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Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
UW Tacoma faculty director charged in domestic abuse, DUI case
This story was originally posted on A University of Washington (UW) Tacoma director has been charged with several crimes regarding alleged domestic abuse. Kurt Dayan Hatch, 55, allegedly threatened to kill his girlfriend and drove under the influence, The News Tribune reported Thursday. Hatch is the faculty director of the Educational Administration Program and Professor of Practice, as stated on the UW Tacoma's website. He was charged with two counts of a protection-order violation, felony harassment, fourth-degree assault, and DUI, according to the media outlet, citing court records. Hatch was arrested on May 12 in Suncadia. Deputies were sent to the Prospector Inn after a woman called 911, yelling, 'Quit hurting me,' The Tacoma News Tribune stated. When deputies arrived, the woman told them everything was fine and she was looking for her dog, however, Cle Elum officers learned the woman had a protection order against Hatch. Hatch, according to the media outlet, is also accused of assaulting his girlfriend in November 2024, allegedly throwing her phone out a window when she tried to call 911. The Tacoma News Tribune stated Hatch was booked into the Kittitas County Jail. He was arraigned and released on $50,000 bail. UW Tacoma sent the media outlet a statement, linking mental health services and information for the Title IX coordinator's office, along with the Washington Employee Assistance Program's website and SafeCampus.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
King County Court backs Burien's sweeping camping ban as constitutional
This story was originally posted on Burien's camping ban, one of the strictest in the state, will not be struck down by the King County Superior Court as the ban does not violate the state constitution. The City of Burien prohibits sleeping outside within city limits. Initially, this ruling applied only between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. and was punishable only if there was available room at shelters. But after a 5-2 vote in late January, Burien's city council ruled that sleeping outside is prohibited at all times. The decision shortly followed the Supreme Court's ruling in Grants Pass v. Johnson, a case that ultimately led to the decision on whether cities can prohibit sleeping in public spaces. The Supreme Court ruled that cities can, stating that it does not violate the Eighth Amendment's protection against cruel and unusual punishment. At least seven other jurisdictions in Washington created or expanded camping bans in the last year, according to The Seattle Times, including Auburn, Bremerton, Chelan County, Lakewood, Washougal, Wenatchee, and Spokane Valley. Approximately 140 cities have enacted similar regulations nationwide. 'The City of Burien agrees with the Court that much work remains to be done to address the crisis of homelessness and looks forward to returning its full attention back to these immediate challenges facing Burien,' the City of Burien stated in a prepared statement. 'City staff, along with the Burien City Council, have responsibly used all tools available to help the most vulnerable in our community.' Among the city's goals is to expand the co-response program partnership with the King County Sheriff's Office and to establish a dedicated contract with a service provider to make more space available within emergency overnight shelters. The City of Burien wants $1 million from King County to support the work performed by Mary's Place and Mercy Housing, which provides shelter for homeless individuals. The city also wants to update its housing and zoning regulations to ensure that STEP (emergency shelters, transitional housing, emergency housing, and permanent supportive housing) housing is available throughout Burien. The Seattle/King County Coalition on Homelessness revealed it is 'disappointed—but not deterred—by the court's decision. 'We took up this case to affirm that all people should enjoy protection from injustice and cruelty under our state Constitution,' Alison Eisinger, the executive director for Seattle/King County Coalition on Homelessness, said. 'Threatening people with arrest, fines, or jail time for sleeping in public or otherwise trying to survive is cruel, unjust, and unreasonable. I am profoundly troubled that the court seems to interpret our state Constitution as unable to offer protections to people who are too poor to have a place to live.'
