Soundside

At this point, most of Washington’s primary election results have been called. Bob Ferguson will face Dave Reichert in the race for governor. Tanya Woo and Alexis Mercedes Rinck are vying for a spot on the Seattle City Council. Goodspaceguy once again failed to get onto the November ballot. But – in one race, the drama has remained at a fever pitch as votes trickle in.Nearly 2 million people cast ballots, but in the end, just 51 votes separated second and third place in the race to be Public Lands Commissioner. And the fun’s not over yet. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Guest: Northwest News Network state government reporter Jeanie Lindsay Relevant Links: KUOW: A recount is coming in race for WA public lands commissioner See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When some people picture political conventions, they might imagine a grand stage lit up with dazzling lights, a seemingly never ending stream of speeches - and a sea of enthusiastic supporters cheering their hearts out, waving lots and lots of American flags. Since Monday, the Democratic National Convention has been underway in Chicago.  There have been speeches and high-profile moments. like a visit from Michelle Obama and her husband, former President Barack Obama. But there’s a whole other world at the DNC. Beyond the big speeches and VIP appearances, there’s a bustling undercurrent of activity. From vibrant panel discussions and quirky merchandise stalls, to a crowd that’s anything but predictable—there’s a lot more happening than meets the eye.Guests: Mike Davis, WBEZ Theater reporter Relevant Links: WBEZ Chicago: At a DNC fair, Chicago's Black entrepreneurs get a moment in the spotlight See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chances are high that you’ve never been to McNeal Island before. Few have - the island, located in the Puget Sound, southwest of Tacoma, isn’t accessible to the general public. The only people that are allowed are staff and pre-screened visitors at the Washington State Special Commitment Center - the first post-prison institution for people designated as sexually violent predators. Around 515 people have been detained in the Special Commitment Center program since 1990.  But now, a new report from the Seattle Times shows that, for the first time in its history, the center is releasing more patients than it’s taking in.  What that means for these patients, and the general public, depends on who you ask. Here to shed some light and help make sense of things is Seattle Times investigative reporter Rebecca Moss.   GUEST: Rebecca Moss - Seattle Times Investigative Reporter RELATED LINKS: WA confined hundreds for sexual violence. Then it quietly began releasing them. - Seattle Times The island where WA has confined hundreds for sexual violence: What to know - Seattle Times See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Picture a historic church in Tacoma’s Proctor neighborhood, bathed in afternoon sunlight, poised for a dramatic transformation. Julie Cain, who purchased the church in 2021, envisions turning it into affordable housing for young adults. The project aims to address local housing needs and foster a supportive community, with plans for shared rooms and communal spaces. However, the ambitious plan has sparked mixed reactions from neighbors concerned about traffic, parking, and neighborhood changes.Back in June, the city issued a permit for converting the church – albeit with some limitations. Neither side liked that outcome, and both sides requested a reconsideration. Yesterday, the city denied both requests. Now, no one is happy. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Guests: Becca Most, Pierce County reporter for the Tacoma News Tribune Relevant Links: Tacoma News Tribune: Affordable young adult housing proposed for old Tacoma church Tacoma News Tribune: Proctor church conversion to shared youth housing hits snag Tacoma News Tribune: Amici House youth project in Tacoma hits development hurdle See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Fitz Cahall started his “Dirtbag Diaries” podcast in 2007, he was an avid outdoorsman struggling to make ends meet as a travel writer. At the time, this whole ‘on demand audio storytelling’ thing was kind of new, and Fitz saw it as a way of bringing new life to his joy of the outdoors.  Today, he’s replaced his wild life bouncing around in a van with the concrete landscape of Seattle, where he continues to host his podcast with his wife, Becca, and their team of producers. And 17 years after they first began, Fitz and crew have now adapted 30 of their favorite “Dirtbag Diaries” into a new book titled States of Adventure: Stories About Finding Yourself by Getting Lost. Cahall recently joined Libby Denkmann to discuss the book, the last 17 years of podcasting, and how he continues to find inspiration in the great outdoors. Guests: Fitz Cahall, author of States of Adventure. Related Links: The Dirtbag Diaries - The original outdoor adventure podcast : The Dirtbag Diaries States Of Adventure - The Dirtbag Diaries : The Dirtbag Diaries See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Imagine you are renting a property and your grass dies and gets brown (this is the Pacific Northwest, where, aside from some unseasonable August rain, it’s pretty dry all summer). Then you get a note from your management company that letting that grass die violates the property’s rules and fines you $125. Then, on top of that, the company charges you an additional $125 for the trouble it took to put that note on your door.  