I took no pictures at Kings Canyon. A few months ago I had never heard of the place and when I got there I was just too stunned to use the camera. A bit worn out too, photo-wise, after hikes at Uluru and Kata Tjuta.
[...]I took no pictures at Kings Canyon. A few months ago I had never heard of the place and when I got there I was just too stunned to use the camera. A bit worn out too, photo-wise, after hikes at Uluru and Kata Tjuta.
[...]An interesting news release crossed my desk today detailing an upcoming visit by grade-schoolers to the Western Washington University campus.
[...]Once again we have had a wonderful visit in the wonderful place called Penola. We have great friends here in South Australia who take great care of us and make us feel very much at home halfway around the world from Seattle.
[...]Three rounds of golf, three days, three courses and a bunch of new friends. Sadly now, my World Masters Games experience is over but it has been fantastic. As for the golf itself and those brutally honest numbers that reflect performance, well, they tell a familiar story.
[...]Three rounds of golf, three days, three courses and a bunch of new friends. Sadly now, my World Masters Games experience is over but it has been fantastic. As for the golf itself and those brutally honest numbers that reflect performance, well, they tell a familiar story.
[...]OK, here's my self portrait from the world famous Sydney Opera house. We're here for a special World Masters Games presentation of "The Mikado" by Opera Australia. Quite a night. The Minister of Tourism welcomed us.
' [...]As long as I can get where I'm going. Here I am at the Manly Beach bus stop, stand B, waiting for the 155 to Bayview or the 156 to McCarrs Creek, either of which should drop me at Mona Vale Golf Club about 10 miles north of here.
' [...]The view from the "Rivercat" ferry. A blustery, chilly day on the water in Sydney Harbor. We're ferrying up the Paramatta River to Olympic Park to pick up World Masters Games credentials and commemorative tote-bag with swag. Didn't realize we would need our Arctic (or Antarctic) survival gear for Sydney [...]
Drive to Girraween National Park in southern Queensland, walk past the warning signs about the Red-bellied snake that haas been spotted on the trail recently, hike a few kilometers in a tangled forest of gum trees, then scramble up the steep and exposed granite dome to the top of The [...]
With cousin Dan Albright on the ninth hole, Stanthorpe Golf Course. A herd of about 10 kangaroos were hanging out, watching us play early morning bad golf.
Check out the photos
This place is a birdwatcher's dream of course. We saw Galahs, Lorikeets, Crimson Rosellas and Plovers. 
"Well why not?" That was what I thought when my Aussie friend Chris Bailey told me that the World Masters Games were being held in Sydney and the golf tournament might be a lot of fun.
That was four years ago and Chris was visiting Seattle, just back from having [...]
Sensing summer was on its last legs, I headed for the hills last weekend before they became cloaked in white. I aimed high -- specifically 12,276 feet high, the elevation of Washington's second-tallest peak, Mount Adams.
So with a promising forecast in my back pocket, I anointed this my "Second" [...]
Under overcast skies, classes started today at the University of Washington for the fall quarter. I'm told the projected enrollment for freshmen is down slightly this year at just under 5,300 first year students. That is mainly by design; the university accepted fewer applications this year in an attempt to' [...]
President Barack Obama had some interesting things to say this weekend regarding the importance of parental involvement in our education system. Rather than paraphrase, I've included an excerpt from his speech to the Congressional Black Caucus:
' [...]The way students are assigned in the Seattle School district has been a hotly contested debate for decades. Unlike many districts, Seattle currently has what is called an "open enrollment" policy. That is, parents at every grade level have a choice in what school their child attends no matter where [...]
In today's transient society it isn't uncommon for children to change schools at least once in their academic career. Experts say there are a variety of reasons that can pose a challenge to a child's academic success... and not just because the child has to make new friends, get used' [...]
