Seattle, WA
Akron’s oversight board’s choice for police auditor has faced job performance questions
The Akron Citizens’ Police Oversight Board moved closer to hiring an independent police auditor at a special meeting Wednesday night, voting 7-2 to extend a job offer to Anthony Finnell — currently an independent consultant and president of the National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement.
While board members praised Finnell as the most qualified candidate considered for the position, disagreement arose Wednesday over the need for public participation in the hiring process. The board also briefly addressed Seattle media reports about a whistleblower complaint criticizing Finnell’s performance in a previous auditor role.
CPOB Chair Kemp Boyd and fellow member Caitlin Castle voted against extending the offer, with Boyd saying he wanted to bring Finnell back for a third interview that would have involved input from the public, an idea that Castle agreed with.
Board member Diane Lewis, who voted in favor of the offer, said she thought a third interview was called for — but she didn’t see the need to involve the public. She said she was concerned that Finnell, who plans to rent an apartment in Akron while maintaining a residence in Indianapolis, would be away during weekends — when a considerable amount of police enforcement activity takes place.
“My concern is the accessibility,” Lewis said. “I want to ask him a bit more about what that looks like.”
Board member Bob Gippin emphasized that Finnell won’t be hired until the board votes on a final contract. He said that while he is unsure how long that process will take, the public can provide feedback on the pending appointment during comment periods at regular board meetings or via email to CPOB@akronohio.gov. According to its website, the board’s next regular meeting is scheduled for Jan. 10 at 6 p.m. at Akron City Hall, located at 166 S. High St.
Vice Chair Donzella Anuszkiewicz said Finnell was the only candidate the board interviewed who had worked both on police oversight boards and as an auditor.
“We had good candidates,” she said, “but he was the best. He was the absolute best.”
Who is Anthony Finnell?
Finnell has served in various roles with the National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement (NACOLE) since 2016. He also serves as an independent consultant in the fields of civilian oversight of law enforcement policy and procedures, investigations and community-based policing and security.
He is a retired sergeant from the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department whose career in law enforcement spanned more than 20 years.
Starting in 2014, he became executive director of the Citizens’ Police Review Board in Oakland, California. In 2017, that board was disbanded and replaced by the Community Police Review Agency, for which he was named interim executive director. In 2018, he was abruptly fired from that role without public explanation.
A story published by the East Bay Express, however, noted that Finnell had clashed with the Oakland Police Commission, telling commissioners that they would not have access to investigative files, including during closed session meetings.
Before working in Oakland, Finnell worked in Chicago, as supervising investigator for the city’s Independent Police Review Authority.
Performance questioned in Seattle
In 2021, the South Seattle Emerald, a nonprofit news outlet in Washington state, published a story saying Finnell, who at the time was the auditor for the Office of the Inspector General, was under investigation after a whistleblower claimed he insufficiently reviewed evidence in cases that he certified. A 2022 report on the Seattle-area news site PubliCola noted that Finnell had left that office before the external review concluded — with a report listing recommendations for improved practices at the office.
The Akron oversight board received an email pointing to the Seattle review after a Dec. 20 special meeting during which the board mentioned Finnell was being considered for the position. Gippin said he had already read the article cited in the email, and opted not to ask Finnell about it during the interview process because he didn’t think there was much substance to the complaints.
“Nothing I’ve seen since changes my mind about that,” Gippin said. “It creates no concern.”
Fellow board members Anuszkiewicz and Brandyn Costa said they agreed with Gippin’s assessment of the situation .
Contact reporter Derek Kreider at DKreidr@Gannett.com or 330-541-9413
Seattle, WA
MLB Mock Trade: Seattle Mariners Deal Luis Castillo to Atlanta Braves
The Seattle Mariners have had a busy offseason as they try to improve their roster and break through to the World Series for the first time in franchise history. Seattle has been active in free agency and on the trade market. One of their final roster questions is who will serve as the backup catcher behind Cal Raleigh. The Mariners could make one more move before the start of the season to address this need, potentially through a trade with the Atlanta Braves.
The Atlanta Braves are dealing with some serious injuries to their starting rotation this offseason. After an impressive 2025 campaign, Spencer Schwellenbach has been shut down because of bone spurs. Breakout candidate Hurston Waldrep was also shut down during Spring Training with elbow inflammation. Both pitchers underwent surgery in February, leaving two open spots in Atlanta’s rotation. Let’s break down a mock trade centered on Luis Castillo that could help fill those holes for the Braves.
Atlanta Braves – Seattle Mariners Mock Trade
Atlanta Braves receive SP Luis Castillo
Seattle Mariners receive C Sean Murphy, SP Owen Murphy
In this mock trade, the Braves acquire All-Star starter Luis Castillo. In exchange, the Mariners receive former All-Star catcher Sean Murphy and a young pitching prospect in Owen Murphy.
Fantasy Baseball Outlook
Luis Castillo would slot into the Atlanta Braves’ starting rotation behind Chris Sale and Spencer Strider. He has been very effective for the Mariners since they acquired him from the Reds at the trade deadline four seasons ago. In 2025, Castillo went 11–8 in 32 games with a 3.54 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, and 162 strikeouts. His fantasy value would likely dip if he left Seattle’s pitcher-friendly ballpark. Still, he has proven himself as a reliable, effective starter through consistent performance, and he would play a key role for Atlanta.
