The new strategic affiliation builds on nearly 15 years of collaboration between the two organizations and aims to improve access to expert physicians, specialized care teams, and seamless coordination for families, according to a joint statement.

Access to high-quality health care remains a significant challenge in the Puget Sound region, VMFH and Seattle Children鈥檚 noted.

By joining resources and leveraging their combined network of care sites, both groups say they hope to bring advanced medical services closer to home for more patients.

鈥淭his affiliation marks a significant step forward in our mission to improve health care access for mothers, babies and children,鈥� said Ketul J. Patel, CEO of Virginia Mason Franciscan Health and President of CommonSpirit Health鈥檚 Northwest Region. 鈥淪eattle Children鈥檚 is a globally recognized leader in pediatric medicine, and we鈥檙e honored to work alongside them to further elevate the standard of care in our communities.鈥�

Seattle Children鈥檚 consistently ranks among the top ten children鈥檚 hospitals in the United States, while VMFH hospitals are also nationally recognized for quality care.

Their partnership has already brought neonatologists to VMFH Family Birth Centers, offering 24/7 onsite and remote support to care for the region鈥檚 most vulnerable newborns without the need to transfer them to different facilities.

The collaboration has also connected patients at VMFH鈥檚 St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma to Seattle Children鈥檚 pediatric cardiologists and infection prevention teams, allowing for on-site assessments of complex maternal and newborn conditions.

Jeff Sperring, MD, Chief Executive Officer of Seattle Children鈥檚, said the expanded affiliation aligns with the hospital鈥檚 broader mission. 鈥淲e are proud of our long-standing reputation for excellence in pediatric and neonatal care,鈥� Sperring said. 鈥漋irginia Mason Franciscan Health is a recognized leader in quality care and clinical excellence, and we鈥檙e excited to work together to continue fulfilling our vision of helping every child live their healthiest and most fulfilling life possible.鈥�

As part of the expanded affiliation, perinatal, neonatal, and specialty services will grow across VMFH Birth Centers located in King, Pierce, and Kitsap counties.

The goal is to support thousands of families while minimizing the separation of mothers and their newborns after delivery.

The partnership will also focus on improving access to pediatric specialists across VMFH鈥檚 nearly 300 care sites, strengthening connections between primary, specialty, ambulatory, and urgent care services.

Officials said this effort will ensure children can get the right care at the right time, with seamless referrals to Seattle Children鈥檚 specialists when needed.

On April 8, a newly rented home on 14th Ave NW in Gig Harbor caught fire. Neighbors reported hearing a loud explosion in that area when the fire was reported.

When deputies arrived to the fire, it was fully engulfed in flames.

By the time the fire was put out, two people were found dead inside.

Speculation online tossed around ideas of a murder-suicide, or death as a result of the fire.

The Pierce County Medical Examiner鈥檚 Office has determined that both individuals were killed by gunshot wounds to the head.

Both of their manners of death were deemed homicide– a suicide was not listed. Therefore, they were killed before the fire was set, not died as a result of the fire.

The victims are a 31-year-old and a 64-year-old. Their relationship is unknown.

The Pierce County Sheriff鈥檚 Office said they are not changing anything with their investigation because they were treating it as suspicious from the get-go.

These two deaths make 11 homicides for the Pierce County Sheriff鈥檚 Office this year. According to deputies, this time last year, there were only four homicides and 19 total for the year.

鈥淭hese are concerning numbers since we are not even halfway through the year,鈥� said PCSO public information officer Carly Cappetto.

漏2025 Cox Media Group

When a case is beyond the statute of limitations under Washington state law, prosecutors statewide cannot file a criminal case.

On July 28, 2019, the statute of limitations changed for sexual misconduct with a minor, and now, that crime in Washington state has no statute of limitations.

That means that when that crime occurred on or after July 28, 2019, the crime can be charged whenever a survivor comes forward and there is admissible evidence to prove that crime beyond a reasonable doubt.

