I took no pictures at Kings Canyon. A few months ago I had never heard of the place and when I got there I was just too stunned to use the camera. A bit worn out too, photo-wise, after hikes at Uluru and Kata Tjuta.
[...]I took no pictures at Kings Canyon. A few months ago I had never heard of the place and when I got there I was just too stunned to use the camera. A bit worn out too, photo-wise, after hikes at Uluru and Kata Tjuta.
[...]An interesting news release crossed my desk today detailing an upcoming visit by grade-schoolers to the Western Washington University campus.
[...]Once again we have had a wonderful visit in the wonderful place called Penola. We have great friends here in South Australia who take great care of us and make us feel very much at home halfway around the world from Seattle.
[...]Three rounds of golf, three days, three courses and a bunch of new friends. Sadly now, my World Masters Games experience is over but it has been fantastic. As for the golf itself and those brutally honest numbers that reflect performance, well, they tell a familiar story.
[...]OK, here's my self portrait from the world famous Sydney Opera house. We're here for a special World Masters Games presentation of "The Mikado" by Opera Australia. Quite a night. The Minister of Tourism welcomed us.
' [...]As long as I can get where I'm going. Here I am at the Manly Beach bus stop, stand B, waiting for the 155 to Bayview or the 156 to McCarrs Creek, either of which should drop me at Mona Vale Golf Club about 10 miles north of here.
' [...]The view from the "Rivercat" ferry. A blustery, chilly day on the water in Sydney Harbor. We're ferrying up the Paramatta River to Olympic Park to pick up World Masters Games credentials and commemorative tote-bag with swag. Didn't realize we would need our Arctic (or Antarctic) survival gear for Sydney [...]
Drive to Girraween National Park in southern Queensland, walk past the warning signs about the Red-bellied snake that haas been spotted on the trail recently, hike a few kilometers in a tangled forest of gum trees, then scramble up the steep and exposed granite dome to the top of The [...]
With cousin Dan Albright on the ninth hole, Stanthorpe Golf Course. A herd of about 10 kangaroos were hanging out, watching us play early morning bad golf.
Check out the photos
This place is a birdwatcher's dream of course. We saw Galahs, Lorikeets, Crimson Rosellas and Plovers. 
"Well why not?" That was what I thought when my Aussie friend Chris Bailey told me that the World Masters Games were being held in Sydney and the golf tournament might be a lot of fun.
That was four years ago and Chris was visiting Seattle, just back from having [...]
Sensing summer was on its last legs, I headed for the hills last weekend before they became cloaked in white. I aimed high -- specifically 12,276 feet high, the elevation of Washington's second-tallest peak, Mount Adams.
So with a promising forecast in my back pocket, I anointed this my "Second" [...]
Under overcast skies, classes started today at the University of Washington for the fall quarter. I'm told the projected enrollment for freshmen is down slightly this year at just under 5,300 first year students. That is mainly by design; the university accepted fewer applications this year in an attempt to' [...]
President Barack Obama had some interesting things to say this weekend regarding the importance of parental involvement in our education system. Rather than paraphrase, I've included an excerpt from his speech to the Congressional Black Caucus:
' [...]The way students are assigned in the Seattle School district has been a hotly contested debate for decades. Unlike many districts, Seattle currently has what is called an "open enrollment" policy. That is, parents at every grade level have a choice in what school their child attends no matter where [...]
In today's transient society it isn't uncommon for children to change schools at least once in their academic career. Experts say there are a variety of reasons that can pose a challenge to a child's academic success... and not just because the child has to make new friends, get used' [...]
Given my abject lack of technical knowhow, I am always wowed by people who ooze tech savvy. Maybe it's because I still have a VCR (that doesn't work) and I somehow got a pair of socks stuck in my computer's printer.
So, you can imagine my slackjawed awe when I interviewed' [...]
There were no real surprised in today's release of the annual "Best Colleges" rankings from U.S. News & World Report . Harvard and Princeton are tied for first, with a four-way tie for Number 4: Cal Tech, MIT, Stanford and the University of Pennsylvania.
[...]That's the headline. For the sixth straight year Washington students scored far above the national average on the ACT exam. Results released this morning show students in our state tied for seventh with Rhode Island on the college readiness exam. The test is mainly used for admission into colleges [...]
I don't know about other kids, but my daughter has a love-hate relationship with this time of year. She's anxious for school to start - but also dreading the end of her summer vacation. I too have a love-hate relationship with this time of year. It is right about now' [...]
