENDS: At 2 am Sunday (November 6th), we “fall back” to 1 am.

7:04 AM: The southbound Battery St. Tunnel crash has cleared, WSDOT says.

8:36 AM: JayDee reports that SDOT is back painting on Admiral Way today – some striping remained to be done toward the west end of the rechannelization project, in the Alki area.

Share This

BIZNOTES: Raccolto soft-opens Thursday; 3 more food/drink notes; and 8 businesses’ 2-ton achievement
November 2, 2016 10:22 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news | West Seattle restaurants

First, four food/drink biznotes:

RACCOLTO SOFT-OPENS THURSDAY: The new Italian restaurant on the north edge of The Junction (4147 California SW) has announced it will soft-open at 5 pm Thursday. We last spoke with proprietor Chef Brian Clevenger, a West Seattleite, in August – here’s what his restaurant will be all about.

SOPRANOS ANTICO: Thanks to Dave for sending this photo taken through the window of the forthcoming Italian restaurant in Admiral:

Here’s our most recent report on Sopranos Antico, coming to the former Zatz Bagels space at 2348 California SW.

WELCOME ROAD WINERY: Thanks to the tipsters who have pointed out that this winery is opening a tasting room at Rally (California/Charlestown). We note they have announced their grand opening, 1-7 pm Saturday, November 19th.

HARRY’S CHICKEN CHANGE: Harry’s Chicken Joint proprietor Bruce Cougan tells WSB they are now closed Tuesdays too, so the hours at Harry’s (6032 California SW) are 4-8 pm Wednesdays through Saturdays.

And one big achievement for eight “rival” businesses, working together:

EIGHT BUSINESSES, TWO-PLUS TONS OF FOOD: Once again this year, physical-therapy businesses around West Seattle teamed up in October for a friendly food-drive competition. Today, we got the results from Judi Yazzolino of the West Seattle Food Bank:

Drum roll, please!! Again this year, congratulations go out to Louise, Molly, and the entire staff & clients at Life in Balance PT & Pilates for winning the challenge again this year with a total of 1943 lbs. It was neck n’ neck between them and Biojunction Sports Therapy until the last pickup yesterday. You guys played serious! Thank you to all of the offices and their clients who participated this year for a total of approx. 4220 lbs. of food (SW Hand Therapy isn’t in yet) and $150. That is over 3 1/2 times last year! You guys ROCK, and we and our clients are incredibly appreciative. Thank you so much. Here are the individual totals:

Life in Balance – 1943 lbs.
Biojunction – 1366 lbs.
Sound PT – 358 lbs.
Highline PT – 186 lbs. + $100
West Seattle Pediatric Therapy – 159 lbs.
Therapeutic Assoc. WS – 118 lbs.
Kinetics PT – 90 lbs.
SW Hand Therapy – TBA

P.S. If your business has a food drive or other donation drive this holiday season, please let us know!

Share This

Meet West Seattle’s next centenarian, Russell Lundwall
November 2, 2016 7:21 pm
|      16 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle people

By Linda Ball
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

Longtime West Seattle resident Russell Lundwall is about to celebrate a milestone birthday: 100 years old on Friday (November 4th).

Hestill lives in the Westwood-area home he built and lived in with his wife Margaret until her death in 2004, 58 years after they married.

The West Seattle lot they purchased was the last one in the subdivision. You might have thought they would settle in Ballard, with Scandinavian roots – Russ’s mother Alice was of Norwegian descent, and his father John, Swedish. But Margaret’s sister and her husband lived in West Seattle, and the Lundwalls came to visit often.

Russell Lundwall says his mother, meantime, born in 1872, “was way ahead of her time” – he says she “went to high school when women didn’t do that.” She and her first husband and daughter, Lundwall’s half-sister, moved to Minnesota, and after doing something else rare – getting divorced – she stayed there and ran a boarding house for married men working in the mines. In Minnesota, she met John Lundwall, who worked in law enforcement, and together they had Russell.

“I went to the fanciest schools from kindergarten to (the first) two years of college,” Lundwall said. Read More

Share This

West Seattle Crime Watch: Warrant suspect arrested
November 2, 2016 5:56 pm
|      16 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news | West Seattle police | Westwood

img_0465
(WSB photo)

5:56 PM: If you saw the big police response outside the Westwood Village McDonald’s around 5:15 pm – here’s what it was about: Officers spotted someone they knew had a warrant out for his arrest, related to an armed-robbery case, called for backup, moved in, and arrested him. We don’t have name/case information yet but will be watching the jail register.