However, when that state law changed in 2019, it was not a retroactive change, so those criminal offenses that occurred听before听July 28, 2019 are bound by a statute of limitations.

According to the Bothell Police Department (BPD), the teacher has worked at the high school for many years, and the alleged crimes took place in 2015 and 2016 when the victim was a student at Bothell High School.

Police claim there is no indication of additional victims, but they are concerned about the possibility of other victims.

In an email, a spokesperson for the King County Prosecuting Attorney鈥檚 Office said:

Three separate senior deputy prosecuting attorneys reviewed this case and the available admissible evidence when it was referred today by police investigators, and each came to the same conclusion.

This decision is based on the law and is not a judgement on the young woman involved here. We appreciate the work of Bothell Police and appreciate state lawmakers changing the statute of limitations for this criminal offense back in 2019.”

In a statement to 成人X站 7, the Northshore School District said:

The protection of our students is our primary responsibility. Mr. Dean will remain on administrative leave while the District continues to investigate this matter. If anyone has additional information about this situation, they are asked to please contact the Bothell Police Department.”

On April 20, 18-year-old Salvador 鈥淛unior鈥� Granillo was shot at a house party in Yakima and later died at the hospital.

According to court documents, when Granillo and three others arrived at the party on South Keys Road, a person in a Raiders jersey asked them for their 鈥渇ederal names.鈥� The group ignored the man and went outside to sit.

When Granillo tried to go back inside to tell his girlfriend that he wanted to leave, the man in the Raiders jersey was holding the door closed.

The two men– Granillo and the man in the Raiders jersey– began arguing.

Witnesses said the man in the Raiders jersey spit in Granillo鈥檚 face, and then Granillo punched him in the face.

As the man reeled back from the punch, he reached into his waistband, pulled out a gun and began firing, according to court documents.

Witnesses said the shooter looked shocked.

鈥淭here was no reason for him to do what he did. He was just trying to get to me. All he was trying to do was find me,鈥� Granillo鈥檚 girlfriend told 成人X站 7 at a vigil for him last week.

Friends took Granillo to the hospital, where he later died.

Those with Granillo that night told police what happened.

After talking to witnesses and investigating the shooting, police identified the shooter as 21-year-old Israel Barriga Vargas.

Friends with Granillo that night were able to identify Barriga Vargas in a photo lineup of six.

Barriga Vargas has been charged with second-degree murder.

It鈥檚 unclear if he had previous encounters with Granillo before the shooting.

King County Sheriff鈥檚 deputies responded to a call for a shooting at a townhouse on Southeast 75th Street, off of 129th Place Southeast, just north of the top of Lake Boren.

According to the King County Medical Examiner鈥檚 Office, Dhruva Kikkeri, a 14-year-old boy, and Shwetha Panyam, 41, were both killed by gunshots.

Harshavardhana Kikkeri, a 44-year-old male, died by a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

It鈥檚 also not known if there were additional people inside the home at the time of the shooting.

Crews responded to the crash in the 5200 block of 152nd Street. When they arrived, firefighters found the driver, a passenger, and two dogs trapped inside the vehicle.

All were safely extricated through a back window, officials said.

Medics transported one person to Providence Regional Medical Center for treatment. No serious injuries were reported.

Marysville Fire District thanked North County Regional Fire Authority, Snohomish County Fire District 21, and Snohomish County 911 for assisting with the response.

In a statement, fire officials used the incident as a reminder for RV travelers to perform safety checks before hitting the road. They emphasized keeping emergency exits clear and accessible, securing items inside the vehicle to prevent injuries, and ensuring pets are tagged and microchipped in case they are separated during an accident.

The cause of the crash has not been released.

On Saturday, Puget Sound Fire responded to calls for a fire at an apartment on 32nd Ave. S, at the Windsor Heights Apartments, near the airport.

When crews arrived, they found a single apartment with heavy smoke and reports of someone inside.

A child was rescued from that apartment.

No other victims were found inside. The fire was quickly contained to only one unit.

