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SEATTLE — After spending $5 million on its five automated public toilets, Seattle is calling it quits. One of San Francisco’s toilets, which, officials say, always need maintenance adjustments. In the end, the restrooms, installed in early 2004, had become so filthy, so overrun with drug abusers and prostitutes, that although use was free of charge, even some of the city’s most destitute people refused to step inside them. The units were put up for sale Wednesday afternoon on eBay, with a starting bid set by the city at $89,000 apiece. The dismal outcome coincides with plans by New York,...

After spending $5 million on its five automated public toilets, Seattle is calling it quits. In the end, the restrooms, installed in early 2004, had become so filthy, so overrun with drug abusers and prostitutes, that although use was free of charge, even some of the city’s most destitute people refused to step inside them. The units were put up for sale Wednesday afternoon on eBay, with a starting bid set by the city at $89,000 apiece. The dismal outcome coincides with plans by New York, Los Angeles and Boston, among other cities, to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars...

SEATTLE -- A man in his 60s was critically injured in a fight in the city's south side on Wednesday night, according to police. Spokesman Jeff Kappel said trouble began when the man began watering plants at an intersection roundabout at South Cooper Street and 61st Avenue South just before 8 p.m. The man, who was using a garden hose, had set up cones to divert traffic during the watering, and his cones were causing traffic to backup. Three young women in a car near the intersection confronted the man and demanded that he move the cones. When he refused,...

The Seattle Opera will host lesbian-gay-bisexual-transgender nights during designated Friday performances in the 2008-09 season, the opera house announced Monday. The LGBT nights will include $100 admission to orchestra seats, which usually cost between $94 and $140; private intermission receptions, including complimentary refreshments, and free admission to a pre-opera lecture. ...

Yoko Wang, owner of Toshio's Teriyaki in Rainier Valley, is not too worried about a possible ban on Styrofoam clamshells in Seattle. She's confident that biodegradable containers to keep her broiled, boneless chicken hot will be available by the time the city mandates the switch — in July 2010. She was shocked, however, to hear the ban would extend to plastics, right down to each chili-sauce container and fork. "Everybody is going to have to use chopsticks," Wang said after her Monday lunch rush. "I can give lessons." Today, the City Council will hold a public hearing on Mayor Greg...

KENNEWICK — A 23-year-old Kennewick woman is accused of stabbing to death a pregnant Pasco woman and then cutting her unborn child out of her womb and trying to pass the baby off as her own. Blue mechanic's gloves soaked in blood, a box cutter, bloody paper towels, a baby bottle and a mucus bulb are among items suspected of being used to kill Araceli Camacho Gomez and steal her nearly full-term baby. Details of the slaying were revealed Monday afternoon when Phiengchai Sisouvanh Synhavong made a preliminary appearance in Benton County Superior Court. She was ordered held without bail...

<p>U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents raided an Arlington aircraft manufacturing plant Thursday and arrested 32 undocumented workers.</p> <p>Agents executed the search warrant at Aerospace Manufacturing Technologies, Inc., which supplies parts for both commercial and military aircraft, including the Boeing 737 and 777, according to an ICE news release. The raid was prompted by an ICE audit of AMT's employment records that led agents "to believe that a small percentage of the company's employees used counterfeit documents to secure their jobs," the news release said.</p>

SEATTLE — A group of prominent local businessmen, including an attorney representing this city, discussed a "poisoned well” plan aimed partly at forcing the Oklahoma City-based owners of the SuperSonics to sell the NBA team rather than move it to their hometown. 'Poisoned Well' strategy sought to bleed... Sonics cite struggles in Seattle Plan hatched to keep Sonics in Seattle ... Testimony in federal court here Friday also revealed that Wally Walker, a former star player and executive for the team, was given the duty of driving a "wedge” between the NBA and the Sonics' owners before a critical vote...

WHEN IT comes to a city plan to keep concealed weapons from public places, Felix Arena, proud gun owner, has a few thoughts. First, he says, state law gives him the right to carry concealed firearms with a permit. So what gives Seattle the gumption to trump that? Second, he says, the plan would be hard to enforce unless the city wants airportlike security in parks and other properties. Wands and metal detectors cost money and are a hassle for crowds. Third: "It's just bulls - - -," Arena summed up during a break from his checker job at a...

