Soundside

Latest Episodes:

PFAs in Spokane's well water? Maybe recall a County Commissioner Sep 04, 2024

Show notes

Spokane County Commissioner Al French is facing a recall effort over his handling of disclosures of contaminated groundwater in the West Plains.
The “Clean Water Accountability Coalition” is sounding the alarm about PFAS—sometimes called 'forever chemicals’—in well water.
And let's not forget to mention that French is also running for re-election this year, adding another layer to the already heated debate.

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

Guest:

Nate Sanford, staff writer at Inlander

Relevant Links:

Inlander: Spokane County Commissioner Al French faces recall attempt over PFAS controversy

Inlander: EPA, Ecology and Spokane officials urge West Plains residents to sign up for free PFAS testing

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How small acts of “dignity” can help vulnerable populations Sep 04, 2024

Show notes

One of the best coffee spots in Bellingham isn’t a cafe, at least according to some of the folks in the city’s unhoused population. Instead, it’s a casual coffee cart that pops-up twice a week, at a free lunch program, known as the Maple Alley Inn.

While the coffee is decent, the main attraction is the person running the cart. 85 year-old Ursula DeWit is known for her easy smile and exceptional listening skills. Her kindness has made a significant impact in the lives of people she serves coffee to, including seniors, veterans and families.

We’ll also hear from April Ballard who is anAssistant Professor of Environmental Health at Georgia State University about the importance of treating vulnerable populations of people with dignity.

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

GUESTS:

Dr. April Ballard, Assistant Professor of Environmental Health at the Georgia State University School of Public Health
Ursula DeWitt, volunteer at the Maple Alley Inn in Bellingham

RELATED LINKS:

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As light rail expands, suburbs plan for density Sep 03, 2024

Show notes

Riders packed trains on Friday to see four new stations on the One Line, which now stops in Shoreline, Mountlake Terrace, and Lynnwood.

At the 148th Street Station, Shoreline celebrated the occasions with a marching band, speeches, and bubble machines. The suburb has been planning for this moment for years, that’s apparent when you step off the train.

Across I-5 from the light rail station, new apartment buildings are going up. Townhomes line a couple blocks near Meridian Avenue. There’s also road work to add larger sidewalks and traffic-calming roundabouts.

The city is encouraging density and building infrastructure to support more pedestrians, and this is an effort most every city in the state is struggling with.

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

Guest:

Mayor Chris Roberts, City of Shoreline

Relevant Links:

KUOW: Light rail is helping Mountlake Terrace find its heart

The Urbanist: South Shoreline Light Rail Brings Suburban Retrofit with Thousands of Homes

Seattle Times:Lynnwood light rail is opening. Here’s what you’ll find at 4 new stations

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A look at the Seahawks before their home opener on Sunday Sep 03, 2024

Show notes

Being a sports fan in Washington State is akin to riding the Extreme Scream at the fair: big highs, and REAL SUDDEN LOWS.

Yes, I’m looking at you, Seattle Mariners…

With the Seahawks kicking off their regular season at home this weekend against the Denver Broncos, hope springs eternal! And it felt like a good time to check in on what’s been cooking at VMAC all summer.

The team has a new head coach, and a new slate of players… so, what should we expect?

To answer that question, we’re talking to an expert.

GUEST: Michael-Shawn Dugar

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King County Council is unanimous: keep the youth jail open Sep 03, 2024

Show notes

Members of the King County Council have moved to officially say the county’s youth jail should remain open.
The council voted last week eight-to-zero in favor of a non-binding resolution to declare its support for keeping the Patricia H. Clark Children and Family Justice Center in operation – with some improvements.

The move comes just over four years after King County Executive Dow Constantine pledged to shutter the facility by 2025

It was a promise made during the summer of George Floyd racial justice protests.
At the time – Constantine said his goal was “shifting public dollars away from systems that are rooted in oppression.”

And he predicted that, “phasing out centralized youth detention is no longer a goal in the far distance.”

But since then, the goal has been getting farther down the road.
Earlier this year, the timeline for closing the jail was pushed out to 2028 at the recommendation of an advisory committee of community partners. And now, the county appears to be indefinitely delaying that push.

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

Guests:

Tascha R. Johnson, Associate Executive Director of Choose 180 - a non-profit dedicated to transforming the juvenile justice system
King County Councilmember (District 9) Reagan Dunn

Relevant Links:

Youth jail should be improved, not closed, King County Council votes - KUOW

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why Washington is a bellwether for the presidential election Aug 29, 2024

Show notes

The Democratic party is riding the Good Vibes Express after its Chicago convention.

