Seattle, WA

Seattle considers $500 fine for owners of vehicles used in street racing

Published

2 years ago

June 19, 2024

Seattle considers 0 fine for owners of vehicles used in street racing

By David Kroman
The Seattle Times

SEATTLE — A new bill before the Seattle City Council would allow police to write a $500 ticket to the owner of any car being used in illegal street racing — even if someone else is behind the wheel.

The new citation is part of a larger bill, submitted by Seattle City Attorney Ann Davison this week, that brings Seattle in line with new state-level rules regulating street racing. The Washington Legislature last year expanded the definition of illegal street racing to include the takeover of intersections, dangerous displays (such as “donuts”), and racing in off-street areas like parking lots.

By adding the $500 citation, however, Seattle goes further than the state — and possibly gives the city another tool to go after the now-infamous “Belltown Hellcat” driver, who’s made international headlines for flaunting his Dodge Charger on Seattle’s streets and Instagram.

The motive for the proposed new citation, said Deputy City Attorney Scott Lindsay, is to help police crackdown on large street racing events, which are relatively common, especially in the summer months.

“This legislation responds to the recent rise in large street racing takeover events that pose a safety hazard to the public — pedestrians, cyclists, and other drivers,” Davison said. “The new civil infraction will give police a tool to hold vehicle owners accountable when their cars are used at these events.”

City Hall has tried to wrap its arms around illegal street racing in recent years. The events, which can quickly swell to nearly 100 cars, pop up around the city — including recently in Wallingford, West Seattle, Lower Queen Anne, Capitol Hill and Rainier Valley. They’re loud, disruptive and, as occurred last summer in Auburn, occasionally deadly.

The city last year signed off on installing new traffic cameras in areas around the city to help crack down on illegal street racing. But individual officers are limited in what they can do to break up the events as they happen.

Under current law, officers must identify and try to arrest the person driving the car in an illegal street race. That’s difficult when a single patrol vehicle is dispatched to events with a large number of cars and people.

If passed, the new law would allow officers to write down license plate numbers and other identifying features and cite the cars’ owners — similar to how parking tickets or tolls are issued now.

While the so-called Hellcat driver, Miles Hudson, was not the motivator for the new law, it could be used against him. Hudson has gained internet infamy by speeding his noisy — and leopard-print — sport car down Seattle’s streets.

Hudson, 20, was charged in March with two counts of reckless driving stemming from a video posted in February that showed a driver racing at speeds up to 107 mph in an area where the limit is 25 mph. He has pleaded not guilty to both charges.

In May, he was sued by the city of Seattle and ordered to comply with the requirements of various traffic and city citations he’s received over several months. The Seattle city attorney later filed a court order demanding he pay $83,619.97 in civil penalties and other fees after he failed to respond to the lawsuit in time.

He was ordered to not drive the Hellcat, but in several videos posted on Instagram, where he has 759,000 followers, he’s seen in the passenger seat while others drive his car.

If passed, the new law would mean officers could write tickets to Hudson even as a passenger. Both he and his mother are listed as owners, according to the lawsuit.

Councilmember Bob Kettle is sponsoring the bill.

(Seattle Times reporter Paige Cornwell contributed to this story.)
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Seattle, WA

FOLLOWUP: Seattle Parks’ official announcement of this year’s beach and boat-ramp hours

Published

7 hours ago

April 14, 2026

Press Room

FOLLOWUP: Seattle Parks’ official announcement of this year’s beach and boat-ramp hours

(WSB photo, Saturday night)

As we first reported last month, some of Seattle Parks‘ “summer” hours this year are starting on May 1 – and this past weekend, we photographed illuminated signage announcing that along Alki, while noting the city had yet to make a full detailed announcement. Today, it’s finally out, including info on beach-fire season, which will start the Friday before Memorial Day:

