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Thursday, January 19, 2012

News The Morning News (Ice Storm Edition)

Posted by Eli Sanders on Thu, Jan 19, 2012 at 8:28 AM

E.S.
Now falling from the sky!

From deep inside the Emergency Operations Center, the City of Seattle announces that there is now "an ice storm warning for the Seattle area" and that "residents are strongly discouraged from travelling until conditions improve." Also:

Many sidewalks are icy. Pedestrians should use caution while walking and crossing streets. It is the responsibility of property owners to keep their sidewalks clear of ice to protect pedestrian safety. SDOT is dispatching 22 crews to activate the Pedestrian Safety Element of the Winter Response plan to clear and salt pedestrian landings, crossings, and intersections.

Cliff Mass has called himself back from a "weather overload"-induced break to monitor the situation, declaring: "Something relatively unusual and, quite frankly, dangerous is going on outside."

Because of this, all of King County government is starting later than normal, at 10 a.m. Not that much will be starting then. The King County Council is closed, Superior and District courts are closed, the county prosecutor's office is closed, and so is the department of assessments. (Great day for dodging the law and ignoring your tax bill!) Juvenile detention is operating as normal, however. Sorry, kids. So is the Water Taxi.

In Seattle, the suspension of garbage pickup continues. (Check in on the availability of other city services here.)

Mayor McGinn, from his storm command post, says: "I think it's important to be here doing my job, to make sure we're delivering the best services... I mean, that's kind of my job, right?" Correct!

Meanwhile, Rick Perry is dropping out of the presidential race.

He'll be endorsing Newt Gingrich—whose ex-wife is now speaking for the first time about Newt's desire for an open marriage, saying Newt lacks the moral character to be president. Dan says Newt was doing monogamish wrong.

Oh, and apparently Mitt Romney didn't win Iowa after all. Santorum did.

Also, what Romney's 15% tax rate says about our screwed up, 1%-oriented federal tax policy.

And finally: At noon today in Olympia, Democratic State Senator Jim Kastama, one of six undecided senators on marriage equality—and a current candidate for Secretary of State—is set to make a statement on gay marriage. Would a Democratic candidate for statewide office hold a press conference to announce a "no" vote? We'll see.

Comments (17) RSS

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Sunny and with a high of 61º predicted in Denver.

I wonder if anyone here will speak up in defense of Newt's desire for a monogamish relationship? It seems like a positive development for a CPS kind of guy.

Posted by Matt from Denver on January 19, 2012 at 8:38 AM

Oops, Dan's already commented on it. If only you guys would post the Morning News when you're supposed to...

Posted by Matt from Denver on January 19, 2012 at 8:38 AM

I love that the mayor scheduled press interviews throughout his day at the Emergency Operations Center. That's the fella we've come to know, all righty.

Posted by gloomy gus on January 19, 2012 at 8:41 AM

"It is the responsibility of property owners to keep their sidewalks clear of ice to protect pedestrian safety."

Does this apply to residential property too? Only for ice?

Posted by Sir Vic on January 19, 2012 at 8:54 AM

Santorum wins Iowa by 32 votes, but the Iowa Republican party is calling it a draw. These are the people who claim to be good with numbers.

Posted by zombie eyes on January 19, 2012 at 8:58 AM

Don't understand Perry not having the momentum to carry on. I thought Americans loved themselves some Presidential Texas governors. To the mystification of non-US-citizens, they elected GW Bush twice.

Posted by Keister Button on January 19, 2012 at 9:04 AM

I'm thinking it's gonna be warmer than 61, Matt. It's already 57° and it's only 10:00.

Posted by Fifty-Two-Eighty

on January 19, 2012 at 9:07 AM

I've rebooked our flight for 2:00. If we can't make that one, we're going to miss our jaunt to San Francisco altogether, including the Jack Jones show we have booked. Mrs. Fnarf is going to be PISSED. Snowing steadily right now in Woodland Park.

Posted by Fnarf

on January 19, 2012 at 9:38 AM

@8 oh my god I hope you make it. Set a course for adventure to Seatac. Good luck.

Posted by gloomy gus on January 19, 2012 at 9:46 AM

Holy cats, Fnarf. I saw Jack Jones with Bill Cosby at Harrah's Tahoe in nineteenmumbletymurf. Hadn't thought of him in years. Hope you make it.

Posted by rob!

on January 19, 2012 at 10:11 AM

Aw, Fnarf! Good luck! Safe travels!

Posted by GlamB0t on January 19, 2012 at 11:32 AM

Congrats, Mayor Mike!

Best mayor ever!

P.S.: It's faster to ski to work than to take the bus, but good to see all the arterials plowed and most Seattle transit working, other than the Zipline from the Space Needle to the Fremont Troll. I guess ice on the line makes that unsafe, since they had to shut down the Bubbleator too.

Posted by Will in Seattle

on January 19, 2012 at 11:57 AM

@4 yes. I swept my sidewalk last night before the freezing rain fell, but if you don't have salt, hard to clear that.

More snow this morning of course - will see if I can get that when I'm home.

Posted by Will in Seattle

on January 19, 2012 at 11:59 AM

@9, 10, 11: FAIL.

We checked our status right before leaving and it still said "ON TIME". After a harrowing drive, we walked in only to see "CANCELLED" on the big board. No other flights available today or tomorrow. We had to make the harrowing drive a second time, huzzah, and all for nothing. We're out the exorbitant price of the tickets, too.

Posted by Fnarf

on January 19, 2012 at 2:43 PM

Dang, @14! You could have burnt the money. At least you'd have a romantic fire and warmth.

I'm really sorry to hear that and hope you have enough hootch to keep Mrs. Fnarf adequately inebriated.

Posted by GlamB0t on January 19, 2012 at 3:20 PM

@15, we're actually being profligate and going later -- I finagled a Saturday flight and a different hotel. We will have our Jack Jones, dammit!

Posted by Fnarf

on January 19, 2012 at 4:41 PM

@16... That night I saw Jones/Cosby was a date. And my first real chance to lose my virginity to a woman, a sweetheart named Jennifer, also a co-worker of several months past. It was our first date and we were fully aware it was to be our only one, because I had already committed to move to another city a few days later.

She had just ended a long-term relationship with another co-worker, a guy I had a secret crush on, and she apparently had one on me. Jennifer and I shared a bottle of asti spumante I had brought (horrors!) at her place after the show and played cards sitting cross-legged on her living-room floor for waaaaay too long, until I sobered up enough to squarely address (in my head, at least) the truth that I was attracted to her because she had been intimate with him.

I said goodnight and goodbye as gracefully as I could.

I trust you and Mrs. Fnarf will have a much more romantic and rewarding weekend.

[End Post-Secret]

Posted by rob!

on January 19, 2012 at 7:11 PM