Seattle, WA
JP Patches clown statue vandalized in Fremont, fans hope to make repairs
Iconic Seattle clown statue vandalized
Community leaders in Fremont are hoping to repair the statue of Seattle’s most famous clown after it was defaced by a vandal within the past few weeks.
SEATTLE – Community leaders in Fremont are hoping to repair the statue of Seattle’s most famous clown after it was defaced by a vandal within the past few weeks.
J.P. Patches was the star of a long-running show from 1958-1981, with many members of the community appearing on the program over the years.
The statue was unveiled in 2008 with a street later named after the iconic clown. The picture below shows what the statue used to look like before and after the vandalism.
What they’re saying:
“I am a long-time Seattleite and I know who J.P. Patches is and Gertrude,” said superfan Suzie Burke, a J.P. Patches statue supporter.
Burke says during his three decades on TV, J.P. Patches worked to make people happy.
But, things took a sad turn after the statue honoring J.P. Patches and his sidekick, Gertrude, was vandalized with black paint. Someone inked out the facial features that made the characters come to life.
“J.P. Patches was our clown,” she said, pictured below looking at the damage.
“We have to fix it!,” said Burke, pointing to the statue. “His face is supposed to be white, with the red lips and the red nose.”
Fans of the late clown and the statue say the person who was responsible for defacing the statue wasn’t just clowning around, as the vandalism disrespects the memory of both the clown and the man behind him, Chris Wedes.
“J.P. Patches is a Seattle icon. Any kid that grew up from the 60s and 70s grew up watching JP Patches,” said Curt Hanks, webmeister of JPPatches.com.
After Chris passed away in 2012, FOX 13 interviewed his co-star Bob Newman during a 2013 street-naming celebration in his honor.
“We could do crazy dumb stuff, you know, and people loved it,” said Newman. “They just loved to be talked to, you know, and we just had a great time.
As for who is responsible for the damage, that’s unclear. For now, Hanks with JPPatches.com says “Patches Pals,” as fans are called, will likely rally to make repairs.
A restoration fund for the statue is now live on the J.P. Patches website.
“I raised funds for the last restoration of the statue about three years ago, and we raised funds for these pavers at the base of the statue,” said Hanks.
“We take that pretty seriously, even when it’s a clown,” said Ryan Reiter, managing director for the Fremont Sunday Market, in reference to the vandalism.
Reiter is also hoping to host a parade in Fremont to raise money for the cause.
“We’ve just been spit-balling. We want to find a way to help fix J.P. Patches,” said Reiter.
He’s hoping to host that parade at the Fremont Sunday Market location. He said he could host the event as early as May 25. He plans to make an announcement on social media soon.
FOX 13 reached out to Seattle Police to see if officers are investigating the vandalism incident, and we are waiting to hear back.
The Source: Information in this story came from the J.P. Patches website and original FOX 13 Seattle reporting and interviews.
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Seattle, WA
Valter Walker vs. Marcin Tybura booked for UFC Seattle
Heavyweights will collide in “Rain City.”
MMAmania.com confirmed with multiple sources today (Thurs., Jan. 8, 2026) that No. 10-ranked Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Heavyweight Marcin Tybura will take on surging Brazilian prospect Valter Walker at UFC Seattle on Sat., March 28, 2026, inside Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington.
Walker (15-1) stumbled out of the gate in his UFC debut, suffering a loss to Lukasz Brzeski in 2024. Since then, however, “Clean Monster” has completely rewritten the narrative — and the UFC record books.
Walker opened 2025 by submitting Don’Tale Mayes with a heel hook (watch highlights), his second straight victory via the technique. Five months later, he followed it up with another first-round heel hook against Kennedy Nzechukwu (watch highlights), setting a new UFC record for most consecutive heel hook submission wins with three.
But he wasn’t finished.
At UFC 321 in Oct. 2025, Walker once again locked in a first-round heel hook — this time against Louie Sutherland — tying Rousimar Palhares for the most heel hook submissions (four) in UFC history while extending his own record for consecutive heel hook finishes (watch it).