And a look at polling averages gives them reason to celebrate: Since becoming the nominee, Vice President Harris has shaken up a relatively static presidential race: She’s now running slightly ahead of former President Trump nationwide.

In swing states, she has pulled even in key areas of the sun belt like Georgia and North Carolina.

Some analysts say you have a more concrete expression of the electorate’s mood coming from right here in Washington State.
In fact, in the last several presidential and midterm elections, Washington state’s primary has developed a reputation as a reliable bellwether for the outcome of national general elections.

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

Guest:

Armin Thomas is a political analyst at Split Ticket, a nonpartisan election analysis firm

Relevant Links:

A Very Detailed Examination Of The Washington Primary - Split Ticket

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WSU researchers are on a quest to digitize over 30,000 bees, butterflies and other pollinators Aug 29, 2024

Show notes

Washington State University's MT James Entomological Collection is the largest insect museum in the state, it holds around three million specimens.

In 2022, state legislators allocated $50,000 for the collection to digitize pollinators, like bees, moths, flies, butterflies and other insects that carry pollen.

Adding the 30,000 pollinators in WSU’s collection to a digital database will open up collaboration for researchers worldwide.

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

Guests:

Elizabeth Murray, Telford Family Professor of Entomology and the director of the MT James Entomological Collection at Washington State University

Relevant Links:

Spokesman Review: WSU makes strides in digitalizing 3 million insect collection
M.T. James Entomological Collection website

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Christian Nationalism and its effect on Yakima city politics Aug 28, 2024

Show notes

Last year, the Yakima City Council made a landmark decision by passing a proclamation to designate the month of June as LGBTQ+ Pride month.

Less than a year later, the council voted to reverse that decision.

The move was celebrated by far right religious leaders like Turning Point USA’s Charlie Kirk and Sean Feucht, who took to X to applaud the decision.

And while pride celebrations defiantly went on in the city, it’s raised a lot of concerns about the ties between public officials and prominent Christian Nationalist figures.

GUESTS:

Mai Hoang - Central and Eastern Washington reporter for Cascade PBS.
Dominick Bonny - investigative journalist based in Wenatchee.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Budget woes, cellphones, and safety: educators share their thoughts going into the new school year Aug 28, 2024

Show notes

For many Washington students, and parents, the school year is just about to start - if it hasn’t already.

And they're not the only ones gearing up for the new year. Teachers and school staff are about to step into a new year with all sorts of new questions about how their respective school systems will be run.

So, we wanted to check in with a panel of education experts, to hear about how they’re preparing for both an incoming class of students, and the realities of working in the Washington education system right now.

Guests:

Ibijoke Idowu, a special education teacher with Seattle Public Schools
Hilda Lail, Vancouver Public Schools Bilingual Family and Community Engagement Partnership Coordinator
Julianna Dauble, president of the Renton Education Association

Relevant Links:

Cell Phone and Smart Device Use in Schools - OSPI
SPS, city of Seattle announce safety plan before new school year - Seattle Times
Seattle school closures: Why almost every student would be affected - Seattle Times
More school resource officers coming to Renton - Kent Reporter

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It's time to do a vibe check on the state of remote work Aug 28, 2024

Show notes

Earlier this month, City of Seattle workers were told most of them will have to return to the office at least 3 days a week starting this fall. Meanwhile… a certain large tech and online retail company (named after a river in South America) has reportedly started a mulling the minimum number of hours employees must stay on site to count towards its three day in-office mandate.
These changes had us wondering – is remote work gradually eroding in the Puget Sound region?
One study looking at 2022 Census data found that a quarter of workers in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metro area worked at least part of the week remotely, away from the office.

But the past year has brought a lot of changes to employer policies around where employees have to put in their hours – and for policymakers, that’s coinciding with concern about the lasting effects of remote work on Seattle’s struggling downtown core.

For a vibe check on remote work and what the numbers tell us about its effects on Seattle, Soundside host Libby Denkmann caught up with Tracy Hadden Loh, fellow at the Brookings Institute, and Joshua McNichols, growth and development reporter for KUOW and co-host of the "Booming" podcast.

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundsideis a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

Guests:

Tracy Hadden Loh, fellow at the Brookings Institute in Washington, D.C.
Joshua McNichols, growth and development reporter for KUOW and co-host of the "Booming" podcast.

Related Links:

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.