Latest news with #NewsTribune
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
7 Injured in Mass Shooting at Washington Park Gathering
On May 28, a shooting occurred near Tacoma, Washington, injuring seven people Five victims were taken to the hospital by emergency responders, while three others went on their own Police are still investigating the incident, unsure of the number of shooters or whether the victims were the intended targetsSeven people were shot and injured in a mass shooting near Tacoma, Washington Wednesday evening. Lakewood police said there was a gathering of more than 100 people when some kind of dispute broke out between two groups on May 28, which led to the gunfire erupting, police sergeant Charles Porche told the AP. 'Officers arriving at the park found a large crowd that had gathered due to the nice warm weather. The scene was quite hectic as a large number of these people were attempting to flee the park after hearing the shots,' Porche told the News Tribune. West Pierce Fire & Rescue provided medical care to five of the victims, Porche said, per the outlet. Those five were taken to a local hospital, while three others went to the hospital on their own. 'Unfortunately, there were unintended/uninvolved victims struck during this careless act of violence,' Porche said in a news release, per the AP. 'Detectives will continue to sort through the information gathered to hold those involved accountable for their actions.' Police said the victims ranged from a 16-year-old girl, who was in stable condition, to a 38-year-old man who was in critical condition, the outlet reported. Three others were in serious condition. 'We've had these couple of days here where the sun finally came out and it's been a gorgeous time for people to get out and enjoy the park, the lake and then you have something like this that happens,' Porche said. 'It is one of the great tragedies, right? You don't want anybody to get shot and then you end up with seven different victims that happen out of this act of violence.'Investigators told the News Tribune that they don't yet know how many shooters were involved or if the victims were intended targets. No arrests have been made, and the shooting remains under investigation. The shooting comes just days after a separate mass shooting in Philadelphia on Memorial Day, which left two people dead, and nine others injured. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Local legend in the Northwest blues scene, ‘Little Bill' Engelhart, dies at 86
Bill Engelhart, a leader and star of the Northwest blues scene, started his music career as part of a teenage band in Tacoma with an unlikely sound. As teenagers, Engelhart and his friends attended performances and met musicians in the area as they hoped to break into the music scene, said Peter Blecha, a historian familiar with Engelhart after interviewing him over many years. He was a natural charmer, Blecha added, and at one show, a young Engelhart was invited onstage to play with B.B. King and his band. 'B.B. King was so enchanted by Little Bill,' he said. 'And so this is where they really got inspired to play rhythm and blues music, and they started calling themselves, not a rock band, but they were a rhythm and blues band, and it was fairly unusual for teenage white guys in the '50s.' Engelhart, better known as 'Little Bill' from the band Little Bill and the Bluenotes, passed away at a hospital near his family home in Mountlake Terrace on May 16. He was 86 years old. He is survived by his wife Janis; his two children, Anthony and Lisa; his four granddaughters Amanda, Makayla, Camille and Mariah; and his sister Patty Erwin. Engelhart was a 'king of the scene' of Washington state's rhythm and blues music, Blecha told the News Tribune, adding that he was a guitarist, vocalist, and bassist throughout his career. Engelhart was born on March 17, 1939, in Brainerd, Minnesota. The Engelhart family moved away from Minnesota around the time Bill was six years old. They first moved to Montana and later settled in Tacoma, his wife Jan Engelhart told the News Tribune. Bill Engelhart first picked up a guitar around that age upon hearing his uncle play, and by age seven, he was taking guitar lessons at the Honolulu Conservatory of Music in Tacoma, Blecha said. His father moved the family to Chelan, where he hoped to open a barbershop — it was there that Engelhart contracted polio around the age of ten, Jan Engelhart said. In the midst of the polio epidemic, before a vaccine had been developed, the family rushed Engelhart to the hospital, where he was put into an iron lung and eventually recovered enough to move to a wheelchair. Later he used a leg brace and cane. He was affected by his bout of polio for the rest of his life. He used mobility devices and eventually returned to a wheelchair as he reached his older years. Engelhart got his start on the Tacoma music scene as a founding member of the Bluenotes, a 1950s rock band that first played at local dances, Blecha said. The name came from an older group who played occasionally at a local veterans hall in Tacoma — Engelhart had met the band members at a local vocational school and played with them for a while prior to forming his own band, Blecha told the News Tribune. His musical talent was largely self-taught, Jan Engelhart said. Although he loved music since he was a child, the Bluenotes were only formed after Engelhart and his friends watched the movie 'Rock Around the Clock' starring the rock and roll group Bill Haley & His Comets in 1956; as they left the theater in downtown Tacoma, the friends decided then and there to start their own group, Blecha said. 