Blaine Wetzel Named Best Chef, Teacher to Throw out First Pitch

Brady Olson, the North Thurston High School teacher who tackled a student gunman last week, will throw out the first pitch at the Mariner’s game tonight. MyNorthwest.com reports, “the 16-year old shooter is believed to have been trying to commit suicide by cop when Olson saved his life by tackling him, as well as the lives of other students.” Olson will be honored at the game tonight for his bravery.

Football fans have long been suspicious of Deflategate and according to The New York Times, a 243-page report released by the NFL this week strongly suggests that Patriots employees Jim McNally and John Jastremski deflated the team’s footballs. The Times reports that it’s “more probable than not that [quarterback Tom] Brady was at least generally aware of the inappropriate activities of McNally and Jastremski.” The NFL requires balls to be between 13.5-12.5 pounds per square inch threshold. The report shows that during the Colts game, “… when 11 balls were tested with two gauges at halftime… they were all below 12.5 p.s.i. Most were substantially lower. One was at 10.5.”

The creation of a sports arena in SoDo has passed the next stage of development with the release of the Final Environmental Impact Statement on Thursday, according to MyNorthwest.com. “We’re one step closer to bringing NHL hockey and NBA basketball to Seattle,” said Seattle Mayor Ed Murray. The project could be underway early in 2016.

The Capitol Hill Seattle Blog reports that Mayor Ed Murray submitted a revised proposal for a new transportation levy. According to the mayor’s announcement, the plan reflects the need for “more reliable transit system access, improved connections to light rail, and making it safer for people of all ages to walk in Seattle.” The revised proposal requires an additional $30 million, making the grand total around $930 million. It will need to be approved by the City Council before it goes on November’s ballot.

Blaine Wetzel, the innovative chef of the Willows Inn on Lummi Island, was presented with the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Northwest on Tuesday. According to The Seattle Times, the 29-year-old Olympia native has long been making a name for himself. His craft has gotten him recognized twice by the James Beard Foundation—last year he tied for Rising Star Chef, and in 2011, he was nominated in the Rising Star category. It’s a big year for Wetzel—his cookbook Sea and Smoke is due out in October. 

A small earthquake shook northern Washington on Thursday morning. The 3.7 magnitude quake occurred in Snohomish County around 1:42 a.m., approximately eight miles northeast of Bryant. According to MyNorthwest.com, “…it’s unlikely that the quake was related to a series of small temblors that have been shaking California in recent days.” There have been no reports of damage or injuries.