With the summer season approaching, Seattle Parks and Recreation is reminding visitors of summer park hours, boat ramp access, and beach fire rules at Alki Beach and Golden Gardens.
Below are key details to help you plan ahead, including summer hours and beach fire season dates.
Summer Hours at Parks and Boat Ramps
This summer, starting Friday, May 1, 2026, the permanent summer hours will be in effect at select parks and boat ramps across Seattle:
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Alki Beach and Golden Gardens:
Summer Hours (May 1, 2026 — September 30, 2026): 4 a.m. – 10:30 p.m.
Non-Summer Hours (September 30, 2026 — April 30, 2027): 4 a.m. – 11:30 p.m.
Don Armeni and Eddie Vine Boat Ramps:
Summer Hours (May 1, 2026 — September 30, 2026): 4 a.m. – 10:30 p.m.
Non-Summer Hours (September 30, 2026 — April 30, 2027): Open 24 hours
These seasonal hours help support safe, enjoyable use during peak visitation while aligning with staffing and safety resources.
Beach Fire and Park Rules
Starting Friday, May 22, 2026, beach fires will be permitted at designated fire pits at Alki Beach and Golden Gardens seven days a week on a first come, first served basis. Bringing your own fire pit is not allowed, and no propane fire pits/rings are allowed.
-Fires must be extinguished by 10 p.m.
-Fires allowed 7 days a week starting Friday, May 22 through Tuesday, September 1.
-Staff will be on-site to manage and assist with putting out fires at 10 p.m.
-Parking lot gates will be locked and the park will close at 10:30 p.m. for summer hours.
-Please only burn clean (natural, bare, dry cord-wood) wood and douse your fire completely before leaving.
-Light a fire ONLY in one of the installed fire containers
-Use only clean, dry firewood
-Please douse your fire with water, not sand
-Fires are not allowed during air pollution alerts; we will post sign
-Please don’t remove any materials from the park, beach or dunes
-Please dispose of trash and ashes in the containers provided for each. (SMC 18.12.260)
-Be considerate of others–please, no loud or amplified music! (SMC 18.12.170)
-Remember, no alcohol or smoking are allowed, and parks are drug-free zones.
-Beach fire rules are outlined in detail in the Seattle Municipal Code section 18.12.270 and in our Beach Fires Policy.
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If you see an illegal fire, call 911. For current burn ban and air quality questions, contact Puget Sound Clean Air Agency.
Fire pits at Golden Gardens and Alki are unlocked by 5:30 p.m. Please extinguish all beach fires (using water, not sand) by 10 p.m. in order to ensure that all fires are completely extinguished in ample time before the park’s closure.
We’re committed to providing a safe and enjoyable experience for all that visit Seattle parks! Thank you for doing your part to follow park guidelines and help keep these spaces welcoming for this summer.

Summer plans on Alki are expected to be among the topics at the Alki Community Council‘s monthly meeting Thursday (April 16), 7 pm at Alki UCC (6115 SW Hinds).

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Seattle, WA

Slog AM: A Missing Beaver in Seattle, Trump Fights With the Pope, Hungary’s Right Wing Prime Minister Loses Election Handily – The Stranger

Published

19 hours ago

April 13, 2026

Press Room

Slog AM: A Missing Beaver in Seattle, Trump Fights With the Pope, Hungary’s Right Wing Prime Minister Loses Election Handily – The Stranger

Answers: Authorities believe that those 21 skinned canine carcasses that washed ashore on Guemes Island around two weeks ago were foxes, not dogs. The fox carcasses were being transported to be used in a commercial fishing operation as bait. According to the Skagit County Sheriff’s office, they were bought out of state, legally, and brought to Washington. But the boat they were on experienced mechanical difficulties that somehow dumped its cargo in the water. It’s unfortunate when your cargo is 21 skinned fox carcasses that then wind up on a small community’s shores and they think there’s a dog serial killer in their midst. Nope, nope, just fishing bait.

While you were sleeping this weekend there was a swarm of 18 offshore earthquakes near the Juan de Fuca Ridge. Shh. Go back to sleep. They pose no threat to land. It’s just the tectonic plates moving apart.

In Other Animal Carcass News: People found a decapitated cougar partially submerged in Idaho’s Lake Pend Oreille. Park rangers say the cougar died of natural causes and, even though its head was clearly cleanly severed by a human, there was no foul play. Stealing a cougar’s head from its carcass is perfectly legal under Idaho salvage laws. Finders keepers?

Beaver Missing: Someone stole Capitol Hill’s Waxon Spa’s taxidermy beaver mascot. The stuffed beaver wears pink bunny ears, purple heart sunglasses, and has pink painted nails. The waxers there need this beaver in order to wax other beavers. “Please help bring our baby home,” the spa pleads in a missing poster. They are offering a $400 reward

ICYMI: The new Ichiro Suzuki statue the Mariners unveiled Friday had a hard time uh, keeping it up.

