The legislature will fund reduction in class sizes from kindergarten through third grade, but delay reductions for grades 4-12.
The legislature will fund reduction in class sizes from kindergarten through third grade, but delay reductions for grades 4-12. Olesya Feketa/Shutterstock

The State Senate Gave the Final Okay to Delaying the Class Size Initiative: "The vote clears the way for lawmakers to adjourn their third legislative session by Friday," the AP reports. "While the state operating budget pays for reduction of class sizes from kindergarten through third grade, the bill delays implementation for grades 4-12."

City Council Member Kshama Sawant Is Eyeing the Central District for a Possible Municipal Broadband Pilot Program: "To do that," Capitol Hill Seattle Blog reports, "the District 3 candidate is considering inserting around $5 million into this year’s budget to fund the pilot program. She is also planning a town hall forum later in the year to help drum up more support."

A Vashon Island Man Tried to Bribe a Cop After He Was Caught Driving Naked: “Come on Hancock, it’s hot and you know you wish you could be as free as me!” the 61-year-old man allegedly told a sheriff's deputy who pulled him over. Once he'd been stopped, seattlepi.com reports, the man allegedly "hurriedly donned a shirt while leaving his lower half bare." He then tried to give the deputy $110 to avoid a ticket.

It Looks Like the City Is Going to Build a Park (Not Affordable Housing) on Those Sisley Properties in Roosevelt: That's according to the rumors Publicola is hearing, anyway, so, you know.

University of Washington philosopher Michael Blake says the argument over rent control
University of Washington philosopher Michael Blake says the argument over rent control "is an issue for philosophers" because it's about "justice." Mark Payne/Shutterstock

What Would a Philosopher Say About Seattle’s Rent Control Debate? KUOW asked University of Washington philosopher Michael Blake. Speaking of rent control, CityLab reports that Berlin's new rent control laws are working. According to that story, "the average cost of new Berlin rental contracts has dropped 3.1 percent within a month," while "in other German cities where such laws haven’t yet been introduced, rents have remained more or less static."

An Apartment Skyscraper Downtown Just Sold for So Much It Broke a Record: The 40-story "Premiere on Pine" near the Paramount Theatre sold for just over $240 million. "The price works out to around $622,000 per apartment," reports the Puget Sound Business Journal. "Seattle's per-unit record was set last year with the sale of the Martin, a Belltown high-rise, which sold for $606,400 per apartment."

Police Are Looking for Suspects in Three Shootings in King County Over the Last 24 Hours: One in Seattle's Dunlap neighborhood and the other two in Kent and Tukwila.

Firefighters are warning there may be more brush fires close to residential neighborhoods this year. This photo of a house fire is from 2000. Have you checked out the Seattle Municipal Archives Flickr page?
Firefighters are warning there may be more brush fires close to residential neighborhoods this year. This photo of a house fire is from 2000. Have you checked out the Seattle Municipal Archives Flickr page? Seattle Municipal Archives

Some Fire Officials Are Warning About More Brush Fires This Year: And they could be closer to your home. “Something is different about this summer,” Snohomish County Fire District 1 captain Shaughn Maxwell told Q13. “Can’t remember in 20 years when we’ve had a wildfire strike team requested inside the urban area.”

The Confederate Flag Has Been Removed from the South Carolina Statehouse: This is a good day.


Exxon Knew About Climate Change in 1981, Seven Years Before Other Oil Companies and the Public: That's according to a newly uncovered e-mail from Exxon's in-house climate expert.

Washington, Oregon, and Colorado Senators Have Introduced a Bill Making It Legal for Banks to Offer Services to Marijuana Businesses: That would be huge for the industry.

Your Friday Spokane News: Health officials say a young girl was bitten by a rabid bat in Liberty Lake near Spokane. "I've actually liked bats if they're in a cage," the bitten 7-year-old, Jaleigh Bryan, told a local TV news station.