, a collective that began in 2018, is celebrating a major milestone: surpassing $500,000 in total donations to area organizations. Using a model that relies on minimal volunteer time and pooling modest donations, Impact West Seattle is making a big impact.

“It was the culmination of a number of different conversations that were happening, and also a lot of people wanting to get involved and get together and feel connected and feel more part of a community,” Rachel Lazar, co-founder of Impact West Seattle, said about how the nonprofit got its start. “My mom had been doing what’s called a RAK group, or Random Acts of Kindness, and it’s really just a smaller version of Impact West Seattle, where she would have a group of women over every month, they would each give like $20, end up giving a few hundred dollars to a nonprofit.”

Lazar said its success stems from a simple yet powerful approach: members pool quarterly donations ($100 per member), then research, nominate, and vote on which organizations receive Impact West Seattle’s grant. Those donations total about $20,000 each quarter.

This most recent quarter, Impact West Seattle members were tasked with researching and nominating organizations that relieve food insecurities. , a self-described community-building organization with a mission to heal people disproportionately impacted by systemic and historical economic disenfranchisement, was awarded Impact West Seattle’s grant, which they said they will use to bolster their food bank operations.

Alimentando al Pueblo was founded during the global COVID-19 pandemic.

However, instead of thinking about each quarter in terms of grant winners and losers, Lazar said their model creates momentum for every nonprofit nominated.

“The ripple effect is one of the most powerful things,” Lazar said. “It’s not just the winner of the vote that benefits. All the nonprofits we feature gain exposure, supporters, and often long-term relationships with our members.”

Impact West Seattle inspires members to work for nominated nonprofits

And, in at least two cases, Impact West Seattle members have become so inspired, they went to work for the nonprofits that were nominated.

Impact West Seattle’s success comes at a time when a majority of U.S. nonprofits said the current political climate is hindering their ability to carry out their missions, according to a new report from the .

In a survey, 585 nonprofit leaders found that 85% have already felt negative impacts from recent political developments, and 94% expect further challenges ahead. Many pointed to changes in federal funding, political polarization, and uncertainty under the Trump administration.

Lazar said Impact West Seattle’s model allows members the flexibility to donate when they can and push pause when they need to.

“We created something simple and scalable—a space to connect, learn, and give without guilt or pressure,” Lazar said. “I still believe inherently that people are good and want to help and do something. We leave these meetings feeling really good, like we’ve done something to help our community, which is such a rare feeling these days.”

Impact’s success may also be linked to the fact that it’s a woman-led organization. According to the Women’s Philanthropy Group, women now control 30% of global wealth and are using their growing influence to drive social change, while a recent study by Philanthropy Insiders found that women tend to prioritize community-focused giving and support causes that promote collective well-being. They’re also more inclined toward trust-based philanthropy, favoring unrestricted gifts that give nonprofits the flexibility to meet their most urgent needs.

Lazar said she is elated Impact West Seattle will surpass half a million dollars in total grant money at their next meeting, April 29. However, she and her fellow Board members already have their sights on raising their next half million.

“Seeing this big number is so exciting for all of us,” Lazar responded. “It’s a really exciting milestone and hopefully just the beginning of what’s to come.”

Interested in learning more about Impact West Seattle or starting a similar giving group? You can reach out directly at info@impactwestseattle.com.

Follow Luke Duecy on  Read more of his stories here. Submit news tips here.

He is being held in King County Jail on $150,000 bail.

In court documents, say the victim’s boyfriend organized the Lyft ride from SeaTac to her home in Bellevue.

When the suspect, 43-year-old Martin Njoki, pulled up in his Mitsubishi Outlander, prosecutors say the victim, identified in court documents as “CB,” accidentally opened the front passenger door and noticed Njoki’s belongings in the front seat. Prosecutors say Njoki moved his belongings and told the victim it was okay to sit in the front seat, where investigators say she sat for the duration of the trip.

As the ride ended, at approximately 4:45 a.m. on Feb. 17 in the 12100 block of Southeast 44th Place, Bellevue detectives say the suspect asked the victim, “Do you kiss and tell?” and asked if she would kiss him, to which she replied she had a boyfriend. Moments later, detectives say the suspect made sexually explicit comments toward the victim. However, when she tried to leave, prosecutors say the suspect grabbed her arm and tried to force her to touch him.

Bellevue Police Spokesperson Drew Anderson said that in the seconds that followed, the driver repeatedly groped the victim as he tried to kiss her, until the victim escaped.

“It was a very scary situation overall,” Anderson said. “Luckily, the juvenile was able to get out of the vehicle and reach her home safely before calling law enforcement. But it really sounded some alarms for us, especially when it comes to how severe and frightening the situation was for this young lady.”

Police looking for more possible victims

Anderson said investigators are seeking information about any additional victims. The Mitsubishi police say Njoki was driving had the license plate number CBM2456. “You could look at your past history,” Anderson said. “If you remember an individual making unwanted advances or engaging in uncomfortable conversation, and they happen to drive a Mitsubishi with the license plate number CBM2456, then call us as soon as you can.”