'The Bluenotes started with sort of a DIY ethos because that was the answer back then; there weren't band managers, there were very few record labels, there were very few recording studios, and nobody was hiring teenage bands,' Blecha said. '.... So they sort of did what they needed to do, and they had posters designed and printed, and they ran around town like bands have done ever since then, stapling to telephone poles, and they would rent a hall.' The Bluenotes became popular locally, and in the spring of 1959, they recorded some songs at Joe Boles' Custom Recorders in West Seattle and were soon signed to Dolton Records, according to a HistoryLink article authored by Blecha. The standout song was Engelhart's 'I Love An Angel,' which he wrote and performed. Dolton Records decided to rename the band 'Little Bill and the Bluenotes' and released 'I Love An Angel,' which entered the national Hot-100 list by June 1959, according to HistoryLink. Soon, Little Bill and the Bluenotes were playing all around Washington and in neighboring states, Jan Engelhart told The News Tribune. That 1959 record stood out because it captured the 'original Northwest sound' that was pioneered in Tacoma, which featured a focus on saxophones and piano with a minimal guitar component, Blecha added. 'What was great about Little Bill's single, 'I Love An Angel,' is they hit three (saxophones), so it's got this rich saxophone choir for the middle section,' he said. '... It's just outstanding, but that also helped influence subsequent bands that came up in the wake of the Bluenotes, because everybody wanted two saxophones.' Blecha said the record label began to change the band's dynamic as they sent Engelhart on tours without the rest of the band, and by 1960, Little Bill and the Bluenotes had split, with Engelhart joining an Auburn-based band called the Adventurers, Blecha said. In 1961, the Adventurers were the first teenage band to release a version of the popular song 'Louie Louie,' he added, but a rival band called the Wailers rush-released their own and overtook Engelhart's version to become a regional hit. Engelhart left the Adventurers by 1961 and eventually formed a new trio called Little Bill and the Bluenotes in 1963, which recorded Engelhart's first album 'The Fiesta Club Presents' in 1964. He was traveling often for performances during the earlier years of the new Bluenotes, Jan Engelhart said. During one trip to Oregon, she took a bus to join him and they were married by a justice of the peace in Coos Bay on Jan. 16, 1963, when she was 19 years old and Bill was 23. Jan Engelhart said they first met through mutual friends in 1962. After their third time meeting, Bill Engelhart began asking her out to the Evergreen Ballroom just outside Olympia, where his band was playing Saturday nights. 'He said to me, 'I'll tell you what. You tell me when you've got a night free and you can go,' Engelhart said. '.... So we did, and it was that very night that Bill told me, he turned to me as we were sitting in the car, and he — first date — and he said, 'I love you.' And I went, 'Oh, wow, okay!' and that, that was it.' Their first child was born in 1963, and their second followed soon after, she said. She added she was attracted to Engelhart's determination to not let his disability stop him from pursuing his dreams as a musician and his dedication to their understanding of each other. He was a loving husband, a great father, and an uplifting presence, she said. She said she admired Engelhart's courage deeply, adding that it helped support their family when their son developed dystonia at the age of 14. The children looked up to their father and emulated his persistence, she said. Bill Engelhart also liked to make jokes, and would annually write a letter telling outlandish, fictional stories of his year to an aunt in Puyallup, which she would then read out loud to the family on Christmas Eve, Jan Engelhart said. 