On the day that fliers announced a registered sex offender had moved into a Puyallup neighborhood, a woman welcomed him with an aluminum baseball bat. Baldwin (Pierce County Sheriff's Office picture)The 7-foot-3 man was beaten so badly, medics transported him to a hospital. "I kept swingin' and swingin' and swingin," court documents say Tammy Gibson told police, who arrested her in Cottonwood Mobile Home Park. Gibson has been charged with second-degree assault and felony harassment

The Seattle SuperSonics Dance Team visited troops deployed to Contingency Operating Base Speicher, located in Tikrit, Iraq, June 11. The dance team wanted to show their appreciation for the military and decided to partake in their own deployment experiences. “My passion is dancing and performing,” said Pilita, a first-year dance team member. “This is the least I could do for the Soldiers. It’s a privilege to be here. I’ve learned a lot.” Not only has this experience been good for the troops, but the dancers have benefited as well in the short amount of time they have spent at COB...

It will start with warning signs and bureaucratic policy reviews. Or pat-downs and bag searches at park entrances, festival gates and holiday events? Although resorting to such measures would be a "shame," Nickels said, he would not rule them out during a Monday news conference to announce his prohibition of concealed weapons on city property. "We do hope that our parks and our Seattle Center events remain open and accessible and welcoming to all," Nickels said. "But we will also make sure that they're safe." Nor is it yet clear whether Nickels' move will land the city in court --...

Radical Muslim or Legally Insane? By Deborah Weiss FrontPageMagazine.com | Thursday, June 12, 2008 On July 28, 2006, Naveed Haq, a 30-year-old Pakistani-American, drove from his parents’ house in Pasco, Washington, to the Jewish Federation in Seattle and went on a murderous rampage. Unable to break into the locked building, Haq waited until a 14-year-old girl with a key came along. With a gun to her back, he forced her to let him in. He then announced that he was a Muslim American who was angry at Israel, and opened fire. Walking through the office spewing anti-Semitic comments and ranting...

For the last few weeks, crews have stopped fighting snow to mowing grass, tackling weeds, striping lane lines and sweeping roads. It's back to winter operations tonight. "In 30 years I can only remember two other times when it snowed this late in the season," said Sam Krahenbuhl, Snoqualmie Pass assistant maintenance superintendent. "One time it snowed on a Fourth of July weekend. This is really rare." While it won't snow in the Puget Sound area, records for the lowest high temperature may be broken today and Tuesday. Forecasters said the high temperature today should be 57 degrees, 1 degree...

SEATTLE -- Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels has signed an executive order that asks all departments to come up with a plan within 30 days to ban guns at all property owned by the city.

Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels has signed an executive order that asks all departments to come up with a plan within 30 days to ban guns at all property owned by the city. The mayor's office says a public hearing will be held to gather comment on Monday's order but it does not require city council approval.Nickels says the added gun restriction is needed because of a shooting at last month's Folklife Festival at the Seattle Center that wounded two people.

Four armed, Hispanic male suspects. Car license is 744-xqj Video at link. http://www.king5.com/video/featured-index.html?nvid=252771

Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels wants to review city rules regulating firearms on city-owned property, try to tighten those rules, and continue pushing for state legislation to strengthen gun laws,

Even with the skies overcast and threatening rain, Khang Nguyen, 18, and Joel Juan, 19, kicked back after school at Alki Beach."It's just a relaxing way to hang out with friends," Nguyen said of the bonfire crackling in front of them one evening earlier this week.But Seattle Parks and Recreation might do what even this week's chilly weather couldn't -- douse the long tradition of beach bonfires at Alki and at Golden Gardens.Park department staff is recommending reducing bonfires at the two beaches this summer and possibly banning them altogether next year.The park board will hear the recommendation Thursday, and...

A mistrial has been declared for the man accused of the 2006 shootings at a Seattle Jewish center that left a woman dead and five people wounded. Jurors had indicated in questions posed to the judge that they were hopelessly deadlocked over whether the defendant, Naveed Haq, was not guilty by reason of insanity as he claims.

SEATTLE (AP) — Most of the time, a kiss is just a kiss in the stands at Seattle Mariners games. The crowd hardly even pays attention when fans smooch. But then last week, a lesbian complained that an usher at Safeco Field asked her to stop kissing her date because it was making another fan uncomfortable. The incident has exploded on local TV, on talk radio and in the blogosphere and has touched off a debate over public displays of affection in generally gay-friendly Seattle. "Certain individuals have not yet caught up. Those people see a gay or lesbian couple...

A mistrial has been declared in the trial of Jewish Federation gunman Naveed Haq. Superior Court Judge Paris Kallas declared the mistrial moments ago after jurors told her they were hopelessly deadlocked on 14 of 15 counts against Haq, 32. On the only count the jury agreed on, it found Haq not guilty of one of five attempted murder charges he faced. That count had to do with the shooting of federation employee Carol Goldman, one of five women wounded by the gunman. Haq showed no emotion when the mistrial was declared. Prosecutors immediately announced they would seek to retry...

