Chances are high that you’ve never been to McNeal Island before. Few have - the island, located in the Puget Sound, southwest of Tacoma, isn’t accessible to the general public. The only people that are allowed are staff and pre-screened visitors at the Washington State Special Commitment Center - the first post-prison institution for people designated as sexually violent predators. Around 515 people have been detained in the Special Commitment Center program since 1990. But now, a new report fro...
Aug 21, 2024•24 min
Picture a historic church in Tacoma’s Proctor neighborhood, bathed in afternoon sunlight, poised for a dramatic transformation. Julie Cain, who purchased the church in 2021, envisions turning it into affordable housing for young adults. The project aims to address local housing needs and foster a supportive community, with plans for shared rooms and communal spaces. However, the ambitious plan has sparked mixed reactions from neighbors concerned about traffic, parking, and neighborhood changes. ...
Aug 21, 2024•12 min
When Fitz Cahall started his “Dirtbag Diaries” podcast in 2007, he was an avid outdoorsman struggling to make ends meet as a travel writer. At the time, this whole ‘on demand audio storytelling’ thing was kind of new, and Fitz saw it as a way of bringing new life to his joy of the outdoors. Today, he’s replaced his wild life bouncing around in a van with the concrete landscape of Seattle, where he continues to host his podcast with his wife, Becca, and their team of producers. And 17 years after...
Aug 21, 2024•26 min
Imagine you are renting a property and your grass dies and gets brown (this is the Pacific Northwest, where, aside from some unseasonable August rain, it’s pretty dry all summer). Then you get a note from your management company that letting that grass die violates the property’s rules and fines you $125. Then, on top of that, the company charges you an additional $125 for the trouble it took to put that note on your door. These fines, so called “junk fees,” are allowed in Washington State. A fe...
Aug 20, 2024•13 min
The Washington State Department of Corrections has pledged to stop the use of solitary confinement in state prisons, in most cases. And the agency says it has made progress on that goal. But a recent report from the agency’s own independent watchdog, the Office of the Corrections Ombuds, says isolating inmates for extended periods of time is still a widespread practice. The findings, published in June, showed more than 1 in 5 people incarcerated in state prison at the time of the report had serv...
Aug 20, 2024•12 min
The summertime is usually the peak season for tourists in Stehekin, Washington – a small community of around 100 people at the north end of Lake Chelan. It’s only accessible by boat or floatplane, making it an ideal place for a lakeside getaway or entry into the North Cascades wilderness. But the geography and topography that make Stehekin unique are now posing challenges as the Pioneer Wildfire continues to threaten the town. Since it started June, the fire has grown to tens of thousands of acr...
Aug 20, 2024•13 min
The Department of Children, Youth, and Families, which oversees the state’s foster care system, celebrated a milestone last week: The number of children in foster care has dipped below 5,000. That’s down significantly from 9,171 kids in foster care in 2018 – a reduction of more than 50% in six years. This is seen as progress among experts who have pushed for states nationwide to keep children with their parents whenever possible. Splitting up families can do lasting harm to kids and disproportio...
Aug 19, 2024•15 min
For decades, the road to recovery after a spinal cord injury has meant years of physical therapy. The goal is often small but meaningful improvements in body function. Being able to stretch your fingers that much farther, or grip just a bit harder. Jon Schleuter’s path began after he broke his neck diving into a pool 20 years ago. Soundside's Libby Denkmann and Alec Cowan spoke with Schleuter in May. You can check out the original story, complete with photos here: https://www.kuow.org/stories/th...
Aug 19, 2024•22 min
A new study out of the University of Virginia combined data from all 50 states to see how COVID restrictions did or didn’t reduce pandemic deaths. Despite criticism – even today – that COVID restrictions were tyrannical and unnecessary, the paper shows that states with more stringent mask and vaccine mandates did in fact save lives, and that states without those measures could have prevented excess deaths had they followed similar strictures. While hindsight is, in this case, literally 2020 – th...
Aug 16, 2024•21 min
For many performers, a missed show can mean a huge pay cut. Drag queens, comedians, musicians, and other entertainers are mostly independent contractors, which means no employer provided health insurance or sick time. Now, local drag queen Betty Wetter, as well as the dance duo Drama Tops, and Velocity Dance Center, have come together to create the Queer Sick Pay Fund. The Fund is meant to provide queer nightlife performers in the Seattle area with sick pay and resources when they have to miss a...