Anderson also emphasized the importance of safety when using ridesharing services and offered the following tips: “Check the driver’s overall rating. Share your trip with friends or family. Sit in the backseat of the vehicle. Verify the driver’s identity before entering the vehicle. Be aware of your surroundings during the ride.  Most importantly, if you feel your safety is threatened, cancel the trip immediately and call 911.”

Anyone with information or who may have been assaulted by Njoki is urged to contact Potential victims can call 911 or the department’s non-emergency line at 425-577-5656.

The nonprofit organization posted the announcement on their website, with the caption, “Sad news from PB”, and said their decision to close is due to financial difficulties. The nearest facilities like it, which include specialized exercise equipment for prolonged rehabilitation, are located in British Columbia, Canada, California, and Colorado.

“It’s a much harder road for people without access to the type of facilities that we have,” Pushing Boundaries Associate Director Amanda Koppes said.

Pushing Boundaries sits in a care space between hiring a private exercise instructor and physical and occupational rehab. The nonprofit provides intensive exercise therapy during one-on-one sessions with staff certified in exercise therapy, kinesiology, and athletic training. They help prevent loss of function for patients and help them recover the ability to perform basic functions or even walk again.

Because Pushing Boundaries is not considered a healthcare provider, they are not allowed to bill patients’ insurance companies for services, even though many of their clients require years of prolonged care to rehabilitate and maintain function. Koppes said the cost for their exercise care ranges from $120 to $130 per hour. The nonprofit subsidizes 76% of those charges, through donations, for every patient to ensure they get the care they need.

Pushing Boundaries director says funds dropped during pandemic

However, Koppes said donations started to slump during the COVID-19 pandemic and more recent economic turmoil, including sporadic stock prices and the threat of tariffs, have meant tighter pocketbooks and wallets.

“There just, right now, aren’t that many new donors willing to come to the table with the current economic climate,” she said.

According to their , Pushing Boundaries was founded by Allan Nothrup after he suffered paralysis during a 2001 car accident on Snoqualmie Pass.

Northrup spent eight weeks in intensive care and inpatient rehabilitation. Confined to a wheelchair, doctors told Northrup, unless he got movement back, there was nothing more they could do for him. Frustrated, Northrup and his wife, Sharon, moved to Southern California, away from friends and family, to the nearest rehab exercise facility at the time. Two years later, Northrup moved back to the Pacific Northwest and purchased specialized equipment he needed to continue his therapy. He also met many people who needed the same care as he did, but could not afford to buy their own equipment or travel and live thousands of miles away.

Since Northrup passed away in 2011, the nonprofit he started has helped hundreds of patients, including one man who Koppes said recently fell and suffered a spinal cord injury.

“And he came to us using a wheelchair, primarily, for his mobility, and at this point, which is two years after that, he’s walking with a cane and is currently training to do a marathon,” Koppes shared.

Donations can be made on .

Follow Luke Duecy on  Read more of his stories here. Submit news tips here.

In an email to families on April 10, District Superintendent Krestin Bahr explained the practice of periodically reassigning principals to different schools is a standard approach implemented by other districts nationwide. She said the move is designed to bring new ideas and approaches to address unique school challenges, help expand principals’ leadership skills and experiences, ensure all schools benefit from talented principals, and strengthen connections between schools and promote consistent practices across the district.

Minter Elementary families concerned moves will affect students

However, families at Minter Elementary, concerned about the re-assignment of their school’s principal, Todd Hering, painted a different picture and said they are considering several options to stop the re-assignment plan.

“We’re trying to gather information from anonymous staff members, we’re doing research, we have a lot of articles on why schools need stable leadership,” Minter Elementary PTA President Jessica Gamble shared.

She said the organized group has also started a petition and has consulted an attorney who specializes in litigation against school districts.

“The kids and parents are devastated,” Gamble said. “We’re deeply concerned about how this impacts our kids’ education moving forward.”

Peninsula School District Superintendent explains strategy to families

In her email to families, Bahr explained their re-assignment plan and cited findings in a report sponsored by the Wallace Foundation, an education-based philanthropy, and written by education researchers at Vanderbilt University, North Carolina State University, and the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. Bahr explained the findings showed districts that rotate leaders strategically, provide mentoring, and align roles to skill-building are more likely to retain effective principals, strengthen school climate, and boost student achievement.

“We’re confident that our principals’ wealth of experience and dedication will continue fostering environments where students and staff thrive,” Bahr said in her email.

In turn, ����Xվ Newsradio found the report also said replacing an above-average principal with a below-average principal results in an additional, almost three months of math learning and 2.7 months of reading learning each year in that school. Minter Elementary community members, like Gamble, are worried about a potentially lesser-performing principal or a lesser-experienced assistant principal taking over for their principal.

“Schools are not businesses, they are communities,” Gamble said. “They need leaders who know their staff, know their families, in order to handle the problems that come up.”

