Monday (May 5) for more than 3,200 seats on city councils Development is inspired by future transit center If you are having trouble finding the information you need Renton’s history makes it a unique city for many reasons Located at the juncture of the Black and Cedar rivers and Lake Washington the land that had been Duwamish tribal homelands for centuries would become the City of Renton with the influx of coal miners  By 1901 the area’s coal mining operations had brought enough people and progress here to allow the city to officially incorporate waves of immigrants have made their homes here and finally for today’s high tech and service occupations Photos through 2000 courtesy of Renton Historical Society Native Americans have called the Pacific Northwest home for thousands of years The Native Americans from the Pacific Northwest area are called the “Coast Salish” people They made the Salish Sea and surrounding basin their home The Duwamish are the Coast Salish Native American tribe that have lived in the Seattle area since time immemorial Known as “The People of the Inside,” the Duwamish lived along the Black Despite signing the Treaty of Point Elliott in 1855 the Duwamish were not granted a reservation Some stayed near their ancestral homelands in the Renton area and interacted with white settlers regularly despite being slowly displaced from traditional hunting Henry Tobin moved west from Maine in 1853 soon after he married Diana Gilman He made a 320-acre donation land claim on the Black River and established a mill with O When Diana arrived in 1855 with their son Charles They fled the so-called Indian Wars to Seattle Smithers owned the land claim just to the south of the Tobin claim on the Black River They returned to Renton and worked on developing the land.  By 1860 they had built a thriving dairy farm Smithers platted the town of Renton on the eastern portion of his land and began selling lots in 1875 Smithers named the town after Captain William Renton Smithers was credited with “discovering” coal along the banks of the Cedar River but it is likely that he was pointed toward the mineral by local Duwamish people but it was not until the 1890s that coal was mined on any scale local coal mining operations had brought enough people, problems Seattle’s phenomenal growth (nourished by the Alaskan Gold Rushes) brought about the reopening of Renton’s coal mines and an influx of new cash The Renton Clay Works opened on the banks of the Cedar River and began producing bricks firmly establishing the town as the “Paving Brick Capital of the World.” In 1905 Pacific Car and Foundry (later PACCAR) relocated from Seattle to Renton Industries such as these sustained the town Renton was actually using its coal for other manufacturing In response to a vigorous call for laborers abroad newly arriving Italian immigrants built their homes in the Talbot Hill area North Renton was also annexed into the city Miners laid the foundations for a thriving community The city’s first high school students graduated from Central School in 1904 Renton also established a municipal water supply By the end of this decade the Seattle/Tacoma Interurban Railroad and the Milwaukee Railroad crisscrossed the town Although officially registered as a 3rd class town Renton was the second largest industrial center of King County at this time making the effects of the catastrophic flood of 1911 all the more devastating The city worked with the King County for the next ten years on taming the Cedar River The Montlake Cut lowered Lake Washington in 1912 The newly created chamber of commerce promoted Renton as “The Town of Payrolls.” A glass bottle factory and a shingle mill strengthened that claim while diversifying the growing industrial base Many ethnic groups organized protective organizations in reaction to the bigotry they experienced on their arrival Pacific Car and Foundry flourished with non-stop contracts for rail cars and the brick plant produced 58 million bricks annually While business boomed for the industries’ owners Renton coal miners organized strikes in 1902 and 1912 – 1914 for higher wages and safer working conditions The town’s wives and mothers won the right to vote in elections Hattie Butler was voted in as Renton’s first woman councilmember became commonplace along Main and Third streets The city’s first dedicated high school A new Carnegie Library was dedicated in 1914 on lands donated by California rancher Ignazio Sartori Prohibition closed Renton’s numerous saloons Barkeeps either diversified into other products Renton’s comparative remoteness provided ample opportunities for whiskey stills and basement wineries to abound making enforcement of the federal ban (1919) on alcohol difficult for the town’s small police department A number of the city’s young men headed off to World War I in 1918 only to fight a different enemy: influenza Adolph Bronson’s new Renton Hospital with sick and dying citizens “City Park” was renamed “Liberty Park,” in honor of the liberation of Europe Although the privately owned Bryn Mawr airstrip foreshadowed the importance of aviation in the city’s history Renton’s livery stables were replaced by its first auto dealerships By 1928 automobiles and buses effectively did away with the Interurban Railroad between Seattle and Renton Asphalt was quickly replacing brick as a covering for roadways decreasing demand for Renton’s paving brick In 1927 the Gladding McBean Company purchased the Denny-Renton brick plant diversifying its product line to give it many more years of life The “Sunset Highway” to Spokane had just been completed and ran through downtown Renton began to spring up along this new highway at the outskirts of town Wooden sidewalks were quickly replaced by concrete In 1923 the Central School was replaced by a new Henry Ford School named in hopes that the automobile magnate would help fund its construction but sent a portrait of himself.) A new city hall was also constructed at this time The Seattle water pipeline was laid through the middle of Renton its construction disrupting downtown for month; today it continues to convey water daily to Seattle and surrounding communities from the Cedar River Watershed and businesses were wired for electricity and in 1929 Renton’s Shuffleton Steam Power Plant was built to meet the demand Foreshadowing Renton’s future in the aviation industry Charles Lindbergh flew over the town in 1928 just a few years after the Bryn Mawr Airport was created The Great Depression of the 1930s was a difficult time “Hobo camps” for homeless and unemployed men sprang up along the rail lines and at the edge of town The federal government repealed Prohibition in 1933 making alcohol sales and saloon operation once again legal Many of Renton’s famous saloons reopened work on Longacres Thoroughbred Horse Racing Track was started; it opened just 28 days later World War II changed life in Renton forever Renton’s population quadrupled from 1940 to 1945 and the city jumped from a fourth-class city to a second-class city almost overnight When the Boeing Company came to town in 1941 to build planes for the war effort $4 million in federal money came with it for housing and street improvements This money was designed to meet the demands of a four-fold population expansion This reality created both exhilaration and problems for the townsfolk already here and immense housing projects in the Highlands and Cedar River Park seemed to spring up overnight Widespread radio use allowed people to listen to their favorite programs and keep tabs on the progress of the war Pacific Car and Foundry began producing the first of 900 Sherman Tanks Renton’s African-American population increased significantly as much-needed workers were recruited from the East and the South Women who had never worked outside the home now found themselves necessary to the war effort Unable to accommodate all of its student body at one time Renton School District found itself operating three shifts a day Following President Franklin Roosevelt’s Executive Order Japanese Americans living in the greater Renton area were rounded up and placed in internment camps for the duration of the war Black-outs and plane spotters were instituted Amid the rumble of tanks up Cemetery Hill at night and the roar of B-29s during the day beginning a long period of service within the community A brief postwar recession gripped the city’s industries In 1947 the City of Renton purchased the Renton Airport from the federal government for just $1 and the Highlands housing that was meant to be temporary became permanent homes for many In the last half of the 1940s Renton promoted itself as the “Land of Opportunity,” citing easy access to everything from snow skiing to its new “wagon wheel”-shaped Renton Hospital Many of Renton’s “Baby Boomers” proudly proclaim that they were born at McLendon’s which now occupies the former hospital site The Renton War Memorial Stadium was built on the site of the old Tonelli Dairy Farm Renton launched a building boom following WWII as workers who came for war industry jobs decided they wanted to stay The Renton Highlands neighborhood officially annexed into the city and the Renton Housing Authority offered homes there for sale to the general public in 1949 The JC Penney and Woolworth’s chains both built brand new stores in the downtown The Renton Municipal Pool was opened to the public in Liberty Park in 1955 and city hall moved into a building in the war-surplus Cedar River Housing Park Women were encouraged to give up their jobs and return home The resulting postwar “baby boom” laid the foundations for massive change in the 1960s and 1970s Television rearranged life in Renton in the 1950s as established furniture dealers began selling TV sets like hotcakes; its popular culture permeated every aspect of life In 1956 to move traffic City Council decreed that main surface streets in the downtown would become one-way streets accidentally setting the stage for the future Renton Loop The state highway project that would become I-405 was launched as part of the Cold War federal interstate highway system At the same time something else was brewing in Renton that would eventually rock the airline industry While jet airplanes were already widely used in the military the first commercial jet-powered (rather than propeller driven) airplane in the world The gamble worked; the Boeing Company produced its first 707 in 1958 signaling the beginning of commercial jet aviation worldwide The plane manufacturer invested some of its earnings in expanding and upgrading the local airport Renton became “Jet City,” the birthplace of commercial jet aviation With the Boeing Company’s production of commercial airplanes in full swing Renton celebrated the opening of its first shopping center Interstate 405 forever changed the city’s appearance by cutting a wide swath across the foot of Renton Hill along the edge of the historic downtown area The “Renton S Curves” were almost instantly synonymous with traffic jams The “Renton Loop” in the heart of the downtown became a