Monthly Archives: March 2025

Police: Hate crime suspects identified in water pellet drive-by and harassment outside Capitol Hill’s Pony gay bar

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Police say they have identified — but not arrested or booked into jail — three suspects in the February water pellet assault and homophobic hate crime incident outside a Capitol Hill gay bar.

The Seattle Police Department says the identified suspects are a 17-year-old male, a 19-year-old man, and a 24-year-old woman and have not been taken into custody.

SPD has not released additional information about the suspects and referred questions about the case to the King County Prosecuting Attorney.

A spokesperson says police have referred the hate crime investigation to the prosecutor’s office. “The case and the admissible evidence is being reviewed now by our hate crimes prosecutor for a charging decision,” the spokesperson said.

CHS reported here on the late night February incident outside Pony as the suspects reported as “two or three young white men” were circling near 12th and Madison yelling “die faggots,” and firing pellets at people from a “water bead” gun.

SPD detectives sought the public’s help in identifying the suspects despite video that clearly showed some of the occupants of the vehicle and distinctive white “WRLD” lettering on the rear window of the car. A Lexus matching the appearance of the suspect vehicle was also easily tracked down on social media.

According to East Precinct radio updates from the night of the incident, the car is registered to a Tacoma address

Prosecutors say none of the suspects have a previous case history in the county.

 

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Gyro Saj Mediterranean Grill coming to Broadway

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(Image: Gyro Saj)

First Hill’s Gyro Saj is expanding to Broadway.

A person with knowledge of the plans tells CHS the 2022-born Madison shawarma and falafel joint is readying the space formerly home to Ian’s Pizza on the Hill.

The Wisconsin-born chain exited Broadway to begin 2025 as its 10-year lease came up.

The new Gyro Saj will join a mix of restaurants neighboring Blick Art Materials in the Hunters Capital owned and managed Broadway Building at Broadway and Pine. That group includes FOB Poke Bar and its new sibling Old Street Malatang.

While northern Broadway has grown lately with some elevated approaches including the opening soon Nomadic Wine Dispensary in the former Rapport space, and the new chef-driven Saucery in the Corvus and Co. kitchen, Broadway’s food and drink options have trended toward the fast-er food end of the spectrum on its southern end near Pike/Pine including recent additions like a Broadway Wingstop.

Fans of more affordable food on the move will also appreciate the coming soon Burritos California which is taking shape — and readying the drive-thru — at the old Rancho Bravo on E Pine across from Cal Anderson Park.

Gyro Saj will open soon at 1620 Broadway. Learn more at gyrosaj.com.

 

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Capitol Hill Block Party 2025 drops Friday from schedule, will now be ’21+’ event — UPDATE

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There will be big changes for this summer’s Capitol Hill Block Party, one of the few ticketed, multi-day music festivals on the planet to take place on a city’s streets. Producers have announced the 2025 lineup including big changes as the festival will drop its Friday opening day and the annual music event will transition to a “21+” only event.

The 2025 Capitol Hill Block Party will take place on only two days — Saturday, July 19th and Sunday, July 20th.

We’re checking with CHBP to learn more about the changes. Producers announced this week the full lineup and details would be revealed Tuesday morning. Some early sale passes for a planned three-day festival had already been on sale.

The downsizing and streamlining of the 27th edition of the Block Party also comes with a more modest lineup than the neighborhood experienced in 2024. 2025 CHBP will bring some fun acts but nothing appears to be on the scale that Chappell Roan hype reached at last year’s festival as Pink Pony crowds inside — and outside — the Block Party’s fences swelled to epic proportions.

The 2025 CHBP lineup is led by Thundercat, Porter Robinson, DJ Pee.Wee, The Dare, Dora Jar, Fcukers and several other bands and DJs the old people reading this will say they have never heard of. Continue reading →

Search for new leader for Seattle Public Schools will begin

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(Image: Seattle Public Schools)

The Seattle public school system needs a new leader.

District superintendent Brent Jones announced Monday he is stepping down from the post after a year of controversy over the system’s plan to eliminate campuses across the city including Capitol Hill’s Stevens Elementary and a continued drop in enrollment across the system.

“During my tenure, I proudly led several key initiatives that strengthened Seattle Public Schools in our pursuit of academic excellence, including the passage of our levies, advancing equity and inclusion, expanding student support services, strengthening community partnerships, and navigating the challenges of the pandemic,” Jones said in his announcement. “We have emerged stronger, and recent research has found that we have achieved accelerated academic recovery from pandemic declines at a significantly faster rate than Washington state as a whole or compared to similar districts in the state.”