The district said Principal Hering will be reassigned as an administrator at Harbor Ridge Middle School and that they made that decision with careful consideration based on Hering’s expertise and experience in trauma-informed practices and student advocacy. At Minter, Hering served a school community that included a little more than a 40% low-income student population. In their email to families, they explained they will rely on Hering to address challenges related to harassment, intimidation, and bullying (HIB) while fostering a supportive environment at his new school that serves about half as many lower-income students.

����Xվ Newsradio reaches out for comment

����Xվ Newsradio asked Peninsula School Board member Jennifer Butler, who represents District 2, where Minter Elementary is located, for a response to the issue. Instead, Butler forwarded our questions to Bahr and district spokesperson Jake Voss.

Voss sent ����Xվ Newsradio the April 10 email the district sent to families explaining their decision.

In response to our question for reaction to a potential lawsuit, Voss said in a statement: “Peninsula School District is committed to providing the best learning environment for our students. We make personnel decisions with the best interests of staff and students in mind and in compliance with District initiatives and legal requirements. We are unaware of any pending litigation around the transfer of administrators and remain focused on the education of our students.”

Gamble is hopeful the district and Minter families can continue to work together to prevent Hering from leaving his current principal role.

“Ideally, I’d like to see principals who are thriving at a school stay put and I’d like to see the district support, coach, and if necessary, remove other leaders that are not doing well in their school,” Gamble said.

Follow Luke Duecy on  Read more of his stories here. Submit news tips here.

Port officials told ����Xվ Newsradio they anticipate a spike in container ships from China bypassing Puget Sound ports and rerouting shipments to ports in Canada, where companies can avoid up to 145% tariffs imposed by the Trump Administration on many Chinese products. The most immediate impact would to port workers, including longshoremen responsible for leading and unloading containers from container ships both inbound and outbound.

However, there is also growing concern that Washington farmers and agricultural workers could experience negative economic impacts, especially during harvest months, if Chinese companies stop buying products like apples, soy, berries, and hops over high prices.

“The reality is, there will be jobs lost,” President of the Port of Tacoma Commission, John McCarthy, said. “There will be an impact to economic development and family-wage jobs.”

Washington ports prepare for leftover agricultural products

Both ports said they are also preparing to deal with agricultural products left sitting at a terminal if a Chinese company cancels an order.

“And that literally looks like helping move cargo that’s stuck on the terminal, getting it onto the trucks and helping it get back,” President of the Port of Seattle Commission, Toshiko Hasegawa, said.

More than 40% of jobs in Washington are connected to international trade and commerce. As tariffs rise, the effects are being felt far beyond the waterfront and farmers, but also logistics workers, small business owners, and even coffee drinkers. McCarthy said overall cargo volumes at Washington’s seaports were up last month about 28% compared to the same time period in 2024, but he attributes that increase to foreign companies shipping more in anticipation of coming tariffs. Now that tariffs are in place, McCarthy and Hasegawa predict imports will start to slow significantly.

“People will divert to skip over U.S. tariffs, importing through Canada instead,” Hasegawa said. “We are not new to this fight. We are still feeling the impacts from the first go-around in 2018.”

Looking at previous U.S.-China trade war

In 2018, during the last U.S.-China trade war and subsequent Puget Sound seaports lost about 8% of their market share as ships rerouted cargo to Canadian ports to avoid U.S. tariffs. She said since then, Canadian ports invested more money into their own port infrastructure and workforce, and the Port of Seattle has yet to recover its market loss.

Both Tacoma and Seattle ports said they are also starting to see increases in so-called “blank sailings’ from China. Blank sailings refer to shipments bound for a specific seaport that are canceled either before the ship sets sail or mid-sailing, and so far in April, Hasegawa said they are seeing more blank sailings than normal, which she said is not typical.

McCarthy said blank sailings threaten recent economic boosts, including an increase in the volume of cars imported to the U.S. through the Port of Tacoma. Last year, McCarthy said 336,000 cars were delivered to the U.S. through the Port of Tacoma, so many that Tacoma had to move a portion of those cars to Seattle to store. The recent 25% tariff placed on car imports threatens to drive the number of car imports down. McCarthy said once that business is lost, it will be close to impossible to get back.

Future impacts of tariffs

Only time and key shipping dates will reveal the real impact of tariffs on both ports. Hasegawa and McCarthy say agriculture harvests, back to back-to-school supplies, and clothing in the fall will be important indicators that tariffs are impacting the ports—along with trade and commerce. However, they are not waiting for proof of what they predict will happen eventually.

Hasegawa said a team of port representatives recently traveled to Washington, D.C., and urged White House officials to include language in trade policy that would require all U.S.-bound cargo to clear customs at American ports.

Follow Luke Duecy on  Read more of his stories here. Submit news tips here.

This announcement coincides with China’s decision to impose a 125% tariff on American goods over the weekend, which would have approximately doubled the cost of U.S.-made aircraft and parts.

Shares of Boeing stock dropped by 3% early Tuesday in response to the announcement.

The report said it’s unclear whether 10 Boeing 737 Max aircraft preparing to enter Chinese fleets will be able to enter China. Boeing has delivered 18 commercial jets to Chinese carriers so far this year.