With the Mariners, Sean Murphy would serve as the backup catcher behind Cal Raleigh. He would likely see a drop in playing time in Seattle, but this move could also give the Mariners more opportunities to use Raleigh at DH. With the fifth spot open in the Seattle rotation, Emerson Hancock and Cooper Criswell would be viable, experienced options. Alternatively, Kade Anderson and Ryan Sloan are elite prospects who have had strong Spring Trainings and could break camp on Opening Day. The young pitching prospect Owen Murphy would also join a talented farm system and provide a future option for the rotation.
Read More Fantasy News
Seattle, WA
VIDEO: Scream Club Seattle keeps growing, midway through first year
(Story originally posted 8:22 pm, updated 12:32 am)
By Torin Record-Sand
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
From a distance, they looked like a regular crowd of people enjoying a nice evening walk on the shores of Lincoln Park. But they were gathered here for a singular purpose: to scream. Since September 2025, the Scream Club Seattle has met at Lincoln Park on every third Sunday to scream, led by head organizer Amber Walcker. No explanation, justification, or invitation to scream is needed – come as you are. “There are some harder emotions people come here to deal with, sure, but some people also just come to scream.” head organizer Amber explained.
Tonight’s crowd showed the club is rapidly growing. From around a dozen or so participants in the first gathering in September, tonight seemed to attract around 40 people gathering to let it all out.
As the sun started to set, and everyone was finally gathered together, the Scream Club was ready to begin.
There are only three screams, organizer Amber explained. The first, she said, is a scream to get used to doing it in public. The second scream is there to ground you. And the final – and longest scream – is there to let you have an emotional catharsis.
She also wanted to make sure people were taking care of their vocal health beforehand. As she told everyone to walk a little bit from the meeting place and start to gather near the shore, she instructed the crowd to hum for a few minutes on the way, to warm up the vocal cords.
With that, the crowd walked towards the shore.
“On the count of one – two – three – scream!” said organizer Amber.
You can see our video of the proceedings here. After the screaming, we talked to a few participants about why they came out.
“There’s not one thing that’s really making me want to scream. There’s a lot of stuff going on for me, a lot of emotional ups and downs. Screaming into the ocean together gives you a sense of community.” said Jessie.
“This is my third or fourth time coming to scream. With the political climate, with everything that’s happening, getting together with local community to scream feels more productive than screaming into the internet on social media.” said Ursula.
“This is my first time coming out.” said Liz. “I screamed after the Seahawks won the Super Bowl, and I really felt something. I realized I’ve been feeling a lot of frustration recently, and it felt like coming here was a healthy way to get it out rather than screaming at your neighbors.”
Organizer Amber recognizes much of what they were saying. “Meeting like this can be an important element to have in your mental health toolbox. It’s rare to have scream therapy.” She shared an anecdote about the therapeutic origins of the group, which originally started with a chapter in Chicago. “The founder was a life coach. Their girlfriend was having a bad day, and they encouraged them to go to the Chicago Pier and just let it out. He walked her through the process, and that was that. Eventually they invited more people to come do it.” She hopes to bring that same therapeutic energy to the practice here. “It’s a moment of emotional release more than anything else. Depending on what’s going on in people’s minds, everyone will come here with a different mindset and purpose. We’re providing a safe space to do that.”
Scream Club Seattle meets at Lincoln Park on the first Sunday of every month, and they are also starting to meet on the third Sunday of every month at Golden Gardens in Ballard. Tentatively, the next events will be in Lincoln Park on April 5th around 6 PM, and Golden Gardens on March 15th around 5 PM. If you’d like to know more, you can find them on Instagram here or look at their future events on their Eventbrite page here.
Seattle, WA
Detectives Investigating Robbery, Shooting Over $20 Necklace – SPD Blotter
Seattle police detectives are investigating a robbery and shooting of a 23-year-old man over a $20 necklace in Pioneer Square this morning.
At about 12:40 a.m., patrol officers responded to a shooting in the 500 block of 2nd Avenue. There, they found a victim, bleeding, with a gunshot wound to his right thigh. Police and the Seattle Fire Department treated his injury. Medics took him to Harborview Medical Center (HMC) in stable condition.
Police determined that the victim just left a bar, getting into the passenger seat of his friend’s car, when the suspect, wearing a ski mask and armed with a firearm, approached him and demanded his necklace. They struggled over the item, and the suspect shot the victim in the leg. The shooter fled in a vehicle with the necklace before police arrived. The value of the “chain” is about $20.
Detectives in the Robbery Unit responded to the scene and HMC. Anyone with information is asked to call the SPD Violent Crimes Tip line at 206-233-5000. Anonymous tips are accepted.
Incident Number: 2026-57536
-
World5 days agoExclusive: DeepSeek withholds latest AI model from US chipmakers including Nvidia, sources say
-
Massachusetts5 days agoMother and daughter injured in Taunton house explosion
-
Denver, CO5 days ago10 acres charred, 5 injured in Thornton grass fire, evacuation orders lifted
-
Louisiana1 week agoWildfire near Gum Swamp Road in Livingston Parish now under control; more than 200 acres burned
-
Technology1 week agoYouTube TV billing scam emails are hitting inboxes
-
Politics1 week agoOpenAI didn’t contact police despite employees flagging mass shooter’s concerning chatbot interactions: REPORT
-
Technology1 week agoStellantis is in a crisis of its own making
-
News1 week agoWorld reacts as US top court limits Trump’s tariff powers