His resignation will be effective in September but the search to replace Jones has begun. “Further details on the superintendent search process will be announced in the coming weeks,” the announcement read. Continue reading →

More weekend trips for Metro include Rt. 8 and RapidRide G in Seattle Transit Measure-boosted spring service updates

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You can thank a Seattle sales tax hike approved in 2020 for a coming boost to bus routes in the city. King County Metro has announced its spring service updates including an increase in weekend trips on Route 8 and the addition of two late night trips on weekends and holidays on the new RapidRide G line.

“Morning, noon and night, our transit operators are safely and reliably connecting our community to where they need to go every single day – 300,000 boardings each weekday and counting,” Metro General Manager Michelle Allison said in the announcement. “Our ridership reached nearly 90 million in 2024 and we’re welcoming more riders each day. As we celebrate Transit Appreciation Week, we’re so very grateful for our Metro employees who will expertly deliver these service changes, as well as our public transportation every day.”

The service changes going into effect starting March 29th include “hundreds of new weekend bus trips on key routes that are supported by the Seattle Transit Measure,” Metro says.

The measure approved by voters in November 2020 is funded by a 0.15% sales tax through early 2027 to support transit access and frequency citywide. The city has used the tax revenue to essentially purchase additional service from Metro on key routes. Continue reading →

Chuck’s Hop Shop CD has lots a beer, a new ‘crappy food’ menu, and still room for food trucks — including Jackson’s Catfish Corner

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(Image: Chuck’s CD)


 

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Chuck’s Hop Shop CD is mostly about beers on tap and refrigerated cases of brews from across the region and nation. After 11 years on E Union, it is ready to move beyond the glizzy when it comes to the food it serves to help soak up all those hops. It is upgrading its pretzels, too.

“We’re thrilled to announce that we’re leaving behind our outdated crappy food and bringing you some exciting changes!,” the Chuck’s CD announcement reads.

The new Chuck’s CD menu now includes a French Dip Sandwich with “Mama Lil’s Peppers, Boar’s Head roast beef, havarti, creamy horseradish, and a side of hot au jus” and two versions of the classic Reuben Sandwich. “For those who love meat, we have a corned beef version, while our veggie-friendly option features a pickled beet Reuben,” Chuck’s says. Continue reading →

There has been a second Seattle SODA zone order issued — not on Capitol Hill this time

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Zone 4

Capitol Hill’s “Stay Out of Drug Area” is no longer the only SODA zone in Seattle with an active exclusion order.

Seattle Municipal Court filings show an order was issued for Seattle SODA Zone 2 in February against a 40-year-old busted for smoking meth in front an International District market in late December.

The February order covers the zone stretching across the CID and Pioneer Square. The judge in the case granted some leeway in the exclusion, allowing the defendant to “ride public transit through the zone.” Continue reading →

As it expands across Seattle, CARE Department chooses First Hill for East Precinct ‘Community Crisis Responders’ headquarters

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(Image: City of Seattle)

Screenshot

As Seattle’s CARE Department expands citywide thanks to a $1.9 million federal grant, its East Precinct crisis team has secured a new home.

The First Hill Improvement Association has announced that the city’s Community Assisted Response and Engagement Department has selected a Madison commercial suite for its new East Precinct “Community Crisis Responders” headquarters.

“The East Precinct CCR office will be located in First Hill on Madison Street in front of Swedish’s Nordstrom Tower (near MAD Pizza and Vietlicious). Welcome to the neighborhood!,” the FHIA announcement reads.

CARE is “procuring additional office spaces in several precincts,” FHIA says.

The choice of Madison ends efforts by CARE to establish its East Precinct office near Broadway and Pike. Continue reading →

12-year-old victim in deadly Washington Middle School crash — Arsema Barekew remembered

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A funeral service for Arsema Barekew was held Sunday at Tukwila’s Riverton Crest Cemetery.

The parents of the 12-year-old who was hit and killed by a runaway SUV outside the Central District’s Washington Middle School in early March are seeking answers.

The Seattle Times spoke with the Yesler Terrace couple Berihun Mekonnen and Tigist Yitna — and their lawyer.

“The way (Seattle police) approached them, explained things, was like, ‘Move on. This is an accident. Accidents happen,’” attorney Daniel Ajema told the Times. “But for me, there’s criminal negligence. There’s recklessness.”

No lawsuit has been filed. Continue reading →

Neighbor arrested for hatchet attack in First Hill apartment building

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The Seattle Police Departments says a man was arrested for a hatchet attack that sent his neighbor to the hospital at First Hill’s Cambridge Apartments Sunday afternoon.

Police and Seattle Fire were called to the Union Street apartment building above I-5 just after 2:30 PM to the reported assault. As crews treated the victim in the building’s lobby, police were able to take the suspect into custody inside his apartment without incident.

SPD says officers located the “hatchet/knife under the mattress in the living room.” The 50-year-old suspect was arrested and booked for investigation of first degree assault.

The victim was transported to Harborview in serious condition.

 

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