cruising circuit for Renton teens (and their cars) to see and be seen Pacific Car and Foundry supplied the steel structure used to create the Space Needle for the Century 21 World’s Fair In 1965 Tukwila’s Southcenter Mall opened draining Renton’s downtown core of its large retail stores and shoppers The city’s business district stagnated and city government looked for downtown revitalization ideas In 1966 a dramatic new library opened over the Cedar River Two years later a new Renton City Hall was inaugurated at 200 Mill Avenue The Renton Historical Society was also founded in 1967 In the 1960s Valley Medical Center also opened its doors and Renton’s second high school opened in the Highlands The postwar baby boom stretched schools to their limit; in 1968 Hazen High School opened and in 1972 Lindbergh High was completed as far as businesses and police were concerned In 1968 Southcenter Mall opened in Tukwila and civic-minded leaders in Renton launched a new downtown improvement program It included plantings and new “Christmas Tree” styled streetlights The lights quickly proved to be too expensive to maintain and so were removed; a few can be seen in private yards today A new city hall was constructed at 200 Mill Ave. fulfilling part of Mayor Don Custer’s vision for the city Custer was to date Renton’s youngest mayor In 1971 the city’s twenty-year economic boom went bust Commercial and military airplane orders dropped off significantly as the Vietnam War drew to a close and Boeing trimmed its workforce by two-thirds and people fled the city in search of jobs elsewhere An attempt at a school levy failed—the first time in the history of the city more than 100 manufacturing firms produced everything from jet planes and railroad cars to coiled springs and plastics Carco Theatre and  opened during this period The nation also celebrated its Bicentennial commemorating 200 years of American history Both occasions were marked with parades and special events in Renton Renton Municipal Pool was also renamed in 1976 in honor of Duwamish Native American leader and Renton High alum As the city’s downtown core continued to languish activists that included future Renton mayor Kathy Keolker organized to stop the location of pornographic theaters in the city center upholding the rights of cities to regulate adult-themed businesses; it remains the law of the land to this day The city also put an end to teen cruising on the downtown Renton Loop In 1982 Gene Coulon Memorial Beach Park was dedicated in honor of the city's longest serving and most influential parks director An archaeological excavation was conducted on the site of a Duwamish longhouse located at the foot of Earlington Hill behind today’s Fred Meyer Shopping Center but by 1985 golfers could play at Maplewood Golf Course For some time Renton had celebrated its past through a summertime “Western Days” promotion that featured a parade In 1986 “Renton River Days” put a new spin on the old festivities The Renton History Museum opened in December 1989 Renton was swept up in a wave of home-building and business growth that encompassed Seattle and the Eastside The city’s location at the pivot point between the Eastside and South King County meant growth was always ready to swing into stasis By the early 1990s Renton had evolved into a more balanced community with a diverse—and thus more stable—economic base Boeing’s successes continued to lead the city’s employment figures and late in the decade white-collar workers organized their first-ever strike in the history of the United States But Renton was moving away from complete dependence on the future of aviation resulting in a level of diversification that few city founders could have envisioned Renton Vocational-Technical College—later Renton Technical College—was established in 1991 ready to prepare the next generation of skilled workers Even as Longacres Race Track closed its doors after 60 years and the highly successful gaming/trading cards giant Wizards of the Coast represented a new entrepreneurial spirit Attempts to reinvigorate the downtown core continued with the proliferation of antique and specialty shops and the relocation of the auto dealers that had occupied Burnett Avenue out to Grady Way The youth movement arrived in the form of thousands of music fans who made pilgrimages to the Jimi Hendrix Memorial in Greenwood Cemetery as his music enjoyed a popular revival.  The city’s five neighborhoods organized bringing their needs and desires into sharper focus Several attempts to annex additional neighboring areas failed—for the time being With the fall of Communism in Eastern Europe new families began immigrating to the city contributing new perspectives and cultural traditions to a new location on Grady Way on the site of the old Renton Coal Mine the city partnered with other major stakeholders to promote Renton as “Ahead of the Curve.” 2001 marked the city’s centennial, and in its honor the Renton Historical Society organized a sidewalk marker walking tour to commemorate the historic buildings lost to time a downtown transit center and an adjacent 150-stall park-and-ride garage were completed Renton increased its population by annexing the Cascade-Benson Hill communities in 2008 smaller “Potential Annexation Areas” (PAA) making it the fastest growing city in Washington state in the 2000s In 2012 the largest PAA—the West Hill community of Lakeridge and Skyway — narrowly rejected annexation on the ballot Renton also became one of the most diverse cities in Washington and other immigrant populations quickly growing By 2011 Renton had officially become a “majority minority” city in which racial minorities outnumbered whites Students in the Renton School District spoke 87 different languages and many other organizations considered how to best serve people with a variety of different languages and cultural traditions Mayor Denis Law’s administration was nationally recognized for their work in this area becoming Renton’s only three-term mayor to date In the early 2000s the city focused on improving the quality of life for its residents IKEA Performing Arts Center at Renton High School opened in 2003 as well as the Piazza Park and its Pavilion at the center of downtown Renton. In 2009 volunteer group RUFF (Renton United for Furry Friends) was the driving force behind the city’s first off-leash dog park on the former NARCO site along the Cedar River  Surplussed Boeing property in North Renton became The Landing combined with the housing bust and recession of 2008 resulted in a downtown that continued to struggle despite desirable apartments and excellent independent eateries Developers also launched a construction boom that included a 399,000 square foot IKEA a $180 million hotel and conference center adjacent to Coulon Beach Park The 200,000 square foot Virginia Mason Athletic Center and the team regularly invited tens of thousands of fans to its training camp every summer The city’s lower commercial rents also made it a hospitable place for new internet start-ups and entrepreneurs to set up shop The award-winning Sunset Area redevelopment in the Highlands focused on providing affordable and mixed-income housing The project included Renton’s first inclusive playground for all ages and abilities Boeing remained the city’s largest single employer with Valley Medical Center a distant second Renton was still the home of the 737 and by the end of the 1990s aging international aircraft fleets needed new passenger planes The airplane manufacturer embarked on a building boom that reached a record 47 737s a month by 2017 Social media became the communication and news tool of the future and institutions—including the City of Renton—learned how to reach out to the “digital natives” born after 1990 But the desire for tradition and nostalgia retained its hold and after Renton’s independent library system consolidated with King County Library System (KCLS) in March 2010 activists defeated the construction of a new library on a downtown site in favor of renovating the iconic “library over a river.”  Population: 92,372 (2010) – 104,491 (2023) Renton entered the 2010s still recovering from the national recession of 2008 As more and more people relocated to participate in the Pacific Northwest tech boom resulting in median home prices increasing by 51% from 2010 to 2020 Homelessness was on the rise in most King County cities and Renton worked on offering humane solutions consistent with legal requirements and nearby cities’ strategies The city invested in new subsidized and affordable housing options in the Renton Highlands and elsewhere and nonprofits like Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI) and REACH also worked on creative solutions New residents and workers continued to flow into Renton and the city embarked on several multi-year streets improvement projects to accommodate travelers by car and bicycle In 2020 the city began the process of reversing one-way streets that had been instituted in downtown Renton after WWII These changes incorporated the Renton Trails and Bicycle Master Plan’s aim of creating an integrated approach to recreational and non-motorized transportation offering travelers through Renton a more environmentally friendly system Electric vehicle charging stations also began popping up at City Hall New residents joined the 56,000 Coast Salish people in the United States and Canada today The petition for federal recognition of Renton’s First People but immediately overturned by the incoming administration in 2002; as of 2025 their quest for tribal recognition continues Coast Salish people are integral to Western Washington communities The Duwamish people encourage everyone to learn more about their culture by visiting with them at local events held at the Duwamish Longhouse Renton also accommodated the many new residents by building three new schools named for veteran Renton educator Vera Risdon Sartori Elementary School opened in North Renton as a brand-new STEM-focused school And in August 2023 Hilltop Heritage Elementary School welcomed kids from the Highlands area The Family First Community Center also opened adjacent to Cascade Elementary School and training services to the Cascade-Benson neighborhood and recreational facilities suffered through a yearlong global pandemic of Covid-19 that shuttered public gathering places for months healthcare workers and officials struggled to cope with the numbers of sick and contagious people but unlike 1918 – 1919 a speedy federal vaccine creation and immunization initiative saved lives and helped stores and schools reopen by early 2021 and remote schooling helped mitigate the social isolation studies showed that kids lost educational ground adults and teens suffered from social deprivation and businesses—particularly restaurants and taverns—tried to recover Two high-profile multiple fatality crashes grounded Boeing 737 MAX planes in 2018 and 2019 followed by a series of investigations into safety violations and consequent fines Delivery of the 777X was delayed until 2025 and problems