Two cheers to the Seattle School District for eliminating its Office of Equity, Race and Learning Support. I'll award the third cheer if a district spokesman's contention that this move is purely a budgetary fix turns out to be a glossing over of the truth. I hope the real story is that someone in charge came to their senses and realized the Office of Equity, Race and Learning Support would have been better titled the Office of Race Propaganda, White Guilt and Bogus Sociology. The director of the office, Caprice Hollins, gained notoriety for a variety of offensive acts. Most...

Following up on vows to bring spending in line with its shrinking revenues, The Seattle Times Co. sliced the staff at its flagship newspaper by 125 employees this week. Of the total, 73 were laid off and 52 left voluntarily, with 51 accepting buyout offers, spokeswoman Corey Digiacinto said. The Times announced a month ago that, to help save $15 million, it would freeze 60 unfilled positions and lay off up to 131 employees. Voluntary departures trimmed the number of layoffs needed by more than 40 percent, Digiacinto said. Before this week's cuts, The Times had 1,845 full-time and part-time...

OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma City officials want Starbucks chairman Howard Schultz to know they expect the Seattle SuperSonics to relocate, regardless of who owns the team. An assistant municipal counselor sent a letter on behalf of Mayor Mick Cornett and other city officials informing Schultz, the team's former owner, that Oklahoma City's lease with the SuperSonics will be enforced no matter how pending lawsuits in Seattle are resolved. "We expect that any subsequent owner or owners would join hands with the city, and its citizens, and honor the OKC NBA agreements, made in good faith, and perform as good corporate...

Kansas, Or A Seattle Suburb? When Bill Clinton was presenting himself to the American public in 1992, he was described as "The Man from Hope", Hope, Arkansas, that is.  His supporters even made a movie with that title.  The Clinton campaign called him the Man from Hope for two reasons, to take advantage of the town's name, and to imply that Clinton had the wholesome values many of us associate with small towns.There is just one thing wrong with calling Clinton the Man from Hope; it isn't completely true.   Clinton was born in Hope in 1946 and lived...

Straight Kids Unite by: J. Matt Barber, May 08, 2008 On April 25, adult homosexual activists with the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN) held their annual “Day of Silence” (DOS) propaganda push. During DOS, teachers and students in roughly three thousand middle schools, high schools and colleges across the country are cynically used as culture war pawns in an effort to legitimize conventionally immoral, objectively deviant and demonstrably high-risk sexual behaviors. Kids and teachers are encouraged on DOS to disrupt the school day by refusing to speak in class as a show of support to students who self-identify...

Two European business consultants have identified themselves to U.S. officials as the men who were being sought by the FBI after crew members and riders reported their unusual behavior aboard a Washington state ferry last summer.The men, both citizens of a European Union nation, appeared at a U.S. Embassy two weeks ago and identified themselves as the men pictured in photos released to the media last summer, according to a news release issued today by the FBI's Seattle field office. The release did not identify the men or the city where the embassy is located.

U.S. Wary Of Small Boat Terrorism As boating season approaches, the Bush administration wants to enlist America's 80 million recreational boaters to help reduce the chances that a small boat could deliver a nuclear or radiological bomb somewhere along the 95,000 miles of U.S. coastline and inland waterways. According to an April 23 intelligence assessment obtained by The Associated Press, "The use of a small boat as a weapon is likely to remain al Qaeda's weapon of choice in the maritime environment, given its ease in arming and deploying, low cost, and record of success." While the United States...

(edit)   Nickels and City Council President Richard Conlin proposed a 20-cent "green fee" Wednesday on all disposable bags to encourage customers to carry their milk and eggs home in their own bags. Forget the canvas sacks at home? Shoppers at grocery, convenience and drug stores will pay the price starting Jan. 1, if the City Council approves. A family buying six bags of groceries a week would spend $62.40 a year in bag fees. The city will issue one free reusable shopping bag to each household."The answer to the question 'Paper or plastic?' should be 'Neither,' " Nickels...

Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of illegal immigrants are expected to join supporters in a four-mile march through downtown Seattle at the height of rush hour today, proclaiming they're not illegal or undocumented — but workers. And at the same time, many more are expected to stay away, fearful of drawing the attention of immigration authorities or frustrated by the failure of Congress to fix the immigration system even as raids and deportations continue. "Two years ago, there was legislation in Congress and a tangible reason to turn out," said Louis DeSipio, an expert on Latino politics and associate professor of political...