THURSDAY AFTERNOON: Online records show the suspect arrested is 20-year-old Christian Demuth-Hebert. He also was cited for resisting arrest and obstructing police. He is jailed in lieu of $101,000 bail – the $100,000 is for the robbery warrant, which we traced to a case involving shoplifting turned violent at a store in Bellevue, which is also the city listed for his most recent residence. We haven’t found any West Seattle ties so far. The charging documents in that case say his record stretches back to at least 14: “Assault Third Degree and Theft Third Degree (2016, reduced from Robbery 2); Theft Third Degree (2015, reduced from Robbery 2); Vehicle Prowl 2 (2015); Theft Third Degree (2014), Escape Third Degree (2011) and Criminal Trespass (2011, 2010).”

Share This

West Seattle salmon: Longfellow Creek sighting
November 2, 2016 4:21 pm
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Delridge | West Seattle news | Wildlife

img_4380

The photo is just in from John, who says, “Although it is hard to see them in the murky water, the salmon have returned to Longfellow Creek! Just thought you should share the good news.”

John reports seeing them under the fishbone bridge, which is near Dragonfly Pavilion. This gives us another chance to remind you that you are invited to meet Puget Soundkeeper volunteers there on Saturday and join them for a creekside walk in search of salmon, dead or alive – details here.

Share This

FOLLOWUP: How Gatewood Elementary’s ‘green schoolyard’ plan is going, and growing
November 2, 2016 2:02 pm
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   Gardening | Gatewood | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

gatewood

Back in August, we published an invitation for you to get involved with Gatewood Elementary‘s quest for a “green schoolyard.” It’s moving ahead, despite a recent setback, and your involvement is still heartily welcomed, says Sandy Lennon:

We’ve posted the final permaculture design proposal for a Gatewood learning garden/outdoor classroom (here). Take a look! We are currently soliciting feedback on the design from our school staff, community, and the school district.

· If you’re interested in the Gatewood project, or generally interested in green schoolyards, learning gardens, or permaculture in schools, you can sign up to follow our conversation at: gatewoodgreenschoolyard.org

· We learned recently that we were unfortunately not awarded a Neighborhood Matching Fund grant for green playground design work in this round of funding. We will be meeting this week on Thursday, November 3, 5:00-6:30 pm in the school library, to de-brief on City feedback, review the 2006 Gatewood conceptual master plan, discuss our current vision and possible staging of work, and determine next steps for both the playground and garden. Our principal, PTA leadership, and a representative from the school district will be participating. Gatewood families and interested neighbors are encouraged to join us.

Gatewood Elementary is at 4320 SW Myrtle.

Share This

LAST CALL: Ever use(d) Lowman Beach Park? Survey for you!
November 2, 2016 12:55 pm
|      22 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle online | West Seattle parks

(2012 Lowman Beach aerial photo – pre-Murray CSO Project – by Long Bach Nguyen)

If you missed it in our coverage of the latest Morgan Community Association meeting: Seattle Parks has a short survey for Lowman Beach Park fans, and it’s about to close. The questions are about how, and how often, you use the park – or, how often you did before all the Murray Combined Sewer Overflow Project work. Results will help them determine the fate of Lowman Beach’s tennis court, among other things, when final decisions are made about the park’s compromised seawall. Find the survey here.

Share This

Emmick Family Funeral Services: Welcome, new WSB sponsor
November 2, 2016 11:22 am
|      12 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

Today we welcome a new WSB sponsor, Emmick Family Funeral Services. Here’s what they would like you to know about what their business can do for you:

emmicks-1
(Craig Emmick, Michael Emmick, Gayle Emmick)

Emmick Family Funeral Services is a fully licensed provider, specializing in cremation and burial services. Personalized service is what sets them apart – your loved one never leaves their care, as there is no part of the process that’s outsourced. They can help with any request, whether a full formal funeral or a small service – you can trust them to give their full attention to every detail of every burial or cremation.

Since Emmick Family Funeral Services is a small, local, family-owned company, their costs are lower, and they invite you to contact them for funeral planning. In our state, funeral plans and services are transferrable, so even if your loved one passes away in another part of the state, they can work with you here to take care of all the arrangements.

The Emmicks have deep West Seattle ties. Craig and Gayle, who grew up in Burien, have raised their kids here. Craig Emmick has been in this business for more than 30 years and is past president of the King County Funeral Directors Association. Michael worked for Howden-Kennedy before he and his dad opened Emmick Family Funeral Services. Craig and Michael are members of the West Seattle Lions Club and volunteers for the Southwest Seattle Historical Society; Emmick Family Funeral Services also belongs to the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce. They know West Seattle well and believe they are positioned to provide the best care when the time comes for it.