Aug 15, 2024•14 min
The Columbia River is undoubtedly one of the most important rivers in the Northwest. Today, its irrigation provides water for the farms of Central Washington; it’s a vital waterway for salmon; and it provides a critical source of hydroelectric power. The river is split between the U.S. and Canada, and its headwaters begin in British Columbia. For the last 60 years, one treaty -- the Columbia River Treaty -- has dictated how the two nations manage the river and its dams. But that treaty is quickl...
Aug 14, 2024•19 min
For 150 years, the United States government operated boarding schools that separated Native American children from their families and communities. The government's goal was to eradicate native languages and culture. At least 17 US Indian boarding schools existed in Washington State. A new report from the Department of Interior outlines the scale and impact of the government's effort. It identifies by name almost 19,000 native children who were sent to boarding schools across the US and roughly 1...
Aug 14, 2024•20 min
A new show from Cascade PBS looks at the way artists in the Pacific Northwest incorporate their surroundings into drawings, tapestry, and pottery. ‘Art by Northwest’ showcases local artists inspired by the landscapes and culture of their communities. Each episode explores the stories behind their work, reflecting the unique essence of the Pacific Northwest. "What I hope for the series is that people see how artists are translating their landscape into their work," says host Brangien Davis. Thank...
Aug 14, 2024•11 min
There are a lot of stories about the financial challenges facing schools right now: Seattle School District has a $100 million budget gap they need to close and they’re going to be shuttering schools to make ends meet. Bellevue School District also closed schools to shore up its budget last year. Other districts are looking at million dollar shortfalls and considering school closures or ending programs. But Marysville School District is facing a particularly challenging landscape . "They have a ...
Aug 14, 2024•20 min
Two NASA astronauts named Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, are currently stuck in space. The pair launched in the Boeing Starliner earlier this year. Malfunctions have delayed their return from what was originally meant to be an 8 day trip to the International Space Station. Now, they may not be back on Earth until February. And – most galling for Boeing: They may have to hitch a ride with its competitor, SpaceX. So, what exactly happened with Boeing’s new spacecraft? And what will it take to ge...
Aug 13, 2024•29 min
While ballots are still being counted, most of the races in last week’s primary election have been decided. But one contest in particular – the race to become the next Commissioner of Public Lands for Washington state – has become surprisingly close. The Commissioner of Public Lands runs the state Department of Natural Resources – think forest and wildfire policy, along with issues like fish hatcheries and salmon restoration. As of last week, just a few thousand votes separated the two candidate...
Aug 13, 2024•10 min
We wanted to round out today’s show by remembering a man described as the greatest music journalist Seattle ever had - Charles R. Cross. For over 40 years, Cross tracked the pulse of Seattle through its music. He was also known for his biographies of local rock legends: Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain, and Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart. Cross’ family confirmed in a statement that he died on Aug. 9 of natural causes at his home in Shoreline. He was 67. Charles was also a regular guest on KUOW. . Our la...
Aug 12, 2024•25 min
Primary election results continue to roll in. And sure, your head may have been turned by that flashy State Lands Commissioner race. But if you’re a Seattle resident, a very consequential city council contest should also be on your radar. The at-large 8th district seat is up for grabs this November. The citywide position was formerly held by Teresa Mosqueda. Last year, she won a spot on the King County Council. Tanya Woo, a business owner and community organizer in the Chinatown International Di...
Aug 12, 2024•16 min
Across vast stretches of rural Washington, large boxy warehouses have popped up between fields of potatoes. They contain the humming infrastructure that the tech industry and users rely on to store documents in the cloud, access streaming videos, or perform internet searches. It’s easy to see why companies put data centers in this part of the state: cheap hydro electricity, available land, and a friendly legislature in Olympia that provides tax breaks. But now, all those data centers are gobblin...
Aug 08, 2024•21 min
Summer is in full swing with clogged hiking trails, packed ferries, and the smells of backyard barbeques. But while many of you might be visiting tourist towns in the Cascades or near a Puget Sound Island, one Washington tourist town has been struggling: Point Roberts, our favorite local exclave. It’s a peninsula, surrounded by water on three sides, and its fourth side borders Canada. Summers are usually the high points for Canadian tourists who flock to "The Point’s" beaches, or maybe they just...
