This is what the sky looked like yesterday evening above the Squire Park neighborhood about an hour before lightning flashed overhead and thunder set off car alarms.
This is what the sky looked like yesterday evening above the Squire Park neighborhood about an hour before lightning flashed overhead and thunder set off car alarms. KR

In Federal Way, Lightning Struck a Tree in the Front Yard of an Elderly Couple’s Home: And then “traveled through the root system to the home. The lightning blew out drywall in the house, damaged the gutters and caused a gas line to rupture.” Luckily, the couple wasn’t hurt.

And We Could See More Lightning in the Future: Sydney Brownstone says climate change will likely increase lightning strikes in the lower 48 states by as much as 50 percent by 2100. Which is bad news for wildfire-prone Eastern Washington.


State Republicans Propose Cutting College Tuition by 25 Percent: But UW interim president Ana Mari Cauce says the proposal has some “troubling aspects,” including less money for employee raises than was negotiated in collective-bargaining agreements.

Expedia Moving Headquarters from Bellevue to Seattle Waterfront: The mayor is reportedly pretty stoked that the company is bringing several thousand employees to its 40-acre Amgen campus. Others are speculating that the move could have the effect of drawing more techies to the area.

Indiana Businesses Get Busy Discriminating: A pizzeria says it will now refuse to cater gay weddings because of Indiana’s new religious “freedom” law.

But That May Not Be Legal After All: In response to all the controversy, lawmakers have proposed an amendment to the Religious Freedom Restoration Act that would prohibit service providers from using the law as a legal defense for refusing to provide services, goods, facilities, or accommodations. However, the house and the senate still need to approve the changes before being signed by the governor.

Germanwings Copilot Had Been Researching Suicide and Cockpit Doors, Say Prosecutors: Ugh.

A Man Says a Corporate Starbucks Employee Accused Him of Trying to Steal Company Secrets to Take to China: Angela Garbes has the surreal story and fitting epilogue to the company's ill-fated #RaceTogether campaign.

This machine gun guitar can now be reunited with its owner.
This machine gun guitar can now be reunited with its owner. SPD

Hey, Musicians. Missing Anything? A Bunch of Stolen Music Gear Was Recovered in Ballard: Guitars, drums, amps, pedals, and recording equipment are among the items recovered by police.

King County Jury Awards Injured Sea-Tac Worker $40 Million: Brandon Afoa of Puyallup was operating a tug (which pushes back the planes) in 2007 when the brakes and steering failed on the vehicle, causing him to smash into a broken luggage lift, which crushed his spine and left him a paraplegic. Afoa worked for a private company contracted by the Port of Seattle, which is why the port contended it wasn’t liable for what happened, but the state supreme court rejected that argument.

Former UW Football Coach Pleads Guilty to Disorderly Conduct: It stems from an incident last year in which 72-year-old Jim Lambright “grabbed [his 23-year-old granddaughter’s] arms, yanking her down to the floor. He then dragged her 5 feet before she managed to escape and run outside to call for help.” Lambright’s wife said her husband suffers from dementia and “explosive disorder.”


A Kent High School Student Dies After “Car-Surfing” in School Parking Lot: “Lupo Benson was a very well-liked student, and has been a positive member of the KM family for the past four years,” the school's principal wrote in a letter.

Armed Men Storm a University in Northern Kenya: They’ve killed at least 21 people and seriously wounded 65. More than 500 students remain unaccounted for.