🐋 K Pod spotted with new orca calf

• 26 Rivers Across WA at Risk of Flooding: Rising rivers could spill over levees. The dam in Grays Harbor is “showing signs of distress.” In Concrete, on Thursday morning, the river was 14 feet above what’s considered flooding in the area. [Seattle Times]
• 100,000 People Under Evacuation Orders: Numerous communities in Skagit County on the 100-year flood plain were told to “GO NOW” under a level three evacuation order on Wednesday. KUOW has live updates here.
• 📋 Information on shelters and resources for Skagit County can be found here.
• ⚠️ Evacuation orders have also been given in parts of Snohomish County, Sumas in Whatcom County, and others.
• Major Routes and Local Road Closures: Water on the road, mudslides and debris have caused many major routes to close. On Thursday, this included portions of I-90, Highways 2, 18, 20, and Blewett Pass. Updates on King County closures can be found here. [Seattle Times]
• Livestock Sheltered at Evergreen State Fairgrounds: The grounds say they have space for 400 animals and room to house 100 people. West of Mount Vernon, Julie Jones and her 68 miniature donkeys were weighing their options.
• Seattle Is Out of the Flood Zone: But for other parts of Western WA, there are steps you can take to keep yourself safe. The county has free sandbags at these locations. The Seattle Times has a list of shelters and links to sign up for emergency alerts here.

Mayor-Elect Wilson to Keep Seattle Police Chief 👮🏾‍♂️

Seattle Mayor-Elect Katie Wilson announced Wednesday that she plans to retain Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes, along with Fire Chief Harold Scoggins, CARE Department Chief Amy Barden, and Office of Emergency Management director Curry Mayer. According to PubliCola, Wilson was on the fence about whether to keep Barnes or find a new chief as recently as last week. We break down Chief Barnes’ record so far on today’s podcast episode. [PubliCola]

As City Council Approves Police Contract, Seattle Mourns Othello Killing 💐

Yesterday, on the podcast, we covered the approval of the SPOG contract and what it could mean for police accountability. Concerns about accountability were echoed by community members in the lead-up to the vote. Several spoke about violent encounters with SPD officers, including the killing of 29-year-old Christian Hadley Nelson in Othello on Dec. 2 and the fatal shooting of a 46-year-old Jack Paleli in SoDo in October. One Othello resident said, "It's just insane that we want to give the police more money so they can do more things like this. It breaks my heart." [South Seattle Emerald]

K Pod Has A New Orca Calf 🐳

This is the first new calf for the Southern Resident Killer Whales since 2022. The Orca Conservancy said the new calf appeared “robust and energetic” and was “zipping around the large group of Ks.” [KING 5]

Wild Waves Theme Park Announces 2026 Will Be Final Season 🏄

The park has been part of PNW life since 1977. It will open as planned on May 23, 2026, and close to the public on Nov. 1. The park employs approximately 35 full-time and 800 seasonal team members, according to Wild Waves. Do you have a Wild Waves story to share? Reply to this email! [KOMO]

Sound Transit Considering Fare Gate Pilot 🎫

Sound Transit will conduct a “fare gate retrofit implementation study” next year. If the study finds that fare gates could be worthwhile, the Board expects staff to be ready to begin implementing a pilot program by late 2026. [Seattle Transit Blog]