Meet Hollingsworth’s 2026 team: Altshuler, Harris, Park, and Yonan

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Team Hollingsworth: Hollingsworth, Altshuler, Harris, Park, and Yonan

As District 3’s representative Joy Hollingsworth tackles her first challenges leading the Seattle City Council, she has a new team backing her up.

A new hire for 2026 will bring strategic advising for community relations to Hollingsworth’s office.

Hollingsworth announced Karinda Harris has joined in the advisor role and remains the principal at The Harris Connection, “a venture focused on social capital, strategic connection and authentic engagement.” Hollingsworth says Harris grew up around Beacon Hill and the Central District and worked previously as a community relations manager at Vulcan Real Estate, New Seasons Market, and the City of Seattle.

Harris joins Hollingsworth veterans including Alex Altshuler who serves as director of operations, leveraging experience in civic engagement and non-profit fundraising. Her background includes conducting digital equity research for the Seattle Information Technology Department. Continue reading →

‘Shame on the arsonist!’ — SPD asks for public’s help tracking down suspect in Capitol Hill cinnamon roll shop fire

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The Seattle Police Department is increasing its efforts to track down the suspect from last month’s intentionally set Christmas Day fire that singed the E Pike building home to the Cinnaholic cinnamon roll chain.

Wednesday, SPD posted security images of the suspect and called for the public’s help in identifying the alleged arsonist:

The Fire Marshall determined the blaze was intentional; it started after cardboard outside the business was set on fire. First responders did not see anyone in the area as they arrived. SFD requested a police report documenting the suspected arson. Video surveillance cameras captured footage of the suspect, yet the quality of the images are low. If anyone recognizes the person in the photographs, they are asked to call the SPD Non-Emergency Line at 206-625-5011.

CHS reported on the holiday fire as it happened last month and Cinnaholic owner James Prop added security images to the CHS comments. Continue reading →

Central Area Youth Association makes plans for new community space and 37 new affordable Central District homes at 23rd and Yesler

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(Image: Allied8)

(Image: King County)

A project to build 37 new affordable Central District homes — and new space for a nonprofit dedicated to the area’s Black communities — will further equitable development efforts in the neighborhood and is ready to take shape at 23rd and Yesler.

Officials say after years of advocacy, planning is underway for the groundbreaking of the four-story project that will replace the Central Area Youth Association center on the busy corner. The 1920-era building will be demolished to make way for the new development but the project will create a new street-level community space for the organization below 37 new homes above. Continue reading →

ICE protest disrupts Seattle City Council meeting

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A group calling itself the Seattle chapter of the National Alliance Against Racist & Political Repression including former District 3 representative Kshama Sawant disrupted the Seattle City Council Tuesday forcing a short recess as they demanded city officials end “all collaboration” with ICE.

The disruptions came amid an hour of public comment Tuesday afternoon as newly elected council president Joy Hollingsworth engaged in dialogue from the dais with the protest crowd and offered to meet privately.

After repeated disruptions, Hollingsworth called the recess. The demonstrators were cleared out of council chambers when proceedings continued. Continue reading →

Wilson campaign was hit with $250 ‘Momgate’ fine

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Future Seattle mayoral candidates be warned — Money given to you by family members to help with personal expenses during your run for City Hall are subject to campaign finance rules. The Katie Wilson campaign was fined $250 after the Seattle Ethics and Elections Commission director ruled $10,000 given to the candidate by her parents for childcare should have been reported as campaign contributions.

“In line with this advisory opinion, and in order to avoid creating an avenue for our
campaign finance regulations to be easily circumvented, I conclude that the funds from the
candidate’s parents to help her with childcare expenses incurred because of her candidacy are campaign contributions,” SEEC director Wayne Barnett wrote in the December decision. Continue reading →

Seattle has a Capitol Hill renter in the mayor’s office — Does it need a mayoral mansion like New York City?

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(Image: City of Seattle)

The Bullitt House is available

This week, Mayor Zohran Mamdani moved into Gracie Mansion, the city’s 1799-built Manhattan mayoral residence overlooking Hells Gate.

In Seattle, as Mayor — and Capitol Hill renter — Katie Wilson sets about her goals of creating more housing for more types of people in the city, shouldn’t she also get her own place.

“While the mayor is certainly interested in publicly-owned, permanently affordable, mixed-income housing, I don’t think she’s looking to acquire public property for her own residence,” a Wilson spokesperson tells CHS. Continue reading →

Born into the pandemic, Chophouse Row wine bar Light Sleeper is closing

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Light Sleeper was born with a mask on into the teeth of the pandemic and made the best of things with takeout and bottles to go

Honey, wake up, Chophouse Row’s “vins sans intrants” and “roast chicken, fries & pizza pies” hangout Light Sleeper is closing.

“Opening a spot as an independent operator is very personal. Lots of dreaming and sacrifice. Lots of fear and joy. The costs to do this in Seattle are insane… some can pull it off, others can’t,” sommelier owner Ezra Wick said in the announcement that wine-focused restaurant is set to close in February after six years inside 11th Ave’s Chophouse Row.

“I started my career in restaurants on Pike/Pine, cooking breakfast at the Puss Puss CafĂ© over 30 years ago. I’ve been pouring wine on this block for 16 years, Osteria La Spiga, Bar Ferdinand, Sitka and Spruce – I met and fell in love with my wife on this block. Shit, I was born seven blocks away. It’s personal.” Continue reading →

Seattle Council’s public safety priorities in 2026: Office of Emergency Management assessment, public drug use, SPD hiring, and reining in ICE

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A table comparing OEM spending across four cities — SF totals are much higher due to that city’s organization of its 911 call center and EMS resources under its office

Seattle City Council’s public safety committee chair Bob Kettle will lay out his city legislative priorities for the year Tuesday morning in a meeting that will also begin a process to assess Seattle’s Office of Emergency Management.

Seattle spends about a third per capita on its office responsible for “planning and mitigation, disaster response, and recovery” than a similar city like Denver and only a quarter of what Portland budgets for it office, according to a presentation (PDF) for Tuesday’s meeting. Continue reading →

Race for King County Council District 2 seat takes shape with Saldaña and Hasegawa

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The field is taking shape for the 2026 run to represent portions of Capitol Hill, Eastlake, the Central District, South Seattle, plus the U District, Laurelhurst, Ravenna, Tukwila, and Skyway on the King County Council.

This week, Port of Seattle Commissioner Toshiko Hasegawa announced her campaign for the council’s District 2 seat formerly held by newly elected King County Executive Girmay Zahilay.

“I’m running to make King County more affordable and livable for working families,” Hasegawa said in her campaign announcement. “That means expanding access to childcare, lowering transportation costs, protecting housing stability, and making sure public systems actually work for the people who rely on them. I’ve spent my career delivering results, and I’m ready to do that work on the County Council.” Continue reading →

Seattle City Light says ‘vandalism’ to blame for Friday’s Capitol Hill power outage

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There is a new menace threatening the Capitol Hill power grid around Broadway and John — people.

Seattle City Light tells CHS that Friday’s underground electrical vault fire that caused a power outage to around 450 customers including area businesses and residential buildings was caused by “vandalism resulting in damage to primary and secondary underground cables.”

It took Seattle City Light several hours to make repairs and restore service.

The public utility is asking for your help keeping an eye on things. Continue reading →