The child was taken to a trauma center with life-threatening injuries.

成人X站 7 has reached out to see the child鈥檚 condition as of Monday.

It happened Monday around 2:40 a.m. on southbound I-5 near Boeing Field in Seattle.

WSP said its trooper was conducting a stop on the right shoulder at the time.

That鈥檚 when a passing car hit the patrol vehicle and pushed it into the other one, according to WSP.

No one was hurt.

The causing driver was arrested.

Pictures from WSP show the severe damaged the crash caused to the patrol car.

Around 2:40am this trooper was on a stop SB I-5 near Boeing Field on the right shoulder. A vehicle traveling SB struck the patrol vehicle and pushed it into the other vehicle. Causing driver arrested for suspected impairment. No injuries sustained by any involved.

鈥� Trooper Rick Johnson (@wspd2pio)

The climber was close to the Upper Town Wall and suffered non-life-threatening injuries, but reported extreme pain in their legs and lower back.

Nearby climbers, including an ER technician, were quick to help the victim before crews arrived, SRFR posted.

The Snohomish County Sheriff鈥檚 Office helicopter, SnoHawk, airlifted the climber to Provident Medical Center in Everett.

“…We encourage all climbers to know their limits, check and double-check safety equipment, and monitor gear wear throughout the climbing season for wear. Always climb with a partner in case of unexpected situations,” Snohomish Regional Fire and Rescue posted on Facebook.

Here are some images from the intense rescue today in Index. SRFR, Sky Valley Fire, and SCFD4 tech rescue were involved with the rescue. Snohomish County Sheriff used SnoHawk to rescue and airlift to hospital. This is the second rescue in that area this week.

鈥� Snohomish Regional Fire & Rescue (@SnoRegionalFire)

Cpt. Smith rushed to the beach and dove into the waves to reach a toddler who was unconscious. Bystanders brought the mother and second child out of the water.

He brought the child to shore and started to do rescue breaths. She regained consciousness within minutes.

“Firefighters are never truly off duty. Whether active, retired, or on vacation, they respond when needed,” the department posted.

鈥淧lease join us in recognizing Captain Smith for his courageous and selfless actions that undoubtedly saved the life of a helpless child caught in the ocean鈥檚 powerful grip.鈥�

听which sits around 20 cents higher than the national average, at $0.494/ gallon. The proposal would raise it by 6 cents a gallon, adding a two percent increase every year after that, with sponsors saying that will allow funding to keep up with inflation.

Inflation is one of the reasons the state鈥檚 transportation budget faces a听The tax package, that includes luxury vehicle taxes and increasing fees on drivers licenses and vehicle registration, would raise an estimated $3.2 billion over that same time period.

鈥淚 think we need road work, and it seems to need more money to make the roads better, but at the same time, more taxes isn鈥檛 necessarily good,鈥� said Steven Berken, who lives in Tacoma.

Berken is entering retirement and is worried about the impact that ever-increasing gas prices will have on his fixed income, especially after years of inflation pinching his pocket from all angles.

鈥淧rices go up, costs go up, and it鈥檚 not any good right now, at least for me,鈥� he said, 鈥淒on鈥檛 go out to eat much anymore and I always enjoyed that.鈥�

‘It’s a lot on the wallet’

For Mario, a father in Tacoma, he鈥檚 watched the price to fill up his truck from $ 80 to $120 today.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a lot on the wallet, you know?鈥� he said, 鈥淭hey keep raising the prices on everything. Rent is up, I don鈥檛 think its okay but that鈥檚 the world we live in now.鈥�

The bill awaits Governor Bob Ferguson鈥檚 office, who has not committed to a position either way, despite several asks from 成人X站7 Saturday. Berken sees bad roads around his neighborhoods and commute frequently.

鈥淚鈥檓 kind of torn. Everybody needs more money nowadays, even the government, but it depends if they use it properly.鈥�

Tacoma police are searching for at least one suspect who shot and killed a teenager in Tacoma.

