Seattle, WA
SCC president: Seattle stay out zones are 'better than nothing'
The more you hear public officials talk about Seattle’s proposed “Stay Out” zones, the more you seem to hear, “Well, it’s better than nothing.”
Add Seattle City Council President Sara Nelson to the chorus. She was on Seattle’s Morning News to defend the ordinance.
The debate centers around how Seattle should handle illegal drug use and sex solicitation. This week, the council voted on two bills, one which approved the creation of six “Stay Out” drug zones throughout Seattle, and one similar zone along Aurora Avenue, specifically targeting prostitution.
“We’re trying to change the message that we are sending to the outside world,” Nelson said on KIRO Newsradio. “And frankly, what else are we going to do? Are we just going to do nothing and accept this is the status quo? That is the position that the council is in right now, and so 8-1 votes on both of those bills does say something.”
Gee & Ursula: Seattle ‘Stay Out’ zones won’t make prostitution, homelessness go away
Critics have questioned how the stay out zones are going to work. Many focus on the shortage of police officers in the city and the “soft” nature of the ordinances as the reasons they will not work.
“I understand that we have a police staffing problem, but it does matter that we are taking proactive steps,” Nelson explained. “Current laws are not working, and we’re going to do something about it and protect the people that are being victimized and exploited.”
When public comment was taking place in front of the council, sex workers actually took a stand against many aspects of the ordinances. One woman said she was trying to pay for a college education as she was raising a daughter. She wanted the council to leave her alone.
“It is true that people represented their experience in sex work,” Nelson said. “And frankly, that’s not what we’re seeing on on Aurora Avenue for the most part. So we have to recognize that some people are engaged in this work to make some money to support themselves, and other people are engaging in it because they are being exploited by by pimps and and not necessarily giving their consent when it comes to the work that they’re doing.”
Nelson said that although there are many holes in the ordinances, they represent substantial progress from what has been the case in the past few years.
“One of the benefits of having it on the books is it provides an opportunity for officers to approach the sellers or the women on the street,” she said. “And this law expressly states that the first disposition is to provide services to divert women.”
Nelson said there is no perfect solution but this gives police more tools to deal with the situation.
Background: Seattle City Council passes legislation creating SODA, SOAP zones
“It probably takes repeated contact and and just the the growing visibility that officers are approaching women and offering help,” she explained. “And it takes repeated touches, but at least we are, are focusing on trying to offer some help.”
What isn’t included are funds that would add to the already overrun programs.
“If only it were a matter of allocating dollars,” she said. “That is the problem. Every year we pass a budget that paid for, I believe, that it provides the funding to hire 125 more officers. However, we are dealing quarter after quarter with a net negative of officers. That is a whole other problem, and we’re working on that as well.”
Nelson claimed the situation on Aurora has gotten “remarkably worse.”
“If you listen to the testimony of the neighbors that see it day in and day out that live very closely, you will see a different picture portrayed than someone who chooses to go into an aspect of sex work for whatever other reason,” she said.
Nelson said that the bottom line to the new ordinances is they draw a line in the sand.
“We are focusing on the oath that we take when we assumed office, which is to protect the health and well being and safety of the people of Seattle,” she said.
Bill Kaczaraba is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read his stories here. Follow Bill on X, formerly known as Twitter, here and email him here.
CHICAGO (AP) — The struggling New York Mets placed former Seattle Mariners second baseman/designated hitter Jorge Polanco on the 10-day injured list on Saturday with a right wrist contusion.
Mariners Injury Update: Latest on Robles, Vargas and more
The move was made retroactive to Wednesday, a day after Polanco went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts in a 2-1 loss at the Los Angeles Dodgers. The 32-year-old Polanco is batting .179 (10 for 56) with a homer and two RBIs in his first season with New York, which has lost nine straight.
“When doctors first took a look at him, it looked like he got hit by a pitch when he didn’t,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “In talking to him, it was just a couple of swings that he took that night. … He didn’t think much of it, but just got worse the following day.
“So you just got to let it calm down a little bit and then we’ll go from there. But we don’t have a timetable for how long this is going to last.”
