by Lauryn Bray
A county audit has found that staff shortages at King County’s juvenile detention center are causing youths in secure detention to be held in their cells for 14 hours a day, and that youths are staying longer in a facility meant to hold them for less than a month.
Continue reading Report: Youths Held Longer and Spend More Time in Cells at Juvenile Detention Facility Designed for Short-Term Stayby Vee Hua 華婷婷
by Lauryn Bray
Following the first day of arguments in a new landmark Supreme Court case, fewer than a few hundred people gathered in the yard behind the William Kenzo Nakamura U.S. Courthouse on Monday, April 22, for a rally organized by the local coalition Services Not Sweeps to protest the criminalization of homelessness.
Continue reading Seattle Residents Rally to Oppose Landmark Case Banning Sleeping in Publicby Lauryn Bray
When Gov. Jay Inslee signed his 2024 supplemental budget on March 29, it was a moment of victory for a sudden coalition that formed during an emergency housing crisis this winter for refugees and asylum seekers in South Seattle and South King County.
After months of advocacy from migrants, nonprofit organizations, Tukwila’s Riverton Park United Methodist Church (RPUMC), and concerned Washington State residents, the budget outlined $25 million in aid for refugees and asylum seekers.
Continue reading Advocacy Groups, Politicians, and Nonprofits Rally to Help Refugees and Asylum Seekers Left Out in the Coldby Lauryn Bray
In Building B of South Seattle College’s Georgetown Campus, a cohort of young adults meets Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. to participate in a national program designed to put them on a path to career success. YouthBuild is a pre-apprenticeship certification program for 18–24 year olds who are interested in specializing in a particular trade. Over a span of six months, the collective will be introduced to a variety of different trades such as carpentry, ironwork, electrical, and welding.
“The first part of the program is for folks who haven’t completed a high school diploma or GED. So for that crew especially, the information they have coming in is ‘I do not like traditional education but I like working with my hands.’ That’s all you need, honestly,’” said Jamie Pinilla-O’Dea, a program manager for YouthCare Seattle.
Continue reading YouthBuild: Where Young Adults Learn the Building Trades and Build Their Livesby Vee Hua 華婷婷
by Vee Hua 華婷婷
by Nimra Ahmad
Looking out at Be’er Sheva Park recently, a colorful landscape emerges against the dreary Seattle clouds. There’s a cultural stage with blue-accented furniture, a mural on the bathroom exterior in vibrant shades of blue, orange, green, and yellow, and a new waterfront to Lake Washington.
It’s hard to believe that just a few years ago, the lake was inaccessible: Overgrown blackberry bushes blocked views of the lake and a lone picnic table stood by the water.
Continue reading A Community Runs Through It: Restoring Rainier Beach’s Be’er Sheva Parkby Vee Hua 華婷婷
by Lauryn Bray
As the City continues to strategize ways to address next year’s $240 million budget deficit, PubliCola reports that a new agreement between Seattle and its largest police union, the Seattle Police Officers Guild (SPOG), will carve out funding for raises of up to 23% for entry-level officers.
The negotiation is just one of many efforts the City has made toward police recruitment and retention; however, even with the new increase in pay, the City of Seattle may still be far from its goal of 1,400 officers.
Continue reading Amidst an Impending Budget Shortfall, SPD Entry-Level Officers May See a Raise in Salary