'He was a joy to all of us and he made us laugh. He said to me one time, you know, he said, 'You keep me around just because I can make you laugh.' And I said, 'Oh yeah, that's part of it, for sure,'' she said. In 1969, Bill Engelhart wanted to go to California, so the family packed up and spent three years in Anaheim, where he also earned his GED, Jan Engelhart said. There, he enjoyed playing with country music bands, Blecha added, but he soon moved back to Washington, where he spent some time in retail selling instruments in a music shop in Seattle's University District and returned to playing shows as part of Little Bill and the Bluenotes. Engelhart was a 'very soulful performer' and was popular in the Washington scene, recalled his friend and guitarist Billy Stapleton, who played with Engelhart for more than 25 years in the later decades of the Bluenotes. In those last few decades, Engelhart was a bassist, Blecha added. 'Bill was just playing everywhere, so he was kind of a local legend,' Stapleton said. 'Nobody ever booked as many gigs in a year as Bill, I mean, he would routinely book 135, 155 days a year.' Engelhart's arrangements were complex and he had an amazing memory for music and lyrics, Stapleton said, adding that he was impressed upon first seeing him play. Engelhart was known as a strict band leader who expected his musicians to be prepared and professional. Stapleton said Engelhart was a mentor who he looked up to, adding that Engelhart taught him music theory and its applications, which massively changed his guitar playing. 'I thought I was a blues guy, but playing with Little Bill was the master class in rhythm and blues,' he said. 'I was dying to join the Bluenotes,' Stapleton said. 'He was funny, he said he gave me the short list, the short list of songs to learn, and that turned out to be 125 songs — he had something like 300 or more songs in his repertoire.' Little Bill and the Bluenotes played at Fat Tuesday celebrations during the 1990s and 2000s in Pioneer Square in Seattle, Stapleton recalled, and while the college students packed into the area would be initially skeptical of Engelhart and his wheelchair, he said they were always impressed by the end of the show. His shows were known for being lively and exciting, Stapleton added, noting that Engelhart knew how to connect with an audience and often played nonstop. 'Playing music with him is something I'll miss forever,' he said. The band remained a fixture on the blues scene in Washington and Engelhart continued to play shows and festivals until 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic struck, Jan Engelhart said. He was diagnosed with dementia in 2018 but continued to perform until he could no longer remember the changes to the songs he was playing, she added. 'I was always so proud of him because he made his own decisions about his life. Nobody had to wrestle the keys away from him,' she said. 'Nobody had to say, 'Bill, we just can't play music with you anymore,' — he wanted to quit while he was ahead, and I told him, I said, 'I think that was a very courageous thing to do.'' He picked up painting abstract art in his later years, much of which he sold or gifted to friends and family, Jan Engelhart said, adding that some paintings continue to decorate her house. Engelhart was also an incredible, non-stop storyteller, Stapleton said, adding that he was willing to talk to, teach and welcome anybody. Engelhart released two memoirs, one titled 'Next Stop, Bakersfield' in 1999, and the other titled 'So Anyway …' in 2005. His legacy will live on from the key role he had in the local music community, Blecha added. 'The blues scene wouldn't have been what it became without him, and the energy and talent that he brought,' Blecha said. 'So he is missed, and I think will be missed as the days go on.' Since his passing, fellow musicians have begun to pay tribute to Engelhart with performances and songs dedicated to him and posts on Facebook, Jan Engelhart said. There will be a memorial for Bill Engelhart in the early afternoon of July 13 at the Spanish Ballroom at the Tacoma's McMenamins Elks Temple. Jan Engelhart said the exact schedule will be released soon, and that she welcomes all family, friends and fans of 'Little Bill' to join them in honoring him.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump's refugee policy is animated by white supremacy
I was a Peace Corps volunteer in South Africa from 2015 to 2017. The village where I served had been one of the 'Tribal Homelands' where black people had been forced by the apartheid government to reside after being taken from the areas where they had been living for generations. There is still no running water, no indoor plumbing and very limited electricity. The soil is of very limited fertility; there is widespread unemployment and childhood malnutrition. It is an outrage that, while many brave people who worked alongside our military in Iraq and Afghanistan are still waiting in refugee camps, President Trump is allowing white South Africans to enter the USA immediately as an 'oppressed minority.' White South Africans are not economically depressed nor in any immediate danger. They live in modern cities and towns with shopping malls and all the same basic services we have in the USA. This action is a slap in the face to all the people who fled for their lives from authoritarian countries and are now