They came from Miami and Michigan, Calgary and Chicago, Birmingham and Big Brother. Most finished the program in the normal three years, others took longer. Many work in local news, some don't. But they all love weather, and that's why they found themselves in out-of-the-way Starkville, Mississippi.
' [...]Washington's Superintendent of Public Instruction, Randy Dorn, held a news conference this morning to release the latest WASL and AYP scores (see yesterday's blog for definitions)... and called on the federal government to change the guidelines under which schools are identified as needing improvement. The number of Washington schools [...]
Tomorrow morning, the state schools superintendent, Randy Dorn, is scheduled to release the latest , and last, WASL scores.
The WASL is being replaced in the coming school year by the MSP and HSPE. Dorn will also be releasing the latest AYP scores.
Sometimes I think officials use acronyms [...]
Last night I re-watched a re-broadcast of this week's Aerospace Summit moderated by KING-5's Glenn Farley . The objective of the summit was to talk about the future of the aerospace industry in Washington State.
When I was a child this was always my favorite time of year. The weather was warm and school was only a few weeks away. I loved going shopping with my mother for back to school supplies. Call me crazy, I love the smell of freshly sharpened pencils! We [...]
Last week most of our attention was focused on the thermometer, as record high temperatures left most of us sweltering in the heat. But as we fanned ourselves in an attempt to stay cool, one story passed under the radar.
On Wednesday, the Center on Education Policy released an [...]
We're back online at KING5.com. See this story for more info.
' [...]EVERETT, Wash. - An early morning shooting in Everett sent a woman to the hospital and police say it looks like a case of domestic violence.
It happened at the Colby Creek Apartments at around 4 this morning.
Police say the 37-year-old woman was apparently shot by her 38-year-old boyfriend. [...]
SEATTLE (AP) -- A Seattle bank teller has lost his job because he ran down a would-be bank robber and held him until police arrived.
Jim Nicholson, who worked at a Key Bank branch, says he understands the bank's policy that employees comply with robbery demands and avoid dangerous confrontations. [...]
Check out this picture taken from our Queen Anne Tower Cam of the fog rolling in from Elliott Bay. There's a larger version inside.
It's thick enough that the foghorns are sounding too. Cool. Click the image below for a larger version:
Nearly 100 former Washington Mutual executives are suing the government for millions.
They were all fired when the government seized control of the failing bank and transferred it to Chase.
The executives claim that transfer triggered a "change of control" agreement in their Wa-Mu contracts - entitling them to lump [...]
The men and women from Washington National Guard's 81st Brigade Combat Team should arrive at McChord Air Force Base at 2:45 p.m. today.
From McChord, they'll head to Fort Lewis for a welcome home ceremony with family and friends.
This is the first wave of 81st Brigade soldiers to' [...]
Road crews have reopened part of State Route 522 after a deadly crash in Monroe.
Washington State Patrol troopers say two men died after a head-on crash near Main Street around 2 a.m. today.
The driver and passenger of an SUV died at the scene.
Another passenger inside was rushed [...]
The 5th Avenue Theatre will hold a special fundraiser in memory of South Park stabbing victim, Teresa Butz.
Butz's brother, Tim, plays a leading role in the musical "Catch Me If You Can."
For each ticket sold to the Aug. 5 performance, $5 will go to the Compass [...]
By The Associated Press
ARLINGTON, Texas - Marlon Byrd's three-run homer in the fifth inning broke a tie and sent the Texas Rangers on to a 5-4 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Friday night.
Seattle took a 2-0 lead in the first on a homer by Jose Lopez, but Taylor Teagarden [...]
By Lori Matsukawa / KING 5 News
SEATTLE - A $5 million piece of the federal stimulus package will help clear miles of so-called "ghost nets" that lurk beneath Puget Sound.
They trap all manner of sealife, including crabs and whales.
You can't see them from the Sound's surface and' [...]
We may have a third heat-related death.
Northwest Hospital says a 47-year-old man apparently died from heat stroke yesterday.
Hospital officials added the man did have pre-existing health conditions.
A 45-year-old Seattle man also died from heat stroke yesterday, and a man in his 50s died Wednesday at St. Joseph [...]
From tanning salons to adult stores, could a prolific robber be branching out?
A rash of armed robberies has police from six agencies scrambling to catch a suspect or perhaps a gang of robbers.
At last count, they could be dealing with 22 armed robberies in [...]
I donated blood for the first time ever. It was quick and easy.
The initial needle prick didn't even hurt. (Thank you, phlebotomist Sonya!)