“This represents about 179 commercial airplanes for the top three Chinese carriers expected to be delivered over the next two years,” ����Xվ Newsradio traffic reporter Chris Sullivan said. “That represents about 0.02% of Boeing’s commercial backlog.”

Long-term impacts on Boeing from China’s halt

Aviation expert Richard Aboulafia told ����Xվ Newsradio that finding new customers for those commercial planes may not be an issue for Boeing given a higher global demand for planes since Boeing’s Machinist Union strike late last year. However, Boeing’s long-term results could be significantly impacted.

“In the medium and long term, they’re going to lose market share to Airbus and it’s about 20% of the world market moving forward, so that hurts,” Aboulafia said.

China is also halting orders on aircraft-related equipment and parts, which could affect their own domestic airplane production. In 2008, China established the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) in Shanghai with plans to design and build their own line of commercial planes to compete directly with Boeing and Airbus.

“China’s COMAC is delivering the C-909 regional jet and the C-919 mainline jet that competes directly with Boeing and Airbus as well. Both of those airplanes have a lot of U.S. content in them,” Aviation Expert Scott Hamilton explained. “Is China going to exempt those parts from any ban or any tariff? If they don’t do that, then that’s going to grind the production of their own domestically produced airplanes to a hault.”

Boeing previously forecasted that it would deliver nearly 9,000 planes to China—about 20% of the total—over the next two decades. The Chinese government’s ban could last as long as the current trade war.

“Trump’s term ends January 20, 2029, so there’s another three weeks into the following year, and we need to look at the impact on Boeing through that timeline because, at least constitutionally, we’re supposed to have a new President and not Trump on Jan. 20,” said Hamilton. “I would expect if these tariffs are still in place, then a new president will certainly remove them.”

����Xվ Newsradio and MyNorthwest have reached out to Boeing for comment.

This is a developing story, check back for updates

Contributing: Frank Sumrall, MyNorthwest

Follow Luke Duecy on  Read more of his stories here. Submit news tips here.

“I think people are just acting more hateful, particularly with hate crimes that focus on somebody’s gender expression perceived sexual orientation,” Casey McNerthney, spokesperson for the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, told ����Xվ Newsradio.

The latest alleged hate crime attack happened against a transgender person in King County March 27 in Seattle’s University District. According to obtained court documents, the victim was leaving work at a hardware store along University Way when a group of men called her “a drag queen” and told her to “take your f* makeup off.”

The victim responded by saying, “Excuse me, what did you say?” according to the Seattle Police Department (SPD). She then took out her cell phone to take photos of the suspects. Prosecutors said the suspects then began to punch and kick the victim. Eventually, the victim escaped the alleged attack and ran inside a restaurant across the street.

During the attack, according to court documents, the suspects called the victim homophobic slurs and continually misgendered the victim by saying “get him” and calling the victim “bro.” Prosecutors also said the suspects yelled “Semper Fi” multiple times, referring to the U.S. Marine Corps motto. The victim told the suspects that she was a decorated Navy veteran. However, prosecutors said at least one suspect responded, saying, “Trump got rid of your a** anyways and kicked you all out of the military,” referring to President Trump’s order to end transgender acceptance in the military.

The attack left the victim bruised and bleeding and with multiple broken front teeth.

King County is TWO away from beating their 2024 record… and it’s only April. The latest in the U District… suspect punched victim for allegedly being More on the suspects 13 felony arrests on and

— Luke Duecy (@Luke����Xվ)

Why are hate crimes rising locally?

McNerthney couldn’t pinpoint one cause of the county’s apparent rise in hate crimes.

“I don’t know if they see things on a national level and think they can get away with,” McNerthney said. “Either way, when we get those cases, we’re going to keep bringing them to court.”

Police said surveillance video from a nearby business captured the suspects’ vehicle license plate. According to investigators, a responding officer recognized the plate from a domestic violence report she took one day earlier that involved Andre Karlow, 39. Police said Karlow assaulted his girlfriend inside a Seattle apartment they shared. He allegedly used a hammer to smash a hole in a dining room table before throwing a can of food at his girlfriend, hitting her in the ribcage. Police also shared that he also stole his girlfriend’s laptop computer.

Police said they tracked Karlow to the parking lot of that apartment, but when the suspect saw officers approach, he ran inside his unit. Officers surrounded the apartment and, according to court documents, police obtained a search warrant five hours later. A SWAT team entered the apartment and arrested Karlow who, officers said, attempted to hide in the insulation of the apartment’s attic.

Prosecutors said Karlow has an extensive criminal record that includes 36 arrests in Washington and 13 felony convictions that include escape, assault, disarming a law enforcement officer, various drug-related charges, and more. Prosecutors said Karlow also faces another hate crime committed in September 2024.

Court documents also stated he allegedly called a Sound Transit fare ambassador, who identified as transgender, a homophobic slur and told them to “put some bass in their voice” before, police said, he punched that victim in the face.

Karlow remains in King County Jail on a $200,000 bail.

Follow Luke Duecy on  Read more of his stories here. Submit news tips here.

Lynch had been placed on administrative leave since Feb. 6 to address the allegations and allow for the investigation to proceed.