with door plugs in the 737 MAX 9 in 2024 resulted in renewed scrutiny of the company’s safety procedures A two-month machinists’ strike in 2024 won them a 38% wage increase bringing their pay more in-line with King County’s high cost of living announced a planned 10% lay-off and refocus on its core mission Renton’s sports growth was a post-pandemic bright spot The Seattle Sounders soccer franchise joined the Seahawks in selecting Renton as their home opening a new training facility and soccer center on the grounds of the old Longacres Racetrack in February 2024 Longacres occupied the site from 1933 to 1992 so in their 50th anniversary year the Sounders pushed Renton’s tradition of sports excellence into the future Topgolf Renton also opened in July 2022 on former Boeing land near The Landing In 2025 the city planned a revitalization of the downtown Piazza and Pavilion in advance of the 2026 World Cup of soccer in the Seattle area during which Renton will be an “experience city.” View on Map P (425) 430-6400 MYNORTHWEST NEWS An explosion and fire heavily damaged the Top of the Hill market in the Renton Highlands BY TOM BROCK An explosion and a fire that broke out early Saturday morning in the Renton Highlands heavily damaged a grocery store The fire department responded after a report of an explosion at the “Top of the Hill” market next to a Chevron gas station on Northeast 4th Street near Jericho Avenue big flames shot from the roof of the building Several other fire agencies helped put out the flames The fire will put several employees out of work In a statement on the store’s website owners Jackie and Damu Maples thanked the Renton Fire Department we’ve always been proud to be a part of this wonderful community and your support means the world to us.” “We are committed to rebuilding and continuing to serve you with the same dedication and care as always.” Investigators are trying to figure out how the fire got started A fire tore through a popular grocery store in the Renton Highlands early Saturday closing it for repairs until further notice Firefighters responded to a call at Top of the Hill Quality Produce & Meats around 3 a.m following reports of explosion sounds and a fire at the grocery store they had not publicly identified a cause for the fire A Saturday afternoon statement on the store’s website by owners Jackie and Damu Maples said the fire had caused “significant damage,” and photos showed a charred interior and a large portion of the roof destroyed but the impact goes beyond just the building,” the site reads noting the fire has left employees without work for an unknown length of time The owners said they were committed to rebuilding the store, and called the fire “a setback, not the end.” Donations are being accepted at the store’s website at topofthehillqualityproduce.com/fire-relief-fund The site says donations “will help lift the burden on this amazing family and ensure they have the resources needed to get back on their feet.” The opinions expressed in reader comments are those of the author only and do not reflect the opinions of The Seattle Times Stay secure and make sure you have the best reading experience possible by upgrading your browser The housing shortage and cost-of-living crisis These are a few of the topics discussed Tuesday night in a debate between the two candidates running to be Washington’s next governor Democrat Bob Ferguson and Republican Dave Reichert fielded questions in the first of two Washington gubernatorial debates scheduled this year in Washington Tensions escalated early on in the debate as each candidate pointed fingers and denounced the other’s professional record and political views which took place immediately following the presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump marked a fleeting opportunity for the state’s nearly 5 million voters to see their candidates discuss policies in the same room kicked off the debate with an opening statement in which he described his childhood growing up poor in the East Renton Highlands Representative and the former sheriff of King County Reichert said he’s running his campaign based on the criminal justice system and the homeless “I’ve had a life of service,” Reichert said being a member of Congress and serving in Central America and working on human trafficking.” Ferguson took the stage and said Washington needs a governor who defends the core freedoms of residents “I’m the only candidate in this race who rejects all political donations from large corporations and corporate PACs,” Ferguson said Ferguson has worked as the state’s elected attorney general since 2013 He previously served on the King County Council and worked as a lawyer each candidate got 75 seconds to answer a primary question on a topic followed by a period of discussion in which answers were limited to 45 seconds Mark Hanrahan of KREM 2 News and Gloria Ibañez of El Sol de Yakima all asked questions and KING 5 News anchor Joyce Taylor served as the moderator abortion access and slain Indigenous women who asked the candidates about public safety Overall crime rates in the state started to decline last year but homicides and car thefts are still significantly higher than they were in 2019 What would they do to address public safety if elected as governor Ferguson said he’d spend $100 million to hire additional police officers in the state and create a hate crimes unit in the attorney general’s office Reichert said he’s the “only public safety candidate in this race,” pointing to the 33 years he spent working in the King County Sheriff’s Office “I understand police officers,” Reichert said arguing his challenger has no standing and saying he’s the only public safety candidate because of his political views “You are voting for and supporting a convicted felon for president is also a convicted sexual abuser,” Ferguson said Reichert avoided publicly stating whether he will vote for Trump in the presidential election But speaking to a group of Republicans in March the former sheriff indicated he would vote for the former president adding that making such a statement publicly would be a “nail in the coffin” of his political campaign The next question addressed the homelessness crisis in Washington pointing to the more than 31,000 people who went unhoused in Washington at some point in 2024 Reichert began his response by blaming Ferguson saying his 12 years overseeing the attorney general’s office have only made the state’s homelessness and substance abuse crises worse Ferguson supported the legislation that legalized drugs on the streets of our cities across this state,” Reichert said adding that the former King County sheriff would use “$1 billion that we somehow misplaced during the COVID moneys.” Ferguson responded in criticizing what he said was Reichert’s stated plan to send homeless people to McNeil Island have taken on some of the most powerful corporations in the world who fueled the opioid epidemic by not playing by the rules,” Ferguson said “What have we done by bringing those cases We’ve recovered more than a billion dollars.” When asked what role the state should play in fighting climate change Ferguson said he supports Washington’s current climate policy but that he would make some changes as well Ferguson said he will work to help farmers across the state who are eligible for gas tax exemptions and expand the amount of money being sent into the Working Families Tax Credit program Ferguson added that the state’s transition to clean energy will be good for the economy I went to an apprenticeship training program there,” Ferguson said “What were those hundreds and hundreds of Washingtonians trained for Reichert said he has a great record on climate in Congress but that he will vote “yes” on Initiative 2117 which would overturn the Climate Commitment Act “The problem with the gas tax is that we weren’t told the truth,” Reichert said we’re competing with California now to see who can have the highest gas tax.” asked the candidates about farmworker protections A recent state law that mandated overtime pay for farm workers has been unpopular among agriculture workers across the state who say their employers are capping their paid hours at 40 per week Ibañez asked the candidates whether they’d recommend changes to the farmworker overtime laws Reichert said he would look forward to collaborating with the workers and the farmers to find some compromise Ferguson responded in saying he was proud to be endorsed by the United Farm Workers a national organization working toward fair treatment of farm workers and ethical immigration reform This year marks the state’s first incumbent-free race for governor in more than a decade announced last year he would not seek re-election for another four-year term incumbent-free races for governor in Washington have been close he barely beat his Republican opponent Rob McKenna Chris Gregoire beat her Republican opponent Dino Rossi in the closest gubernatorial race in U.S It’s been nearly 40 years since Washington last elected a Republican governor Although the state is made up of politically and geographically diverse regions the highly populated western side of the state tends to outnumber conservative voters and usually paints statewide elections blue most states don’t hold their gubernatorial elections in the same year as presidential elections Only 11 states have governor races this year Political action committees are pouring money into the Evergreen State’s race as a result candidates vying to be the state’s next governor have spent nearly $14 million on their campaigns Tuesday’s debate was organized by The Seattle Times and KING 5 news in partnership with El Sol de Yakima and CBS affiliate KREM 2 in Spokane The next gubernatorial debate will take place at 6 p.m. on Sept. 18 in Spokane’s Fox Theater. The event, hosted by the Association of Washington Business, will be broadcast live on KHQ-TV in Spokane and stream at nonstoplocal.com General election ballots will be mailed in mid-October for the Nov statewide and national races will appear on Washington residents’ ballots as well as proposed city ordinances and statewide initiatives Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible Get breaking news delivered to your inbox as it happens © Copyright 2025, The Spokesman-Review | Community Guidelines | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Copyright Policy This website is unavailable in your location It appears you are attempting to access this website from a country outside of the United States therefore access cannot be granted at this time 10:37 AM | Updated: Dec 16 South County Fire crews in Mountlake Terrace respond Saturday to a tree that fell on a vehicle (Photo: South County Fire/@SouthCountyFire on Facebook) BY STEVE COOGAN Crews with multiple utilities — including Puget Sound Energy (PSE) and the Snohomish County Public Utility District (Snohomish PUD) — have restored power to tens of thousands of customers after high winds once again blasted Western Washington As of 5 a.m. Monday, just 427 homes