Emmick Family Funeral Services is at 3243 California SW, 206-935-2207, and online at emmickfunerals.com.

We thank Emmick Family Funeral 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.

Share This

West Seattle Crime Watch: Brazen burglary
November 2, 2016 9:31 am
|      11 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

burglry

Big police response this morning to a house northeast of The Junction where a burglar broke in while someone was home. It happened near 38th and Genesee. A quick 911 call led to an extensive search, including a K-9 team, but so far, they haven’t found the burglar. The partial description we heard via scanner was that it was a white man believed to be in his mid-30s, about 5-8, unkempt brown hair, light clothing, possibly barefoot when he fled. No harm to the person or people inside the house, police told us.

Share This

West Seattle Wednesday: SW District Council, Office Junction meetup, WSHS play, more…
November 2, 2016 9:04 am
|      6 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

dsc_5781
(Hummingbird colors with a backdrop of fall colors in Fauntlee Hills – photo by Jamie Kinney)

Happy Wednesday! From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:

BABY STORY TIME: 11:30-noon at High Point Library, for babies 4-12 months old. (35th SW/SW Raymond)

LUNCHTIME MEETUP: Noon-1:15 pm at West Seattle Office Junction (WSB sponsor), whether you’re a solopreneur, telecommuter, coffee-shop denizen, and/or aspiring coworker, come to our area’s only coworking center for a free lunchtime meetup and see who else shows up! (6040 California SW)

‘THE GREATEST MOVIES YOU’VE NEVER HEARD OF’: 1 pm at Senior Center of West Seattle, with free popcorn! This week, 1984’s “Secret Honor” with Philip Baker Hall. (4217 SW Oregon)

SOMALI STORY TIME: 5 pm at High Point Library, stories and songs in Somali. (35th SW/SW Raymond)

KENNEDY OPEN HOUSE: John F. Kennedy Catholic High School (WSB sponsor) in Burien invites all interested students and their families to tonight’s Open House to meet faculty and find out about the school. (140 S. 140th)

SOUTHWEST DISTRICT COUNCIL: 6:30 pm at the Sisson Building/Senior Center, with an agenda including “continued discussion about the district council moving forward, a short visit from Metro Transit Planner Dale Cummings, and a conversation about the history of local murals.” Also, nominations for next year’s SWDC executive committee. All welcome. (4217 SW Oregon)

‘A BRIGHT ROOM CALLED DAY’: Third-to-last chance to see the West Seattle High School Drama Club production:

(Photo courtesy WSHS Drama)

Curtain time in the WSHS Theater is 7:30 pm. Full details on the Westside Drama website. (3000 California SW)

BILLY JOE AND THE RC’S: Live music at Parliament Tavern, 8 pm. No cover; 21+. (4210 SW Admiral Way)

Share This

TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Wednesday updates and alerts
November 2, 2016 6:59 am
|      25 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)

(Click any view for a close-up; more cameras on the WSB Traffic page)

6:59 AM: Another rainy morning, with traffic trouble in multiple places. We start with word of a stalled vehicle blocking the right lane on the eastbound West Seattle Bridge, before Delridge, and a crash on the NB 1st Avenue South Bridge. About the latter, a texter says, “Traffic backed up Olson Place/Myers Way to Roxbury. Alternate routes completely advised.”

7:14 AM: WSDOT says the 1st Avenue S. Bridge crash has cleared but as always, backups will linger. As for the West Seattle Bridge, looks like a tow truck has arrived.

7:28 AM: At Delridge/Kenyon, police are responding to a 120 bus with someone reported to be harassing the driver. Haven’t heard whether NB or SB.

7:44 AM: High-bridge stall has cleared – backup of course will take a while – and low bridge is up. Wait a while before leaving if you can.

7:47 AM: This won’t help the bridge – now there’s a problem on NB I-5 just south of the I-90 exit.

7:57 AM: The low bridge has reopened.

8:24 AM: Still getting reports that most paths to the West Seattle Bridge remain backed up. Seems to be a multitude of incidents, earlier and current, affecting things – now there’s yet another NB I-5 problem on the south side of downtown, a stalled vehicle near Seneca Street.

8:44 AM: And another crash on the West Seattle Bridge, per scanner.

8:56 AM: Also via scanner – that’s now clear.