When I first heard that the Seattle School District was considering the possibility of lowering the standards to obtain a diploma I was livid. Last night the Seattle School Board heard a proposal from Superintendent Maria Goodloe-Johnson recommending that a "D" average be good enough to earn a diploma. I [...]
This week the Seattle School District is opening the doors on two new "International" schools. Denny Middle School and Concord Elementary are going global.
[...]60 miles is a long way. This is my second year doing it, and I don't know why it surprised me again when the tears came at the finish line. I mean "Niagra Falls tears" that you think will never end. They were happy tears. I felt so much support' [...]
43 miles down. It feels crazy to walk that far. But if that's true -- I'm surrounded by 2,000 certifiably crazy people, passionate for a cure for breast cancer.
' [...]The first day is done -- and my feet feel exactly like they've been dragged across 21 miles of pavement. Only two days and 39 miles to go.
Fortunately today I had some great inspiration to keep me going.
I'm not normally a fan of governmental committees. I find they tend to do a lot of studying and not much decision making. Still, I'm hoping a group that has begun work to address the achievement gap in our state will actually come up with a solution to the [...]
Like most kids, my daughter hates doing her homework. Hates it. Loves school, hates homework. Tuesday, she came home from school anxious to get started on it. Given that this attitude is a departure from her usual attitude toward schoolwork - I decided to ask why.
"The" [...]
Given my abject lack of technical knowhow, I am always wowed by people who ooze tech savvy. Maybe it's because I still have a VCR (that doesn't work) and I somehow got a pair of socks stuck in my computer's printer.
So, you can imagine my slackjawed awe when I interviewed' [...]
There were no real surprised in today's release of the annual "Best Colleges" rankings from U.S. News & World Report . Harvard and Princeton are tied for first, with a four-way tie for Number 4: Cal Tech, MIT, Stanford and the University of Pennsylvania.
[...]That's the headline. For the sixth straight year Washington students scored far above the national average on the ACT exam. Results released this morning show students in our state tied for seventh with Rhode Island on the college readiness exam. The test is mainly used for admission into colleges [...]
I don't know about other kids, but my daughter has a love-hate relationship with this time of year. She's anxious for school to start - but also dreading the end of her summer vacation. I too have a love-hate relationship with this time of year. It is right about now' [...]
They came from Miami and Michigan, Calgary and Chicago, Birmingham and Big Brother. Most finished the program in the normal three years, others took longer. Many work in local news, some don't. But they all love weather, and that's why they found themselves in out-of-the-way Starkville, Mississippi.
' [...]Washington's Superintendent of Public Instruction, Randy Dorn, held a news conference this morning to release the latest WASL and AYP scores (see yesterday's blog for definitions)... and called on the federal government to change the guidelines under which schools are identified as needing improvement. The number of Washington schools [...]
Tomorrow morning, the state schools superintendent, Randy Dorn, is scheduled to release the latest , and last, WASL scores.
The WASL is being replaced in the coming school year by the MSP and HSPE. Dorn will also be releasing the latest AYP scores.
Sometimes I think officials use acronyms [...]
Last night I re-watched a re-broadcast of this week's Aerospace Summit moderated by KING-5's Glenn Farley . The objective of the summit was to talk about the future of the aerospace industry in Washington State.
When I was a child this was always my favorite time of year. The weather was warm and school was only a few weeks away. I loved going shopping with my mother for back to school supplies. Call me crazy, I love the smell of freshly sharpened pencils! We [...]
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We are having server problems preventing us from updating KING5.com, so we're doing our best to keep you informed using Blogger KING, as well as [twitter.com] and
[www.facebook.com].
We appreciate your patience!
' [...]An ongoing problem with our Internet infrastructure continues to prevent us from updating KING5.com.
In the meantime, we're using a workaround publishing solution that includes Blogger KING. You can also get links and updates via Twitter: twitter.com/king5seattle/ and our Facebook fan page.
I apologize for the problem and appreciate your' [...]
