Latest news with #KIRONewsradio
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Service dog ‘life changing' for Sequim military veteran
This story was originally posted on For some military veterans, the wounds of war are invisible, but ever present. 'I have PTSD,' Mike Abkem told KIRO Newsradio. It's a condition Abkem said he developed during two tours in Iraq. He said he first noticed the symptoms when he became fearful of going into crowds. 'I used to not even go out,' he shared. 'Like if my wife wanted to go shopping, I'd just stay at home, or if (my family) wanted to go to the fair or any type of activity like that, I would just stay at home because of the crowds.' Abkem and his wife have seven children, five of whom still live at home with them in Sequim. He said PTSD not only affected him, but also his entire family. Then, he found Scotty. 'Scotty? He's special,' Abkem said, beaming. Scotty is a pure-bred English lab and service animal he was connected with through K9s for Warriors. 'Our program is provided at no cost to the veterans because we are a nonprofit and because of generous donors we have in our program,' spokeswoman Carly Kramer explained. She said K9s for Warriors is the United States' largest provider of trained service dogs for veterans with PTSD, traumatic brain injury, and military sexual trauma—in short, the hidden wounds of war. Kramer said the program goes beyond matching a veteran with a dog. 'Every veteran goes through a three-week training program with their service dog that has already been trained for six to eight months, and that three-week training period is for the veteran to really find that irreplaceable bond with a service dog,' she shared. After training, she said, 'We send them home and keep up with their journey. Whether they've been in our program five months ago or five years ago, we're still keeping up with their journeys.' For Abkem, those journeys now include what once seemed impossible. 'Going through crowds and stuff,' he said, noting the fear eases with his service dog beside him. And Abkem said Scotty can sense when he's in trouble. 'If I have an anxiety attack, I could have him lay down on my lap, putting pressure on my legs to relieve some of the anxiety and give me something to concentrate on as he's trying to help me relax my body and center myself on him,' he explained. Abkem said service animals can truly be life-changing for veterans and their families. 'He is my best friend, that's not human,' he shared.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Getting in the water this holiday weekend? Put that life jacket on
This story was originally posted on The holiday weekend is almost here, and it will be warm. Are you heading out on the water? Put on your life jacket! Washington has seen 23 boating deaths in the past two years. Officials said 61% of those involved paddle sports, like kayaking or canoeing. 'Eighty-six percent of those fatalities were not wearing life jackets,' Rob Sendak, the state's boating law administrator, said. Today is the last day ofNational Safe Boating Week. Sendak recommends that anyone who gets in the water wear a life jacket. 'It's our mission to save lives,' Sendak said. U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Tom Bower told KIRO Newsradio that when someone gets in trouble, time is of the essence. 'That's the hardest thing for any—I think any law enforcement agency or search and rescue agency would say the same thing—because of the cold water that we have here,' Bower said. Puget Sound is only in the lower 50s right now. Sendak urges everyone to wear a life jacket, no matter how calm the water looks. Officials said paddlers are especially at risk in spring and early summer.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
WA delays electric ferry plan, 3 diesel boats to return
This story was originally published on Washington State Ferries (WSF) is expanding its fleet next month, adding vessels to several key routes ahead of what's expected to be a busy summer season on Puget Sound. 'Governor Ferguson delayed the hybrid electrification for two of the state's largest ferries back in March, which set the table to bring back some vessels three years earlier than planned,' KIRO Newsradio's Nate Connors told 'Seattle's Morning News' on KIRO Newsradio. The additions will bring WSF's total operating vessels to 18, restoring nearly full domestic service, three years earlier than originally projected. Seattle-Bremerton Route: Returns to two-boat service on Sunday, June 15. Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth 'Triangle' Route: Will resume a three-boat schedule beginning Monday, June 30. Port Townsend-Coupeville Route: Gains a second ferry every weekend from Friday, July 4, through Monday, October 13, running Friday through Monday. 'Following the World Cup, the state is still committed to building electric ferries, with the first one in service by 2029,' Nate Connors said. 'Adding three vessels puts the fleet at 18 running full time, with 21 total ready to go.'
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Seattle tourism bounces back as city gears up for World Cup
This story was originally posted on More and more people are visiting Seattle and King County. According to recent data from Visit Seattle, 40 million visitors came through last year—a 5.3% increase from 2023 and almost as many as 2019. Tammy Canavan, President and CEO of Visit Seattle, told KIRO Newsradio the uptick is promising. 'Life is changing sort of minute by minute,' she said. 'So I think we're really encouraged by seeing continuous growth in most markets, and this will be an interesting year to watch.' However, Canavan noted federal policies are impacting the market. 'We have seen a decline in international visitation to the United States in the first quarter of this year, and we saw flights into Seattle from Canada actually increased from last year, where cross-border traffic has been down,' she said. 'It's complicated and we will continue to keep our finger on the pulse and make sure that we are being nimble enough to invest where we're gonna be able to create the best return for our community.' Seattle is expecting 750,000 visitors in 2026 for the FIFA World Cup. 'We are very excited for the World Cup and that really affords us such an enormous opportunity to use that—not just for the moment of the six matches that we get to host and all of the people that will come here—but really taking advantage that the eyes of the world are on Seattle and King County and being able to use that as a baseline for further awareness and being able to tell our story in a different way that we wouldn't otherwise have,' she shared. Tourism in Seattle and King County generated $12.3 billion in 2024, a 7.8% increase from 2023.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Seattle's $300M Amtrak expansion to bring modern trains, transportation by 2027
This story was originally published on Amtrak ridership is now well above pre-pandemic levels between Portland and British Columbia, and it's only expected to grow as new trains debut in Seattle next year. Only the horn of a passing train was capable of drowning out the sound of pile-driving at the new maintenance facility under construction, just south of Holgate in SODO. This $300 million expansion project is needed so Amtrak can upgrade its trains and streamline maintenance. Amtrak President Roger Harris visited the site on Friday for the first time. 'It's really impressive, not only how much work has been done this quickly, but how large the facility is going to be,' he said in the shadow of massive piles being driven into the ground. Because of the soft and wet soil, workers are de-watering 500,000 gallons from the site a day so they can install 140-foot-long pilings into the ground. When finished, the new 600-foot-long building will be able to accommodate Amtrak's new Airo trains, which will debut in Seattle next year. The amenities and frequency of the new Amtrak trains 'It has 5G Wi-Fi,' Harris said. 'It has a modern food service car, modern seating, lighting, etc, so the entire customer experience is far more contemporary.' The new building is designed for these new trains and will make the maintenance process much more efficient. 'The trains will come in every day or so. They get a certain level of maintenance that's planned in advance,' Harris said. 'You don't have to separate the train, move it to a different building, put it back together, etc. So it's a much more careful car graph maintenance program, I would say.' It will also keep the trains and the workers out of the rain. 'In the climate here in the Pacific Northwest, being able to put all the maintenance under cover 24/7 and have an air-conditioned work environment. It is also a substantially better work environment that improves worker productivity,' Harris said. The new 100,000 square foot maintenance building is expected to open in 2027. It will be the first new maintenance yard to open out of the six Amtrak is building around the country. Nearly one million people rode the Amtrak Cascades line last year. That's a 41% increase over ridership in 2023, and has surpassed pre-pandemic ridership numbers in 2019. Chris Sullivan is a traffic reporter for KIRO Newsradio. Read more of his stories here. Follow KIRO Newsradio traffic on X.