“We are committed to maintaining a workplace free from discrimination and harassment for all,” Mayor Katherine Ross said. “Captain Gary Horejsi has been appointed interim chief while the city begins the formal process of selecting a permanent replacement. Our focus remains on serving the community with integrity and respect during this transition.”

A statement released by the city did not provide specific details found in the investigation or that led up to the decision to terminate.

The city said it cannot release additional details, citing the confidential nature of personnel matters.

Contributing: Jonah Oaklief, MyNorthwest

Officers said they attempted a high-risk stop in the parking lot of an O’Reilly’s Auto Store, located at 32411 Pacific Highway South, but Marks ran from the scene, leaving the child alone in the car.

Police find child, 2 handguns in car following daycare kidnapping

Federal Way Police said they found the child unharmed and safe in the front seat of the suspect’s car. Officers said they also found two handguns—an unloaded Glock 19 and a loaded Smith and Wesson .38 special revolver—on the front seat floorboard. According to court documents, the suspect had a valid concealed pistol license.

“Anytime that you have a child involved in a crime and there’s a gun involved, that’s a big concern,” King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office spokesperson Casey McNerthney said. “The reason Amber Alerts are so concerning is because of the potential of what could happen. Until you find that child safely, that’s time where every second probably seems like an hour.”

Marks was later located at a nearby Korean BBQ restaurant after a witness helped guide police to her location. She was arrested and transported to the Seattle Police Department and eventually booked into the King County Jail, where she has remained held on $500,000 bail.

Court documents said, during their investigation, the mother of the toddler told Seattle Police she knew the suspect and that the suspect had been a friend for a few years. However, the mother told police that the relationship soured and that Marks was known to carry multiple handguns, so she and her husband filed for a protection order against Marks.

A King County District Court judge granted a temporary order on March 14; however, when the mother and her husband appeared in court and requested the order remain in effect on March 28—the same day their child was allegedly abducted—a judge denied their request. Prosecutors said Marks joined that court hearing via Zoom. The mother told police she estimated Marks drove to the daycare immediately after the hearing.

The toddler was reunited with her family, and the case is still under investigation.

Follow Luke Duecy on  Read more of his stories here. Submit news tips here.

Rep. Lauren Davis, D-Shoreline, introduced on Tuesday, which would require dating app companies like Tinder, Bumble, Match.com, and others to pay the $1 excise tax per every user in Washington per month. The tax would not apply to users who have accounts, but have not accessed those accounts for 24 months.

Davis said she is looking for a way to fund services for domestic violence victims, intervention treatment, and perpetrator treatment.

“Domestic violence (DV) perpetrators as a group are extremely dangerous and they are responsible for an untold share of community violence, not just against their intimate partners, but more broadly,” Davis said. “Having a DV conviction is the No. 1 predictor of recidivism, the No. 1 predictor of violent crime. These individuals are the folks who are most likely to kill a law enforcement officer.”

Davis’ own experiences with domestic violence

Davis, who was a victim of domestic violence, shared her own story during a House Community Safety, Justice, and Reentry Committee meeting at the State Capitol in 2023.

“In the summer of 2021, I ended a tumultuous relationship that was defined by a pattern of severe psychological abuse and course of control,” Davis testified. “When I had broken up with him previously, my abuser would threaten my career or threaten to kill himself in order to get me back. The day I left for good, he used his body to block my exit so I couldn’t leave his house. I was able to break free and I never looked back.”

Tuesday, Davis told ����Xվ Newsradio her bill is a response to the state’s failure to make good on a promise to fund services after the House passed to eliminate the Crime Victims Penalty without backfilling lost funding.

“The State has massively defunded victims’ services that operate out of prosecutors’ offices specifically and help victims navigate our impossible legal system, which is entirely focused on the needs, wants, wishes, rights, and protections of criminal defendants and not victims,” Davis said.

����Xվ Newsradio reached out to several online dating services, who have yet to respond at the time of publishing.

Follow Luke Duecy on  Submit news tips here.

According to the Kent Police Department, officers responded to a report of a domestic assault involving a firearm at an apartment on the 5500 block of S 259th Street at approximately 8 a.m. When they arrived, the suspect, 51, allegedly fled in a black pickup truck, leading officers on a high-speed chase. Moments later, the pursuit was called off for public safety reasons.

Later that afternoon, a police investigation led officers to the suspect’s workplace, a building at 1520 W Pike Street in Auburn. Kent and Auburn police officers surrounded the building and attempted to negotiate his surrender. Police stated the suspect, believed to still be armed, refused to comply.

Police surround building, SWAT begin raid

Hours later, when police claimed negotiations broke down and after a judge issued an arrest warrant, officers were authorized to forcibly enter the building if necessary. SWAT flew a drone inside the building and deployed flash bang grenades and what police referred to as “other chemical munitions,” but the suspect remained uncooperative.

As SWAT entered the building, a fire broke out inside. SWAT officers were forced to retreat as the fire quickly spread. Police said firefighters, concerned about the possibility that the suspect could still be armed with a gun, were unable to get close enough to put the fire out. The building was eventually consumed by flames.

