A round-up of news and announcements we don’t want to get lost in the fast-churning news cycle!

curated by Vee Hua 華婷婷

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🖋️Letter From the Editor🖋️

Primaries are over, and election results are coming in! As we wait for votes to be finalized, we offer a high-level summary of races that are important for South Seattle voters.

In San Francisco, the mayor has declared a local health emergency for monkeypox. King County, thankfully, has not reached such a point, but confirmed cases are rising and vaccines are rolling in rather slowly.

Lastly, Refuge Outdoor Festival is this weekend, for those who might want a respite from the heat or are looking to enjoy nature in great company.

—Vee Hua 華婷婷, interim managing editor for the South Seattle Emerald

✨Gleaming This Week✨

• Monkeypox Is Getting More Serious, Most Washington State Cases in King County
• Primary Election Results Are Rolling In!
• Refuge Outdoor Festival Encourages BIPOC to Get Outdoors

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Monkeypox Is Getting More Serious, Most Washington State Cases in King County

Monkeypox has been getting more serious in Washington State and across the country. As of Aug. 2, the Washington State Department of Health reports 154 confirmed cases of Monkeypox in Washington State, with the large majority – 134 cases – in King County. The dashboard is updated daily.

“Cases have been doubling every 8–9 days ever since the first reported case in May,” KUOW reported. “Most of the cases have been reported by men who have sex with men. But [Dr. Tao] Kwan-Gett [chief science officer for the Washington State Department of Health] notes MPV doesn’t discriminate between sexual orientation, gender, or income. This virus is not a sexually transmitted disease.”

Washington State received 3,600 doses of the newest vaccine last week, according to KUOW, with plans from the federal government to distribute more doses nationally in the near future. There are currently limitations on who can receive the vaccine, and more information can be found through Public Health – Seattle & King County’s website.

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Primary Election Results Are Rolling In!

Results are rolling in from the Aug. 2 Primary Election. In the current Washington State system, passed in 2004, voters can choose among all candidates running for office and do not have to declare a party affiliation to vote in the primary. The two candidates who receive the most votes in the primary election qualify for the general election. Candidates must also receive at least 1% of the votes cast in that race to advance to the general election.

As of Wednesday morning, with a 21% voter turnout rate, results of key races significant to South Seattle were as follows:

Statewide

• U.S. Senator Race: Incumbent Patty Murray (D) leads with 70%, followed by Tiffany Smiley (D), with 19%.
• Washington State Secretary of State Race: Steve Hobbs (D) leads with 56%, followed by Julie Anderson (Nonpartisan), with 13%.
• Congressional District 7 U.S. Representative Race: Incumbent Pramila Jayapal (D) leads with 84%, followed by Cliff Moon (R), with 8%.
• Congressional District 8 U.S. Representative Race: Incumbent Kim Schrier (D) leads with 57%, followed by Reagan Dunn (R), with 18%.
• Congressional District 9 U.S. Representative Race: Incumbent Adam Smith (D) leads with 57%, followed by Doug Basler (R), with 21%. 

Legislative District 37

• LD 37 State Senator Race: Incumbent Rebecca Saldaña (D) ran unopposed.
• LD 37 State Representative Pos. 1 Race: Sharon Tomiko Santos (D) leads with 91%; followed by the only other candidate, John Dickinson (R), with 9%. 
• LD 37 State Representative Pos. 2 Race: Chipalo Street (D) leads with 40%, followed by Emijah Smith (D), with 34%.

Legislative District 11

• LD 11 State Representative Pos. 1 Race: David Hackney (D) leads with 69%, followed by the only other candidate, Stephanie Peters (R), with 30%.
• LD 11 State Representative Pos. 2 Race: Steve Bergquist (D) leads with 68%, followed by the only other candidate, Jeanette Burrage (R), with 32%.

Legislative District 34

• LD 34 State Senator Race: Incumbent Joe Nguyen (D) leads with 83%, followed by John Potter (R), with 11%.
• LD 34 State Representative Pos. 1 Race: Emily Alvarado (D) leads with 52%, followed by Leah Griffin (D), with 33%.
• LD 34 State Representative Pos. 2 Race: Joe Fitzgibbon (D) leads with 83%, followed by Andrew Pilloud (R), with 17%.

Legislative District 33

• LD 33 State Senator Race: Incumbent Karen Keiser (D) ran unopposed.
• LD 33 State Representative Pos. 1 Race: Incumbent Tina L. Orwall (D) ran unopposed.
• LD 33 State Representative Pos. 2 Race: Incumbent Mia Su-Ling Gregerson (D) ran unopposed.

For full election results, visit Washington’s Secretary of State’s Elections & Voting website and select your county, including King and Pierce, to see local results. King County Elections also offers precinct-level primary election results reports with final results scheduled to be released on Wendesday, Aug. 17, by 4 p.m.

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Refuge Outdoor Festival Encourages BIPOC to Get Outdoors

Taking place from August 12 to 14 at Tolt MacDonald Park in Carnation, Washington, the annual Refuge Outdoor Festival, is a three-day camping weekend centered and led by the BIPOC community. Now in its fifth season, the festival is hosted by the production company Golden Bricks Events and will center around justice conversations, recreation activities at various levels, healing practices, art creation, and musical experiences.

All are welcome, and sliding-scale daily or weekend passes range from $45 for youth to $175 for a full weekend.Expect a more in-depth article from South Seattle Emerald this Friday, Aug. 5.

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