Last week most of our attention was focused on the thermometer, as record high temperatures left most of us sweltering in the heat. But as we fanned ourselves in an attempt to stay cool, one story passed under the radar.
On Wednesday, the Center on Education Policy released an [...]
We're back online at KING5.com. See this story for more info.
' [...]EVERETT, Wash. - An early morning shooting in Everett sent a woman to the hospital and police say it looks like a case of domestic violence.
It happened at the Colby Creek Apartments at around 4 this morning.
Police say the 37-year-old woman was apparently shot by her 38-year-old boyfriend. [...]
SEATTLE (AP) -- A Seattle bank teller has lost his job because he ran down a would-be bank robber and held him until police arrived.
Jim Nicholson, who worked at a Key Bank branch, says he understands the bank's policy that employees comply with robbery demands and avoid dangerous confrontations. [...]
Check out this picture taken from our Queen Anne Tower Cam of the fog rolling in from Elliott Bay. There's a larger version inside.
It's thick enough that the foghorns are sounding too. Cool. Click the image below for a larger version:
Nearly 100 former Washington Mutual executives are suing the government for $30 million.
They were all fired when the government seized control of the failing bank and transferred it to Chase.
The executives claim that transfer triggered a "change of control" agreement in their Wa-Mu contracts - entitling them to [...]
Nearly 100 former Washington Mutual executives are suing the government for millions.
They were all fired when the government seized control of the failing bank and transferred it to Chase.
The executives claim that transfer triggered a "change of control" agreement in their Wa-Mu contracts - entitling them to lump [...]
The men and women from Washington National Guard's 81st Brigade Combat Team should arrive at McChord Air Force Base at 2:45 p.m. today.
From McChord, they'll head to Fort Lewis for a welcome home ceremony with family and friends.
This is the first wave of 81st Brigade soldiers to' [...]
Road crews have reopened part of State Route 522 after a deadly crash in Monroe.
Washington State Patrol troopers say two men died after a head-on crash near Main Street around 2 a.m. today.
The driver and passenger of an SUV died at the scene.
Another passenger inside was rushed [...]
The 5th Avenue Theatre will hold a special fundraiser in memory of South Park stabbing victim, Teresa Butz.
Butz's brother, Tim, plays a leading role in the musical "Catch Me If You Can."
For each ticket sold to the Aug. 5 performance, $5 will go to the Compass [...]
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By The Associated Press
ARLINGTON, Texas - Marlon Byrd's three-run homer in the fifth inning broke a tie and sent the Texas Rangers on to a 5-4 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Friday night.
Seattle took a 2-0 lead in the first on a homer by Jose Lopez, but Taylor Teagarden [...]
By Lori Matsukawa / KING 5 News
SEATTLE - A $5 million piece of the federal stimulus package will help clear miles of so-called "ghost nets" that lurk beneath Puget Sound.
They trap all manner of sealife, including crabs and whales.
You can't see them from the Sound's surface and' [...]
We may have a third heat-related death.
Northwest Hospital says a 47-year-old man apparently died from heat stroke yesterday.
Hospital officials added the man did have pre-existing health conditions.
A 45-year-old Seattle man also died from heat stroke yesterday, and a man in his 50s died Wednesday at St. Joseph [...]
From tanning salons to adult stores, could a prolific robber be branching out?
A rash of armed robberies has police from six agencies scrambling to catch a suspect or perhaps a gang of robbers.
At last count, they could be dealing with 22 armed robberies in [...]
Think you're funny? Try getting laughs when it's over 100 degrees outside while wearing six layers of clothes.
Lara Smith: "And they got me out here on the hottest day of the year. Isn't that fun?"
Little girl: "Yeah."
Lara: "How about that?"
Lara Smith is an honest to goodness Ringling Brothers Clown performing [...]
SEATTLE - The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Bertholf will depart Seattle after participating in the 60th Annual Seafair Fleet Week to conduct its first fisheries enforcement patrol.
