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Axios Seattle
Even with cloud cover, Seattleites may feel this year's final supermoon
Overcast skies will almost certainly prevent Seattleites from seeing the fourth and final supermoon of 2023, but that doesn't mean people won't feel its effect.Driving the news: The harvest moon will be at its fullest between Thursday night and Friday morning. Why it matters: Studies over the last couple of years have shown that people have a harder time sleeping around the time of the full moon, especially in the days leading up to it.These changes were observed in urban and rural settings — from Indigenous communities in northern Argentina to college students in Seattle — according to a 2021...
Council vote backs Memorial Stadium rebuild
The Seattle City Council approved a resolution Tuesday to support and pledge money toward the redevelopment of the 76-year-old Memorial Stadium in the heart of the city.Why it matters: Though the stadium may not be ready for professional play by the time Seattle hosts the World Cup in 2026, it could be a venue for entertainment and music during the event, Marshall Foster, director of Seattle Center, told Axios.Tuesday's resolution, which the council passed 8-1, asks city officials to start drafting the agreements necessary to get the stadium remodel off the ground. Details: The worn field has hosted some of...
Seattle targets vacant buildings and graffiti
Owners of vacant Seattle buildings will need to better lock up their empty properties and keep them free of graffiti, under a measure approved Tuesday by the City Council.Why it matters: When vacant buildings have code violations, they become magnets for people to enter illegally and cause more damage, building officials recently told the City Council.Plus: Mayor Bruce Harrell has made getting rid of graffiti a priority for his administration, saying graffiti and tagging "detract from the vibrancy of our neighborhoods" and hurt local businesses.By the numbers: Seattle officials said they saw a 41% rise in vacant buildings that were...
Last of 6 Pacific Northwest trolls rises in Ballard
Fremont's no longer the only Seattle neighborhood with its own giant troll.Driving the news: The final installation of Danish artist Thomas Dambo's series of Northwest troll sculptures went up in Ballard earlier this month, next to the National Nordic Museum.Earlier in the summer, another troll was set up in West Seattle as part of the project, while other trolls have gone up in Bainbridge Island, Portland, Vashon Island and Issaquah.What they're saying: A driving force behind the "Northwest Trolls: Way of the Bird King" public art project is "the lesson that trash has value," according to a July blog post describing the installations.The trolls are built entirely from recycled materials, "relaying the critical message that we humans need to protect our environment," per the blog post.Plus: The exhibit aims to recognize "the shared values of environmental stewardship in Coast Salish tribal communities and the Nordic people," the blog post added.What's next: The trolls won't be going anywhere anytime soon. They're expected to stay in place for at least three years, KING 5 reported.
Seattle considers holding fewer City Council races at once
If you think Seattle has too many City Council races going on this year, some city officials think you're right.Driving the news: A Seattle City Council committee is considering a proposal to stagger the city's elections so that a maximum of five council seats would be up for election at the same time.That would eventually eliminate city elections like this year's, when seven of nine council seats are on the November ballot.Why it matters: City Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda, who is proposing the change, said last week that having so many council seats up for election at once can create "disruptive...
ADHD prescriptions skyrocket in Washington and nationwide
Includes drugs classified as amphetamine, lisdexamfetamine or methylphenidate. Data: Washington State Department of Health Prescription Monitoring Program; Chart: Axios VisualsPrescriptions for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have skyrocketed in Washington state and nationwide, driven largely by more adults and women seeking treatment.Why it matters: Greater recognition of how symptoms show up differently in women and girls is shifting who receives treatment for ADHD, which has historically been diagnosed more often in boys, said Douglas Russell, a child and adolescent psychiatrist at Seattle Children's Hospital.Reduced stigma around mental health issues also is contributing to more adults getting treatment, particularly after many...
Tacoma makes list of 15 happiest places to live in U.S.
It may surprise some old-school Seattleites who have long looked down on their neighbor to the south, but Tacoma has been named one the 15 happiest places to live in the country. What's happening: Outside Magazine this week honored Tacoma as one of the country's "happiest towns." The city —...
