It was only a matter of time before the other shoe dropped for the residents of 619 Western. On Wednesday, tenants received a letter notifying them that plans to evacuate the building have been moved up by six months, and that First Thursdays within the building (a major source of income) would be shut down permanently. more ›

With all the audits going on around town, it's no surprise to hear the next taxpayer rip-off comes courtesy of the Washington State Department of Transportation. A routine payroll review of overtime accrual reports uncovered a WSDOT employee jerry-rigging the payroll system for the past two years, allowing her to snag at least $67,000 in unearned overtime and compensation time. Currently, the case is undergoing an audit and investigation for potential criminal charges. In the meantime, WSDOT has decided to update their system, so that no one can adjust their own payroll records in the future. Smart move. more ›

Further proving that Seattle traffic planning has previously been a huge, cruel joke upon the people trying to utilize it--the city announced yesterday that they synchronized downtown traffic lights for the first time in 20 years. Streetlights at 258 downtown intersections have been synchronized. According to the P-I's report on the synchronization of the traffic lights, "the city predicted a 12 percent reduction in stops and 40 percent shorter travel times through the 1.25-mile long district." more ›

What was that WSDOT? You stopped the sinking of the viaduct with your latest repairs? That is what you reported yesterday, right? And, we kinda called your bullshit—only to feel completely validated this morning by this headline: "Viaduct Sinks a Little Bit More." more ›

Then again, isn't that what they always say? The Washington State Department of Transportation claims that the most recent repairs have stopped the so-called settling of the viaduct. (They call it settling because it sounds much nicer and considerably less alarming than "sinking.") more ›