and businesses in Washington remained impacted by power outages, the website poweroutage.us confirmed 4,355 customers in Washington were affected by power outages  That is down significantly from the first part of the weekend when at 1:45 p.m There were nearly 95,000 homes and businesses impacted late Saturday morning Looking at specific utilities, PSE saw the largest number of customers affected, according to its outage map the utility reported 43 “active outages” and 279 customers impacted crews had restored power to all but about 4,000 of those customers there were more than 28,000 homes and businesses were impacted and more than 60,000 affected earlier in the day Saturday There were no reported Snohomish PUD outages as of 5 a.m There were about 75 homes and businesses impacted as of Sunday at 10 a.m the utility reported about 1,800 customers were without power more than 15,000 homes and businesses dealt with outages a statement on the Snohomish PUD website explained that its “crews will continue working through the night to restore power.” Since the heaviest winds had subsided the utility anticipated a majority of remaining outages would be be restored by midnight Snohomish PUD reported it had “20 line and service crews working to restore outages caused by high winds knocking trees and branches into wires.” At that time utility asked area residents to “assume all downed wires are energized everyone should stay at least 30 feet away.” Seattle City Light reported on its outage map that at 1:45 p.m 923 customers were without power and there were 25 “active events.” By 7:30 p.m. 190 customers were without power and there were 9 “active events.” City Light crews had restored all but two local outages affecting Seattle neighborhoods A map of power outages in the state of Washington as of 10:04 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024 can be seen in this image. (Image courtesy of the poweroutage.us/https://poweroutage.us/area/state/washington) Tacoma Public Utilities’ outage map shows 144 outages as of 5 a.m the utility experienced minimal outages over the weekend There were three outages and 54 customers impacted as of 1:45 p.m that utility reported five outages and 26 customers affected There were eight reported outages and 37 homes and businesses affected at 10:30 a.m Snohomish South County Fire responded around noon Saturday when a tree fell onto a vehicle in Mountlake Terrace High winds knocked down a tree and a power pole in Renton Saturday It resulted in the complete closure of Benson Rd (Photo: Renton Police Department/@RentonpdWA on X) The National Weather Service (NWS)’ Weather Prediction Center released information indicating the arrival of the cold “A Pacific storm system and accompanying strong flow of moisture/Atmospheric River continues inland over the West (Saturday) morning bringing heavy rainfall, mountain snow, and gusty winds to central/northern California and the Pacific Northwest,” the Weather Prediction Center statement reads As of 7:30 p.m. Saturday, the wind advisory that had been in effect for much of the Puget Sound region had been removed, the NWS Seattle stated most of the region — from Bellingham through Seattle and Tacoma down to Olympia — remained in that advisory The NWS Seattle reported some high wind speed numbers on X around 7:35 a.m The wind speed hit more than 50 miles per hour (mph) in Olympia more than 40 mph in Everett and 33 mph at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac Airport) — NWS Seattle (@NWSSeattle) December 14, 2024 The weather service also reported on X Saturday “that strong winds and heightened seas are occurring at the coast It recommended to area residents and tourists that “this is not the day to get on or near jetties.” Utility crews dealt with power outages for multiple days last month after an “atmospheric bomb” weather event pummeled Western Washington on Tuesday There were 578,000 customers impacted as of 5:15 a.m The outage number topped 650,000 during its peak Many customers were able to get their power back within 24 hours but the outages lingered for some for nearly a week Most residents in the East Renton Highlands had their power restored that Monday, nearly six full days after a series of massive trees fell in the wooded neighborhoods Neighbors told KIRO Newsradio last month the utility company had previously estimated it could restore power by Saturday before pushing back to Sunday then again to Monday morning and once more before lights ultimately came back on by the late afternoon Drew Loika said his power came back around 3:30 p.m “Power went out Tuesday night,” he said “I ran over to grandma and grandpa’s house I’ve been camping in the living room.” Contributing: Sam Campbell and Thomas Brock Steve Coogan is the lead editor of MyNorthwest. You can read more of his stories here. Follow Steve on X, or email him here Fry’s Electronics in Renton permanently closed in 2021 and owners of the now vacant site seek to build housing and retail units over the next decade With Memorial Day over a month away, now is a good time… Continue reading © 2025, Kent Reporter + Sound Publishing, Inc. + Black Press Media WA — Three of the five youth suspects in a crime spree in Tukwila and Renton were charged on Monday The Renton Police Department (RPD) said the suspects range in age from 12 to 16 Police arrested the group after a brief pursuit and crash at East Valley Highway and Southwest 41st Street the group was involved in an attempted armed carjacking where a firearm was used at a bank shortly before the pursuit and crash Charging documents detail say that one of the five arrested was released on electronic home monitoring was not booked because of his age and lack of criminal history Renton police said he was re-arrested on Friday in connection to a gun store burglary The three teens charged were facing robbery Police later determined the car that the kids were in had been stolen in an armed carjacking in Tukwila around 3:30 a.m Tukwila police said there were multiple guns displayed in the carjacking RPD Chief Jon Schuldt has warned youth crime is off the charts in the region and youth offenders are not deterred by the threat of arrest “We need not only to start talking about this escalating situation but we need to start focusing on solutions which include accountability for actions.” KOMO News does not generally name youth offenders who are charged in juvenile court 2019 at 2:56 pm PT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}The driver of a black Audi fled the scene after causing a three-car crash WA — A 33-year-old man has been arrested after a hit-and-run crash involving three cars on State Route 900 WSP says the crash happened near Southeast 109th Street between the East Renton Highlands and Issaquah The man suspected of causing the crash was driving a black Audi and fled the scene on foot He was later found at a Bellevue home and booked on suspicion of felony hit-and-run and DUI One driver hit in the crash has a broken wrist and injuries to the face SR 900 was fully blocked between Talus Drive and Southeast 109th Street for for about an hour then both directions of traffic were funneled through the westbound lanes Detectives wrapped the investigation and fully reopened the road around 2:45 p.m Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. 5:30 PM | Updated: 6:13 pm A map of power outages in the state of Washington as of 2:25 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 22, 2024 can be seen in this image. (Image courtesy of the poweroutage.us/poweroutage.us/area/state/washington) (Image courtesy of the poweroutage.us/poweroutage.us/area/state/washington) Crews with multiple utilities — including the Snohomish County Public Utility District (Snohomish PUD) and Puget Sound Energy (PSE) — are continuing to deal with tens of thousands of power outages Sunday days after an “atmospheric bomb” weather event pummeled Western Washington As of 5:00 p.m. Monday, 6,540 customers in Washington remain affected by power outages, the website poweroutage.us confirmed 92,428 customers were impacted by power outages Those numbers are all improvements over the 185,245 customers impacted as of 6 a.m There were 328,464 homes and businesses impacted as of 6:20 a.m Cliff Mass on the recent ‘bomb cyclone’: ‘Atmospheric bomb revved up very rapidly’ The PSE outage map is reporting 301 outages and 6,246 homes and businesses across multiple areas of Western Washington are without power as of about 5:00 p.m there were 1,044 outages affecting 83,433 customers affected There were 1,264 outages and 125,775 customers were without power as of 3:45 p.m That is compared to 1,241 outages and 166,672 customers not having power as of 6:10 a.m In a statement on its website early Sunday the utility called out specific service areas that were still seeing significant outages and issues Looking at Issaquah and the surrounding area PSE reported “tree failures” and “extensive damage to poles ” But it expects “significant progress” Sunday The utility also noted “Hobart/Maple Valley is one of the hardest hit areas from the windstorm and reported that it “will require a great deal of work and will take some time but the crews are giving it their all to restore power to the area.” In a separate statement published Saturday morning PSE cited the progress it made to restore power to all customers but acknowledged the times customers would get their power back had to be pushed the substantial amount of damage we are encountering from the storm’s hurricane-force winds has made our work slower than expected and we had to push back estimated restoration times for customers (Friday) evening,” the statement reads “We know that you are disappointed to be without power for this extended period We appreciate your patience …” Most residents in the East Renton Highlands had their power restored Monday nearly six full days after a series of massive trees fell in the wooded neighborhoods This is the one of the trees that’s caused a nearly week-long power outage for residents in the East Renton Highlands Neighbors here are getting frustrated; they tell me restoration estimates have been pushed back again — one man says PSE told him tomorrow morning. pic.twitter.com/IN0N81etz3 — Sam Campbell (@HeySamCampbell) November 25, 2024 Neighbors told KIRO Newsradio the utility company had previously estimated it could restore power by Saturday before pushing back to Sunday “I ran over to Grandma and Grandpa’s house but said it couldn’t handle heating their water “We went to the Issaquah pool to take showers,” Hannelore Moss shared “Our water heater’s electric — it’s not gas,” Pete Moss added Loika said he’s grateful for the linemen crews said she was also growing weary of communication from the energy provider different times and never following through,” she said Pete Moss issued a message of gratitude for the linemen crews and others who told KIRO Newsradio they worked 120-hour weeks there were 1,049 outages and 285,092 PSE customers without power 1,649 outages and 414,552 customers not