LORETITO, Mexico — It's the end of the day here. Down one lonely street two young boys kick a ball between them, as an elderly woman slowly makes her way nearby. On most days, this little town about 300 miles northwest of Mexico City feels like the set of a Hollywood movie — its narrow streets and alleyways silent, stark, deserted. From the sidewalk outside his small liquor shop, Edmundo Cruz takes in the vast emptiness, pointing out one house after another left vacant when families headed north — to Seattle. It is said more Loretito people now live in...

The passionate debate over immigration and workers' rights has dropped a few degrees from past years, but hundreds or thousands of demonstrators are expected to march through downtown Seattle during afternoon rush hour Thursday with a basic message:   "We are not undocumented. We are not illegal. We are workers." Or, as a bilingual flier for the event states in Spanish, "No somos ilegales. No somos indocumentados. Somos trabajadores."Until the nation's broken immigration system is repaired -- a process that might take years -- the rights of workers must be protected, organizers said Monday in announcing the ninth annual march.They...

Frustrated by the state and federal gridlock on solving Seattle's transportation problems, Mayor Greg Nickels suggested secession at a Thursday luncheon.

The low temperature at SeaTac Airport last night was 34 degrees. The record low for this date was 33 degrees, set in 1961. The forecast high today is 46 degrees. The lowest high temperature for this date at SeaTac was 47 degrees, set in 1975. The Puget Sound region, especially north of Seattle, had 2-6 inches of snow, with some eastern areas reporting 10 inches. Although NOAA reports the fourth lowest March snow cover in North America, snow cover in the Cascades has been well above average since November.

In a city of people not exactly known for having formal religious ties, some 7,400 cheered Tuesday morning as they welcomed the Dalai Lama, Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu and about a half dozen other religious leaders. On the last day of the Dalai Lama's visit to Seattle for a gathering on compassion, he joined Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh and other Buddhist representatives — along with some young people — for a panel discussion on spiritual connection. Moderator Joan Halifax Roshi, a Zen Buddhist master, began the morning by asking everyone to "come into collective silence and pray in whatever way...

NEW YORK (Billboard) - Sub Pop Records, the indie label that gave the world Nirvana, will celebrate its 20th birthday with a weekend of concerts in a Seattle park in July. Among the groups reuniting or breaking long hiatuses for the July 12-13 event at Marymoor Park are Green River, Red Red Meat, the Fluid, Beachwood Sparks and Seaweed. Current label acts confirmed to appear include Mudhoney, comedy duo Flight of the Conchords, Fleet Foxes, Foals, Grand Archives, the Helio Sequence, Iron & Wine, Kinski, Low, No Age, Wolf Parade, Pissed Jeans and the Ruby Suns. Additional bands will be...

McDonald's will up the ante in the coffee wars Friday by offering free small lattes during breakfast hours in the Seattle market. The 112 restaurants in the Seattle region are the latest to offer McCafe espresso drinks. Prices range from $1.59 for an Americano to $3.29 for a large mocha. A small 12-ounce latte costs $1.99. To correspond with the Western Washington launch, McDonald's has created a Web site: unsnobbycoffee.com. "No crazy names or sizes. No second language required," the site advertises. "Hang out. Have fun. And don't leave without your free espresso coupon." Consumers can play an ad-lib game,...

Neighbors Chip in to Buy RV for Seattle 'Squirrelman'Thursday, April 10, 2008 SEATTLE — A homeless man who has spent the past two years living in a treehouse has a new, terrestrial home just in the nick of time, thanks to neighbors. David "Squirrelman" Csaky, a self-taught carpenter, learned Tuesday that neighbors had found an aging recreational vehicle for him to occupy. "I'm overwhelmed," Csaky said. "I started crying when they told me." For two years, Csaky, 52, has lived about 30 feet above the ground in a 300-square-foot self-made platform, accessible by a ladder counterweighted with sandbags on pulleys...

Due to the continued and increased loss of traditional newspaper revenue for both The Seattle Times and the Seattle P-I, we will be making necessary expense reductions. Our circumstances are in line with the newspaper industry nationally, which continues to see steep declines particularly in areas of Classified ad revenue and also a slowing of online revenue growth...

First of a series: Publisher Frank Blethen sought to conquer the Eastside but helped turn the suburbs into a daily newspaper desert. By Knute Berger, Mossback Posted on April 8, 2008, Printed on April 9, 2008 http://www.crosscut.com/mossback/13238/ Editor's note: This is the first of a series of articles on the financial crisis facing The Seattle Times. What was that famous quote about the Romans? "They made a desert and called it peace." It came to mind when I read that The Seattle Times was closing its suburban bureaus, including its once substantial Eastside operation in Bellevue. In a story about...