Investigators believe the suspect was the only person inside, although his death has not yet been confirmed. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

The Independent Force Investigation Team has taken over the investigation.

Follow Luke Duecy on  Submit news tips here.

The bill comes after a deadly double shooting at the Capri Hookah Lounge on Rainier Avenue S. a little more than a week ago. Prosecutors said Leontai Berry, 25, shot two people near the lounge and is now charged with first-degree murder and unlawful possession of a gun. He’s currently being held on a $5 million bail.

Court documents revealed the suspect shot one man in the head outside the lounge, then shot and killed a security guard who chased after him.

“The establishment was closed at the time,” a man who claimed to be head of the security at the hookah lounge told . “He was attempting to clear out everybody that was trying to linger around and then a random act occurred and he used his duty weapon to protect himself and those around.”

The lounge has been connected to previous violence, including a March 9 argument that, according to the Seattle Police Department (SPD), led to a shooting. Investigators said they counted 95 shell casings outside the lounge.

Capri Hookah Lounge now a chronic nuisance property

In response to the ongoing issues, Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes declared the Capri Hookah Lounge a chronic nuisance property, giving the business seven days to present a plan to address the disturbances, or the City Attorney may take legal action.

Councilmember Bob Kettle, Chair of the Public Safety Committee, drafted the proposed ordinance to regulate businesses that illegally sell alcohol, which are often private clubs or hookah lounges that sometimes charge fees to patrons to become members. reported that because many of the clubs and lounges are private, they are not required to allow police or Washington Liquor and Cannabis Board officers to enter. Many of these types of businesses host large events promoted on social media and draw young people willing to party well past early morning hours.

Kettle’s ordinance could help curb violence between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. in unregulated, after-hours establishments, with the Seattle City Attorney’s Office. Kettle said the ordinance is designed to specifically target businesses that operate without permits or oversight during these hours, often with the intent of providing spaces for socializing, smoking, or dancing. Licensed bars, restaurants, nightclubs, theaters, or strip clubs, which already meet security and licensing requirements, would not be impacted.

According to The Seattle Times, so far this year, 17 shootings have been tied to nightlife, with 11 of them occurring between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m., Deputy City Attorney Scott Lindsay said during a presentation Tuesday to the committee. He called these clubs “the nexus of the issue.”

The measure now goes to a full City Council vote on April 15.

Follow Luke Duecy on  Submit news tips here.

The suspect had his arraignment postponed Monday for a mental evaluation to see if he is competent to stand trial.

According to court documents obtained by MyNorthwest, police said neighbors called 911 after they saw the suspect, Vladimir Morgun, throwing large rocks at the flag and trying to climb a flag pole to reach the flag flying outside Queen Anne Elementary School on March 19.

At the time, police said students had already been released from the school, but children in a daycare facility were still on campus. School security guards were also monitoring the events unfold from a security camera.

How the Pride flag was vandalized

Prosecutors said Morgun, 37, eventually sawed the rope used to hoist the flag in half, removed the LBGTQ+ rainbow flag, and re-hoisted an American and Washington State flag. A security guard who responded to the scene told police the suspect then burned the Pride flag and stuffed it inside a small statue of Buddha. He wrote anti-LBGTQ+ slurs on the outside of the statue. Casey McNerthney, spokesperson for the King County Prosecutor’s Office, said the suspect then spread feces on the statue.

However, according to court documents, it wasn’t until hours later that officers found the suspect after they received another 911 call about a man standing on a house porch about a half block from the school. Police said the man shined a flashlight into the home, while the woman inside the home armed herself with a bat, ready to protect her daughter and herself.

Prosecutors said officers recognized the man as he matched the description of the suspect who desecrated the elementary school flag and pole. According to court documents, Seattle Public Schools (SPS) estimated the damage to the flagpole was approximately $2,500.

Police found a lighter, a blue Sharpie marker, and a picture of Jesus among the suspect’s possessions.

When questioned about the flag incident, according to a probable cause statement, a Seattle police detective said, “Morgun said he ‘used to be a homosexual’ and ‘didn’t want kids to see that stuff.'”

That detective confirmed Morgun was arrested in Grays Harbor County last year for assaulting a police officer.

“This seems like somebody who needs help,” McNerthney said. “Either way, we can’t have behavior like this. When you have hateful behavior like this, it’s got to go before the court.”

Morgun has been charged with one count of committing a hate crime and one count of second-degree malicious mischief. A hearing over his mental evaluation is scheduled for April 22. A judge set his bail at $30,000.

Follow Luke Duecy on  Submit news tips here.

The settlement means family members of the 157 people killed avoid what was supposed to be two weeks of emotional testimony—both sides arguing how much in damages to award each family member.

“I’m happy for our client,” said Mark Lindquist, an attorney representing Aimee Belanger, whose husband, Darcy Belanger, 46, died. “She stood her ground. We are satisfied with the resolution, accountability, and closure.”