having power were reported PSE reported 474,032 customers were without power as of 1 a.m PSE also explained that it has been having some issues with its outage map and the precise numbers may not be accurate “We are aware of an issue with our outage map “It is not reflecting all of the customers whose power has been restored and is not showing a set of customers who are still without power.” An earlier statement from the utility reads that crews in King County have said “the damage is comparable to the worst storms of past decades.” During an appearance on KIRO Newsradio’s “The Gee and Ursula Show” last Wednesday morning PSE spokesperson Melanie Coon said there was a lot to clean up “Just massive devastation,” she said “We have a lot of damage we’re assessing this morning.” The PSE spokesperson went on to note that since the winds blew in from the east “Most of the winds we usually get are from the west and trees are used to the wind coming from that direction,” Coon said “When you have wind coming from the other direction they’re not really rooted in a way to resist that.” According to the Snohomish PUD outage map 1,088 customers still don’t have power as of 7 a.m That’s down from the 7,252 customers in the area who were without power as of about 11 a.m 10,207 customers were without power and 13,880 homes and businesses affected were affected as of 5:45 a.m 29,642 customers in the area did not have power 75,420 customers in the area were without power and 113,129 customers in the area were affected as of 2:30 a.m In a statement on its website Saturday morning Snohomish PUD explained the last stage of work won’t move as fast “The remaining work will move at a slower pace as we make complex repairs that impact fewer customers,” the utility reported online “We anticipate a majority of existing outages will be restored by the end of day Sunday but some outages in severely damaged areas will linger into early next week.” Snohomish PUD stated that many of the remaining outages involve “replacing multiple poles A map of Snohomish County power outages as of 1:30 a.m (Image courtesy of the Snohomish PUD outage map/outagemap.snopud.com) Meanwhile, Seattle City Light reported 2 “active events” and 197 customers affected by the power outages at 7 a.m That’s down from 111 “active events” and 1,226 homes and businesses impacted at 11 a.m The utility stated there were 236 “active events” and 2,532 customers affected at 3:45 p.m Seattle City Light reported 183 “active events” and 4,292 customers affected by the power outages at 6:15 a.m there were 526 “active events” and 10,624 customers affected by the power outages The Seattle City Light outage map was down for some time on Wednesday and was not producing accurate numbers Tacoma Public Utilities’ outage map shows no outages as of 10 a.m The utility hasn’t showed any significant outages since Thursday seven outages and 55 customers were affected 20 outages were reported and 186 customers were affected as of 5:15 a.m 962 homes and businesses were dealing with outages Editors’ note: This story was originally published on Tuesday It has been updated and republished multiple times since then Mother Africa has been part of South King County for over 20 years having been founded by Risho Sapano in… Join the Renton Reporter for our next Read All About It on April 29 The Renton Police Department continues to investigate the early morning hit-and-run accident near Hazen High School at the intersection of  NE Sunset Blvd As of Wednesday afternoon the 54-year-old man — who was found on the side of the road bleeding from the head and mouth — remains unconscious Harborview Medical Center conducted tests on the victim's brain to measure its activity Police have not yet released the victim's name and continue to seek information from anyone who may have seen or heard anything unusual near the accident area on Tuesday Renton Police ask anyone with information to call (425) 430-7500 Renton Police received a separate complaint of two different speeding vehicles near the scene of the accident: one regarding a white Subaru "We do not know if either complaint is related to this victim's injuries we haven't located anyone who actually saw the collision," said Det Police continue to seek information about this morning's car-vs-pedestrian collision and refer to Renton Police case 12-4424 if you have any information Renton Police received multiple 911 calls beginning at 5:49 a.m on May 1 about an injured man laying on the side of the road near the intersection of NE Sunset Blvd to find a 54-year-old man who had suffered life-threatening injuries The accident is being investigated as a possible hit-and-run Renton Police are asking anyone with information to call (425) 430-7500 The pedestrian was transported to Harborview Medical Center with serious head injuries It's unknown if police have the driver in custody a car hit a pedestrian near the intersection of NE Sunset Blvd Police closed access to many nearby roads including the intersections of NE Sunset Blvd Police have not released any information regarding the accident the Renton School District worked with police to re-route school buses along Hoquiam via NE 4th Street Teachers arriving at the school were surprised to see the police presence and had yet to hear about the accident neighther the Renton Police Department nor the Renton School District had not returned phone messages left by Patch This article will be updated as more information becomes available Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. Editor’s note: Ardra Arwin, 9, is a third grader and resident of the East Renton Highlands. This poem, reflecting her longing to play at a nearby playground and see friends amid the COVID-19 pandemic, was recently chosen as a winner in the kids category of King County Library System’s Rhyme On! contest Spring blossoms sparkling through the sunlight I wonder why the playgrounds are so dull and quiet 2021 at 5:31 pm PT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}The Renton Regional Fire Authority is seeking a 10-year renewal for the fire benefit charge which supports a large portion of its budget WA — Ballots have arrived in the mailboxes of nearly 1.4 million King County voters featuring a few hundred local races and more than a dozen ballot measures across various jurisdictions In Renton, voters will see a handful of city council contests and school board races, alongside Ballot Proposition 1 which seeks to renew one of the Renton Regional Fire Authority's key sources of funding All voters living within the RFA's boundaries will have a chance to weigh in on the measure including residents around the East Renton Highlands and Cascade-Fairwood The agency's fire benefit charge supports approximately 40 percent of the RFA's operating budget To help voters get a better idea of what the measure entails Patch chatted this week with Steve Heitman This conversation was lightly edited for length and clarity Can you walk us through what a fire benefit charge is "The fire benefit charge is part of a two-part funding system that we have which is based upon a formula that takes each parcel into account and is determined by the fee schedule that we set That's applied to this formula that takes in square footage and how much fire flow is going to be needed is going to have a much higher risk factor than a residential property That is what determines what the benefit charges for that piece of property whether or not we're going to need to increase our fire benefit charge or not because we have a fire benefit charge in place is set to the 1 percent increase limit set by the state then we balance that out to estimate what are our collections going to be How much are we bringing in from other revenue streams that we have That's what helps us determine our budget each year "One of the reasons that we are looking for a 10-year on this next fire benefit charge is we've got some capital projects coming that we're going to be going out for bond on the more stable your finances are the better rate that you receive In order to save our communities some money on the bond as we move forward for those projects we're looking for a 10-year rather than a six because that's looked on more favorably than just going for another six-year." What are some of the capital projects in the works That's the main one right now that is on our radar We may have some remodel projects coming up for some of the other existing stations but that's the one that we're going to be replacing and the main one we're focused on for the bond." How much of your budget relies on this funding it's about 40 percent of the overall budget We have not raised that fire benefit charge in the last three years and we're not planning on doing so for the final year each year when we start looking at the budget we assess what those rates need to be in order for us to meet our budget." Can you explain how the fire benefit charge can be more beneficial than relying solely on property taxes especially for those homeowners that don't have a high-risk property The problem with the property tax is that the values fluctuate if you have an economic downturn — the best example is the Great Recession — that can take your budget send it very far south The fire benefit charge provides more stability because there isn't a whole lot of change in the properties or their risk factors unless you get new construction That is a much more stable source of funding for us and allows us to do more accurate long-term planning knowing that we've got that fire benefit charge in place." What are some of the things this revenue helps pay for in the community "We use it across the board for multiple things from firefighter staffing and training to maintenance and construction of facilities to equipment But we also use it for our public outreach which is our public education and FDCARES program FDCARES is a program that we are in partnership with Puget Sound Regional Fire Authority and also the Skyway Fire District they go to low acuity calls and can actually spend some time with the patient to make sure that they're getting the help they need "Quite often we get calls for 911 and basically our choices are we either leave the person at home or we take them to the emergency room Not all these patients need to go to the emergency room This program is designed to be that intermediary All of the nurses work for Puget Sound Regional Fire Authority but we contract and put one of our EMTs on that rig Then they can go out to these low acuity calls and they can spend the time necessary with the patient to either get doctor's appointments set up get them involved with social services if that's what they need three hours if necessary to spend with this patient try and meet the patient's needs and get back into service as soon as possible to be ready for that next call." Renton RFA is hosting a series of open house events through the end of October where community members and families can check out their local fire stations and learn more about fire safety and the