patiently abiding by the rules while awaiting judgment on their applications. Jonathan R.C. Green, Fife Dear News Tribune staff, I wanted to thank you for announcing the May Day march on the first page before it happened. One, so that those unaware of the event could participate, and two, because in these fraught times with the media under pressure to capitulate to an overreaching federal government and many of our rights being trampled, it is vital that our media stand up and help us keep those in power aware of our opinions. Patricia Flynn, Tacoma Step into classrooms across the country, and you're likely to hear the question: 'When am I ever going to use this?' Career and Technical Education (CTE) encourages a mindset shift, prompting students to ask: 'How can I apply this in the real world?' Once seen as a path for only 'other' students, CTE is now recognized as a valuable option for all learners, preparing them for the demands of today's workforce. In fields like business, healthcare, IT and engineering, students gain hands-on experience through project-based learning that builds the Four C's: communication, collaboration, creativity and critical thinking. Graduates earn more than a diploma — they leave with industry certifications, portfolios and sometimes college credits, equipped for life beyond high school. Policy support is vital, especially in online learning, where CTE removes geographic and economic barriers. Carter, a Washington Virtual Academies student and professional disc golf athlete, is graduating in June 2025 with a full-ride college scholarship — proof that CTE turns passion into opportunity and success. Felicia Kern, Puyallup I wrote this letter to my neighbor who is flying an American flag with Trump on it: 'I am not the kind of neighbor who likes to pick fights with those who live around me, I am merely telling you what I think, citizen to citizen. I want to tell you how I feel about your American flag, the one that has Donald Trump superimposed over it. What that flag says to me is, 'Trump is America, America is Trump.' If you are tempted to say, 'heck yes,' please consider this… At the infamous 1933 Nuremberg Nazi rally in Germany, one of Adolf Hitler's henchmen stated 'Hitler is Germany, Germany is Hitler!' The issue that I have with your flag is that the flag of the United States is supposed to represent ALL of us, you, me, and yes, even Trump, but not ONLY Trump. If you really truly are a patriot, who believes in what this country is supposed to stand for: a country of the people, by the people, for the people, then you will take down that flag and replace it with a standard stars & stripes, which represents us all.' Michael Buse, Gig Harbor
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Are tariffs threatening Fourth of July fireworks this year in Pierce County?
Tariffs have gone into effect, raising prices on many different products — including an import popular for Independence Day. This year, Steilacoom's annual Four on the Fourth celebration will include a show the same as last year's, with the same pricetag, Steilacoom Citizens' Fireworks Committee chair Andy Phillips told the News Tribune, adding that both cost $47,300 each in a deal negotiated with Western Display Fireworks. Western Display Fireworks co-president Brent Pavlicek told the News Tribune on the phone Wednesday that the fireworks industry has been deeply concerned about the current administration's tariffs, especially because the vast majority of fireworks in the United States are imported from China, along with most fireworks used across the world. 99% of consumer fireworks and 75% of display fireworks in the United States originate from China, according to the American Pyrotechnics Association (APA). All of Western Display's fireworks are imported from abroad; very few manufacturers in the United States are equipped to produce fireworks and it is a seasonal industry mostly dependent on summer sales, so the supply available domestically is severely limited, he said. Currently, during the 90-day suspension of many tariffs between the U.S. and China — including a previous broad 145% tariff on many Chinese products — the tariff on consumer (1.4G) firework imports is set to 35.3%, and the tariff on display (1.3G) firework imports is set at 32.4%, according to the APA. As of May 21, the United States also has a base 30% tariff on most goods imported from China, according to the New York Times. The tariffs are difficult to manage, Pavlicek said, adding that if the current tariffs persist or increase, fireworks prices will have to increase substantially. The News Tribune inquired how much prices had already increased under the tariffs, but did not receive an estimate from Western Display Fireworks by the time of publication. As other costs continue to climb for the fireworks industry's insurance, labor and other logistics, prices have already had to increase, and that trend will be significantly exacerbated if tariffs remain in place, he said. 