Trial not about Boeing’s guilt in fatal crash

The trial wasn’t meant to establish Boeing’s guilt, as the company had already acknowledged its wrongdoing in ongoing negotiations with the U.S. Department of Justice. Instead, the purpose of the trial was to have a jury decide the financial compensation Boeing should provide to the surviving family members for the pain and suffering caused by the loss of their loved ones.

The crash of Ethiopian Airlines flight 302 and a Lion Air crash in late 2018 killed 189 people in Indonesia, prompting all Max 8s to be grounded for two years. Federal investigators ultimately determined Boeing executives were found to have lied to federal regulators about a flight control system on the Ethiopian Airlines jet, called MCAS, that forced the nose of the 737 to pitch downward minutes after takeoff.

Boeing has said it was deeply saddened by the loss of life. During Monday’s trial, because the victims died instantly, Boeing was ready to argue they didn’t suffer, therefore their families were not entitled to financial compensation.

Boeing still faces criminal charges from the U.S. Department of Justice. Boeing pleaded guilty to a charge of defrauding the federal government over the 737 Max crashes in 2018 and 2019. In December, a judge rejected the plea agreement over concerns with a required diversity consideration for hiring the independent monitor to oversee Boeing’s compliance. The Wall Street Journal has reported Boeing was re-negotiating a new plea deal with the DOJ before the trial is scheduled to begin in July.

“This crash was preventable,” Lindquist said about the crash in Ethiopia. “Sometimes a jury trial is necessary for full accountability.”

Lindquist also represents numerous victims’ families impacted by the Boeing Max 9 incident that involved a door plug that blew off an Alaska Airlines flight shortly after takeoff from Portland, Oregon, last year.

Follow Luke Duecy on  Submit news tips here.

This marks the second lawsuit filed by state attorneys general over canceled NIH grants.

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for Massachusetts, was brought by attorneys general from 16 states. It challenges the administration’s alleged delays in reviewing NIH grant applications and its termination of hundreds of already-approved grants. The lawsuit claimed the Trump administration canceled grants for projects it opposed, including those focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, as well as certain vaccine-related research.

The loss of funding for UW

The states argued the alleged delays and funding cuts have caused significant harm to public research institutions, including the University of Washington (UW), which received more than $648 million in NIH grants for the fiscal year of 2024—more federal research dollars than any other public university.

According to Brown, UW saw millions of dollars in grants terminated, which impacted research in areas such as trauma care for sexual assault victims, chlamydia prevention, and the impact of air pollution on Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. As a result, Brown said, the university has been forced to furlough or potentially lay off research staff and faculty and reduce graduate program admissions.

“The Trump administration’s illegal withholding of funding halts life-saving advancements in medical, agricultural, and public health research,” Brown said. “The damage is not only to scientific progress, but also to the jobs of researchers. We are asking the court to direct the release of funds already allocated to Washington’s research centers.”

In their suit, the attorneys general urged a federal judge to require the administration to promptly review and approve delayed grant applications. States involved in the lawsuit are currently waiting for decisions on billions of dollars in requested funding.

What other states are involved in the lawsuit?

In addition to Brown, the lawsuit is co-led by the attorneys general of Massachusetts, California, and Maryland. Other participating states include Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin.

This legal action follows a separate lawsuit filed in February, in which Brown joined 22 other attorneys general to challenge the administration’s attempt to cut “indirect cost” reimbursements for NIH grants. On March 5, a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction blocking those cuts as the case moves forward.

Follow Luke Duecy on  Submit news tips here.

Officers from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) arrived at Mt. Baker Roofing’s warehouse in Bellingham, near the Canadian border, around 7:30 a.m.

Charlotte Alden, a reporter with Cascadia Daily News, watched the events unfold from just outside and said she watched family members and friends shocked and extremely upset as ICE agents loaded their fathers and sons onto awaiting buses to take them to ICE facilities.

“There’s a lot of pain around these detainments and a lot of fear,” said Alden. “The human reaction of a daughter whose dad had just been detained, that will really stay with me.”

Alden said an ICE agent at the scene shared that those arrested would be bused to ICE facilities in Tukwila or Tacoma. Now, she believes it is most likely they went to Tacoma. 

“These friends and families were sitting outside the roofing facility, knowing nothing,” said Alden. “They then went into an office, once ICE had left, to talk with the owner of Mt. Baker Roofing. He may have had more information that he was able to share with them, but at the time that ICE was there was no information being shared.”

‘There is a growing fear’

Tomas Fuentes told Cascadia Daily News in Spanish, “They arrived wielding their guns like they were going to shoot us. They corralled us into a room in the back of the building. They had a list and pictures of everyone who was undocumented and took them away.”

Fuerte, who has worked at the company for 12 years, said the detainees were transported in two buses.

ICE spokesperson David Yost said in a statement that the operation followed a federal search warrant related to an ongoing investigation into the unlawful employment of undocumented workers in violation of federal law.

The 37 individuals arrested were accused of “fraudulently representing their immigration status and submitting fraudulent documents or information to gain employment,” Yost added.

Mt. Baker Roofing issued a statement later in the day, saying it was “fully cooperating with authorities while ensuring that our employees are treated fairly and respectfully under the law.”

