Detectives with the King County Sheriff’s Office are currently searching for a suspect involved in the assault of an 80-year-old military veteran during an anti-ICE demonstration in Burien on June 10.
The West Seattle Grand Parade will return to California Avenue on Saturday, July 18, 2026, continuing one of the peninsula’s longest‑running community traditions. The parade begins at 11 a.m., traveling its classic route from SW Lander Street in the Admiral District and heading south to SW Edmunds Street in The Junction.
Organized by the West Seattle Rotary, the parade remains a Seafair‑sanctioned event and is expected to feature more than a hundred entries, including marching bands, drill teams, community groups, classic vehicles, and perennial crowd‑pleasers like the Seafair Pirates and Clowns. Rotary organizers say the 2026 edition will maintain the parade’s focus on neighborhood pride and local participation.
The King County Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a $431 million supplemental budget designed to enhance transparency, bolster public safety, and invest in the region’s social and economic infrastructure. The mid-biennial adjustment focuses heavily on stronger internal oversight of taxpayer dollars while providing critical funding for housing, food security, and the creative economy.
“I’m grateful for the unanimous vote approving the first supplemental budget for the 2026-2027 biennium," said Rod Dembowski, King County Council Budget Chair. "This budget makes significant investments in housing, human services, public safety, transit and enhanced oversight for county programs in light of recent audit findings”.
Expanding Accountability and Oversight
The Admiral Neighborhood Association will once again bring red, white, and blue cheer to the streets of West Seattle with its annual 4th of July Kids’ Parade, set for Thursday, July 4, 2026, from 10 a.m. to noon. Families will gather at the corner of Sunset and 44th Avenue SW for a morning of community celebration, laughter, and youthful energy.
The parade—one of West Seattle’s most beloved traditions—invites children and parents to decorate bikes, wagons, and strollers in patriotic colors and join the procession through the Admiral neighborhood. After the parade, festivities continue at Hamilton Viewpoint Park, where food trucks, sack races, music, and other family activities will keep the fun going.
Organizers say the event embodies the spirit of neighborhood connection and creativity that defines West Seattle’s Independence Day celebrations.
A deep divide has emerged in the West Seattle community over the future of local racquet courts at Whale Tail Park (Alki Playground) and beyond, as Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) prepares to host a series of public meetings this month.
The meetings are designed to present findings from initial public engagement and gather feedback on the 2026 Outdoor Racquet Sports Strategy, a plan that seeks to resolve friction by ending "dual use" — the practice of painting pickleball lines on existing tennis courts.
While SPR argues that dedicated courts will reduce conflicts such as "large groups encroaching into adjacent areas," the proposal has met fierce resistance from the pickleball community.
Anthony “Tony” Pisa, president of the Seattle Metro Pickleball Association (SMPA), argues that the current strategy unfairly targets specific neighborhoods and ignores the sport's explosive growth.
June 17, 2026, proved to be an unforgettable "Super Wednesday" for local families, as three major area high schools held their commencement ceremonies on the exact same evening.
With Seattle Public Schools currently rebuilding historic Memorial Stadium, the district shifted its traditional venue logistics, creating a high-profile, back-to-back graduation doubleheader downtown. Meanwhile, Highline Public Schools sent its local White Center graduates south to a regional arena.
Here is how the historic night unfolded for the Class of 2026.
Moving the Seattle ceremonies to McCaw Hall at the Seattle Center completely transformed the atmosphere this year. The elegant indoor theater traded the traditional blustery stadium air for a closer, highly theatrical stage setting that comfortably packed in thousands of roaring local families.
Neighborly Bulletin Board
Information from South Seattle College
South Seattle College (SSC) celebrated the Class of 2026 on June 18 with a commencement ceremony at University of Washington’s Alaska Airlines Arena. The ceremony brought together graduates from South Seattle College, Seattle Central College and North Seattle College – all part of the Seattle Colleges District.
SSC’s 627 graduates collectively earned 655 degrees and certificates (many students graduate with multiple certificates). Awards include bachelor of applied science degrees for those furthering their expertise and earning potential, college transfer degrees for those planning to attend a four-year university as their next step, career training degrees and certificates for those seeking immediate skilled trades employment, and high school completion awards.
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By Tim Clinton
Sports Editor
The Seattle sports scene from June 18 to June 25 is packed with professional and collegiate action across baseball, basketball, and soccer. The Seattle Mariners headline the professional schedule with a high-profile home stand at T-Mobile Park against the Baltimore Orioles and the Boston Red Sox before heading to Pittsburgh. Meanwhile, the Seattle Storm return to Climate Pledge Arena for key matchups against Dallas and New York following a road game in Phoenix.