Loved ones identified him as Veron Locket, who attended Mt. Tahoma High School.

Investigators said the shooting happened Sunday night on E. 41st Street.

鈥淚 never will get to meet his children. I will never get to meet his children,鈥� the mother said. 鈥淚 got to go to the funeral service to make arrangements for my baby who was trying to do his best and someone decided to take it.鈥�

鈥淚 can鈥檛 sleep. All I do is dream about my son,鈥� she added.

The mother said she found out her son鈥檚 friend was also killed in Spanaway Thursday morning, just several days after her son鈥檚 death.

Her son鈥檚 other close friend was also killed seven months prior.

鈥淚鈥檓 close to all of their moms,鈥� she said.

鈥淗eartbreaking. Very devastating,鈥� said Chanell Arthur, cousin. 鈥淭hree days after, so another kid has lost his life. That鈥檚 another family in a span of three days. That鈥檚 crazy.鈥�

Arthur told 成人X站 7 that in order to stop youth violence, she believes the community needs to step up to help keep children safe, adding that families need to have more conversations with their children and with others.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 want any other family, mother, father, grandmother to experience this and I wish kids would really get that. They are ruining their lives over what? The pain is unbearable,鈥� she said. 鈥淗ow do we as a community stop it? How do we stop it? How do we educate our young kids? How do we talk with them and tell them that is not a way to solve any issue, if there is an issue?鈥�

Veron鈥檚 mother added that her son was known for his kind heart and his funny personality. Veron was also a varsity football player for Mt. Tahoma High School and had been invited to play at a bowl game in Hawaii, and had dreams of becoming a chef.

Tacoma police told 成人X站 7 that they are not ruling out any possible connection between both shootings in Tacoma and Spanaway.

No one has been arrested in this case, as of Thursday.

.

Senator Patty Murray says she is 鈥渇urious鈥� after the Veterans Administration refused to send a representative to her roundtable on female veterans.

So angry, she dashed off a letter to VA Secretary Doug Collins demanding to know why.

成人X站 7 sent emails and left messages for the Veterans Administration for their response.

The roundtable about female veterans went on as planned at a Seattle-area VFW hall this afternoon, without anyone from the VA.

It is her signature cause, the plight of veterans in the U.S. Armed Forces. And since she was elected to the U.S. Senate some 32 years ago, Patty Murray has come back home to Washington State to talk to local veterans about their most important issues.

鈥淚 have done 鈥榁eteran Town Halls鈥� all over the state, a lot of times,鈥� Murray said. 鈥淒ozens of times.鈥�

And always, she says, the Veterans Administration has been at the table, too, 鈥渟o that they can get the information they need and we can share that.鈥�

But this time, with the plight of female veterans on the agenda, the VA was a no show.

鈥淎nd I鈥檓 really furious,鈥� she said.

When pressed for what was said, Murray said, 鈥淭hey would not participate.鈥�

This is not the first time this blue state has been denied help from the Trump Administration. Just last week, FEMA denied the state鈥檚 request for help repairing $34 million in damages caused during last November鈥檚 deadly bomb cyclone. The state is appealing.

For her part, Murray sent a blistering letter to Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins demanding to know why the VA skipped this roundtable for the first time in her decades-long career.

鈥淭o what do you attribute this?鈥� Murray was asked. 鈥淚 attribute it to an administration who has gone inside itself and figured they do not need the input of the members of Congress or their constituents,鈥� she said. 鈥淚鈥檓 one thing. But not to hear from veterans is really outrageous.鈥�

VA Press Secretary Pete Kasperowicz released a statement, saying, 鈥淪enator Murray 鈥� and all members of Congress 鈥� are welcome to visit VA facilities. But the department doesn鈥檛 typically host lawmakers鈥� events at VA facilities so as not to impact service to Veterans. We have spoken with Sen. Murray鈥檚 office and made this clear.鈥�

What is Earth Day?

The first Earth Day was celebrated in 1970, when organized a national demonstration to raise awareness about environmental issues, according to National Geographic.