Under the Trump administration, ICE made 32,809 arrests during the first 50 days of his presidency, averaging 656 arrests per day, up from 311 during the previous 12-month period ending on September 30.

While these numbers are higher than those during the Biden administration, they fall short of the mass deportations Trump campaigned on. The current administration has largely avoided the large-scale factory and office raids of the previous administrations, though smaller operations have continued.

Criminal charges against business owners in such cases are rare, with fines being more common.

“There is a growing fear from immigrant communities around here, I think particularly for farm workers, about where they can and can’t be right now,” said Alden when asked how the immigrant communities in the North Cascades are dealing with the recent raid. “People don’t know if they can go to work anymore, and I know from reporting on schools… the school districts are watching their attendance numbers really closely because the possibility that ICE could come to a school is now not out of the question.”

Algona Police said they are reviewing surveillance camera footage that shows the woman near the marsh. The official cause of death will come from the King County Medical Examiner, however, they said they do not believe foul play was involved and, instead, are calling the incident a tragic accident.

“She checked herself out of a facility in the City of Pacific … and went to a coffee shop at the Super Mall, a Starbucks,” Algona Police Chief James Schrimpsher said. “On her way back between 3 p.m. and maybe 4:30 p.m. she was headed back.”

Hours before Algona woman went missing

Police said the last contact she had with anyone was around 3:30 p.m. Tuesday when she texted someone. When she didn’t return to her care facility, police said staff reported her missing around 9 p.m. Her body was discovered early Wednesday morning.

“Somehow her wheelchair and she ended up in the marsh and yesterday, as part of our investigation, we recovered the body as well as the wheelchair,” Schrimpsher said.

The woman’s name was not released pending notification of next of kin. Police said several family members of the victim showed up at the scene where her body was discovered. Schrimpsher described the moment as heartbreaking and added, “Our hearts and prayers go out to the family… it is terribly unfortunate.”

Follow Luke Duecy on  Submit news tips here.

I first bumped into Jennifer who walked from downtown, past Lumen Field, as she anxiously searched for the Mariner’s ticket office. I asked her if she’d ever attended Opening Day and she told me, “I have not, but I heard it’s pretty wild and crazy, a lot of hype and fun. I might have to try it out.”

She says she always wanted to attend Opening Day and since she had time between work events, she thought she’d buy a ticket to see what the buzz was all about. What part of the experience was she most looking forward to? “The crowds and the cheering and the excitement of opening day and the start of the season,” she said.

Fans are pumped for the Mariners’ home opener

On this year’s Opening Day, 28 of the 30 teams will be in the action after the Tampa Bay Rays and Colorado Rockies rescheduled their game for Friday to give crews more time to prepare George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Fl. ready for the rest of the season. And, technically, the regular season officially got underway in Tokyo last week. The defending World Series champions, L.A. Dodgers swept the Chicago Cubs in a two-game series, which gave the Dodgers a two-game lead over every other team in the league.

Back to M’s fans, Shari, a recent California transplant told me he can’t wait to take his wife and kids to ballpark. “It’s really amazing watching games with family and we’ve been waiting for it for some time,” Shari told me. “It’s awesome.”

Laura, who is originally from South Chicago and also routes for the White Sox, said she watches most Mariner’s games with her 96-year-old Dad. She described attending Opening Day as “… a community thing, it’s exciting, and a great team.” She hoped to score a couple of tickets in time for the first pitch.

High expectations for Mariners

However, the one thing I found every M’s fan I chatted with had in common was they believe this year’s team has what it takes to win it all – the World Series. “It’s just the anticipation and thought of just maybe it could happen,” Ron, a super fan told me. “There are teams out there that have had horrible years, and they went straight to the World Series and the Super Bowl… it could happen.”

Thursday’s game kicks-off a four-game series against the A’s, a divisional rival that finished 19 and half games back and took 5th place in the American League West last season. The Mariners finished 2nd – three and a half games behind the Houston Astros.

But this year things could be different. Armed with, arguably, the best pitching line-up in the MLB, Logan Gilbert was announced as the Opening Day starter. And Platinum Glove catcher, Cal “The Big Dumper” Raleigh just signed a new six-year deal worth $105 M.

So, in the words of another Seattle sports great, former Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, “why not us?” I mean, so far, we’re tied for first in the Division.

“There were family members yelling, there was just a lot going on,” Cappetto said. “So when they were attempting life-saving measures, they also had to deal with crowd control.”

Deputies are also concerned about how close the shooting took place to Highway 512. Early morning commuters heading east on the highway would have been only 100 feet away from the shooting.

“To have a shooting like this in such a dense populated area is very scary,” Cappetto said.

Investigators said they waited for daybreak to begin collecting evidence at the scene. They expected that area of 108th Street South to remain closed for several hours.

More details will be shared as they become available.

This is a developing story, check back for updates

Follow Luke Duecy on  Submit news tips here.

More on MyNorthwest: Driver pulled out of car after crashing into a building in Everett

This is a developing story, check back for updates

Follow Luke Duecy on  Submit news tips here.