Afterward, there was orange juice and a cookie. And they actually ask that you NOT do a strenuous workout for 12 hours. Hoo Hah!
The Puget' [...]
President Barack Obama and U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today announced that states leading the way on education reform will be eligible to compete for more than $4-billion in federal grants. The money is intended to support education reform and innovation in the classroom.
The news video coming out of Kelowna, B.C. over the past several days is frightening. Fire is burning homes, 11,000 people have been evacuated or are on standby to do so.
Those scenes could be repeated here as fire season in Washington is running a month ahead of schedule.
The Washington State Board of Education today passed revisions to math requirements for the class of 2013 that they say will benefit students.
Before today, students who elected to take a high school level mathematics course without credit as an eighth grader were required to repeat that same course for [...]
I've been contemplating the genesis of this blog for a while. In 2005 I happened upon a speech Bill Gates gave to the National Governors Association. In that speech he called America's schools "obsolete" and talked of how students of color are marginalized by being placed in less rigorous classes.' [...]
Help! I am at my wit's end! Every morning begins happily and ends horribly when I drop my soon-to-be 4-year old off at daycare.
The tears, the death grip on my leg and the wailing that her teacher assures me stops 2 minutes after I walk out the door. I've' [...]
A year ago he set out on a nationwide mission to convince Americans the answer to our energy needs was blowing in the wind.
Today, the AP reports, T.Boone Pickens has scrapped plans for the world's largest wind farm.
It's been nearly a week since I told the story of 12- year- old Jessica, a young girl suffering from a brain tumor at Children's Hospital.
The story centered on a gift someone had given her - four tickets to see the Jonas Brothers in concert at the Tacoma Dome.
[...]
I first pitched the story about covering someone hoping to use the state's new Death with Dignity law to my editors a few months ago. I thought it was an important story.
Washington is only the second state to pass such a law and it means so much more than [...]
It takes some doing to find the small Pierce County town of Wilkeson. It is on the way to the northwest entrance of Mount Rainier National Park, but a washout has kept it closed for a few years. But long before Rainier brought travelers through Wilkeson, two industries kept the [...]
"Sunday's just about here," the clerk behind the counter shouted as I walked into my neighborhood convenience store.
"What's Sunday?" I asked.
"Are you kidding me?" he poked. "It's Father's Day!"
I hadn't forgotten, but my brain just didn't make the connection as I stood at the cash register that [...]
City A: A trace of rain in June
City B: 5.32-inches of June precipitation, and rain on 12 out of 16 days
If you guessed City A is Seattle and City B is New York, then you get a prize. Seattle, today is your day of reckoning - when nearly [...]
In the movies, a bank is robbed, the teller pushes a button and magic happens. Police race to the scene, catch the bad guy and recover the cash.
It might have worked that way (on occasion) 40 years ago when banks were few and their alarms were wired to police [...]
San Juan Island residents with a long memory might see something they haven't seen in 40 years. It's been that long since bluebirds flew around the islands and other parts of the Puget Sound region. But shrinking tracts of their preferred habitat -- meadows sprinkled with garry oak trees --' [...]
I am a worrier. It's what I do and I'm really good at it. That's why I recently checked out 15 children's books on personal safety to prepare my kids for their first trip away from my eagle eyes this summer. The topics range from bicycle safety, to
What do 90° in Seattle, a heat index of 100° in Boston and a heat index of 105° in Chicago have in common?
They all trigger a heat advisory issuance by the National Weather Service, like we had in Western Washington today. (Sea-Tac set a record high of 89°.)
So [...]
This will never be a problem for my 9 year old daughter. I will never have to resort to sneaking extra calories into her meals. No one will ever have to call her twice to the dinner table; a little "gift" she inherited from me.
But my six year old [...]
Today a national bird protection group called for cat protection groups to give up a popular birth control method.
Trap, neuter, and release, or TNR, is a favorite strategy because it prevents millions of unwanted kitten births and allows fixed cats to live out their days in the wild.
But [...]
The building gives nothing away. But inside a stark metal structure in Everett, volunteers are re-creating beautiful things and rediscovering their younger days.
The Museum of Flight Restoration Center at Paine Field is where old airplanes go to be reborn. Birds 50, 60, even 70 years old land here, [...]
It's 7 a.m., and I timidly offer my 2-year-old daughter a bowl of oatmeal.
"I don't like that!" she yells, swatting the bowl, sending it flying through the air and onto the floor. I rush to grab a towel to clean it up, while lamely telling her that was' [...]
