News

Seattle's Fragmented Duwamish Tribe Struggles For Identity

Liz Jones — Wed, 22 May 2013 01:21:18 +0000

On a rainy Saturday afternoon, a strong brew of native tea warms up the crowd at the Duwamish Longhouse in West Seattle. The tribe has hosted this casual tea party every spring since the longhouse opened three years ago, along the Duwamish River bank.

“Are you all happy to be here?” asks Cecile Hansen, chairwoman of the Duwamish Tribe.

Hansen thanks the 50 or so people for coming, then she enlists their help in the tribe’s fight for recognition. “I would send a really tough letter to our President just saying, ‘Okay, sign the status back to the Duwamish people’,” Hansen says.

Japanese Officials Visit Hanford For Nuclear Cleanup Strategies

Anna King — Tue, 21 May 2013 19:57:00 +0000

The people overseeing the cleanup of the Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster are learning some valuable lessons from the long-running cleanup at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation. A Japanese government delegation recently toured some of the southeast Washington site.

In Japan, workers in gloves and masks are grinding down sidewalks and roads, wiping down rooftops and bagging contaminated soil.

School Brings Back Swim Requirement After Pool Tragedy

Jessica Robinson — Tue, 21 May 2013 19:55:55 +0000

A tragedy in Wenatchee, Wash., is prompting educators there to bring back a high school aquatics program. Starting this fall, high school freshmen in the central Washington city will have to demonstrate they know how to swim.

Formal swimming lessons in Wenatchee had gone by the wayside, as is frequently the case lately in public schools.

Duwamish Fight For Federal Status Inches Forward

Liz Jones — Tue, 21 May 2013 17:51:30 +0000

Seattle’s native people, the Duwamish, will learn today about their next step in a decades-old legal battle. The tribe has petitioned the US government for federal recognition, which would make the Duwamish eligible for certain benefits like health care, fishing rights and the chance to run a casino.

Vanquishing Zombie Fishing Nets In Puget Sound

Ashley Ahearn — Tue, 21 May 2013 16:06:55 +0000

Doug Monk has been a commercial diver on the Olympic Peninsula for some 20 years, harvesting shellfish and sea cucumbers. But for the past decade, he’s been after a different harvest: ghost nets.

Two Seattle School Board Seats Up For Grabs In Primary

Ann Dornfeld — Tue, 21 May 2013 00:12:35 +0000

Six candidates are vying for two Seattle School Board seats in the August 6 primary election.

In Director District 5, which includes Capitol Hill, the Central Area, Beacon Hill and downtown, Kay Smith-Blum is stepping down from her board seat after one term.

Mayor McGinn Appoints Rival’s Partner to City Advisory Committee

Deborah Wang — Mon, 20 May 2013 23:14:00 +0000

Here’s one for the “Seattle is such a small world” file:

State Sen. Ed Murray has been hitting the campaign trail of late in his effort to oust Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn.

But McGinn has just recognized Murray’s long-time partner, Michael Shiosaki, with an executive appointment to the city’s Arboretum and Botanical Garden Committee.

Tornado Emergency Declared In Oklahoma City

editor — Mon, 20 May 2013 20:33:00 +0000

(This post was last updated at 11:45 p.m. ET.)

A massive tornado ripped through the southern suburbs of Oklahoma City, Monday afternoon, killing at least 51 people, according to the state medical examiner's office.

The death toll was expected to rise.

Helicopter images showed large tracts of Moore, Okla., completely leveled by what the National Weather Service says was at least an EF-4 tornado with winds in excess of 166 mph.

UW Students Seek End of Fossil Fuel Investments

Allie Ferguson — Mon, 20 May 2013 19:19:21 +0000

Students at the University of Washington want the school to dump its investments in major fossil fuel companies like Exxon and BP as part of a nationwide campaign to combat climate change through public institutions.

Tim Burgess Won't Seek Mayor's Office

Amy Radil — Sat, 18 May 2013 03:55:40 +0000

Seattle City Council Member Tim Burgess is stepping down as a mayoral candidate. His disclosure came as the filing deadline loomed for the November election. Burgess said he won’t yet endorse anyone. But he said he’s leaving the race to make it easier for another candidate to unseat incumbent Mayor Mike McGinn.