These fines, so called “junk fees,” are allowed in Washington State.  A few cities like Seattle and Olympia have banned them. But those living outside areas with regulations can be subjected to a myriad of fines.  Renters claim it is a way to penalize them to the point of moving.  Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.  Guests: Kelsey Turner, reporter at InvestigateWest Relevant Links: InvestigateWest: WA renters say unregulated ‘junk fees’ are being used to retaliate, discriminate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Washington State Department of Corrections has pledged to stop the use of solitary confinement in state prisons, in most cases. And the agency says it has made progress on that goal.But a recent report from the agency’s own independent watchdog, the Office of the Corrections Ombuds, says isolating inmates for extended periods of time is still a widespread practice. The findings, published in June, showed more than 1 in 5 people incarcerated in state prison at the time of the report had served a significant amount of time in solitary.  The Ombuds also highlighted 176 suicide attempts over the last decade by people in solitary. 14 of those were fatal. The report was requested by WA State lawmakers who are working to END solitary confinement because of its effects on the mental health of inmates. To find out more, Soundside talked to WA State Standard reporter Grace Deng. GUEST: Grace Deng - WA State Standard RELATED LINKS:  Prisoners still routinely isolated in WA, despite efforts to cut solitary confinement - WA State Standard https://oco.wa.gov/sites/default/files/OCO_SolitaryConfinementReport_Part1_June2024.pdf  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The summertime is usually the peak season for tourists in Stehekin, Washington – a small community of around 100 people at the north end of Lake Chelan. It’s only accessible by boat or floatplane, making it an ideal place for a lakeside getaway or entry into the North Cascades wilderness.  But the geography and topography that make Stehekin unique are now posing challenges as the Pioneer Wildfire continues to threaten the town. Since it started June, the fire has grown to tens of thousands of acres, and at one point spread to within 100 feet of buildings near Stehekin. Many of the areas residents have stayed, but no structures have burned. Soundside caught up with Stan Hinatsu about the latest on the fire. Hinatsu is the public information officer on the latest incident management team -- one of six -- responding to the Pioneer and Easy Fires. Guests: Stan Hinatsu, Public Information Officer with the Pioneer/Easy Fire incident response team Related Links: Stehekin residents prepare to defend their town as Pioneer fire nears | The Seattle Times Pioneer fire moves into Stehekin, comes within 100 feet of buildings | The Seattle Times See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Department of Children, Youth, and Families, which oversees the state’s foster care system, celebrated a milestone last week: The number of children in foster care has dipped below 5,000. That’s down significantly from 9,171 kids in foster care in 2018 – a reduction of more than 50% in six years.  This is seen as progress among experts who have pushed for states nationwide to keep children with their parents whenever possible. Splitting up families can do lasting harm to kids and disproportionately affects people of color.  But critics of the approach say the policy shift has created a situation where the state may be leaving children in harmful situations too long, especially when parents struggle with addiction or mental health issues.  Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.  Guests: Nina Shapiro, social issues reporter at the Seattle Times Relevant Links: Seattle Times: Why WA’s foster care system is shrinking fast Seattle Times: Is Washington state taking too many children from their parents? Movement seeks to overhaul foster care See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For decades, the road to recovery after a spinal cord injury has meant years of physical therapy. The goal is often small but meaningful improvements in body function.  Being able to stretch your fingers that much farther, or grip just a bit harder.  Jon Schleuter’s path began after he broke his neck diving into a pool 20 years ago.  Soundside's Libby Denkmann and Alec Cowan spoke with Schleuter in May.  You can check out the original story, complete with photos here: https://www.kuow.org/stories/things-are-happening-new-tech-offers-groundbreaking-recovery-in-spinal-injuries  GUESTS:  Jon Schlueter Chet Moritz RELATED LINKS: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-024-02940-9 https://www.onwd.com/therapy/arc-ex/  https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-65689580https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-65689580   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.