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
AI is taking a bite out of crime on Eastside construction project
This story was originally published on Artificial intelligence (AI) is everywhere these days; it's even being used to provide security on one of the biggest job sites in Western Washington. So, how is 'Big Brother' being used to combat theft, vandalism, and damage in construction zones? Boots on the ground weren't cutting it anymore for global construction and development firm Skanska, especially when it had a seven-mile-long construction zone at I-405 and State Route 522 (SR 522) in Bothell/Woodinville. Skanska's project superintendent, Scott Turner, told me that a traditional security guard for a project this big didn't make sense. 'We have found that that is not very helpful these days,' he said. 'Usually our security guard is asleep, or doesn't show up, or isn't actually monitoring the site, as they're being paid to do.' Construction sites and companies have become prime targets for thieves and vandals. They can slip into job sites unnoticed and make off with just about anything. 'We've had trucks show up missing,' Turner said. 'They will also break into our conex boxes and steal whatever tools they can carry.' Wiring. Supplies. Vandalism. Turner said the company has looked for other ways to monitor their site and deter crime. That's when he found Sam Joseph, the co-founder and CEO of Hakimo, a remote security firm in Silicon Valley, who uses AI to augment or replace traditional guards. Hakimo sets up the cameras, and AI watches for anomalies. 'Cameras are like eyes, and then AI is like a brain for those eyes,' Joseph said. 'AI now enables cameras to understand what's happening in front of them.' Hakimo's cameras can detect someone in the yard or climbing a fence, and the AI will respond. It can give a recorded voice to that intruder to scare them away. It can send an alert to the company or a monitoring facility for more action. 'The AI detects that and then escalates it to a real human operator, who can then call Scott or someone on site, or if it's something really serious, call law enforcement directly,' Joseph said. AI can be faster and more efficient than security guards. 'That's why we call our offering remote guarding,' Joseph said. 'It's providing what a guard can provide, but remotely at a fraction of the cost.' For Turner and Skanska, the 15-camera system being used at this eastside project is working so far. 'It has seemed to work,' he said. 'We haven't caught anybody because I don't think there's been anybody to catch. The cameras themselves are quite a good deterrent.' Just a reminder of what Skanska and the Washington Department of Transportation (WSDOT) are doing at this location, it is widening the freeway to add a second express toll lane from where it ends at SR 522 to Canyon Park at State Route 527 (SR 527). There are new ramps and new access to support bus rapid transit. The project is scheduled for completion in 2028. Chris Sullivan is a traffic reporter for KIRO Newsradio. Read more of his stories here. Follow KIRO Newsradio traffic on X.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Washington, Idaho students make it to second round of 100th annual National Spelling Bee
This story was originally published on The results are in from the first preliminary round of the 100th annual Scripps National Spelling Bee, and two Pacific Northwest contestants remain. Navtaj Singh of Pullman, Washington, sponsored by the Lewiston Tribune, moved on to the second round of preliminary action with a correct spelling of 'nouveau.' Andrew Ford from Sandpoint, Idaho, sponsored by the Idaho Character Foundation, will remain in the contest with a correct spelling of 'svarabhakti' in the first round. Gabriel Aguirre from Spokane Valley, also sponsored by the Idaho Character Foundation, has been eliminated from the first round by a misspelling of 'ape-ape,' with his attempt being: 'apiapi.' Aguirre, an 11-year-old from Spokane Valley, finished as the runner-up in the Inland Northwest Spelling Bee, losing to 14-year-old Ford. Both participants were home-schooled. In the 12th round of the qualifying contest held at North Idaho College, Ford won first place. Ford won the competition with his correct spelling of 'theosophy,' and Aguirre lost for his incorrect spelling of the word 'sobersides' in the final round, according to The Coeur d'Alene Press. Singh, 14, is competing for the fourth consecutive year and aiming to surpass his personal best, having finished 12th in 2023. The list of words and resultsfor the second preliminary round is out now. Ford will receive the word 'trespass' in his second round, and Singh will receive 'vehemence.' The quarterfinals are set to take place on May 28 from 8 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. ET, and the semifinals will begin later that day from 8 to 10 p.m. ET. The finals will begin on Thursday, May 29, from 8 to 10 p.m. ET.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Puyallup fails to report $2.1M in federal COVID grants, admits mistake
This story was originally published on According to an audit, the City of Puyallup failed to report $2.1 million in federal COVID-19 relief grants it received in 2023. The city also, according to the audit, did not ensure that the ending cash balance reported on its bank statements was accurate. The audit concluded the city had 'significant deficiencies' in its financial reporting. The city also recently installed new finance software, which has reportedly confused the finance department about the process for properly reporting the funds. Wendy Choy, assistant director with the auditor's office, said that the office conducts an annual audit for the City of Puyallup, and this report reviewed the city's financial records from Jan. 1, 2023, to Dec. 31, 2023, according to The News Tribune. Choy told the outlet that it 'was still tracking the $2.1 million they received in COVID-19 funds, but neglected to include it in the report.' Steve Kirkelie, the City of Puyallup's city manager, told The News Tribune that it's looking at the report as a learning opportunity. 'We completely recognize that the auditor serves a very important function in this state and to our city,' Kirkelie said. 'We take it very seriously, and we're working with the auditor.' The city's financial analyst resigned in April 2024, and the finance manager retired in September 2024, according to The News Tribune. By the time the city began preparing its financial statements for the audit, the city had two new staff members leading the process. Kirkelie said the city noticed the mistake, but by the time they discovered it, it was too late to submit the correct information into the audit. Eric Johnson, the city's spokesperson, said that the city hired one more person to its finance department after the audit, bringing the department's total staff members to three, according to The News Tribune. In the report, the auditor recommended that the city revamp its procedures to ensure its financial reporting is accurate moving forward. Kirkelie and Johnson told The News Tribune, the city has planned to fix the internal process that would allow multiple people to look at each report before the city submits it to the auditor's office, increase training for new staff members, and provide a refresher class for current members on federal contracting and federal expenditures. The next annual review of the city is scheduled for October. Follow Jason Sutichon on X. Send news tips here
