New Police Hire, Soaring Travel Costs & More
The top Seattle news stories you should be reading today
By Alene Bouranova June 17, 2015
New Police Hire: The Seattle Police Department has hired community leader Habtamu Abdi as a civilain liaison between the department and the city’s East African community. Abdi was chosen out of close to 300 applicants to reconnect the department with the East African population. “I want him to foster relationships and trust within our very large East African community,” said Deputy Chief Carmen Best. “We hope to have a police department that reflects the community that we serve.” Read the full story here.
Bad News for Tourists: TripAdvisor named Seattle as the most expensive U.S. city to visit this summer, reports Globe Newswire. The travel site’s annual TripIndex Cities report compares travel costs for key domestic and international tourist cities; Seattle came out as the priciest U.S. destination (beating even New York!) with a whopping $1,300 expected cost for a three-day trip for two. At least this should keep Pike Place less crowded this summer, right..?
Higher Ferry Fees: Washington State Ferries officials are proposing increased travel fares, says the Associated Press. Officials are proposing a 2.5% fare increase for vehicles and a 1% increase for passengers in order to generate enough funds for the 2015-17 ferry budget. Public meetings about the proposal will be held in July; if approved, the proposal will become official in August.
Seriously Toxic Shellfish: This year’s toxic algae bloom could be the largest poison shellfish bloom ever recorded on the West Coast, says the Seattle Times. The Pacific Ocean algae bloom stretches all the way from California to Canada, shutting down both commercial and recreational shellfish harvests along the way. Scientists expect unusually high temperatures could be contributing to this year’s staggering effects. Read the full story here.
Lawsuit Settled: The Seattle Police Department has agreed to pay almost $2 million to settle an excessive force lawsuit. SPD is paying Nathaniel Caylor $1.975 million for a suit against officers Eugene Schubeck and Don Leslie over a 2009 shooting that resulted in Caylor’s injury. Read the full story here.
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