"Disruptive Hooliganism at Seattle and King County Government Meetings Has No Place in Public Discourse": That's how the Seattle Times editorial board summed up this editorial lamenting protesters who interrupt public meetings and calling on government officials to "find a way to stop this intimidation."
The Mayor and Some City Council Members Don't Want the Elephants to Go to Oklahoma, but They Won't Do Anything About It: Council Member Sally Bagshaw has joined some activists in calling for two elephants at the Woodland Park Zoo to be sent to a sanctuary instead of another zoo, but she says she doesn't plan to try to stop their transfer.
Washington's First Government-Run Pot Shop Will Open This Weekend: A small town in Southern Washington wanted money to fix up a park, so they're going to sell weed. According to the Puget Sound Business Journal, the city expects the store to rake in revenue that's triple the city's budget in its first year open.
An Elderly River Otter Named Salishan Died at the Woodland Park Zoo: "After Salishan was diagnosed with age-related heart failure," reports KIRO, "she was given a prognosis of 3-6 months to live—but survived another 12!"
State House Passes Another Good Bill Sure to Meet Resistance in the Senate: This time it's about oil train safety. The bill requires companies transporting oil by rail or barge to notify the state in advance, requires railroads to prove they can pay for an oil spill cleanup, and increases taxes on oil transported by rail with that money going to an oil spill cleanup fund, according to the AP.
The Fusion Lounge Has Shut Down: Owners voluntarily closed the nightclub, according to a news release from Mayor Ed Murray's office. That comes after two shootings there this year, which led Seattle city attorney Pete Holmes to ask the Washington State Liquor Control Board to issue an emergency suspension of the club's liquor license.
Clueless Old White Guy Apologizes for Saying Racist Nonsense: Washington State senator Jim Honeyford used the terms "colored" and "negro" and said people of color were more likely to commit crimes than white people. Ansel called him out, he called Slog "an electronic paper," and then—eventually—he apologized.
That Baby Bird Is Going to Give You Salmonella, You Idiot: The state health department sent out a press release yesterday warning about "Ducklings and chicks: Nature’s impossibly cute little bacteria factories." According the the DOH, at least 39 people in this state have gotten salmonella after coming into contact with live poultry over the last three years. Anyone close to chicks or ducklings should wash their hands, not let the birds into the house, and "make sure children don’t snuggle or kiss the young poultry."
Sydney Is Still Giving the Port Commissioners Hell: Here's why you should care. And here's the lowdown on Bill Bryant, a commissioner who likes to talk about his green track record but also loves to take money from oil and coal supporters and even the parent company of the group allowing Shell to use a terminal at the port to shelter its Arctic drilling fleet.
Oh My God, Have You Seen That Octopus Trying to Escape from Its Tank at the Seattle Aquarium? It's so creepy and the internet loves it. The video below comes from LiveLeak.