The month-long voyage will be the first fisheries patrol conducted by the Alameda, Calif., based National Security Cutter. Bertholf's crew will ensure the [...]
By Owen Lei / KING 5 News
KENT, Wash. - A Kent family is asking for potential witnesses to come forward after a motorcycle accident goes from serious to life-threatening.
Forty-eight-year-old Leroy Sargent lies in an induced coma at Valley Medical Center in Kent.
"He's in the hospital on life support," [...]
KING Meteorologist Jeff Renner says this weekend's weather forecast "looks perfect for Seafair." Some areas of low clouds could move in, but they'll burn off rapidly Saturday morning, allowing for afternoon sun and plenty of performance space for the Blue Angels. Temperatures should linger in the 80s.
By The Associated Press
RENTON, Wash. - Two-time Pro Bowl guard Mike Wahle has retired after being released by the Seattle Seahawks for failing a physical before their first practice of training camp.
Seahawks coach Jim Mora said Friday the 32-year-old Wahle told him he had "decided to hang it" [...]
By The Associated Press
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Democrats have pushed sweeping health care legislation through a key congressional committee, clearing the way for a September showdown on President Barack Obama's top domestic priority.
The 31-28 vote Friday came after majority Democrats on the Energy and Commerce Committee agreed to a [...]
The push of marine air that cooled our region down overnight has provided a temporary improvement to our smoggy air.
But with temperatures forecast to increase again over the weekend, smog is once again expected to reach the "unhealthy for sensitive groups" category in many communities of the Cascade foothills [...]
BLAINE, Wash. - U.S. and Canadian customs agents are warning travelers to expect long lines at the border for the next several days.
That's because of a major event involving local police and firefighters.
Dozens of local men and women will compete in the World Police and Fire Games [...]
SEATTLE - Today the House took the first step in extending the "Cash for Clunkers" program by approving an additional $2 billion. The Senate will vote next week.
This is encouraging news for dealers, but some feel that the promise of revenue comes with confusion and headache. Many dealers [...]
OLYMPIA, Wash. - An unmarried couple decided they didn't want to have their first child out of wedlock, but their wedding plans went south when the baby decided to come three weeks early.
Shawnee Rose and Anthony Johnson had been engaged for two years and planned on getting married Thursday' [...]
ANACORTES, Wash. - People's pets are becoming dinner for hungry coyotes in Anacortes. In the last month, large numbers of coyotes have been spotted in town.
"We're getting a lot more calls than normal," said animal control officer Marie Padovan.
One of those calls came from dog owner Jody Grall.' [...]
FORT LEWIS, Wash. (AP) -- The Army says a Fort Lewis soldier from Indiana will face a court martial in the death of his 16-year-old girlfriend.
Pvt. Timothy E. Bennitt is charged with involuntary manslaughter and drug crimes. His girlfriend, Leah King, died in his barracks Feb. 15 after [...]
OLYMPIA, Wash. - The Thurston County sheriff, who has publicly blasted his own county commissioners for proposed cuts to his deputies, is now lashing out at the federal government.
Sheriff Dan Kimball says he is outraged that the 22 sheriff's offices in Washington state which applied for federal stimulus money [...]
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SEATTLE - Boeing owns a boat. It's a fast boat powered by a jet engine (a hydroplane, to be exact) that's used to demonstrate biofuels.
Much of that biofuel is coming from something called the Camelina plant.
Camelina isn't a food like wheat, but it is rich' [...]
WALLA WALLA, Wash. (AP) - Hundreds of pounds of explosives and detonation cord were stolen from the Port of Walla Walla magazine at the airport industrial park.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives says the theft was discovered by Washington State Patrol troopers Monday conducting a routine [...]
OLYMPIA, Wash. - Police are asking for the public's help to find a man who beat up a woman after failing to get away with her purse Thursday.
