Recall recalled: The married Bruce Harrell voters who filed a petition to recall Mayor Katie Wilson for “misfeasance” have asked a King County Superior Court judge to dismiss their petition. According to KUOW, the pair had a hard time finding a lawyer to represent them and, when they did, the lawyer advised them to file dismissal paperwork. The couple may refile and resubmit the recall petition. Their first stab was light on legal arguments. If they do refile, Wilson’s lawyer said Wilson may “seek sanctions against them.”
Hell is empty and the devils are here: The Mariners gave away 20,000 special Jimothy trading cards at their “Jimothy Night” game on August 5. Hidden among the ordinary short-spined gremlins was a single special golden Jimothy card. A 13-year-old received it, which means he can now compete for ownership of the Jimothy factory. But as even the children know what it is to live in a capitalistic society, he is hawking it on eBay instead. The top bid is $15,000.
Fare gates coming to light rail stations: Sound Transit needs scratch to make good on its Sound Transit 3 promises (light rail to Ballard, anyone?). Their genius strategy? Make people pay for the train that costs money. Only about a third of light rail riders are paying their fare these days, so the Sound Transit board has voted for a $6 million pilot program (with an $87 million installation fee) to put fare gates at 14 stations from 2029 to 2034. They will raise the gates at all stations from Northgate to the International District/Chinatown in Seattle, and at Lynnwood City Center, SeaTac Airport, Federal Way Downtown, Bellevue Downtown, and Downtown Redmond. Sound Transit estimates the pilot will rake in $30 million a year.
Tragedy not averted: The disaster at Longview’s Nippon Dynawave Packaging mill in May that killed 11 people and seriously injured three could have been prevented. The storage tank full of deadly caustic white liquor was found unfit for continued service at an inspection 10 months before it failed and spilled its 900,000 gallons. The walls of the exterior shell had thinned below the minimum-safe thickness, reports KING 5.
Climber rescued: A man climbing a mountain in California’s Sierra Nevadas, without ropes, got stuck on a six-inch rock ledge and radioed rescuers for help, but it was so windy a helicopter could not safely swoop in to save him the easy way. It took eight to nine hours for them to rescue him, climbing alongside him to safety in the dead of night. Type-three fun for sure.
The moon: There was a partial lunar eclipse last night. Did you see it?
The weather: I know I am a full Seattle sicko because the weather is cooling off, and I am thrilled. Today will be another “lovely” sunny day, but the wet and the gray are in the forecast on Saturday, with more to come next week.
It’s Not Brain Surgery, Six Flags: In July, a woman was rushed to a hospital after riding Six Flags Magic Mountain’s X2 rollercoaster. Neurosurgeons said the inside of her skull looked like what they see in “high-speed collisions or other violent accidents that cause the brain to twist and slam inside one’s skull,” CNN reports. Days later, another X2 rider was rushed to the hospital with the same injuries, and only then did Six Flags close the ride. She is still in a coma. But that’s not all: CNN found that the coaster was linked to two deaths and dozens of reports of serious injuries and hospitalizations.
Lake Shut the Fuck Up: The escalating trade war between the US and our former strongest ally, Canada, is just as bad as you’d expectgreat. After trade talks broke down Friday, Trump levied 50 percent tariffs on some Canadian goods. When Canada responded with tariffs in kind, Trump upped the ante by renaming Lake Ontario “Lake America.” That’ll surely make everyone happy. “We have a gulf, and we have a lake, now all we need is an ocean,” Trump said, imperially.
Nepal flash flood death toll continues to rise: The flash flood on the Himalayan border between Nepal and China has killed at least 553 people in Nepal, and authorities said 1,924 more are missing. China reported five deaths and 558 missing people. Flood risk remains high. A blocked river upstream has formed a new lake that could be at risk of flooding.
Norway’s king is dead: King Harald V died at age 89. He was three years old when the Nazis occupied Norway during World War II. His mother fled with him and his two sisters, taking them first to Sweden, and then to the US to avoid capture. If he was aiming to slip out the backdoor of life unnoticed, he couldn’t have picked a better week.
ICE arrests mother and daughter who survived car crash: Immigration and Custom Enforcement goons rounded up an Ecuadorian mother, Grace Stephanie Calero Cabanilla, 39, and her daughter, Giulianna Mía Carriel Calero, 19, at a Florida hospital where they were recovering from a car crash. “Video posted online by Gia Calero, Calero Cabanilla’s sister, and published by CNN showed the two women embracing in tears on a hospital bed as law enforcement officers attempted to separate them,” CNN reports. The US government accused the mother of overstaying her visa. A family member said the mother has a pending asylum case and an active work permit. The daughter has a valid visa. Neither have criminal records.
Stud alert: One frisky bird is responsible for keeping his species alive in the United Kingdom. A 10-year-old Montagu’s harrier nicknamed AU, the chemical symbol for gold, has sired 16 birds. “He’s at the top of his game,” Mark Thomas, a conservationist and species lead for Royal Society for the Protection of Birds said. He called AU “absolutely prolific.” The ladies love AU, AU clearly loves fucking, and the researchers love to watch. Everybody wins!
