District 3’s Hollingsworth will lead Seattle City Council’s new mix in 2026

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Council president Hollingsworth

Three years ago on a chilly January day at the MLK FAME Community Center, Joy Hollingsworth announced her run for the Seattle City Council.

Tuesday, Hollingsworth was chosen to serve as council president, the first time a Black woman has been elected to the post in the city’s 174-year history.

“Our council body will focus on the bold basics and fundamentals,” Hollingsworth said as her colleagues unanimously approved her new position.

The Central District-born Hollingsworth now adds an important new responsibility to her leadership for her home neighborhood, Capitol Hill, and the rest of District 3.

The council president serves as the presiding officer, sets meeting agenda, assigns legislation to committees, and is “the primary point of contact for external agencies.” Continue reading →

Police: Two victims in Freeway Park robbery stabbings

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At least two people were reported injured in early Wednesday morning knife attacks inside Freeway Park between First Hill and downtown Seattle.

Seattle Police and Seattle Fire were called to the chaotic scene near Hubbell and Seneca just after 6:30 AM where officers encountered two victims and began canvassing the sprawling park for more.

Police also began the search for a suspect or possible suspects but only had a limited description to work with, according to police radio updates.

UPDATE: SPD says they are investigating the incident as a robbery. Continue reading →

It’s 2026 and Capitol Hill’s Seven Hills Park is still closed — Meeting planned for February

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Seven Hills on a sunnier day (Image: City of Seattle)

A new year, a new city council, and a new mayor did not bring a new start on public safety for Capitol Hill’s Seven Hills Park.

The Seattle Parks and Recreation Department has quietly extended the closure of the fenced-off 16th Ave public space through the end of February.

A parks spokesperson tells CHS the extended closure will give the city another chance to meet with neighbors and park users. Continue reading →

For drivers, bus riders, bicyclists, and walkers around North Capitol Hill, 2026 begins with pains for long-term transportation gains with RapidRide J, I-5, Roanoke Lid and Portage Bay Bridge projects

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Drivers, bus riders, bicyclists, and walkers were steered away from Eastlake Ave at Roanoke Tuesday morning after road construction workers hit a gas line. The street closure was just part of the traffic twists and turns around Capitol Hill’s north end as 2026 begins with major construction projects on the RapidRide J line, the new 520 Roanoke Lid and Portage Bay Bridge, and the “Revive I-5” work on the Ship Canal Bridge coinciding over the coming weeks, months, and, sometimes, years.

Seattle Fire reported no injuries in the overnight Eastlake response though streets in the area remained closed into the morning commute.

Planned work around the ongoing decade of 520 replacement projects will make for the longest running impact on getting around in the area. Continue reading →

One to hospital, suspect arrested in 10th/Pike stabbing

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A man suffered serious injuries and the suspect was taken into custody in an early Tuesday morning stabbing at 10th and Pike.

Seattle Police and Seattle Fire were called to the area just after 5 AM to the reported stabbing where witnesses heard the victim shout the suspect’s name as he fled, according to East Precinct radio updates. Continue reading →

Pedestrian struck by driver near Volunteer Park

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A woman was struck by a driver on 15th Ave E near Volunteer Park late Monday afternoon.

Seattle Fire was called to the collision at 15th and Galer around 4:45 PM and reported the woman suffered a head injury but was conscious at the scene. Continue reading →

Seattle Public Library is borrowing a few hours from Capitol Hill and Douglass-Truth to add Monday openings in Montlake

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(Image: SPL)

The ways things sometimes go, we should probably celebrate what is retained over mourning anything lost in the most recent changes for library hours across Capitol Hill, the Central District, and the bibliocentric shelves down the hill in Montlake.

The Seattle Public Library has announced a set of small changes for its Capitol Hill-area branches that will make small reductions while maintaining — and adding — seven-day service.

Starting Tuesday, Jan. 27, The Seattle Public Library will update hours at three locations and expand the number of libraries that are open seven days a week – from 13 to 14 locations – with the addition of new Monday hours at the Montlake Branch.

Continue reading →

Haraz Coffee House is coming to Capitol Hill

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Inside a Haraz Coffee House (Image: Haraz Coffee House)

It isn’t at the scale of the now-empty Capitol Hill Starbucks Roastery but 2026 brings new plans for a shuttered Pike/Pine corner to leap back to life as the neighborhood’s newest cafe.

Haraz Coffee House, a rapidly growing Yemeni coffee chain born in Michigan and recently focused on expansion around the San Francisco Bay Area and Northern California, is making plans to fill the long-empty southwest corner of Boylston and Pike with a new $200,000 cafe buildout.

Founded in Dearborn, Michigan in 2021, Haraz has been public about its expansion plans including efforts to add new cafes across Northern California. Its growth to “31 locations across metro Detroit and other cities with 185 in the pipeline” has included new cafe spaces and sometimes taking over shuttered spaces left behind by the likes of Starbucks.

Haraz is noted for its rich, flavorful coffee offerings and “organic, sun-dried beans from Yemen.” Continue reading →

‘A dignified life’ — Wilson sworn-in as Seattle’s 58th mayor — UPDATE

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Wilson at Friday’s swearing-in ceremony

Katie Wilson is now serving the city as the 58th mayor of Seattle.

In her speech at Friday’s swearing-in ceremony, Wilson said her goal is to build a city where people can “live a dignified life.”

“This is your city — that means that you belong here, you have a right to be here and to live a dignified life, whatever your background and whatever your income,” Wilson said.

Friday’s ceremony at Seattle City Hall echoed with Wilson’s background as a community organizer and transit advocate and took a small scale approach to inaugural festivities. Wilson’s husband Scott Myers, and their daughter Josephine, 2, were at the new mayor’s side.

Wilson, 43, is the youngest Seattle mayor since Wes Uhlman was elected in 1969. The Capitol Hill renter and co-founder of the Transit Riders Union narrowly defeated incumbent Bruce Harrell in a race that fell across familiar political lines in the city dividing the wealthiest voters in Seattle from its most densely-populated and diverse neighborhoods.

In her speech Friday, Wilson said the city is ready for change “that calls for vision and ambition” but in efforts that also emphasize trust and inclusiveness.

“Can I be the mayor of the waterfront and the World Cup and the stadiums? Yes, yes I can,” Wilson said. Continue reading →

‘Underground system’ failure behind Sunday outage on Broadway

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Sunday’s outage

Failure in the underground electrical system near Capitol Hill Station caused a limited but significant outage Sunday.

It took Seattle City Light crews most of the day to restore power to the more than 400 customer sites that went dark including multiple area businesses and the traffic lights at the busy Broadway and John intersection.

A City Light spokesperson said the outage was due to “a piece of connection equipment that failed in the underground system” near E Thomas and Harvard. CHS has asked for more information and if the damage was weather related. UPDATE: City Light says the the failure was likely not weather-related.

The area of Sunday’s outage is near the site of a damaging electrical vault fire below Broadway in July.

Capitol Hill Station service continued on a day that was already quieter than normal as Sound Transit had announced no trains between Broadway and the Stadium stop due to planned maintenance over the weekend.

 

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