It's a combination that will either make your mouth water with anticipation, or recoil with repugnance. I, for one, am salivating. And apparently, so are many of you. The marriage of two favorite food groups -- vodka and bacon -- is a dream come true for people who would rather [...]
Federal Fish and Wildlife agents are investigating whether a cow found dead near Twisp is the first victim of the state's newly established wolf pack.
The so-called Lookout Mountain pack moved into Okanogan County several months ago and was first picked up by motion-activated cameras mounted in the woods.
Since [...]
It's a question I ask my children a gazillion times a day. "Did you wash your hands?" That's usually followed by, "Did you wash your hands with soap?" As they begrudgingly saunter back to the bathroom to do this seemingly difficult task I wonder, why is it so hard to [...]
Bert Webber tried unsuccessfully to make this same pitch in 1990. Back then, very few people were familiar with the term "Salish." He hopes there is better luck this time.
Webber and his wife believe that if these cross boundary waters were united by an overarching name, people might [...]
High-tech projects are never easy and that has certainly been the case with SPD's move from a paper system to electronic reporting.
It makes sense to put reports into the computer. It can help detectives investigate crimes by pulling up other incidents involving the same suspect. It can help police [...]
A lot of kids are having trouble learning handwriting these days, and it's really no mystery why: Their parents have trouble, too. So many of us rely on computers and text messaging these days, good handwriting is becoming something of a lost art.
But if your child struggles with it [...]
Few forecasts this time of year give me more heartburn than when an anticipated beautiful weekend begins to appear less benevolent. You never want to build up good weather expectations to a rain-weary public and then pull the proverbial rug out from under them. This weekend's forecast is a good [...]
They say Mount Rainier makes its own weather, so when the Northwest's highest peak allows the sun to shine on it, you take advantage.
With that in mind, a big group of us planned a Mother's Day hike to Camp Muir (some relation, so I am told). It's a base [...]
This just in from The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: blue whales are back.
What is believed to be the largest creature to ever exist on this planet was teetering on the edge of extinction 20 years ago. A whaling ban was credited for a rebound in their population, but [...]
Let me first be honest with you- I was not around in 1977.
The Frost-Nixon buzz had long since fizzled by the time I was old enough to read about Richard Nixon in my elementary school history books.
It's the start of another camping season, and ours is a camping family. It started with my Dad in an unusual way.
Pharmacies CAN do something about the crime wave that's sweeping across the state. I say that with confidence, because they've done it before.
In 2005 Washington state pharmacies were in the national spotlight. That year there were 48 pharmacy burglaries in the state of Washington - more than any other' [...]
Just two days after the Mariners hosted "Turn Back the Clock Night" at Safeco, the weather is following suit. You won't get a vintage Seattle Rainiers hat, but you need to hang on to whatever hat you are wearing or else it will get blown off.
A vigorous area' [...]
No one likes a liar, especially when it comes to your own child. It's hard not to be disappointed when you catch your kid in a lie, but parenting experts say lying is actually a normal part of childhood. They say the key to stopping it is first understanding [...]
If you visit our home anytime soon, my 6-year old son will be quick to offer a viewing of his "dead pet."
[...]I started off my day sifting through a bunch of facts and figures. On Wednesday the Issaquah School District made the announcement that 195 positions may not be guaranteed next school year; that translates to the elimination of158 teaching positions.
I don't ever remember a single episode of "Leave it to Beaver" in which June Cleaver carted the neighborhood kids all afternoon -- from track practice to baseball game back to spring soccer, pleading with the kids all along the way to stop calling each other "vomit breath."
But times' [...]
When Seattle hands you a dry weekend in April, you don't look the proverbial gift horse in the mouth -- i.e., you don't quibble about high clouds filtering the sunshine. So on a milky-hued Sunday that promised to head near 70 degrees, I set out to test my conditioning. I [...]
Who deserves the optimism of Opening Day more than the residents of Seattle?
After a winter that has crowded out both fall and spring and a sports landscape depleted of pro basketball, this place needs a positive jolt. Tuesday's home opener for the Mariners delivered in a big way.
Companies can get all hung up with their corporate identities. Trademarks, the colors they use on their packaging, etc. It's all intended to create a consistent look, and all too often consistency equates to boring and bland.
But every once in a while a company breaks the monotonous mold [...]
I love this story we covered out of Moscow, Idaho, today - where the principal at J. Russel School replaced the chairs in an elementary classroom with exercise balls. It was an experiment to see if the students would pay better attention in class if they were allowed to move [...]
