Rudolph Valentino. Ray Charles. Jerry Lee Lewis dancing on pianos, for God's sake! Dance in Seattle had anything but a boring 20th century. We were prowling around the internet this morning and discovered that today is the anniversary of the date the city banned a really bizarre but popular 1920s and '30s fad called "dance marathons" within its city limits. That was enough to pique our interest, and we've spent the day researching what was happening in the world of dance during the 20th century. Here are some of the highlights, thanks in large part to our favorite local history website: HistoryLink.org. more ›

• My Ballard lets all you Ballard-drivers know that a traffic camera has been installed at the busy corner of 15th and Market.
• The Rainier Valley Post reports that Ana Ortega, the principal at Ali Kurose Middle School has resigned in the midst of an SPD investigation into sexual abuse by a teacher's aide at the school.
• Phinneywood is mourning the loss of another Woodland Park Zoo animal. Last week it was a monkey from congestive heart failure; today, a gazelle that died after being attacked by another animal in the African Savannah exhibit. (The lions are pleading the 5th.)

Even the most studious among us probably fantasized about our schools burning to the ground during our younger years. Seattlest most certainly did! But three boys in Concrete, Wash., ages 11 and 12 actually did it, albeit unintentionally. more ›