According to , Nelson organized the event after witnessing the ravages of a massive oil spill off California鈥檚 coast.

鈥淚nspired by the student anti-war movement, Senator Nelson wanted to infuse the energy of student anti-war protests with an emerging public consciousness about air and water pollution,” earthday.org wrote about its history.

Rallies took place across the country and by the end of the year, the U.S. government had created the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). By 1990, Earth Day was an event celebrated by more than 140 countries around the globe.

It is currently celebrated every April 22, though events and volunteer opportunities can take place days or weeks around that date.

Earth Day at Bitter Lake Community Center

Date: Tuesday, April 22, 2025
Time: 3:30鈥�5 p.m.
Location: Bitter Lake Community Center
Details: Celebrate Earth Day and the newly renovated play area, restroom, and tennis court lighting in partnership with Bitter Lake Community Center.
Cost: Free

If you鈥檙e looking for something broader to do, you can always plant a tree, conserve electricity, pick up trash in your neighborhood, or walk to your destination, if you are able to do so.

Pierce Transit is offering .

Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell will also be signing an Earth Day Executive Order today directing departments to develop a new Climate Action Plan with a focus on building resilience, growing a green economy, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions from transportation.

This will be the first update to the Climate Action Plan since it was released in 2013.

.

Investigators said they received a call Sunday morning from a man who reported his 27-year-old girlfriend鈥檚 death on Fox Drive.

After investigating the scene, detectives said they found evidence that did not align with the reported suicide.

鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 until those detectives and forensics got in there to do a further investigation that things just weren鈥檛 matching up,鈥� said Carly Cappetto, public information officer for Pierce County Sheriff鈥檚 Office.

鈥淭here was no previous history for this home, and we don鈥檛 get a lot of calls on Fox Island,鈥� she added.

The 29-year-old man was arrested for second-degree murder, investigators said.

He鈥檚 currently being held in the Pierce County Jail.

Neighbors told 成人X站 7 News that the news shocked many families within the tight-knit community.

鈥淰ery surprised that it happened because we鈥檙e not used to having anything happen on the island that鈥檚 negative or dangerous. The common expression is very sad that this happened,鈥� said Anne Burmark, a neighbor.

鈥淭his was very unusual. Very sad, very unusual behavior for the island,鈥� said neighbor Wes Burmark.

成人X站 7 News reached out to the Pierce County Prosecutor鈥檚 Office for more details. A prosecutor told us the suspect is expected to appear in court Tuesday afternoon.

The animal sanctuary that has taken them in, Heartwood Haven in Pierce County, is providing medical care and evaluations before putting the birds up for adoption.

鈥淪ome of them do have the knuckles cut off and you know scars and broken beaks,鈥� Kate Tsyrklevich with Heartwood Haven said.

Heartwood Haven has taken in hundreds of roosters over the years. This rescue is the third major rescue they鈥檝e been a part of in the past 12 months.

In August of 2024, they took in over 120 roosters after they were rescued in Buckley. Tsyrklevich says animal fighting in Washington has been a big problem in recent years.

鈥淲e used to not hear about any cockfighting busts and now there are at least half a dozen every year,鈥� Tsyrklevich said.

With that said, she and Heartwood Haven will continue to do what they can to help animals in rough situations find better homes.

鈥淪o I think that the education we are trying to do is so that the public is aware of not only that this is happening but that the survivors are great pets,鈥� Tsyrklevich said.

To learn more on how you can help Heartwood Haven or adopt one of these roosters,

Around 1 a.m., a car hit a telephone pole on S Cedar Street and landed on its side.

That person was extricated from the car and taken to a nearby hospital. Their condition is unknown.

Around 1:25 a.m., TFD crews responded to a nursing home on S 19th Street nearby that had lost power.

Employees were concerned about the 26 residents on ventilators. Tacoma Fire provided care on-scene and worked to take those patients to nearby hospitals until power was restored.

It鈥檚 believed the power outage was caused by the car crash.

