The Everett AquaSox's home for 40 years, Funko Field, is no longer in compliance with new stadium regulations implemented when Major League Baseball took over the minor leagues in 2020.  Now the city of Everett is exploring a replacement stadium that could cost up to $120 million. The city isn't shouldering the whole burden of this stadium, the state has chipped in money, along with Snohomish County, and AquaSox ownership has pledged $5 to $10 million. The city estimates that a new stadium...

Mount Adams has been a little more active than usual lately. That’s according to researchers with the United States Geological Survey.  Now, it’s not uncommon for our northwest volcanoes to shake things up a bit. But Adams tends to be one of the sleepier “chill” giants... until now. So what’s the deal? To dig into what these seismic shenanigans mean– and hopefully set all of our minds at ease – Soundside was joined by Alex Iezzi. Iezzi is a research geophysicist with the US Geological...

The investigation continues into attacks on two ballot drop boxes in Washington and Oregon.  Hundreds of ballots were damaged or destroyed early Monday morning at a drop box at a transit center in Vancouver, Washington, the other attack was on a box outside Multnomah County election officers in Portland. Washington’s Secretary of State, Steve Hobbs called the incidents “acts of terror that aim to disrupt lawful and fair elections...” The Vancouver ballot box that was sabotaged is in the...

Former Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz was placed on administrative leave yesterday. Diaz, who served as chief for four years, was demoted in May amid allegations that he’d hired a romantic partner to a top level advisor role. Diaz is also the subject of a handful of lawsuits asserting he discriminated against SPD staff. Guest: Ashley Hiruko, KUOW Investigative Reporter Relevant Links: KUOW: Former Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz placed on paid leave amid watchdog investigations KUOW:...

Three of the seats on our state’s Supreme Court will be on the ballot next week. Two of them have incumbent justices running unopposed;  the race Washington voters will actually decide is for Washington Supreme Court Position 2. The incumbent, Justice Susan Owens, who turned 75 in August, is aging out of the position because of a rule in the state’s constitution.   The position is non-partisan, so you won’t see any party labels next to the candidates’ names - but don’t worry, we’re here to...

Derrik was a 16 year old student when he was given a walk-behind trenching machine to guide through through a field.  Derrik was earning school credit with the Battle Ground School District for his work off site with the construction company Rotschy. With no training or oversight, Derrik was severely injured by the machine, eventually losing both of his legs. He survived the work accident, and is now a senior in high school.  His story highlights big questions about work based learning...

The Boeing machinist’s strike is now in its seventh week. Last Wednesday, the machinist's union rejected the latest contract from the company. A major sticking point continues to be union members’ insistence that the company reinstate a pension, also called a defined-benefits plan.  This is a long-held grievance. Union president Jon Holden said that the damage from a 2014 agreement— which froze pensions in favor of a 401(k) plan —remains unresolved. Boeing machinists aren’t alone in this...

Washington voters will decide next week is who will fill the lone open seat on the Washington Supreme Court. Supreme Court Position 2 is an open race - the incumbent, Justice Susan Owens, is retiring at the end of this year due to the state constitution’s requirement that all justices retire after the year they turn 75. The position is non-partisan. Soundside is talking to both candidates vying for the seat on the state's highest court. Up first: attorney Sal Mungia. Mungia is a partner at...

There’s one seat up for grabs on Seattle’s city council this November.  Typically city council seats are filled during odd-year elections. But, when former councilmember Teresa Mosqueda was elected to the King County Council in 2023, she left a vacancy that needed filling. Tanya Woo was appointed by the council to fill the seat, until this year’s special election could determine a replacement to serve through 2025. Position 8 represents all of Seattle, as opposed to just one geographic...

There’s one seat up for grabs on Seattle’s city council this November.  Typically city council seats are filled during odd-year elections. But, when former councilmember Teresa Mosqueda was elected to the King County Council in 2023, she left a vacancy that needed filling. Tanya Woo was appointed by the council to fill the seat, until this year’s special election could determine a replacement to serve through 2025. Position 8 represents all of Seattle, as opposed to just one geographic...

In 2018, The North American Post, Seattle’s oldest Japanese-language newspaper, printed the final strip of Seattle Tomodachi, a comic created by Sam Goto. Goto was a second generation Japanese-American, born in the Seattle area in 1933. He raised two girls here, working for most of his life as a dental technician.  He passed away at the age of 84, just a few months before his final comic strip was printed. For 5 years, Goto used his pen to illustrate the Japanese American experience in the...

Perinatal Support Washington is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year. The organization was started in 1989 as a way for parents to connect and find support during those really tough and bewildering years after a new baby arrives.  The organization may be best known for its “Warm Line,” where callers are connected with peers to talk about the challenges they face – including postpartum depression and infertility.  Childcare is a central issue in the 2024 presidential election, during...

Let’s do a quick exercise. How are you feeling? Heart rate good? Optimistic about the rest of the day? Now, how do you feel after I say the words: JURY DUTY? Ugh! What is it about that summons in the mail that makes us cringe so much? The disruption to our schedule? The waiting around? The other jurors?  One thing that certainly doesn’t help is the insultingly low pay. Most jurors in the state of Washington have been paid $10 per day since 1959. For people just getting by, serving can be a...

