August 2020

Toast to this city's better future

By Jean Godden

Tonight I'm going to lift a glass to the Seattle City Council, a branch of government that I served for 12 fast-paced and sometimes lean years. I toast because I'm wishing the councilmembers well and hope they can do far better in the future than they have done in recent weeks.

Those nine CMs are going to need every well wish that they can glean and we're going to need every bit of states-craft they can muster.

The city of Seattle is in a world of hurt. The city's treasury rests primarily on property taxes and sales and business taxes. We do not have an income tax, although the City Council has passed a payroll tax which may or may not be challenged at some point. In any case, that payroll tax won't be collected until 2022.

Category

Wanted convicted felon Christopher King suspected of two smash-and-grab jewelry store heists

Westside Seattle news partner Q13 Fox News published this story about a man wanted in connection to a smash and grab jewelry theft in Westwood Village on July 14.

WANTED IN SEATTLE - A warning to everyone who owns, or works in a jewelry store to keep a lookout for wanted convicted felon, Christopher Allen King.

Detectives from Seattle to Tukwila to Tacoma say King's behavior appears to be escalating from a necklace snatch to two smash-and-grab jewelry thefts and then an armed robbery earlier this month. 

Now, they're are asking for your help to find him.

Category

Double murder suspect was possibly more than violent; He was also accused of a decade of sexual assault by his daughter

Michael Lee Dudley, the suspect who was arrested on Friday in the double homicide of Burien residents Austin Wenner and Jessica Lewis not only had a violent past, he had a sexual assault restraining order filed against him by his own daughter in June of 2018.

The order, obtained by Westside Seattle was filed in Pierce County Superior Court  and accuses Dudley of a ten year pattern of sexual assault. His daughter, now using a different name (real name withheld to protect her privacy), stated in court documents that Dudley "Sexually assaulted me for 9 years from age 10 until 18 (2007) by drugging and raping me. Forcing me to share a bed with him from age 10, and making me watch him masturbate while he watched pornography."

Category

Virtual Open House on Lowman Beach Racket Court happening Aug. 26

Seattle Parks & Recreation is hosting a virtual open house on Wednesday, August 26th from 6:30-7:30pm to gather input about the possibility of a new racket court at Lowman Beach Park . 

As part of the Lowman Beach Seawall Replacement project, the existing court will be removed. 

Learn more about the seawall replacement project and find links to attend the August 26th meeting here.

MEETING LINK: hltps://tinyurl.com/yyo64sf2

Number 1460081942 Password: lowmanbeach

Or Join by phone 1-206-207-1700 Code: 146 008 1942

Category

HERBOLD: $70 million approved for WS Bridge work; Low bridge ticket cameras take effect in January

District 1 Seattle City Councilmember Lisa Herbold shared this update on the funding for the work ahead on the West Seattle High Rise Bridge in a newsletter to constituents.

On Wednesday the City Council’s Transportation & Utilities Committee voted  to approve legislation sponsored by Councilmember Pedersen and myself to authorize an interfund loan of up to $70 million to fund work on the West Seattle Bridge and related projects during 2020 and 2021. A Full Council vote is scheduled for September 8th, the day after Labor Day.

Category