Events to kick off fall in Seattle Sept. 21-23
Say goodbye to summer with these Seattle events that signal the coming of autumn. 🍺 Grab a beer and a bratwurst at Fremont Oktoberfest, which takes over part of the neighborhood from Friday through Sunday. There also are other food options, too, in addition to ciders and seltzers to try.
Seattle-area houses are only staying on the market for 8 days
Data: Redfin; Note: Metro divisions are subdivisions of metropolitan areas; Chart: Axios VisualsAround 63% of Seattle-area homes in July were snapped up in two weeks or less, according to Redfin data shared with Axios.That's far above the national average, which saw roughly 41% of listings marked pending, contingent or sold within that window, Redfin found.Why it matters: Houses that stay on the market for more than a month are usually overpriced or in need of major work, according to Redfin deputy chief economist Taylor Marr.In July, homes in the Seattle-Bellevue-Everett metro area went off-market after a median of eight days,...
Giant spiders are mating and on the move in Seattle
Take note Seattle arachnophobes: those spiders you see running around in your house right now are year-round tenants.What's happening: The giant house spider, or Eratigena atrica, that is commonly found in Washington homes west of the Cascade Mountains reaches sexual maturity this time of year, Rod Crawford, the curator of arachnids at the Burke Museum in Seattle, told Axios this week.They leave their webs, which are often located in basements and crawl spaces, and spend the rest of their short lives running around and looking for mates, he said.The other species people notice in September are the European cross orbweavers,...
Washington's paid family leave program could see more delays
State officials say they need to hire dozens of workers to avoid months-long delays in getting people paid family leave benefits.What's happening: Since Washington launched its paid family and medical leave program in 2020, the state Employment Security Department has had trouble meeting its initial goal of processing applications in two weeks, the Washington State Standard reports.The current lag time to process a paid family leave application is about five weeks.But by June 2025, that delay could grow to four months, unless the Legislature approves hiring 49 more workers to handle rising caseloads, the ESD wrote in a recent budget...
Coming to Seattle: Love Isn't Blind comedy dating show
A dating comedy show based on the concept that men already talk too much is coming to The Crocodile in Seattle's Belltown neighborhood Friday.What's happening: Love Isn't Blind, a pared-down Bachelorette-style show, features four male contestants vying for a date with one single woman by answering questions without opening their mouths.Instead, the men nod, draw pictures and submit to having their phones searched.Comedian Allison Goldberg also calls the mothers of the men to ask what makes their son date-worthy.Matches among audience members, who get wristbands that signal relationship status, are highly encouraged during the show and at after parties.Catch up...
Seattle City Council passes plan for prosecuting drug use
The Seattle City Council has passed an ordinance that will allow the city attorney to prosecute people for knowing possession of drugs and public use of illegal drugs. Why it matters: This gives the city prosecutorial authority over these kinds of drug crimes for the first time in Seattle's history. Previously, they were sent to the county prosecutor.
Seattle's disappearing neon history
Seattle is believed to have one of the best collections of historic and contemporary neon signs in the country but that heritage is fast disappearing.Why it matters: While Seattle's not known for neon the way cities like Singapore and Las Vegas are, the city's collection is recognized as important due in part to the influence of early neon artist Bea Haverfield.Driving the news: For his book "Seattle Neon," local author Matt Hucke researched and photographed hundreds of familiar and obscure signs from Aurora Avenue to White Center and Rainier Valley.He catalogs them by neighborhood and street in a way that...
Seattle has more remote work than most of the country, per census data
Data: U.S. Census; Chart: Axios VisualsBy the numbers: Among metro areas, Seattle had the fifth highest share of people who said they mostly worked from home in 2022 (tied with Washington, D.C.)The percentage of Seattle-area residents working from home is down from its pandemic-era peak, but it's still higher than in most metro areas, according to new census data.Driving the news: A little over 25% of people in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue area worked mostly from home last year, per American Community Survey data released last week.That's higher than the national average, in which roughly 15% of people reported working remotely most...
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