Seattle Times to Cut Approximately 200 Employees posted by Eli Sanders on April 7 at 13:10 PM This email was just sent to Seattle Times staffers by publisher Frank Blethen: Date: April 7, 2008 To: Seattle Times Employees From: Frank Blethen and Carolyn Kelly Due to the continued and increased loss of traditional newspaper revenue for both The Seattle Times and the Seattle P-I, we will be making necessary expense reductions. Our circumstances are in line with the newspaper industry nationally, which continues to see steep declines particularly in areas of Classified ad revenue and also a slowing of online...

"At the mere mention of doing the pledge there were groans and boos. Then, when the district chair put the idea of doing the Pledge of Allegiance up to a vote, it was overwhelmingly voted down. One might more accurately say the idea of pledging allegiance to the flag (of which there was only one in the room, by the way, on some delegate’s hat) was shouted down."

Seattle Police Department scheming to steal cops from the shrinking NYPD BY MICHAEL WHITE DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER Friday, April 4th 2008, 4:00 AM Roca/NewsBillboard for the Seattle Police went up on the West Side Highway a few days ago. The Seattle Police Department is scheming to steal cops from the shrinking NYPD - paying for a huge billboard along the West Side Highway and papering bus shelters with recruiting ads.The pitch is simple: Seattle pays its new hires nearly twice as much as the NYPD.And if that's not enough, they'll throw in another $5,000 to cover moving expenses."We...

Long before the news flash today ('US: Saddam Paid for Lawmaker's Iraq Trip, March 26, 2008 by Matt Apuzzo Associated Press) a series of Seattle radio advertisements revealed, in 2002 and 2005, this and other 'Hate America First' activities Congressman Jim McDermott (D)engaged in. You can listen to them at www.houndbite.com.

Andy Rogers / P-I Justin Hall leaves the automatic public toilet at Hing Hay Park, one of five installed by the city in 2004. Hall, who is homeless and trying to get off the street, uses the toilets regularly. A recently completed report by Seattle Public Utilities recommends that the city cancel its contract for the costly self-cleaning lavatories. Cancel toilet contract, city told By ANGELA GALLOWAY P-I REPORTER The naysayers may have been right: Seattle's multimillion-dollar, high-tech public toilet program looks like a washout.Some city officials, including the city's wastewater utility director, want to remove the five automated,...

Public's help needed to find missing sex offender William A. Blythe         Story Published: Mar 21, 2008 at 1:38 PM PDT Story Updated: Mar 21, 2008 at 3:00 PM PDT By KOMO Staff   Pierce County sheriff's detectives are seeking the public's help in locating a missing Level 3 sex offender with a history of child rape and molestation. A reward of up to $1,000 is being offered for information leading to the arrest of William A. Blythe, 29, who is considered very dangerous and at serious threat to re-offend. A felony warrant has been issued...

New 30-year high in tuberculosis cases March 24 is World TB Day Thursday, March 20, 2008 KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON - Tuberculosis (TB) takes two million lives worldwide every year, and World TB Day on March 24 is an opportunity to focus on solutions to the devastating global epidemic. Locally, 161 cases were reported in 2007, a new 30-year high, serving as a stark reminder that TB also remains a significant challenge in King County.Today’s cases are increasingly among the foreign born. Also disproportionately represented are African Americans, Asian /Pacific Islanders, American Indian/Alaskan Natives, Latinos, the homeless and those living...

Petraeus: Al Qaida Trying to 'Come Back In' U.S. military officials said there will be no significant reduction in coalition troops in the Baghdad area as part of an effort to stop the Al Qaida offensive in northern Iraq. They said Al Qaida was trying to reenter Baghdad and reverse its losses in 2007. "Al Qaida is trying to come back in," U.S. military commander Gen. David Petraeus said. "We can feel it and see it, and what we're trying to do is rip out any roots before they can get deeply into the ground." Read More Militants Assert...

Three high-end houses in a Seattle suburb went up in smoke Monday and two others were damaged in the latest domestic terrorism by the Earth Liberation Front, a group of animal-rights and environmental wackos responsible for hundreds of arsons and other acts of sabotage in the Northwest over the past two decades. ELF and other anarchists opposed the development of environmentally friendly homes in Woodinville, Wash., because they were near the headwaters of Bear Creek, home to the endangered chinook salmon. No doubt the creek and adjoining wetlands and aquifer benefited greatly from the ash, soot and runoff from Monday's...