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Axios Seattle
Started in Seattle, the Slow Flower movement is spreading across the globe
In a sea of unlabeled, imported flowers at floral shops and grocery stores, it isn't always easy to find locally-grown blooms. That's why Debra Prinzing, a South Seattle writer and gardener, started the Slow Flowers Society.Driving the news: The movement, started in 2013, aims to expand definitions of what constitutes floral beauty as well as to help flower lovers find local growers, florists and floral designers who use regionally grown blossoms and plants.Since then, it has grown into a worldwide movement with members in Canada, Asia, Europe and Australia, Prinzing said.In the U.K., Slow Flower practitioner Shane Connolly used only...
Washington had some of the nation's worst power outages in 2021
Data: U.S. Energy Information Administration; Chart: Axios VisualsWashington customers experienced some of the worst power outages in the country in 2021, a year marked by an extreme Pacific Northwest heatwave.By the numbers: The average Washington state electricity customer experienced about 8.8 hours of power outages in 2021 — up from about 4.4 hours in 2020 and more than triple the average from 2013.That's the eighth-worst average among all 50 states, per data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, an agency within the Department of Energy.Why it matters: Electricity outages stand to become more common as extreme weather events — many...
Seattle council votes to support "lid" over I-5 that could become a giant park
A plan to build a "lid" that could support a park above Interstate 5 got a nod of approval from the Seattle City Council Tuesday.Driving the news: The Seattle City Council voted in favor of a resolution declaring the council's support for the project.The vote paves the way for city officials to apply for federal grants to try to get the project started and for the city to start planning around it.Yes, but: Should the project move ahead, it likely won't be completed for many years.Creating the seamless overpass over I-5 would require coordination with the state Department of Transportation...
School vaccine exemptions are declining in Washington state
Includes both medical and non-medical exemptions; Data: CDC; Chart: Kavya Beheraj/AxiosA smaller percentage of Washington kindergartners are receiving exemptions from required vaccines than a decade ago, public health data shows.The decline in Washington comes as many states are seeing their exemption rates tick upward.By the numbers: In the school year ending in 2022, 3.7% of kindergartners across Washington were granted exemptions to required vaccines, according to CDC data.That's down from 4.7% in the 2011-2012 school year.The big picture: Nationwide, the rate of kindergartners receiving exemptions from vaccine requirements rose from 1.4% in 2012 to 2.7% in 2022, per the CDC.Why...
Telehealth abortions are up in Washington state
Data: Society of Family Planning; Note: Abortion data rounded to nearest ten. Telehealth abortions recorded as occurring in the state where the medications were prescribed; Chart: Simran Parwani/AxiosA larger share of abortions in Washington have been delivered by telemedicine since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down federal abortion protections last year, recent data shows.Why it matters: The shift in how abortions are performed in Washington, a state where the procedure remains legal, reflects how local clinics have changed their practices in response to other states criminalizing or restricting it.Catch up quick: Abortions delivered by telehealth typically involve a doctor prescribing...
5 things to do in Seattle over Labor Day weekend
🎉 Enjoy live music with a waterfront backdrop at the third annual Waterfront Block Party. The event — which has multiple locations, from Olympic Sculpture Park to Pier 62 to Occidental Park — also features dancing, food trucks and kid-friendly crafts. 1-8pm Friday.🎤 Experience poetry at the Verbal Oasis Spoken Word Festival, which showcases the talent of Black artists. 6:30-9pm Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute.🎮 Get your game on at PAX West, the sprawling video game convention that is taking over the Seattle Convention Center this weekend. Featuring game tournaments, panels about navigating the...
Self-driving car companies come to Seattle
Seattle is becoming a bigger testing ground for self-driving cars, with two companies already testing here and a third planning to start next week.Yes, but: It's likely to be some time before locals can hail a driverless robotaxi, due to state rules that don't allow that right now.Why it matters: The hope is that autonomous vehicles (AVs) will boost safety and improve transportation access — but not everyone is thrilled about the idea of sharing the road with cars that drive themselves, Axios' Joann Muller writes.State of play: For now, AVs can only be tested in Seattle if a person...
