Dont do this anymore.
  • KR
  • Don't do this anymore.

Stop Throwing Food in the Garbage Can, or Else: If you’re not already composting or throwing food scraps in the green bin, you better start. Come January 1, the City of Seattle will begin keeping track of individuals who not only throw food, but also paper towels, napkins, and pizza boxes, in the garbage can. After six months of warnings, you’ll be fined … $1 for each infraction. The plan is part of an effort to divert 38,000 tons of the city’s food waste from landfills.

Rep. Gerry Pollet is proposing legislation that would require private nonprofits that use public funds to comply with the Open Meetings Act.
  • Washington State Legislative Support Services
  • Rep. Gerry Pollet is proposing legislation that would require private nonprofits that use public funds to comply with the Open Meetings Act.

State Lawmaker Pushing Bill That Would Require Open Meetings at Woodland Park Zoo: The law would apply to all private organizations that carry out governmental functions while using public funds. Currently, the zoo is required to provide notice of board meeting times, locations, and agendas, and allow public comments at its meetings, but zoo officials say they’re exempt from the Open Public Meetings Act. And according to the city, Seattle can’t modify its agreement without the zoo’s consent. The zoo operates on public land and receives 30 percent of its funding from public sources. Earlier this month, zoo officials locked out journalists as well as protesters who wanted the zoo to send two elephants to a sanctuary, after it was announced that the zoo was phasing out its elephant program. Activists have long been pressuring zoo officials to improve the conditions of their elephants.

Heres what the tunnel will look like ... one day.
  • WSDOT
  • Here's what the tunnel will look like ... one day.

Builders Say Tunnel Won’t Be Completed Until 2017: That’s almost two years after the original completion date. But, as Heidi Groover reports, WSDOT also says it “cannot endorse a project completion date until the work is further along.” That’s nice. In slightly more reassuring news, WSDOT says the ground near the stuck tunnel-boring machine Bertha is no longer sinking.

Today Is the Deadline to Enroll for Health Insurance Through the State’s Insurance Exchange: You have until 5 p.m. to sign up through Washington Healthplanfinder, however, officials say the deadline may be extended because technical glitches and human errors have prevented thousands of people from signing up.

Seattle Ranks Among Nation’s Hottest Real Estate Markets: Ravenna ranked ninth: In that neighborhood, home sale prices were 11 percent higher than last year, with the majority receiving multiple offers, about half selling for higher than the asking price, and about a quarter sold for cold hard cash.

A judge says jailed defendants are being forced to wait too long to be mentally evaluated.
  • sakhorn/Shutterstock
  • A judge says jailed defendants are being forced to wait too long to be mentally evaluated.

Federal Judge Rules That Washington State Violates the Constitutional Rights of the Mentally Ill: US District Judge Marsha Pechman said the state makes jailed defendants wait too long to be evaluated for mental competency and be given treatment so they can stand trial.

US Economy Grows at Rate Not Seen Since 2003: Employers are hiring more, investors are investing more, and people are spending more money.

None of the Fears About Raising the Minimum Wage in SeaTac Have Come to Pass: It hasn’t decimated businesses, but it also doesn’t appear to be helping to eradicate poverty (so far). Then again, wages at the city’s largest employer, the Sea-Tac airport, haven’t raised because of a lawsuit.

High School Student Dies After Allowing Himself to Get Punched in the Face: It happened in Lake Roesiger, in Snohomish County. “The two 18-year-olds from Lake Stevens got into a fight after a minor vehicle collision outside a lakefront cabin where a party was being held shortly after midnight Sunday,” reports the Seattle Times. “The suspect punched the victim, causing him to fall backward and be knocked unconscious…. A witness described hearing a ‘cracking noise’ when his head struck the pavement.” The student who threw the punch is now facing a possible manslaughter charge.


North Korea Has Internet Again: Our government won’t say whether it’s responsible for the nearly 10-hour shutdown.

If You’re Traveling to the East Coast Today, There May Be Delays: Fog, rain, and drizzle are forecast for New York, Washington, Baltimore, and Boston, which could slow down travel times.