Jim Whittaker, the Seattle-born climber who became the first American to summit Everest in 1963, died April 7 in Port Townsend at 97. He helped grow REI and shaped Pacific Northwest mountaineering.

Three Dollar Bill Cinema will skip 2026 as the nonprofit pauses its Seattle Queer Film Festival and TRANSlations while it addresses finances and retools programming. The organization says it will focus on smaller, year-round events for now.

Seattle firefighters are responding to an apartment building fire on the 400 block of 10th Ave; officials asked people to avoid the area.

Barred owls at Point Defiance Park have been swooping at hikers and runners this spring. Experts say it’s nesting behavior and offer practical safety tips.

A Pierce County jury awarded $130 million to the estate of 2‑year‑old Sarai Brooks, finding the state and a South Hill daycare failed to protect her from abuse. The decision raises questions about reporting and agency oversight.

A former Ballard kennel worker is set to plead guilty and be sentenced April 8 after surveillance showed he repeatedly kicked a dog that later died.

A sinkhole at S 19th and Mildred forced lane closures in Tacoma; city crews are on scene and no reopening timeline has been provided. Traffic and transit may be affected.

Washington Attorney General Nick Brown asked regulators to reject a settlement that would phase in multi‑year gas rate increases, saying it favors investors over households.

Northbound SR 99's First Avenue bridge is stuck open, causing miles of backups on SR 509. Crews are on site troubleshooting but no reopen time has been given.

A UW study found Echinococcus multilocularis in 37 of 100 Puget Sound coyotes. Officials urge leashes, deworming and avoiding rodent scavenging.

A PNAS study by UW and Drexel finds roughly 73% of Indigenous people killed by police from 2013–2024 died on or within 10 miles of reservations, highlighting policing and investment gaps.

After a decade of delays, PCC will anchor The Arbory in Madison Valley with a roughly 24,000‑square‑foot store targeted for this fall.

A Whatcom County grower tells FOX13 that ICE detainments have left critical labor gaps at the start of spring planting, with at least one worker held in Tacoma.