fire benefit charge left off the regional light-rail network and with only two express bus routes is asking Sound Transit to include $300 million in projects on the fall ballot People in Renton are paying about $23 million in Sound Transit taxes a year and have little to show for it after two decades Only two ST Express bus routes pass through the city while commuter rail is reachable in neighboring Tukwila Now that other communities from Everett to Issaquah to West Seattle are on the list for light rail in the upcoming Sound Transit 3 ballot measure Renton leaders say they want more high-capacity transit The City Council is pressing for two bus-rapid transit stations along Interstate 405, bus-carpool roadways and 2,700 park-and-ride garage spaces — for a total $300 million investment — instead of the scaled-down version described in a draft ST 3 package for the amount of money that we’ve put into Sound Transit and we will continue to pay for light rail to Redmond and Issaquah and we won’t get anything,” Renton Councilmember Don Persson said at a Monday meeting Renton, home to more than 98,000 residents, seems the most vociferous among many cities sending final comments to the Sound Transit board of directors $50 billion package for the November ballot Woodinville is asking for buses to run every 10 minutes to Bothell Kirkland says it needs high-capacity bus or rail along with safer pedestrian and bike connections to I-405 BRT (bus-rapid transit) in the Totem Lake area Steilacoom and DuPont ask for more bus-rapid transit The full Eastside BRT corridor stretching from Lynnwood to Burien using I-405 and Highway 518 Sound Transit in March proposed spending $341 million A letter from six Eastside cities recommends the bigger version plus feeder buses linking neighborhoods to I-405 stations to provide “the equivalent of light rail on rubber tires.” Freeway buses would use the new express toll lanes north of Bellevue to be extended south of Bellevue using new state gas taxes “We always anticipated that we were going to get the Cadillac BRT,” Persson said Monday “This whole watered-down BRT plan has kind of hit us as a surprise.” Sound Transit Route 560 from SeaTac to Bellevue stops in downtown Renton while the 566 from Auburn to Overlake serves downtown and one freeway stop King County Metro Transit also serves Renton Sound Transit Chairman Dow Constantine declined an interview request for this story Sound Transit Board member Claudia Balducci of Bellevue said that on Thursday she would propose Eastside amendments that include “additional investments in Renton.” Renton City Councilmember Ruth Pérez said she caught the ear of Constantine and an aide Friday “I was really surprised that Dow really listened,” said Pérez. She mentioned how she always thought Renton would get light rail, because of big employers — such as Boeing — and its affordable housing. “Executive Constantine said Sound Transit’s really good at getting the projects on time and on budget,” she recalled. “I said all the money you won’t be spending on the Eastside Sound Transit’s first winning ballot measure earmarked $63 million for bus-carpool ramps to I-405 Those sites turned out to be a poor fit with the state’s subsequent master plan Governments changed their focus to I-405 ramps at North Eighth Street next to Gene Coulon Park and the now-booming Renton Landing area when Sound Transit’s Eastside BRT proposal offered Renton only one of its two desired I-405 stations — a $117 million project in South Renton rather than the 2,000 requested by the city $67 million is from the old settlement — in essence the BRT investment Renton was already pledged in 1996 “We’re kind of in the Sound Transit rain shadow,” said Gregg Zimmerman “Some of these communities have commuter rail and Woodinville and Kirkland in the north end Geometry is partly to blame for Renton’s dilemma sets it apart from the light-rail spine and its foreseeable branches so communities like Renton become net donors to the rail program The city’s apartment clusters are dispersed and divided by a tangled road grid — making it impossible for any single rail line to reach most residents. But they’re ideal for RapidRide-type buses, and in fact Metro envisions adding a Renton Highlands loop so they wouldn’t cater solely to a park-and-ride clientele To Pérez, who joined the City Council in 2014, getting more is a matter of fairness to working people who must commute from Renton “I am the person who speaks for all those people who can barely speak English; they are afraid of the government and won’t talk to them These people don’t have cars; they need public transit to go to work every day.” Puget Sound Energy expects to fully restore power to "most if not all” customers by in the Seattle area by Tuesday For some, that’s a week after high winds and falling trees knocked out service for hundreds of thousands of customers last week power had been restored to all but about 2,000 customers you couldn't walk down the street without hearing a generator — Mandi Mortensen’s she’d been running her generator for six days Mortensen’s boyfriend works for Puget Sound Energy and she knew the crews were working hard to get power back for everyone But she hadn't slept more than three hours since the storm and we have the fireplace on and the fan doesn't do it the house will build up with carbon monoxide," Mortensen said what if the [generator] runs out of gas and I can't get it started again?" Mortensen has a 16-year-old son whose school reopened its doors Monday but didn't have heat or wi-fi If power didn't come back by Tuesday afternoon "Today was a meltdown kind of a morning," she said Mortensen told KUOW her power was finally restored and her Thanksgiving plans were still on Mortensen said she was looking forward to finally getting a good night’s sleep he’s covered everything from arts to homelessness to movie reviews for newspapers and radio nonprofit news organization that produces award-winning journalism 2019 at 11:28 am PT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}RENTON The snowiest nine days in Puget Sound in years petered out on Tuesday as snow turned to rain A couple of caveats about these totals: The measurements aren't technically official The National Weather Service takes its official snow measurement at Sea-Tac Airport (for the record that measurement stands at 20.2 inches so far this month) You'll also notice inconsistency in the measurement locations That's because the NWS collects measurements as people report them not necessarily at the same location every day Want to see ALL the snow measurements? Head to the NWS website King County’s population grew by about 320,000 Half of that growth — 160,000 people — was from international immigration People moving to King County from other countries remain the primary driver of growth in the current decade King County has been losing population to other U.S while still gaining new residents from other nations the county hit a milestone for its foreign-born population according to new census data: For the first time foreign-born residents made up more than one-quarter of the county’s total population there were about 580,000 foreign-born people living in King County Among the more than 800 counties included in the data King was one of just 40 where immigrants made up at least 25% of the total population Only one county — Miami-Dade in Florida — was majority foreign-born Queens County in New York ranked second at 47.5% and Hudson County in New Jersey was third at 42% The tech industry is one of the main reasons for the growth of the foreign-born population in King County. In a previous column I wrote that around 40% of tech workers in the Seattle metro area were born in another country in 2016 — and among those Census data for 2022 shows more than 90,000 foreign-born residents employed in computer-related occupations in the Seattle metro area Immigrants to King County work in every field with particularly high numbers in health care and service-sector occupations census data shows more than 13,000 foreign-born registered nurses worked in the Seattle metro area in 2022 Many people also come from abroad for academic opportunities. In the University of Washington system around 14% of students in the 2023 incoming class were international King County’s foreign-born population grew by 186,000 the number of county residents born in Washington only grew by 8% and the number who were born elsewhere in the U.S King had the second-largest numeric growth in foreign-born residents gaining 226,000 residents from other countries between 2010 and 2022 There were around 83,000 county residents born in India making up 14% of the county’s foreign-born population the birthplace of nearly 15,000 King County residents Ukraine ranked first among European countries While immigrants made up slightly more than a quarter of residents countywide the percentage in some cities was significantly higher Among King County cities with at least 60,000 residents Redmond had the highest share of the population which was born in another country with foreign-born people making up around 20% of the population Of the nearly 500 census tracts in King County there were 11 where immigrants made up the majority of the population The western half of the Crossroads neighborhood in Bellevue had the highest concentration of immigrants The lowest percentage was in the eastern part of East Renton Highlands Seattle’s top neighborhood for immigrants was the Chinatown International District/Yessler Terrace area The city’s lowest percentage was in the North Admiral/Genesee section of West Seattle where immigrants made up just 4% of the population There are no BECU locations with adjusted hours There are no locations with temporary closures Return to Top of Page Boeing Employees' Credit Union NMLS ID 490518 2011 at 9:59 pm PTIn honor of its 13th anniversary Nearly two dozen dancers turned out to celebrate the anniversary two-stepping and swinging across the 4,000-square-foot dance floor before the ribbon-cutting fete Owner Dave Serfling purchased the dance barn from the Hagen family in 1998 Originally built as a community hall for square dancing Serfling transformed it into a venue for all forms of dance "Our dances are meant to be a variety," said his wife Dave brings 23 years of dance experience to the floor. Dances are held on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays; and lessons take place from Sunday through Thursday. For more information, visit their web site, http://www.learn2dance4fun.com/ The is located in the East Renton Highlands An unoccupied five-story apartment building in Renton went up in flames in spectacular fashion Tuesday — with the plume of smoke visible as far away as Tacoma A five-story apartment building that was under construction in the Renton Highlands went up in flames in spectacular fashion Tuesday — with the plume of smoke visible as far away as Tacoma a Renton police officer who was directing traffic was hit by at least one vehicle receiving injuries that were not life-threatening City of Renton spokesman Kelley Balcomb-Bartok said the blaze began just before 8 p.m at the Harrington Square apartments at 950 Harrington Ave Firefighters were quickly on the scene but were unable to contain the fire Flames were soon shooting 50 feet or more above the top of the building The fire appeared to have started on the fifth floor Winds of 10 to 15 miles an hour pushed the flames quickly through the building older commercial building next to the apartment complex was also destroyed About 100 semi-completed apartments were destroyed in the fire said she was standing outside when a truck came barreling along Sunset Boulevard Northeast It hit a car and then careened into an officer who was directing traffic away from the fire “It threw the officer up on to the hood of the vehicle,” Sites said “And then he was thrown over into the lanes going in the opposite direction,” where he may have been hit again by another car Sites said the driver was apprehended immediately by other officers “The good news is that the officer is going to be fine,” said Balcomb-Bartok who added that the officer was taken to a hospital for treatment Balcomb-Bartok said it’s too early to determine what caused the fire or if there were any suspicious circumstances A number of nearby residents heard explosions soon after the blaze started It was a big boom,” said resident Dave Levin ‘That’s too big to be fireworks.’ “ Balcomb-Bartok said the explosions may have been caused by building materials left on site A neighbor who lives across the street said workers had been sealing a roof earlier in the day He said he suspects propane tanks may have caused the explosion About 80 firefighters from as far away as Redmond and Kent arrived to help out A top priority was to stop the fire from spreading “We became concerned about the homes to the south,” said Renton Fire Chief David Daniels He said embers were blowing toward about a dozen homes Firefighters continued to douse hot spots late Tuesday but said the blaze was under control Both Harrington Square apartment buildings were to open within six or seven months the developer describes the apartments as boasting elegant including private balconies and spalike bathrooms The ground floor was set aside for businesses Kyle Ohashi said the smaller building that was destroyed was vacant after some previous businesses had moved out Nick Perry: 206-515-5639 or nperry@seattletimes.com Charles E. Brown: 206-464-2206 or cbrown@seattletimes.com This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page With a focus to “jumpstart education and jobs,” issaquah school board president and Tiger Mountain resident Chad Magendanz announced his 2012 bid last week for the newly reshaped 5th Legislative District's position 2 Both directions of traffic will be closed around the clock until May 21 No fish or people were harmed in the April 22 fire The Highlands neighborhood just north of the Seattle city limits sits on a wide swath of land overlooking Puget Sound Despite the potential for grand views from its 100 or so households the most salient features of this neighborhood are its abundant and towering trees Influential landscape architects the Olmsted Brothers designed The Highlands in the early 1900s. The brothers’ vision for the neighborhood, according to The Highlands website (thehighlandsseattle.org) was for the homes to be “surrounded by trees.” that vision continues with well-to-do homes hidden in the woods Privacy is a certainly a key feature of this gated community barely visible from one another or from the neighborhood’s winding roads but some people don’t even know the neighborhood exists or confuse it with the much newer Issaquah Highlands or the East Renton Highlands With a security guard on duty at the entrance gate 24 hours a day residents of The Highlands cite safety as another important element of their community Many neighborhood kids are allowed to wander unaccompanied to friends’ houses or to the communal tennis courts and swimming pool “Our children and [other] Highlands children walk everywhere,” said resident Helen Day “It’s why my husband and I picked to live here.” Day and her family moved to The Highlands from Portland in 2008 and said they appreciate the sense of community invite kids to take shortcuts through their yards sometimes insisting children stop in for a cookie “[Our kids] know their neighbors of every age and people know who they are,” she said Living in The Highlands requires membership in the private homeowners’ association and all members pay ongoing dues assessed on the size of their lot Membership dues go toward providing an array of services The neighborhood also maintains a network of walking trails within its borders The private Seattle Golf Club sits adjacent to The Highlands but it’s not part of the neighborhood a real-estate agent with Gerrard Beattie & Knapp spent time in The Highlands in his youth visiting friends and has sold homes there Robbins called the neighborhood a wonderful place to live and “a great value,” considering what buyers get for their money in terms of quality of homes price and age of homes vary substantially in The Highlands A midcentury modern-style house in The Highlands was designed by noted Northwest architect Roland Terry and built in 1967 it was listed for months at $1.195 million It has three bedrooms and 31/2 baths in about 4,300 square feet and sits on a 2.7-acre lot It also features light fixtures by Northwest designer Irene McGowan Another Highlands home recently for sale was built in 1924 The house has seven bedrooms and eight bathrooms in more than 9,000 square-feet of living space Its notable features include garage parking for six cars a glassed-in pool and Olympic Mountain and Puget Sound views The median value of all single-family houses (not just those recently sold) in the 98177 ZIP code which includes The Highlands was $420,900 in July The median rent for single-family houses was $2,085 in July When it comes to overall walkability, The Highlands (which is in the city of Shoreline) is considered “car-dependent” and got a walkability rating of 26 (out of 100) from Walk Score a Seattle company that provides automated walkability ratings In addition to the central tennis courts and swimming pool several neighborhood features provide gathering places and reinforce the sense of community in The Highlands Among them is a nondenominational community church Seattle businessman Horace Henry had the Scottish-style chapel built in the early 1900s dedicated to his daughter who died of illness while away at school Today the chapel serves as a home for community events and contains many stained-glass windows Down the road from the chapel sits the Elisabeth Carey Miller Botanical Garden Miller was a prominent figure in Northwest horticultural and gardening communities as well as a patron and promoter of numerous horticultural organizations she donated her home and gardens in The Highlands which became the Miller Garden Curator Richie Steffen described Miller’s enthusiasm for plants and horticulture and said that the staff at the Garden “work to bring that enthusiasm to others through garden tours lectures and our educational program Great Plant Picks.” For Highlands families with young children the neighborhood operates a preschool within its borders While Highlands members have priority enrollment there is often additional space open to the public whose children attended the preschool a few years ago along with accessibility to families outside The Highlands “It’s the best-kept secret in Seattle,” she said Residents might say the same of the neighborhood itself The Bulldogs won their first game against Highline in the second game of a three-team Seamount League 2A playoff elimination format will still go on to the West Central District tournament Lindbergh and Foster tied for third place in the Seamount for 2A teams in the league that includes Kennedy and Hazen Renton went as the first place team (third in the Seamount) and Evergreen was second Linbergh goes as the third seed and Foster the fourth Foster will play at Liberty High School in the East Renton Highlands on Feb the Bulldogs just escaped the clutches of a comeback minded Highline team but outdid the Bulldogs on the scoreboard in the second half And the Pirates had the last chance to score with the basketball having 6.7 seconds left following a second Bulldogs free throw miss with the score The Pirates' Olivia Beckham let fly an off-balance shot as time was winding down to zero on the clock "They did the first part of it," said Bulldogs coach Eric Smith of beating the Pirates in the first game Smith wanted to have a different result in the second game against the Eagles The Pirates were hoping for a Bulldogs win play the Eagles with the winner going to districts as the No after his team had lost to the Bulldogs in the first game But nothing went right in that kind of hopeful respect who witnessed their season end when the Eagles beat the Bulldogs to have forced this three-way playoff of third place teams in the Seamount just had a hard time scoring against the Eagles pretty much the whole game the Bulldogs trailed the entire game and were down early in the second half off an Eagles' three ball hitting the twine perfectly made a bucket inside before the Eagles were just not much threatened after that completely unraveling any Bulldogs hopes of coming back as that four points by the Eagles upped the foe's lead to 18-10 with 3:00 left in the second half besides Williams making 1-for-3 free throws after having been fouled on a three-point shot going to the playoffs for this Bulldogs team is a good thing and the season is an improvement over last season "We didn't make it to the playoffs (districts) last season," said Smith in his second season coaching the Bulldogs Williams handles that ball well despite her youth in high school ball this playoffs tonight is a lot of pressure for them," said Smith is a point guard who plays composed for being but a frosh on the court "It's been a great experience for my first year," said Williams "I want to come back stronger for the playoffs." and realize this kind of postseason experience is just the beginning this season The Best Restaurants for Weddings in Seattle The Best Bars in Seattle The Best New Restaurants in the Seattle Area, May 2025 The Eastside of Seattle and King County spans the eastern length of Lake Washington and is home to over 490,000 people Its diverse population has meant it’s never been difficult to find good Chinese the Eastside has seen a boom in spots serving food from all over the world from beloved international chains opening up their first domestic locations in Bellevue and Redmond to independently owned cafes serving Malaysia dishes and the cuisines of individual Mexican states Consider the following list a launching pad for continued exploration of Renton’s prolific Mexican and Vietnamese food scene BelRed’s dense collection of regional Chinese cuisine and other gems up north Woodinville and Kirkland Know of a spot that