A win in Seattle would almost certainly vault Walker into the Top 10 of the Heavyweight rankings.
Tybura (27-10), meanwhile, will be defending his No. 10 spot when he steps into the cage. The Polish veteran went 1-1 in 2025, handing highly touted U.K. prospect Mick Parkin his first professional loss at UFC London before suffering a quick knockout loss to debuting Ante Delija at UFC Paris (watch highlights), snapping a two-fight win streak.
Now 40 years old, Tybura is 5-3 over his last eight appearances.
Here are some other bouts currently scheduled for UFC Seattle:
Casey O’Neill vs. Gabriella Fernandes
Alexa Grasso vs. Maycee Barber
Nicolle Caliari vs. Carol Fiori
To checkout UFC’s upcoming schedule of events click here.
Seattle, WA
Around 200 protest fatal ICE shooting in front of Seattle’s federal building
SEATTLE, Wash. – There were at least 200 protesters that showed up in Seattle Wednesday night in what speakers called an “emergency protest” in response to the fatal ICE shooting in Minneapolis Wednesday.
“We want justice, we want peace, we want justice, we want peace, we want ICE off our streets, we want ice off our streets…” they chanted.
Seattle protesters outside the Federal Building following a fatal shooting by ICE agents in Minneapolis. (FOX 13 Seattle)
After listening to speakers, protesters went on the march and circled the blocks near the Federal Building in Seattle.
Though the protest was organized on short notice, some protesters say they were compelled to come out Wednesday with urgency because they felt what happened in Minneapolis was a bridge too far.
What they’re saying:
“ICE has gone too far. We’ve felt this, we’ve known this for a long time. There have been people protesting,” said Raleigh Watts, protesting the ICE shooting. “We’ve been hearing the news. Today I came out because when I heard, it was my sign that a line has been crossed that I can’t stand anymore. So, I’ve come to say, ‘No ICE, you’ve gone too far’.”
“A lot of people out here are really, really angry, confused and sad, but I think we have what it takes to fight back,” said Sophia Van Beek, protesting the MN ICE shooting. “I’m certain there are going to be actions.”
Sophia says in order to make a difference, protesters need to create an actionable political program.
Seattle protest on fatal ICE shooting in Minneapolis
Members of law enforcement were in the area and helped to block off the streets during the protest and march. There were no clashes during this protest and it wrapped up at around 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
“I am proud of all the hundreds of people who have turned out tonight at the federal building in Seattle. I’m proud of the people who are in Tacoma that are protesting at the ice detention center and in Minneapolis and in cities across the country. This is not okay for ICE to kill somebody,” said Watts.
What’s next:
Some people at Wednesday’s demonstration said they were planning to organize more protests in the coming weeks.
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The Source: Information in this story came from original FOX 13 Seattle reporting and interviews.
Seattle, WA
Seattle groups join national protest against ICE raids following Minneapolis shooting
SEATTLE — Seattle activists are rallying to demand justice on Wednesday following the fatal shooting of a woman by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent in Minneapolis.
The Seattle Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (SAARPR) and Seattle Against War (SAW) have organized an emergency press conference to protest the incident.
The event is scheduled for 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Henry M. Jackson Federal Building in Seattle.
Woman killed by ICE officers in Minneapolis; Mayor tells ICE to ‘get the f***’ out
The shooting occurred on Wednesday morning at the corner of 34th and Portland Avenue in Minneapolis. According to preliminary information, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said, the woman was sitting in her vehicle blocking the roadway when a federal law enforcement officer approached on foot. When the vehicle began to drive away, at least two shots were fired, and the vehicle crashed on the side of the road.
In response, emergency protests have erupted in Minneapolis and are expected to continue through Jan. 11.
The Seattle groups are joining the Legalization 4 All Network in calling for an immediate end to ICE raids and mass deportations.
They are also demanding justice and accountability for the woman who was killed, including the release of the name of the ICE agent involved and the names of all agents participating in such operations.
This is a developing story; check back for updates.
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