Author: Spencer Pauley | The Center Square, Washington Examiner

(The Center Square) – A King County audit revealed that the King County Metro Department faces significant challenges regarding its goal of electrifying its entire bus fleet by 2035. King County auditors flagged risks including the loss of bus manufacturers, technology limitations, sufficient electricity supply, and lagging battery-electric bus performance. Metro’s entire bus fleet consists…

(The Center Square) – Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell is directing an initial $2 million toward violence prevention efforts in an executive order as part of a new strategy aimed at supporting youth mental health and safety. The use of the newly announced funds were guided by the city’s Innovation and Performance Team, which spent the…

(The Center Square) – King County Executive Dow Constantine is continuing to fault Washington’s tax cap as the county prepares for a $35 million general fund shortfall in 2025. Constantine delivered his 2024 state of the county address during a King County Council meeting on Tuesday. The county executive touched on topics including behavioral health,…

(The Center Square) – A shooting on school grounds at Garfield High School in Seattle’s Central District has resulted in the death of a 17-year-old student. Seattle police patrol officers responded to reports of a shooting on Thursday afternoon. Officers found the student with multiple gunshot wounds. At 12:30 p.m., patrol officers responded to reports…

(The Center Square) – Police Chief Adrian Diaz is stepping down from his role as head of the Seattle Police Department amid an increasing number of issues within the department. Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell announced the move on Wednesday, stating that Diaz “will be stepping aside to work on special assignments.” Former King County Sheriff…

(The Center Square) – Sound Transit has announced it will implement a new fare inspection process requiring riders to show a proof of payment before boarding. The new process will have an initial rollout on June 3. Sound Transit’s “fare ambassadors” have been checking passengers’ proof of payments on various trains throughout the day. According to Sound…

(The Center Square) – Seattle police Assistant Chief Tyrone Davis has been placed on paid administrative leave as the department sees a surge in internal issues. The Seattle Police Department confirmed the move to The Center Square on Friday and referred further questions to the Seattle Office of Police Accountability. According to a report from The Seattle…

(The Center Square) – Seattle City Councilmember Cathy Moore is asking the King County Regional Homelessness Authority to pause its search for a permanent CEO after more candidates back out of the hiring process. KCRHA has been searching for a permanent CEO since Marc Dones stepped down from the position in May 2023 due to burnout. The…

Hundreds of Ukrainians have recently found refuge in Washington state but are still facing the challenge of being able to work to provide for themselves here. Oleg Pynda, founder and executive director of the Ukrainian Community Center of Washington (UCCWA), says that Ukrainians now coming into the U.S. are facing the challenge of being able…