Is Seattle's summer over?
While summer isn't officially done, the chance of seeing extreme heat in the Pacific Northwest this year is diminishing with every day that passes, according to the National Weather Service Seattle.Driving the news: The Seattle region is forecast to see blue skies and 75° to 80° days on Friday and Saturday, but those are likely to be the warmest days in early September, weather service meteorologist Matthew Cullen told Axios.Widespread rain and temperatures closer to 70 are forecast for Sunday and Monday, Cullen said, and cool temperatures are expected through much of next week.The Climate Prediction Center's eight- to 14-day...
Report: Washington is the nation's 5th best state for workers
Washington is among the best states in the country for workers based on its high minimum wage and robust employee protections.Driving the news: The global anti-poverty organization Oxfam on Thursday released its annual Best States to Work Index that looks at wage policies, worker protections and rights to organize.Washington placed fifth behind California, Oregon, District of Columbia and New York.That's down two spots from last year, when Washington came in third place.The worst states for workers this year are Alabama, South Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi and North Carolina, per the report.Go deeper: In previous years, Washington gained points from being one...
Bumbershoot is back for Labor Day weekend
After a three-year absence, Bumbershoot is returning to Seattle Center this weekend, with locally grown band Sleater-Kinney as one of the headliners.What's happening: The revamped Bumbershoot features lower ticket prices than past versions of the event.While the cheapest early bird prices are no longer available, you can still get a single-day pass for $75 and a two-day pass for $130.Flashback: In 2018, a three-day pass was $220, while a day pass was $130.Details: The Revivalists, ZHU, Jawbreaker, Fatboy Slim and the Descendants are among the many bands featured in the festival's music lineup.The reimagined event will also devote more time and space to other kinds of artists, including dancers, fashion designers and nail artists — and don't worry, there are plenty of options for food.When: Saturday and Sunday. Gates open at 12:30pm both days.
12 Seattle schools changing start times to save money on busing
A dozen Seattle schools will start and end their days at different times this year, thanks to a district-wide effort to spend less money on buses.What's happening: Changing the start and end times for those schools allows the district's contracted buses and drivers to serve more routes, saving the school district more than $4 million this year, Seattle Public Schools estimates.Nationwide, many school districts are grappling with a shortage of bus drivers, Axios' Shauneen Miranda reports.Why it matters: For parents of students at the affected schools, the schedule change means getting kids to school an hour earlier or later, plus...
What to know about getting in and out of Seattle this Labor Day weekend
Labor Day is one of the state's two biggest weekends for cross-state holiday travel, and that means traffic congestion and delays, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT).Driving the news: Generally, people start fleeing Seattle around midday on Friday and then race back to the city on Sunday or Monday between noon and 6pm, WSDOT spokesperson Summer Derrey told Axios.On Interstate 90, the state's busiest thoroughfare, traffic volumes are expected to nearly double from about 27,000 vehicles per day between North Bend and Ellensburg to around 50,000, Derrey said.The two other routes that historically see high holiday traffic...
One-third of Seattle-area homes are worth at least $1 million
Roughly 33% of homes in the Seattle metro area were worth at least $1 million in June this year — down from just over 39% a year ago, but still a much higher percentage than seen in most U.S cities, per a new report from Redfin.Why it matters: In most of the country, low inventory is pushing up prices and sending more homes into seven-figure territory.Nearly 1 in 10 U.S. homes were valued at $1 million or more in June, a share close to last summer's all-time high and up from a 12-month low in February, according to Redfin.Of note:...
State office weighs which police deadly force cases to reopen
A new Washington state office to scrutinize police uses of force is still not fully up and running, but it's taking suggestions from the public for past police killings that should be reinvestigated.Why it matters: The Legislature voted in 2021 to create the Office of Independent Investigations to help hold police accountable when they kill someone on the job. The idea was to ensure officers aren't investigated solely by other officers.The civilian-led agency gained authority to start investigating cases in July 2022, but has yet to begin that work.What's happening: The office announced last month that it is accepting requests...