Olympia police say the 23-year-old victim was attacked in a Safeway parking lot at 4280 Martin Way E. at about 8:30 p.m.
[...]
CHELAN, Wash (AP). - Fire crews in north-central Washington say a wildfire burning near Chelan is 60 percent contained. Union Valley fire spokesman Nick Mickel says firefighters aim to have the fire fully contained tomorrow. Firefighters have gotten better access to the fire and put the size at 768 acres, [...]
The DTV Converter Box Coupon Program application deadline is midnight tonight.
DTV Assistance Centers and the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Education Fund (LCCREF) are urging unprepared households too apply for a converter box coupon immediately to receive their $40 government coupon to purchase a digital converter box.
Eligible households [...]
SEATTLE (AP) -- The Snohomish County Public Utility District, which took its fight against Enron to the U.S. Supreme Court, is going after the recently bailed-out American International Group Inc.
The PUD says in a lawsuit made public Friday that AIG-Financial Products is trying to back out of an interest [...]
The bridge will be closed until approximately 2:40 p.m.
[...]LAS VEGAS (AP) - Apple Inc. says it has fixed an iPhone vulnerability that lets hackers knock people offline - and possibly take over the phones - by sending them specially crafted text messages.
Apple says it issued a software fix Friday after the vulnerability was exposed this week at [...]
PULLMAN, Wash. (AP) -- A Washington State University program that for more than four decades helped educate migrant workers and their children has lost its federal funding.
The program helped students to pass the GED tests, which certified they had high-school level skills. It was the oldest program of its [...]
HOQUIAM, Wash. (AP) -- Two shifts at the Hoquiam Plywood plant will go back to work on Monday, ending a shutdown that began Dec. 5.
General Manager Mark McFeely told KXRO that 72 employees will be back to work.
McFeely says there are no plans at this time to bring [...]
SEATTLE (AP) -- A bouncer was wounded in the hand by a man who had just been thrown out of a Seattle club.
Police say two men were kicked out of the Cooper Cart Cafe early Friday for being disruptive. One angry man threatened to get a gun and shoot [...]
WALLA WALLA, Wash. (AP) - Hundreds of pounds of explosives and detonation cord were stolen from the Port of Walla Walla magazine at the airport industrial park.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives says the theft was discovered by Washington State Patrol troopers Monday conducting a routine [...]
WINTHROP, Wash. - Fire crews in the Methow Valley Ranger District responded to one new fire Thursday night.
Fire crews said the Little Hornet Fire on Hornet Ridge was roughly 8 acres this morning. The Crater Creek Road is being closed southwest of Carlton to keep area residents safe.
[...]
WASHINGTON, D.C. (AP) -- Federal health regulators have approved a potential blockbuster diabetes drug from Bristol-Myers Squibb and partner Astrazeneca.
The Food and Drug Administration says it approved the companies' drug Onglyza, which is designed to reduce blood sugar levels in patients with type 2 diabetes. The drug is part' [...]
TACOMA, Wash. -- A teenage boy was shot in the face while handling a handgun with two friends at a home in Tacoma.
Police spokesman Mark Fulghum told The News Tribune of Tacoma the boy was airlifted early Friday to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.
He says the boy is [...]
SEATTLE - A brush fire spread to a vacant two-story home in South Seattle Friday morning.
The home is located at Martin Luther King, Jr. Way S. and S. Henderson Street.
There is no immediate word on injuries or what caused the initial brush fire.
TACOMA, Wash. -- Pierce County Prosecutor Gerald Horne says the fatal shooting of Kenneth Woodham in April by a sheriff's deputy was justifiable homicide.
Deputies were called to the south Tacoma home by Woodham's wife who said he was intoxicated in violation of probation on a drunken driving conviction.
As [...]
SEATTLE -- Authorities in Washington state have identified the 13-year-old boy who drowned after slipping from his flotation device in Wildcat Lake.