'A 32.4% tariff is detrimental to the fireworks industry,' Pavlicek said. '.... There are no suppliers in the U.S. or the world that can fulfill the demand — as an industry, we don't have other sources like other industries do, and other countries are not set up for the production.' Kyle Schmidtke, a spokesperson for Pierce County, told The News Tribune via email that Pierce County does not sponsor any public fireworks displays itself, but manages the permitting process for public and private displays in the area. He said so far, the county has received two public display permit applications for Fourth of July fireworks displays and expects to see more, adding that by May 22 of last year, the county had similarly received only three public display permit applications but eventually saw a final total of seven applications for 2024. Although there is no particular deadline, Pierce County recommends applicants submit their permit applications at least four weeks before an event to ensure they have time for processing, Schmidtke said. He added the county had also received 41 applications for fireworks sales through tents and stands this year, while last year they received only 37. 'Consumer fireworks (1.4g) may be used without a permit on July 4 and New Year's Eve, but a permit is required for use on any other date,' Schmidtke added in the email. 'Private displays outside those dates—typically weddings or other celebrations — are relatively limited; we usually receive five or fewer permit requests annually.' Steilacoom mayor Dick Muri told The News Tribune via phone Monday that the Steilacoom Citizens' Fireworks Committee, which puts together the city's annual display Four on the Fourth, had not seen an impact from the tariffs because their fireworks are usually bought far in advance. Phillips said Steilacoom's fireworks display was negotiated around five months ago, before the implementation of President Trump's new tariffs, adding that many other local fireworks shows likely followed a similar timeline. Many of the fireworks they purchase from Western Display Fireworks, however, are imported from China, which could affect their prices for next year's display, he added. In an April 3 letter posted to their website, the APA urged the Trump administration to lift the tariffs, citing the need for fireworks inventory for next year's 250th Independence Day anniversary, a lack of domestic alternatives for fireworks production, and severe budget impacts on local governments and communities that will cause event cancellations. 'Tariffs will not incentivize U.S. production — they will only increase costs. The reality is that there are no manufacturing alternatives available outside of China,' the APA wrote in the letter. '.... America's lack of key raw materials, high labor costs, and strict regulatory environment make fireworks production in the U.S. impossible.' It is unclear exactly how much prices might increase next year because of the uncertainty of what might occur after the 90-day suspension or at any time that tariffs might change, Pavlicek added. The APA noted in the letter that some nonprofit organizations such as churches, scout troops and veterans' groups rely on fireworks sales for fundraising which will also threaten their revenue sources if price increases continue and may cause those sales to stop. Pierce County's local Puyallup Tribe and Muckleshoot Indian Tribe also bring in revenue through seasonal fireworks sales. The News Tribune made contact with the Puyallup and Muckleshoot Tribes on Friday but did not receive a comment by the time of publication. Even if the tariff stays at 32.4%, fireworks prices will likely increase by more than a third of the current price to cover those costs, Pavlicek said. The city has seen increases in fireworks prices in the last few years, mostly attributed to inflation, Muri said. Phillips said around seven or eight years ago, the fireworks display used to cost around $32,000, and each year, there are negotiations with fireworks companies that continue to propose five — or sometimes ten — percent increases in the price. Funding for the show is made up of individual donations fundraised by the committee by door knocking, T-shirt sales and local business sponsorships, among other methods; the city does not pay for the show, Phillips added. Should the fireworks become more expensive in the coming years, the committee would plan to continue to fundraise and do its best to put on a quality show, he said. 