Power was restored to the facility in just under an hour and all patients/residents were returned to their rooms.

It does not appear any of the nursing home residents were injured.

Central Pierce Fire, Gig Harbor Fire and West Pierce Fire also responded to provide aid to the facility.

It鈥檚 unclear what led up to the initial crash.

On April 7, the university put out a statement saying that five current and four recent graduate students had their visas revoked by the federal government without any prior warning.

As of April 18, 13 current students had their visas revoked, and 10 recent grads participating in post-grad training had their visas revoked.

The Trump administration has revoked hundreds of international students鈥� visas across the country,听. More than 8,000 international students currently attend the University of Washington.

The university said that neither it nor the students impacted were given any kind of warning before the visas were 鈥渦nilaterally cancelled.鈥�

Despite rumors and other instances across the country, UW officials do not seem to believe that there is any indication that these revocations are due to any kind of activism or other protected free speech.

Last spring, students set up an encampment on the Quad in protest over the school鈥檚 financial ties to Israel.

They are also not aware of immigration officials coming onto the campus related to this situation.

鈥淲e are deeply concerned about the well-being of these students and graduates and are working to support them. International students and scholars are essential and valued members of our University and they contribute immensely to our community, state and nation. The UW will continue to support them and provide the resources they need to be to able learn, teach and succeed here,鈥� the university said in a statement in early April.

鈥淥ur priority remains supporting our international students and scholars and we will continue to proactively communicate directly with them about these issues. Because the federal government is not notifying universities of status changes, we have been checking SEVIS records daily so that we can proactively contact students whose records have been changed,鈥� the statement continued.

UW currently has 3,924 undergraduate international students enrolled and 4,041 graduate international students enrolled across its campuses.

The university said that if a student is impacted or has their visa revoked to听immediately for information and resources.

These听听as part of their student fees, as well as mental health and academic support.

Leontai Berry, 25, appeared in court on Wednesday for his arraignment regarding his alleged involvement in a double shooting at Capri Bar.

The shooting occurred in the early morning of March 30 outside the Capri Hookah Lounge in Seattle鈥檚 Rainier Beach neighborhood. According to police, surveillance footage showed a tall, heavy-set man with light skin, a beard, and long hair in a ponytail or top knot approach the first victim, 23-year-old Ozie Whitfield, and shoot him in the head.

Court documents say the shooter ran off but fell after hitting a beam at the entrance. Police said he then ran through the parking lot with a limp while being pursued by the second victim, security guard Julius Rodriguez, 29.

According to court documents, Rodriguez was found north of the lounge with shell casings and a trail of blood nearby. He was apparently shot at least five times. He was taken to Harborview Medical Center, where he later died.

The suspected shooter entered the back of a waiting sedan and left the scene.

He was arrested later that morning after showing up to the hospital with a gunshot wound to the leg, court documents said.

Berry has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder with firearm enhancements and second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm.

Bail has been set at $5 million.

‘Chronic nuisance’ bar

Capri Bar will not reopen its doors after receiving a public nuisance order from the city last week.

Neighbors told 成人X站 7 there have been several other shootings and violent cases outside the bar in recent months.

Because of the recent violence, Seattle police and the city sent out a nuisance letter that determined the ownership and management of the property had to meet with city leadership and make serious security changes in order to stay open. The letter states the city can fine the hookah lounge up to $500 a day, and if ownership fails to comply with making any changes, they could face a civil penalty fine up to $25,000. The city of Seattle also issued a criminal complaint against the owner for two counts of keeping liquor at a public place without a license.

The city confirmed today that the owner is choosing to stay closed, and the city was not involved in the decision.

According to the Seattle Fire Department, both patients pulled from the car were safely rescued and in stable condition.

成人X站 7 crews observed SPD arresting one person on the scene, though we are still waiting for information on the arrest.

46th Ave SW & SW Admiral Way: The two trapped patients are in one car on its side. Crews are working to rescue the patients.

鈥� Seattle Fire Dept. (@SeattleFire)