Anyone making minimum wage at the University of Washington wont get a raise come April 1, when the citys new law takes effect.
Anyone making minimum wage at the University of Washington won't get a raise come April 1, when the city's new law takes effect. Denise Lett/Shutterstock

The City's Largest Employer Has No Plans to Raise Wages on April 1: The University of Washington claims that as a public entity, it falls into a gray area in which the city can't regulate how much it pays workers. That question may get answered in the ongoing SeaTac lawsuit over minimum wage, but in the meantime, UW won't increase wages for the 70 university employees (not including undergrads) who earn less than $11 an hour, the new minimum wage for large employers, reports the Seattle Times.

Carnation Man Convicted of Christmas Eve Murders: A jury found 36-year-old Joseph McEnroe guilty of killing six members of his girlfriend's family in 2007. His girlfriend has also been charged and will face trial this fall. "McEnroe's trial had been delayed for years by arguments over the possible death penalty and whether he could change his not guilty plea to not guilty by reason of insanity," KOMO reports.

There's a New City Council Candidate in District 5: That covers the north end of the city. Debadutta Dash cofounded the nonprofit Washington State and India Trade Relations Action Committee to encourage trade between Washington State and India and sits on the state Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs. Dash, who's 48 and lives in the Olympic Hills neighborhood, told me in a phone call this morning he'll focus on affordable housing, homelessness, advocating for light rail between Northgate and Bothell, and involving more young people in local government.

So, This State Auditor Case Just Keeps Getting Weirder: The Seattle Times has this story about the guy who's emerging as a central figure in the criminal case in which the Feds are investigating Washington State auditor Troy Kelley and his prior business dealings. The man in question is Jason Jerue. Back during a 2010 lawsuit about Kelley, lawyers couldn't find Jerue, who worked for Kelley, for a deposition. Now, Jerue again works for Kelley, this time in the state auditor's office, but he's "rarely been seen in Olympia since being hired in 2013, and works as a technical writer mostly from his home in California." Most of his addresses on documents are post office boxes, and government agencies and court documents show three different spellings of his last name. "The most recent local address listing," writes the Times, "led to a ramshackle Kirkland home a neighbor said had been deserted."

Heres what traffic looked like—red=misery—when the viaduct was blocked by an overturned semi on Tuesday.
Here's what traffic looked like—red=misery—when the viaduct was blocked by an overturned semi on Tuesday. SDOT

Why Wasn't That Overturned Truck That Stopped Traffic Tuesday Just Moved out of the Street? Because it was full of fish. "This thing could break open if they dragged it or fall over and smash open," Mayor Ed Murray told reporters, "at which point we would be here today and you would be asking us questions about why that corridor was still closed down."

By the Way, Still Pissed About That? Direct your rage at these three pasty stooges.

Speaking of Traffic Rage: Emerald City Comicon organizers are not thrilled that the state is closing westbound lanes on the I-90 bridge and the Alaskan Way Viaduct this weekend (and Sound Transit won't be running light rail to downtown) because there are "no major events this weekend." Hey, WSDOT, Comicon is sold ou,t and a spokesperson tells MyNorthwest.com they're expecting 80,000 people.

You Know Where There's Not a Nine-Hour Traffic Jam? In the middle of the Pacific, where Shell's arctic drilling rigs are—along with a boat full of Greenpeace activists.

Miss pluto as a planet? Head to Greenwood this Saturday.
Miss Pluto as a planet? Head to Greenwood this Saturday. Christos Georghiou/Shutterstock

The Seventh Pluto Protest Day: That's what's happening in Greenwood on Saturday. It's also called "Dwarf Planet Pride Day" and it will feature speakers, a student debate, and a "moment of silence at Neptune Coffee across the street to commemorate Pluto’s reclassification as a dwarf planet." Thank you for existing, Greater Seattle Bureau of Fearless Ideas.

That City Council Vote on Homeless Encampments Is Coming Up: And it looks like the council's left wing might have the votes to take a step toward allowing encampments on residential land.

Ed Murray Wants to Give You a Free Lightbulb: Every city resident can get a free LED lightbulb through the city's "Operation LED campaign," according to an announcement from the mayor's office. Get your hands on one at seattle.gov/freebulb, using the mailer being sent to all City Light customers, or by calling 877-606-1599.