Hikes for kids and couch potatoes in Seattle and Puget Sound
The son of Axios Seattle reporter Melissa Santos explores the Washington Park Arboretum last fall. Photo: Melissa Santos/AxiosFrom strolls around little towns to beach walks and forest trails, there are loads of Seattle-area hikes that are friendly to kids as well as people who are new to the activity or getting back into it.Driving the news: Axios Seattle reporter Melissa Santos asked earlier this month for ideas for places to take her 3 year old, and you responded.In the city, Discovery Park, with miles of trails over 534 acres and a wetland boardwalk, was mentioned several times, as was...
Building a lid to support a park over I-5 gains traction in Seattle
An idea to connect downtown Seattle with Capitol Hill with a "lid" that could support a large park over Interstate 5 is gaining momentum, with city officials eyeing new federal grant money intended to undo divisions caused by freeways.Why it matters: Supporters of creating the seamless overpass say it would open up 11 or more acres downtown that could be used for public parks and affordable housing, while helping erase the scar the freeway cut through downtown neighborhoods when it was built in the 1960s.What's happening: The Seattle City Council is expected to vote Sept. 5 on a resolution formally...
Letting wildfires burn can lead to healthier forests, new UW studies find
A new forecasting tool that simulates the outcomes of various wildfire strategies has been developed by researchers with the University of Washington and the U.S. Forest Service.Why it matters: Knowing when — or whether — to let small wildfires burn in uninhabited regions may play an increasing role in wildfire management strategies as officials in Washington grapple with unprecedented fire risks.Studies show climate change is leading to larger, more frequent and more extreme wildfires on the entire West Coast.Driving the news: The tool, REBURN, simulates large forest landscapes and wildfire dynamics over decades and centuries under various wildfire management strategies.It...
Washington isn't rushing to redraw districts, despite court order
It's been more than two weeks since a federal judge ruled that Washington state must redraw one of its legislative districts in the Yakima Valley. But so far, no one is breaking out their pencils to draw a new map.What's happening: Legislative leaders haven't agreed to meet in a special overtime session to reconvene the state redistricting commission, the body that originally drew the maps in 2021. And it's not clear they have the votes to do so, despite the court's order.Catch up quick: In his Aug. 10 decision, U.S. District Court Judge Robert Lasnik ruled that Washington's newly drawn...
Things to do in Seattle this weekend, Aug. 25-27
📚 Get nostalgic for back-to-school season with 10 school-themed movies screened by the Seattle International Film Festival. This weekend, they're playing "School of Rock," "Mean Girls," "Bring it On," "Heathers," "Legally Blonde" and "The Breakfast Club." The film series continues at the SIFF Cinema Egyptian through Aug. 31.🎂 Celebrate the Seattle Art Museum's 90th birthday with a party at the Olympic Sculpture Park. The 21+ SAM Remix event includes live music, light and sound installations, and art making. 8pm to midnight Friday. Tickets are $50.🎭 Laugh along with "Titanish," a play spoofing the 1997 movie "Titanic," which is showing at...
Top spots for Instagram pics in Seattle and Washington state
The Space Needle is Washington's most Instagrammable location, according to an analysis that counted hashtags, likes and followers on the picture-driven social media platform.Driving the news: As of this week, the Space Needle had 1,122,347 hashtags and an average of 1,806 "likes" for its top nine photos, Brittany Mendez, a spokesperson for online travel site FloridaPanhandle, told Axios.Mount Rainier came in second with 457,944 hashtags and more than 2,000 average likes.Pike Place Market, Snoqualmie Falls, Skagit Valley and Olympic National Park round out our state's top six attractions, Mendez said.Plus: The most popular Instagram location in the U.S. is Central...
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