For over a century, the deli meat company Boar’s Head has built its brand on a promise to customers - to only sell products based on the most exacting standards.  Boar's Head is ubiquitous in the Pacific Northwest, especially if you shop at Kroger stores. You know that logo. But in September, Boar's Head liverwurst was uncovered as the source of the deadliest listeria outbreak in over a decade.  The problems at Boar's Head stretch up to the C-suites – where a messy family feud may be...

“Run, Hide, Fight."  That's the advice given to many students in the event of an active shooter at their school. Both the U-S Department of Homeland Security and the FBI support run/hide/fight as a safety protocol. It could save a lot of lives, theoretically. According to the Gun Violence Archive and Education Week this year in the U.S., there have already been 30 school shootings that resulted in injury or death. But - what happens when you can’t run, hide, or fight? What are you supposed...

Halfway through the season, college football has been a whirlwind for local sports fans this season.  Some may still be basking in the glory of the Washington Huskies beating the Michigan Wolverines earlier this month. And the Cougars deserve a tip of the hat for successfully keeping the Pac-2 alive…. or maybe it’s the PAC-6 now? The 6-PAC?  While fans of Washington schools are still wrapping their heads around conference moves and changes to who and where their teams play, the entire...

There are some things that just scream Mondays. A fresh pot of coffee, fresh laundry, and a deep dive into the latest proposal for Seattle’s ongoing city growth plan. If you’re unfamiliar, Seattle’s 20-year growth plan is basically a zoning blueprint showing how the city will make room for new residents. Mayor Bruce Harrell’s first draft came out in March, and the proposal wasn’t exactly what housing advocates were hoping for.  Soundside was joined by Ryan Packer, contributing editor to the...

The Urban Raptor Conservancy's Ed Deal and Patti Loesche are running a decades long study on the population health of Cooper's Hawks in Seattle. What does that involve? Spending a lot of time looking for and observing the city's hawks. Guests: Patti Loesche, co founder of the Urban Raptor Conservency Ed Deal, co founder of the Urban Raptor Conservancy Relevant Links: Urban Raptor Conservancy Website KUOW: What's that screeching? Maybe a hungry young Cooper's Hawk   Thank you to the...

This election season we’re bringing you conversations on all of the statewide initiatives on this November’s ballot.  This week, we’re taking a deep dive into I-2124, it’s the initiative that would give WA voters the option to OPT-OUT of the WA Cares long term services insurance program. Yesterday, we talked to Elizabeth New from the WA Policy Center, who urged listeners to vote YES on I-2124. TODAY, we’re talking to the NO side. Gov. Inslee signed the bill that created WA Cares back in...

This election season we’re bringing you conversations on all of the statewide initiatives on the November ballot.  Most recently, we looked at both sides of the Capital Gains Tax Repeal.  This week, we’re taking a deep dive into I-2124: it’s the initiative that would give Washington voters the option to OPT-OUT of the WA Cares long term services insurance program. Gov. Inslee signed the bill that created WA Cares into law back in 2019. It’s a kind of “social insurance plan,” which would...

The world premiere of Jubilee debuted at Seattle Opera with its inaugural performance over the weekend. Jubilee is a new opera honoring the Fisk Jubilee singers, a group of groundbreaking Black American singers from Fisk University, in Tennessee. Soundside's Diana Opong sat down with creator and director Tazewell Thompson, who reflected on how the seeds of the opera Jubilee were sown in his early years living in New York. It was during his formative years that he was introduced to the rich...

When you think of the wild west, you might imagine a sheriff, keeping watch over a small, dusty town he calls home. And a posse of locals: ready to be called up to fight off cattle rustlers or moonshine smugglers who threaten to cause trouble. It’s hard to imagine something like that now, in 2024 Washington State. But, in Klickitat County, down south on the Columbia River, a sheriff's posse has been making the news for its growing size and the number of responsibilities it’s taking on...

Since the 1963 Gideon decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, the right to a lawyer has been guaranteed to defendants facing criminal charges – even if they can’t afford to pay.  Advocates say that guarantee is in  jeopardy in our state because of a lack of personnel. Washington State public defenders are in short supply and that’s having cascading effects on the criminal legal system.  The Washington State Bar Association is recommending a counterintuitive solution to the shortage: they want...

Tensions are rising as negotiations between Boeing and the IAM District 751 hit a stalemate. This comes amid a month-long strike, impacting 33,000 workers.  After contract discussions collapsed last week, both sides have traded accusations, leaving the future uncertain. Adding to the conflict, Boeing announced layoffs affecting around 17,000 employees – nearly 10% of its workforce – in a bid to cut costs.  With financial pressure mounting and workers seeking temporary employment, the big...

Among the many races Seattle voters will weigh in on during the upcoming election, there’s a city council seat up for grabs. Current Position 8 Councilmember Tanya Woo is looking to defend against challenger Alexis Mercedes Rinck. While Woo and Rinck try to differentiate themselves down the home stretch, they have at least one thing in common. Both are the latest candidates to take part in an election experiment meant to level the financial playing field for office-seekers: Democracy...