A Gas Works Facelift: A new hazard correction order from Seattle’s Department of Construction and Inspections may force the parks department to take out “unsafe ladders, piping and catwalks by May 15.” A teen died last summer after climbing—and falling—from Gas Works’ structures. Two others have died in similar incidents since 2012. The SDCI order breaks through a six month stalemate between parks and the Landmarks Preservation Board which has blocked any attempt to remove hazards from the park for fear of it altering history.

The Weather: Overcast, rainy, but not too rainy.

A WEAK on Crime Pope: Donald Trump sent out a Truth Social screed against Pope Leo XIV, calling him weak on crime, terrible for foreign policy, and weak on nuclear weapons. After that, Trump shared an AI-generated photo of him as Jesus healing the sick. The Jesus pic crossed a line for some evangelicals.

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Seattle, WA

Seattle Mariners’ Gilbert hits key mark in dazzling start

Published

1 day ago

April 13, 2026

Press Room

Seattle Mariners’ Gilbert hits key mark in dazzling start

It had been quite a while since Logan Gilbert pitched through the seventh inning for the Seattle Mariners.

So long, in fact, that Gilbert was surprised hear the last time it occurred was on opening day last season.

“I didn’t know it’s been that long. That doesn’t feel great,” he quipped after the Mariners’ 6-1 win over the Houston Astros on Sunday.

Seattle Mariners 6, Houston Astros 1: Box Score

Gilbert snapped his streak 27 straight starts without pitching through the seventh with his best outing this season against the Astros.

Perhaps most encouraging for Gilbert was the fact that he did it in an efficient manner. The right-hander needed just 85 pitches to get through seven innings of one-run ball while striking out 11 and giving up just four hits and one walk. Gilbert had only three three-ball counts on the day.

“It’s nice to keep going and get back to that,” Gilbert said. “We talked about it like two days ago, so it’s nice that we put the plan in place and did it, and hopefully more of those to come.”

The plan? Gilbert said he talked with pitching coach Pete Woodworth and catcher Cal Raleigh about forcing more contact to shorten at-bats.

“I have plenty of options. It’s just really (that) quicker at-bats sometimes are good. Almost treating it like if they swing, it’s a good thing,” said Gilbert, who still racked up 15 whiffs on the day. “If they hit it, we win, instead of just trying to out-stuff everybody. Sometimes if they swing, sometimes it’s a hit, sometimes it’s not. But just continually doing that usually puts us in a pretty good spot.”

It’s a goal of Gilbert’s this season to get deeper into ballgames. After leading MLB with 208 2/3 innings pitched in 2024, Gilbert’s 2025 season saw him strikeout batters at a higher clip at the cost not typically going into as deep into games as the season prior.

During Gilbert’s 2024 campaign, he pitched seven innings or more 10 times, including getting through the eighth four times. He lasted less than six innings in just seven of his 33 starts.

But in a 2025 season that was shortened to just 25 starts due to flexor injury in his right elbow, Gilbert pitched less than six innings on 17 occasions.

His seven-inning start Sunday marked his second straight outing of at least six innings. Gilbert had just one streak of two or more starts with at least six innings pitched last year.

Getting through seven innings wasn’t the only highlight of Gilbert’s day. He also picked off a runner for just the second time in 150 career starts when he caught Jose Altuve leaning at first base in the first inning.

Gilbert wasn’t sure at the time whether or not it was his first career pickoff in the majors.

“I was about to throw the ball out, but I didn’t know if that would like look bad,” he said with a laugh. “But I was fired up because it’s been so long and I never pick guys off. But that was just called from the dugout. It was a glove drop (by Raleigh). So we were trying to catch him bouncing.”

Gilbert got an assist on the play with a deke from Josh Naylor, too. The first baseman flashed his glove and stepped towards the bag to get Altuve to jump back towards the base, then he faked to step away and Altuve shuffled towards second as Gilbert fired to first for the out.

“It was called by the dugout, Naylor deking him, Cal reading it. So basically, everybody else picked him off. I just threw the ball,” Gilbert joked.

Follow @ZacHereth

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