should be on our radar Send us a tip by emailing seattle@eater.com this list is not ranked; it’s organized geographically For all the latest Seattle dining intel, subscribe to Eater Seattle’s newsletter. Kirkland’s Northern Italian fine-dining mainstay reopened its dining room in 2021 with several excellent seasonally changing tasting menus Chef Holly Smith’s omnivore’s tasting menus include dishes like Anderson Valley lamb chops with turnip gratin while the vegan tasting menu includes dishes like green garlic soup with fava bean toast A post shared by Cafe Juanita Kirkland, WA (@cafejuanitawa) The Best Restaurants in Seattle for Special Occasions and famous for the marine flavors of the Malabar Coast Kerala cuisine is celebrated at Kathakali in Kirkland a sister restaurant to Snoqualmie’s Aahaar led by co-owners Ramya Balachandran and Ajay Panicker The seafood and vegetarian dishes are standouts: the chakka thoran dosa is perfumed and lacy the palakkad avial is a spiced assortment of legumes and the tangy meen pollichathu (black bass cooked in banana leaves) is excellent Kathakali is open for onsite and takeout dining The Best South Asian Restaurants in the Seattle Area The downtown Bellevue location of Eric and Sophie Banh’s fine-dining Vietnamese restaurant serves dishes made with the same care that has wowed diners in Seattle since the original restaurant opened in 1999 Expect dishes not found at other Vietnamese restaurants in the area like fresh rolls filled with avocado and raw ahi tuna and perfectly-balanced cumin lamb made with house-fermented soy beans the subtly flavored green papaya salad is just as impressive as the other dishes A post shared by M O N S O O N (@eatdrinkmonsoon) Istanbul Cuisine skirts the chaos inside and draws diners with its peppery cig kofte (a dumpling of rolled bulgur and spiced tomato paste) and tender hand-rolled yufka pastries Occupying a 4-by-12-foot stall next to the Macy’s entrance off Bellevue Way and fries peynir cheese-stuffed syrupy kunefe in front of onlookers This Turkish street food spot offers a calmer dining experience than is normally found in downtown Bellevue; when the food is ready walk across NE 4th Street to eat in the park Istanbul Cuisine is open for takeout dining A post shared by IstanbulCuisineCafe (@istanbulcuisinecafe) Facing East offers a broad survey of Taiwanese and Hakka cuisine that has charmed the surrounding BelRed community since 2006 and bitter melon with salted duck egg are excellent Facing East is open for takeout dining and offers a grab-and-go fridge A post shared by Facing East Taiwanese (@facing_east) Excellent Eastside Restaurants Open for Takeout and Delivery Where to Eat Around Seattle’s Busiest Holiday Shopping Hubs this family-owned kopitiam (a traditional Southeast Asian coffee shop) helmed by Grace Ting and Robert Tju has offered personal takes on Malaysian classics The nasi lemak ayam berempah features expertly marinated fried chicken and a collection of other ingredients to customize each bite Bring one or two friends to split the roti canai beef rendang or any of the laksa bowls — deeply herbal and tangy broth shines here Reunion is open for on-site and takeout dining A post shared by Ken - Not a foodie/influencer (@feedthepudge) This Kirkland market and restaurant led by Jamie Casady and Jordan Cooper has been doing it all since 2011: layer cake slices that can feed four expertly assembled sandwiches with fillings like celeriac remoulade on house roast beef and assertive salads that embrace both springy greens and herbs by the handful and delicious surprises like a mint-muddled beet soda DERU Market is open for takeout dining only and ordering ahead online will streamline the process A post shared by DERU Market (@derumarket) Where to Get the Best Cakes in the Seattle Area Renton Deli opened in January 2020 on Sunset Boulevard to serve Vietnamese classics like satiny banh cuon (minced pork and wood ear mushrooms wrapped in a tapioca and rice flour crepe) and tender nem cuon (grilled pork sausage and herb spring roll) empties quickly with the regular stream of customers flowing through the deli The surrounding area is also full of culinary heavyweights: El Recreo next door serves quesadillas de huitlacoche and robust churros (birria on the weekends too) and Viet-Wah market up the street has more Vietnamese food to explore A post shared by Rentondeli (@rentondeli) Perched atop the second floor of the Highland Queen Plaza in Renton Tortas Ahogadas Y Tacos Atemajac specializes in the cuisine of Guadalajara in the western Mexican state of Jalisco The star of the show is the torta ahogada — carnitas stuffed in a birote roll drenched in a tangy salsa of tomato and chile de arbol alongside tacos dorados and vegetable accompaniments But the rest of the menu is also exceptional: the tortas have a perfect ratio of filling of choice and the tacos de barbacoa are juicy and aromatic Tortas Ahogadas Y Tacos Atemajac is open for takeout and onsite dining This restaurant in a strip mall in Bellevue’s Bel-Red neighborhood serves some of the best Sichuan food in the Seattle area at much lower prices than most of its competitors The mapo tofu (made with fermented black beans and chili fava bean paste) has unparalleled depth And the restaurant also serves excellent renditions of American Chinese dishes like sweet and sour chicken — something that some of the other Sichuan restaurants in the area don’t offer A post shared by FOOD | DRINKS (@kgsfoodadventures) The 11 Best Places to Eat Sichuan Food in the Seattle Area 18 Sensational Chinese and Taiwanese Restaurants in the Seattle Area The shokupan sandwiches at Minako Matsumura and Makoto Ogasawara’s Lake Hills shop come with an enormous range of fillings The gobo salad is sweet and earthy; the creamy sesame chicken tastes like a familiar chicken salad with a hint of toastiness from the sesame; and the Exotic Japan dessert sando with matcha cream and adzuki bean is a seamless mix of savory and sweet — nutty and special orders can be placed the day before A post shared by Sandwich House TRES (@sandwich_house_tres) opened its truck windows in May 2021 to serve tart and pungent Pakistani street food to the surrounding Lake Hills community Parked on 145th Avenue just south of Kamber Road Lari Adda slings an outstanding samosa chaat a tangy and toasty lentil potato bun-kebab Beverages and desserts like the meetha paan Owners Saira Bano and Sheraz Malik hail from Karachi and Lahore and say they aim to showcase the intricacies of Pakistani cuisine Lari Adda is open takeout and on-site dining in a raucously decorated tent and serves a popular weekend brunch A post shared by Lari Adda (@lariaddafoodtruck) Located next to a cash register in a Shell gas station O’Bop serves Korean barbecue bowls and mandu that entice diners up the busy 148th Avenue even during rush hour The bulgogi here is smoky-sweet and tender all nestled between crunchy shredded lettuce and assorted sauces Vegetarian options stand their ground; the medium-firm tofu and zingy kimchi are a lighter counterpoint to the richer meats the owner and operator of both O’Bop and the gas station has been quietly nourishing Lake Hills commuters since 2016 with her no-nonsense cuisine just south of State Route 520 on 148th Avenue specializes in noodle dishes from Sichuan province’s capital Choose from sweet water noodles (thick hand-pulled noodles with a garlicky spicy peanut sauce) or the titular Nine Way Noodle (mouth-numbing and layered with minced pork) then move onto soups like the briney and rich zha cai with shredded pork soup or the personal Nine Way is open for onsite dining and takeout A post shared by Nine way 玖味 (@ninewayrestaurant) Nestled between tasting rooms in south Woodinville modern American food destination and a haven for wine-lovers This jovial spot is led by chef Breanna Beike and can be enjoyed for the spot-on technique in dishes like Dungeness crab hush puppies that verge on croquetas and lithe and chewy house egg noodles — as well as creative dishes like bitter and texturally rich little gem salad and buttery seared black cod with Israeli couscous The wine list highlights the particularities of Washington producers while also making room for European standard-bearers Heritage is open for on-site and takeout dining A post shared by Heritage Restaurant|Bar (@heritagewoodinville) Farm-raised Idaho tilapia and largemouth bass are plucked from a tank and cooked in a tangy broth resulting in a multi-stage meal: first ladle tender fish slices over the accompanying rice then move onto slurping the leftover broth Smaller plates and desserts are also available to supplement the dish Bu Er Jia is open for on-site and takeout dining Tucked in Redmond’s Overlake neighborhood next to shabu shabu restaurant Shaburina 151 Days offers a concise menu centered on free-range which owner Yongshen Guo raises 50 miles north in Arlington The braised snack platter is a neatly arranged trio of peanuts The smoky chicken noodle soup and accompanying sides add vegetal notes to a rich chicken broth Finish the meal with a millet doughnut and glass of tangy sea buckthorn juice (imagine a carrot-flavored jolly rancher) for a satisfying send-off 151 Days is open for on-site and takeout dining A post shared by @151_days the only explicitly Laotian restaurant on the Eastside opened in 2019 in the Crossroads Mall food court The restaurant offers a sampling of Laotian dishes including sour fermented sausage If you don’t already know the entire Laotian food lexicon that’s alright — the digital menu board rotates through pictures of each dish Blazing Bowl also offers conveyor-belt hot pot: heating elements are embedded in each table a holdover from a Japanese restaurant that was the previous tenant a spicy and aromatic tomato-based condiment The restaurant is open for on-site and takeout dining A post shared by Blazing Bowl (@blazingbowlofficial) Just north of the Redmond Town Center shopping center, this wood-fired pizza restaurant offers charred, cloud-like Neapolitan-inspired pies and rotating pizza specials. Owners Carolyn and Tony Scott opened Spark Pizza after the success of their first Redmond restaurant, Woodblock The menu also offers wines that pair well with pizza and a smattering of lighter bites and creative desserts like the orange and garam masala cannoli Spark is open for on-site and takeout dining and has an outdoor patio and picnic area A post shared by Spark Pizza Redmond (@spark_pizza_redmond) Seattle’s Top Pizzerias for Takeout and Delivery Right Now The tacos de guisado at taco truck Xochi in Issaquah are complex and comforting: craggy corn tortillas (or flour if you order the encebollado) are griddled before enclosing a variety of stewed and braised fillings inspired by owner Sandra Diaz’s Mexico City roots Both the meat and vegetable options are memorable; highlights include a piquant cochinita pibil taco — bright with citrus juice and savory from achiote-laced slow-roasted pork — and velvety calabaza tacos full of stewed squash A post shared by XOCHI (@wearexochi)