'We do expect that probably next year we will be impacted by the tariffs if somehow or another they don't get dialed back,' Phillips said. '.... But the fact is, we were able to negotiate the same rate to get a comparable show to last year's, and that's encouraging.' The News Tribune previously reported that Tacoma recently announced plans to cut city funding for its own annual Fourth of July fireworks show, the Summer Blast event. The News Tribune reported that the city estimates it would save $180,000 in the 2025-26 biennial budget and hopes future fireworks costs will be covered by the event's presenter and community sponsors — city officials indicated they anticipated continuing the fireworks display, although should third-party funding not suffice, the display would need to be canceled. Tacoma Venues & Events spokesperson Hillary Brenner told The News Tribune via email that this year's Summer Blast event will include a fireworks show at a cost of $89,000, and added that the event organizers are 'currently in the process of securing sponsorship opportunities,' and 'in discussion with multiple companies.' Tacoma Venues & Events will support any fireworks expenses not covered by partners through revenue from the excise food tax and beverage items at the Tacoma Dome and Greater Tacoma convention center, Brenner said in an email. She directed The News Tribune to Parks Tacoma for further information about the firework show plans and fireworks provider Western Display Fireworks for tariff impacts. Parks Tacoma public information officer Stacia Glenn told The News Tribune via email that Parks Tacoma was not able to provide information in time for the publication of the article due to temporary staff absences. Western Display's work with upcoming Fourth of July fireworks shows in Pierce County should not be affected by the current tariffs or any changes because those contracts were negotiated months ago, prior to the tariffs' implementation, Pavlicek said — those shows will be ready to go. However, he cited the APA's letter in a follow-up email, which notes that most fireworks imports happen within the first five months of the year and the tariffs will have impacts on Independance Day celebrations as sales continue for this year and the next. 'Deals for next year will have to look different if tariffs stay the same or are raised.' Pavlicek said. 'There probably will be people who can't afford the same fireworks next year as in years past.'
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Yahoo
Visiting popular Mount Rainier entrance requires a reservation this summer
If you plan to drive to the Sunrise Corridor of Mount Rainier National Park this summer, you will have to jump through some hoops to get there. In an announcement on its Instagram page Thursday afternoon, the park said visitors wanting to access Sunrise during select hours will need to make a reservation online to get in. 'Mount Rainier National Park will pilot the second year of a timed entry reservation system in summer 2025 for most private vehicles accessing the Sunrise Corridor,' the post said. Between July 11 and Sept. 1, reservations are required for those who wish to enter Sunrise between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. every day. Between Sept. 2 and the end of the season, reservations are required between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekends and holidays. 'The system is intended to reduce wait times for visitors entering the corridor by car, reduce roadway congestion, ease parking issues, and reduce peak foot traffic along narrow trails which is causing resource damage,' the post said. 'The system is designed to disperse visitors more evenly throughout the day and across the park. The pilot will continue to inform management options for a possible longer-term system.' The News Tribune reached out to spokesperson Terry Wildy with Mount Rainier National Park to ask additional questions about the reservation system, but did not get an immediate response Friday. Mount Rainier National Park first implemented timed reservations for Sunrise and Paradise last year. The program is an attempt to address long lines at park entrances and parking challenges that visitors have encountered as the popularity of the park has grown. Reservations won't be required for Paradise this year because of construction, the Instagram post said. 'Timed entry in the park's Paradise Corridor will be paused in 2025 due to major construction projects and closures in the park that would make implementation of a timed entry reservation system challenging from both a public access and operational perspective,' the post said. A reservation at Sunrise is not required if you are entering the park on foot or on bike, the post said, or if you drive to the park before 7 a.m. or after 5 p.m. Exceptions will also be made for those with 'a wilderness, research, commercial, or special use permit.' If you plan to visit Sunrise between July 11 and 31, you can book your reservation starting May 16 at 8 a.m. Reservations for Aug. 1 to Sept. 1 will be available on June 6 at 8 a.m. The park will also release reservations at 7 p.m. every day for the following day, the post said. To make a reservation, residents can go to or call 877-444-6777. There is a $2 fee to make a reservation. 'You will need both a timed entry reservation and a standard park pass or pay an entry fee,' the post said. 'Passes are available at the entrance and at vendors outside the park.'