The Kitsap County Sheriff's office says divers on Thursday evening recovered the body of Trenton Morris, of Poulsbo, in the Central Kitsap lake, west of Silverdale.
[...]TACOMA, Wash. -- Police wounded a 19-year-old man in a confrontation at a house in Tacoma.
Officers were called to the home Thursday to check on the man who was reportedly despondent.
[...]LAKEWOOD, Wash. (AP) -- Police are certain a gang is responsible for burning a Lakewood police officer's family car in the driveway of his home.
The name of a street gang was spray-painted on the driveway and "187" -- a California dispatch code for homicide -- was sprayed on the patrol [...]
SEATTLE -- The National Weather Service forecasts above-normal temperatures through the weekend in Western Washington, with highs mostly in the 80s. But that probably will feel cooler to many residents after record highs the past couple of days.
[...]As a reporter I get a lot of flack from friends about the stories we cover and how we cover them. Usually I get the worst beatings when there is some sort of weather event (or sometimes a non-event).
Such is the case with our record-breaking heat wave.
"Why do" [...]
It was 1 a.m. in downtown Ottumwa, Iowa, when a woman in a thong biked past us, muttering, "I have to bail Team Gnarley out of jail."
Everyone laughed; no one was surprised. Such is the mind-bending experience that can only be summed up in one word: RAGBRAI.
I donated blood for the first time ever. It was quick and easy.
The initial needle prick didn't even hurt. (Thank you, phlebotomist Sonya!)
Afterward, there was orange juice and a cookie. And they actually ask that you NOT do a strenuous workout for 12 hours. Hoo Hah!
The Puget' [...]
President Barack Obama and U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today announced that states leading the way on education reform will be eligible to compete for more than $4-billion in federal grants. The money is intended to support education reform and innovation in the classroom.
The news video coming out of Kelowna, B.C. over the past several days is frightening. Fire is burning homes, 11,000 people have been evacuated or are on standby to do so.
Those scenes could be repeated here as fire season in Washington is running a month ahead of schedule.
The Washington State Board of Education today passed revisions to math requirements for the class of 2013 that they say will benefit students.
Before today, students who elected to take a high school level mathematics course without credit as an eighth grader were required to repeat that same course for [...]
I've been contemplating the genesis of this blog for a while. In 2005 I happened upon a speech Bill Gates gave to the National Governors Association. In that speech he called America's schools "obsolete" and talked of how students of color are marginalized by being placed in less rigorous classes.' [...]
Help! I am at my wit's end! Every morning begins happily and ends horribly when I drop my soon-to-be 4-year old off at daycare.
The tears, the death grip on my leg and the wailing that her teacher assures me stops 2 minutes after I walk out the door. I've' [...]
A year ago he set out on a nationwide mission to convince Americans the answer to our energy needs was blowing in the wind.
Today, the AP reports, T.Boone Pickens has scrapped plans for the world's largest wind farm.
It's been nearly a week since I told the story of 12- year- old Jessica, a young girl suffering from a brain tumor at Children's Hospital.
The story centered on a gift someone had given her - four tickets to see the Jonas Brothers in concert at the Tacoma Dome.
[...]
I first pitched the story about covering someone hoping to use the state's new Death with Dignity law to my editors a few months ago. I thought it was an important story.
Washington is only the second state to pass such a law and it means so much more than [...]
It takes some doing to find the small Pierce County town of Wilkeson. It is on the way to the northwest entrance of Mount Rainier National Park, but a washout has kept it closed for a few years. But long before Rainier brought travelers through Wilkeson, two industries kept the [...]
"Sunday's just about here," the clerk behind the counter shouted as I walked into my neighborhood convenience store.
"What's Sunday?" I asked.
"Are you kidding me?" he poked. "It's Father's Day!"
I hadn't forgotten, but my brain just didn't make the connection as I stood at the cash register that [...]
Allen Schauffler, Cynthia Wise