Aug 07, 2024•15 min
Yesterday, thousands of Washingtonians dug through the pile of mail sitting on their hallway table. They found their primary ballot - maybe even their voter pamphlet - and took time to vote. Congratulations to all who did. Wear that new “I voted” sticker with pride. Because there were a lot of important things to consider in this year’s primary election: come January we’ll have a new Governor, a new Attorney General, and a new Commissioner of Public Lands, to name just a few of the big jobs up f...
Aug 07, 2024•24 min
Have your friends been canceling on you because they’re sick? Coworkers on prolonged absence because your entire team came down with a bug? Feeling a sniffle yourself lately? This summer, The CDC says more than a dozen states across the US are seeing “very high” spikes in COVID cases. But now that we’re a few years past the pandemic, what’s the responsible amount of time to stay home from work, avoid the grocery store, or get the latest booster? To help answer those questions and get the latest ...
Aug 07, 2024•12 min
It’s track and field week at the Paris Olympics. Yesterday, the women’s 800 wrapped up with Keeley Hodgkinson of Great Britain taking the top spot. As exciting as an Olympics track event always is, it didn’t compare with nearly 100 years ago, when women were first allowed to run this race . Then, it was a media frenzy. And not because of the pure awe at elite runner’s abilities. Instead, at the Amsterdam Olympics of 1928, the media and many sports officials were concerned about women running com...
Aug 06, 2024•28 min
The Paris 2024 Olympics are in full swing. Tomorrow (Wednesday the 7th) is the final day of competition for the artistic swim teams - better known to many by the sport’s old name: synchronized swimming. This is the first time in 16 years that the American team has qualified for the Olympics. And, two members of that team come from right here, in Seattle. They both got their start at the same club - called Seattle Synchro. Guest: Daniela Garmendia, Head Coach at Seattle Synchro Relevant links: Se...
Aug 06, 2024•9 min
It’s primary election day. Over a million Washingtonians have already turned in their ballots. If you’re not one of those early voters, you’re not alone. About 80% of registered voters have opted to wait until the last few hours, if they’re voting at all. Perhaps it’s procrastination; perhaps you plumb forgot. Maybe you just really prefer casting a ballot in-person on election day , you traditionalist, you. Or maybe you just don’t think primary elections are all that crucial, and you’re saving i...
Aug 06, 2024•14 min
When I say the one percent, what do you think of? Is it the ultrawealthy? A phrase coined during the Occupy Movement? Is it the second wateriest form of milk on the market? This story is about a different group of one percenters, it’s primary election season, after all, and we’re talking about voters who have their ballots rejected in Washington. Over the last decade, around 99 percent of cast ballots were accepted. But of those one percent that were disqualified, the Secretary of State's office...
Aug 05, 2024•15 min
Fueled by dry weather and high temperatures, wildfires across the Northwest have now burned more than 1 million acres. On Friday, Governor Jay Inslee declared a statewide emergency to unlock more firefighting resources. As of now, those dozens of fires across Washington and Oregon have put thousands of people under evacuation notice. But for cattle ranchers across the plains of the Northwest interior, moving their families – and their herds – is getting more and more difficult. Soundside was joi...
Aug 05, 2024•16 min
Seattle City Attorney Ann Davison and Councilmember Cathy Moore say they have a plan to give the city a new tool to help fight drug trafficking and prostitution. Last Thursday they introduced a pair of ordinances that would create a number of “safe zones” in the city -- typically called Stay out of Drug Areas (or SODA) and Stay Out of Areas of Prostitution (or SOAP) zones. The legislation hearkens back to previous Seattle laws that were REPEALED by the Seattle City Council four years ago. So, wh...
Aug 05, 2024•16 min
We’re headed back to Washington’s 3rd Congressional District – which includes the southwest corner of the state, from Long Beach to Mount Adams, and from Yelm down to Vancouver. It’s expected once again to be the site of one of the closest House races in the country – the Cook political report rates it as one of only 22 “tossup” contests in 2024. Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez flipped the seat in 2022 by a slim margin: she defeated Republican Joe Kent by roughly 2600 votes. Kent is back vying ...
Aug 01, 2024•24 min
There has been an onslaught of news in Seattle’s theater community. Earlier this year, Seattle Rep announced it was laying off the majority of its artistic staff. The non-profit theater’s subscription base is half of what it was before the pandemic. And that isn’t the only change in the theater world: The 5TH Avenue Theatre is shutting down its new works program. ACT Theatre is exploring a merger with Seattle Shakespeare. Now, to be clear, these aren’t the only theaters in town, there are many, ...
Jul 31, 2024•38 min