Polanco, who signed a two-year, $40 million contract with the Mets in December, also has been dealing with an ankle issue.
“He was trending in the right direction,” Mendoza said of the ankle injury. “It’s definitely going to help, obviously now with him being shut down. But the biggest thing now is that we’ve got to take care of that wrist.”
Polanco spent the previous two seasons with the Mariners, who acquired him in a February 2024 trade with the Minnesota Twins.
Polanco struggled during his first season with Seattle in 2024, hitting just .213 with 16 homers in 118 games while playing through a knee injury that didn’t become public knowledge until after the season.
But after the Mariners somewhat surprisingly brought him back for a one-year contract in 2025, Polanco rebounded to hit .265 with 26 homers and an .821 OPS in 138 games last season. He then added three homers during Seattle’s playoff run, along with a 15th-inning walkoff single in Game 5 of the American League Division Series that sent the Mariners to their first ALCS in 24 years.
Seattle Sports staff made additions to this post.
Mariners RHP Bryce Miller to begin rehab assignment
Seattle, WA
Brandon Nimmo hits leadoff homer, Jacob deGrom works 4 scoreless as Rangers beat Seattle Mariners 5-0
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – APRIL 17: Corey Seager #5 of the Texas Rangers tags out Dominic Canzone #8 of the Seattle Mariners during the fourth inning at T-Mobile Park on April 17, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Steph Chambers / Getty Images)
SEATTLE – Brandon Nimmo hit a leadoff home run, Jacob deGrom threw four shutout innings and Gavin Collyer earned his first career win as the Texas Rangers beat the Seattle Mariners 5-0 on Friday night.
Seattle lost its fourth straight game, and was shut out for the fourth time in 21 games, falling to 8-13. The Mariners were shut out six times during the 2025 season. Texas won its third straight game.
Nimmo led off the game with a 372-foot shot to right field off Mariners starter Logan Gilbert (1-3). It was Nimmo’s 16th career leadoff homer and second of the season. He also hit a leadoff home run on April 11 in a 6-3 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
DeGrom effectively maneuvered through Seattle’s lineup, and worked out of a one out, bases-loaded jam in the first inning. The two-time Cy Young Award winner recorded two of his three strikeouts after walking Josh Naylor to load the bases. Randy Arozarena fanned on a curveball, and Luke Raley swung through a fastball.
Texas added to its lead after Nimmo’s homer. Wyatt Langford’s single to left scored Corey Seager, who led off the third inning with a double. The Rangers stretched the lead to 3-0 on an RBI single from Jake Burger in the seventh.
The Mariners’ best scoring chance came in the sixth after Collyer (1-0), who worked 1 1/3 scoreless innings, left the game.
J.P. Crawford singled to left off Tyler Alexander with two out, and Mariners third base coach Carlos Cardoza sent Naylor from second base, but he was thrown out by Langford.
Texas added two more runs in the ninth on a sacrifice fly by Andrew McCutchen and an RBI double by Josh Jung.
Seattle third baseman Brendan Donovan left the game early due to a left hip issue.
Mariners right-hander Bryce Miller, who started the year on the injured list with a left oblique injury, was at T-Mobile Park for the first time this season. He will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Tacoma on Saturday.
Up next
Mariners RHP George Kirby (2-2, 3.25) will face Rangers righty Nathan Eovaldi (2-2, 5.40) on Saturday afternoon.
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FIFE, Wash. – A portion of southbound I-5 will be closed overnight in Fife Friday and Saturday night, according to WSDOT.
The Washington State Department of Transportation says the purpose of the closure is to install a new electronic sign and will need two nights to do it.
Crews will close southbound I-5 from 54th Avenue to Port of Tacoma Road starting at 11 p.m. Friday night until 7:30 a.m. Saturday morning. Closures will resume Saturday night starting at 11 p.m. as well, and lanes will reopen Sunday morning at 8:30 a.m.
WSDOT says the closure will include the 54th Avenue ramps to southbound I-5.
Detours for weekend I-5 closure in Fife, WA
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The Source: Information in this story comes from the Washington State Department of Transportation.
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