She's off and running - Running away from a television interview.
On the day former television anchor Susan Hutchison announced her candidacy for King County Executive, she declined to do a television interview about her stand on the issues.
Temple University researchers released the shocking results of their new study, which shows one in five 4-year-olds in America is obese. Houston, we have a problem!
As parents, we want to steer our kids clear of the problem, knowing full-well we hardly have room (literally) to talk! Most of us are [...]
To be honest, most of the 19-21 year old guys we put on KING 5 are not upstanding members of society. But that's whom I met today when I interviewed Matt Hornung, 19, Chet Abbott, 20, and Scott Carlson, 21.
These three self-proclaimed "dudes" from Port Orchard were heading out [...]
Have you ever had one of those moments when you get a very strong sign that it's time to slow down?
Have you ever had a crazy week when you're trying to get thirty things done for your family, and in the process nearly lose it all?
Tami Silicio called me today after watching a flag-draped casket being unloaded at Dover Air Force Base on television. It's the first time media were allowed to witness the arrival of war dead since 1991.
You may recall Tami was working for a cargo company in Kuwait in 2004, when [...]
If there's one thing we know about people in Seattle, it's that they will go outdoors en masse when the sun finally comes out. We can safely say demand for that mysterious golden orb has been more pent-up than usual after a winter that has muscled its way into spring.
[...]
Nobody wants to cover a story like that of the 5 children killed by their father near Orting this week. Nobody. Ever. Most reporters I know avoid these stories like the plague. They're miserable for everyone involved. Yet, there still seems to be a feeling among the general public that' [...]
Five children killed by their father in Graham, WA. Our newsroom is busy now trying to cover all the angles. How did it happen? Who could have done such a thing? Why did he do it? But the question I want to know right now - in the very beginning [...]
Having three sisters myself, I read this bit of news with particular interest today: British researchers at Ulster University found people who grew up with sisters are more likely to be happy and balanced. They found having daughters in a family also made people more open and willing to [...]
Apparently the joke is on us.
April Fools all of us, we watched the wet snow fall today in Seattle. And now we have the numbers to support our winter of discontent.
It turns out this was the coldest March in Seattle since 1976, and the seventh coldest on record.
[...]
With all the stories we hear about kids - and parents - spending too much time on Facebook and other networking sites, it was refreshing to stumble upon this story from Woman's Day magazine. They report that social networking sites can nurture your brain. They said sites like Facebook can [...]
What do you have to offer? Have you got some old skis you wouldn't mind getting rid of? How about that easy chair your wife wants you to get rid of? Maybe you possess a skill that comes in handy. If you can fix a fireplace, someone wants to hear' [...]
I'm not going to lie about this anymore, and I'm not going to sugar coat it or (like doctors often do) make it sound like something that might just be an occasional anomaly -- because I don't think it is. My memory has been WIPED OUT by motherhood!!! I don't [...]
The green schools law, which passed in 2005, mandates that all new schools or major school remodels in the state must follow a set of guidelines in the building's design and construction.
By talking with construction directors for different districts in the state, we've found the mandates add between 2 [...]
How can you get your kids to clean up around the house - and here's the catch - willingly?
The folks at ParentMap had some good advice about this.
By now, we've all seen the ads about Patsy, the well-intentioned mom trying to protect her kids from drug use/abuse. The last line is, "Don't be a Patsy, learn a better way." I get it, but honestly, I think I'm going to be like Patsy meets the Terminator when my' [...]
When you take a canoe to school, chances are you understand the give and take between land and water. Such was Mary Leitka's life as a child, and she knows more than most how much land can give and water can take. After all, it was water that took her [...]
A few weeks ago, I helped my 5 year old son try something new and daring. Indoor rock climbing. Thrilling for kids, terrifying for parents -- but probably good therapy all around.
We reported a story today about a national baby boom in the U.S. Federal researchers say more than 4.3 million babies were born in the U.S. in 2007. That's more babies born than any other year in U.S. history - and the birth rate rose for women of all ages. [...]
We've been talking a lot about how stress from this economy affects families. But some parents may not realize how much their stress affects their babies - even in the womb.
This week I interviewed parenting expert Carolyn Pirak, who runs the national parent support program 'Bringing Baby Home.' She' [...]
I wrote a story last week that has earned me some much appreciated praise from my peers, but I have to admit the whole thing left me with very mixed emotions.
It was the story of small start-up businesses that are now cashing in by cleaning up the messes left [...]
