Areas of King County with more paved landscapes and less tree canopy are feeling the heat more intensely than less urbanized areas, according to a new study from King County and the city of Seattle.
More urbanized areas were as much as 20 degrees hotter due to an abundance of hard surfaces like parking lots, rooftops and streets which absorb heat, according to the study. Many of the areas disproportionately impacted by heat in King County are the same areas that have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.
Areas near Auburn, Kent, Renton, Redmond and south Seattle reach higher temperatures and hold on to heat longer throughout the day than other areas of King County, according to heat maps made during the study. Read more
Some grocery store workers in Snohomish County will soon see more money in their pockets after the County Council passed a $4 per hour hazard pay proposal during a public hearing Wednesday.
The heavily contested ordinance among council members passed 3-2, with multiple amendments being considered just before the final vote.
Councilmembers Nate Nehring and Sam Low were the two that voted against the ordinance. The ordinance mandates that the grocery companies front the additional pay for employees. Read more
Temperatures in western Washington will be flirting with the triple digits in the coming days. It's a heatwave that has many searching for relief before the peak of the summer heat hits, and for Maria Takai of Renton, that means a new A/C unit.
“I’m thinking about it. I’m just standing here. I was looking at that fan. And they’re running out,” Takai said. “I should probably grab one."
Air conditioners, fans and bottled water were all going fast Wednesday inside the McLendon hardware store in Renton. Read more
A memorial for an off-duty Seattle police officer who was killed while helping with a crash on I-5 has been scheduled for Thursday, July 1 at 1 p.m., according to the Seattle Police Department (SPD).
Officer Alexandra "Lexi" Harris was killed on Sunday, June 13, after she was struck helping with a crash on I-5.
The ceremony will be held at T-Mobile Park and is open to the public. SPD said it will release more details about the service in the coming days. Read more
A new study is showing an unexpected side-effect of the pandemic.
New apartments seem to be growing in square footage in the U.S., and Everett is leading the pack.
This study done by Rent Café and Yardi Matrix, a market intelligence company, shows these new apartments are “one home office” bigger on average than the ones built in previous years. Read more
Also see: Seattle local forecast
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