9:03 AM: New one from the scanner – stalled vehicle NB at Olson/Myers.

Share This

ELECTION COUNTDOWN: Chief Sealth IHS students’ hands-on election lesson
November 2, 2016 6:52 am
|    Comments Off on ELECTION COUNTDOWN: Chief Sealth IHS students’ hands-on election lesson
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle politics | West Seattle schools

Here’s a ray of hope in the midst of what has been a disheartening election season, with six days to go until the vote-counting begins: Future voters learning that they have more choices that it seems, despite hearing so much this time around about only two parties and two candidates.

mockelection

That’s what students at Chief Sealth International High School were learning as they voted in a mock election on Tuesday, according to senior Lilian Soto, assisting social-studies teacher Noah Zeichner with the project:

Results are expected on Friday afternoon.

P.S. Also related to the election, Zeichner told us, a group of 12th-grade students are working on a “virtual-reality documentary” finding out how their schoolmates feel about the presidential contest.

Share This

UPDATE: 3 hurt in 2-car crash on West Marginal Way; 1 driver arrested
November 1, 2016 9:01 pm
|      17 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS breaking news

img_0452
(WSB photo)

9:01 PM: Seattle Fire and Police have a big emergency response right now in the 4900 block of West Marginal Way SW [map]. Two cars have collided and someone believed to be seriously hurt will have to be cut out of one of them, according to what we’re hearing on the scanner. Part of the road is blocked; we’re on our way to find out more.

9:21 PM: We’ve just arrived in the area. Big emergency response still across most of the road. Three people are reported to be hurt.

extricating
(Seattle Fire Department photo, via Twitter)

9:34 PM: One person with major injuries – the one who had to be cut out of the car that hit a pole – was taken to Harborview by SFD medic unit, two others by private ambulance. The Traffic Collision Investigation Squad is on the way, which means the road will be blocked for hours – all lanes are now blocked. Power lines are down on the roadway, too.

img_0458
(WSB photo)

9:48 PM: No comment from police so far on what might have led to the collision. City Light is here to deal with the utility pole and downed lines.

5:37 AM: No formal all-clear was ever issued for this but it’s no longer on SDOT’s incident map; if you go through the area and find it’s not clear, please let us know.

11:08 AM: We have just confirmed with police that this crash resulted in an arrest. The 19-year-old driver of the Audi was released from the hospital early this morning and booked into King County Jail for investigation of vehicular assault. His bail hearing is not likely to be held until tomorrow; we will follow the case.

Share This

FOLLOWUP: Truck-off-bridge driver was cited, police say
November 1, 2016 8:13 pm
|      11 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle police

After this double-take crash off the west end of the West Seattle Bridge on Saturday, with the pickup truck’s driver surviving unhurt, the top question was “how did that happen?”

img_0332-1
(WSB photo from Saturday)

While information about crash investigations isn’t always easy to get, we were able to get some followup details today from Seattle Police. Media-relations Det. Mark Jamieson told us the driver was given a citation for speeding – driving too fast for roadway conditions. The police report, he said, noted that the driver lost control, fishtailed into the inside jersey banner, and from there went over the railing, landing headlights-down in a backyard on SW Manning. Some debris hit a residence, but no one inside was hurt. The driver was not impaired, police determined.

After talking with Det. Jamieson, we checked with SDOT to ask whether the city bills people in incidents that result in damage to public infrastructure. While unable to comment on this specific case, since it’s just a few days old, SDOT spokesperson Sue Romero replied: “We make every effort to recover damage to public property due to traffic accidents. In most cases, if there is an accident report and the at-fault driver has insurance, we recover all our costs for the emergency response and the cost of the repair to the bridge. We have a special cost accounting system, set up in advance to accurately track the labor, material and equipment used to keep the public safe and restore the damaged infrastructure.”

Share This

Halloween aftermath: Local families’ candy concern
November 1, 2016 5:57 pm
|      27 COMMENTS
 |   Fauntleroy | West Seattle news

Some candy collected last night raised concerns for a group of local families and they have reported it to police just in case. There’s no official warning and no word of illnesses, but it’s information the families wanted to share. They told WSB they were trick-or-treating in the Fauntleroy area last night, came home, and ate some candy. The candy included small boxes of Milk Duds; those candies, they say, left behind a numbing sensation, like topical anesthetic. The candy also smelled a little like cough syrup, they told us. They met with police today and turned over candy for testing. Results might take a long time, they were told, so they’ve circulated the word in their neighborhoods and let us know too – again, just in case.

Share This