Seattle, WA
Young humpback whale leaps out of Seattle bay, dazzling onlookers
SEATTLE — A humpback whale visiting the waters off Seattle dazzled onlookers Thursday morning with several breaches in they bay just beyond the city’s downtown area.
The whale has been spotted for the last three days swimming around Elliott Bay. But on Thursday, the whale breached for about 40 minutes, also performing several pectoral fin slaps and dives.
Local whale watching groups have identified the young humpback as the calf of an adult female with the identification BCY0995, better known as “Smiley.”
It’s not unusual for humpback whales to visit the waters off Seattle as they migrate along the West Coast.
Smiley’s last calf, Chip, was fatally struck by a Washington state ferry in 2020, according to the Canadian group Vancouver Island Whale Watch. On Thursday, personnel from Soundwatch Boater Education Program shadowed the whale for most of its time in the bay to alert other vessels of it.
Jeff Hogan, co-coordinator of the program’s Seattle branch, said he counted about 30 breaches. And afterward, the young whale slept.
He said the whale looked healthy.
“It was a joyful day,” Hogan said. “Everyone was working together to go out of their way to make space for that animal to do its thing. If we want these guys to be here and come back, we gotta do that.”
Seattle, WA
SPD investigating incident where local resident's dog was shot, killed at Seattle cemetery
A Seattle woman is working with the Seattle Police Department (SPD) and is seeking justice after she claimed her dog was shot and killed at a cemetery in December.
The local resident, Julia Einarsson, was finishing up a walk with her dog, Remy, at Evergreen Washelli Cemetery near Aurora Avenue on Dec. 17. The dog became spooked by a passing coyote and started barking, disrupting a large gathering by a nearby grave.
More local news: 5 taken to hospitals in 3 car crash in Issaquah
“I had him between my knees to hold him back, and he backed out of his harness and then ran around the car and barked at the family,” Einarsson told KIRO 7. “Scared the family.”
According to Einarsson, Remy didn’t bite anyone in the group, but did run up to them and barked at them from a few feet away. Everyone in the group got in their car after Einarsson asked them to, except for one man. The unidentified man tried to make the dog stop barking before walking over to his car and pulling a gun out of his jacket, firing at Remy.
“He repeated several times, ‘I’m very sorry, I’m very sorry. Do you want me to call the police?’” Einarsson said. “I said ‘I don’t even know what to do. I just need to get my dog to the emergency room.’”
She rushed to get her dog help, but Remy died approximately an hour later at a local animal hospital. According to Einarsson, she never saw the man again.
“I talk to (Remy) every day,” she said. “I tell him that I’m sorry that I couldn’t save him.”
According to KIRO 7, Einarsson rescued Remy after he was found on the streets and moved from shelter to shelter. She had him for approximately 2.5 years.
More on local animal shelters: Tacoma animal shelter caring for 264 dogs, highest number in 7 years
Seattle Police confirmed with KIRO 7 that the department is investigating the incident. As of this reporting, the Seattle Police Department (SPD) located a shell casing at the scene. The department is asking for any information regarding the large group that was visiting a grave on the east side of the cemetery on Dec. 17.
Einarsson is hoping the man turns himself in.
“Remy was my world,” she said. “Why did he have to kill him? Why couldn’t he have just joined his family in the car?”
Contributing: KIRO 7
Frank Sumrall is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read his stories here and you can email him here
Seattle, WA
Day and time for Seattle Seahawks' finale vs Rams announced
The day and time for Seattle Seahawks’ Week 18 meeting with the Rams is finally set, although it unfortunately doesn’t come with a chance for the Hawks to sneak into the playoffs.
Seahawks officially eliminated from postseason contention
After the conclusion of Sunday’s slate of NFL games, the league announced that Seattle’s trip to Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium will kick off at 1:25 p.m. next Sunday, Jan. 5.
The game previously had no announced day or time and had the potential to be played next Saturday or in a primetime slot, especially when it remained possible that it could be a de facto NFC West championship game. Any hope of that ended Sunday night when Washington’s overtime win over the Atlanta Falcons officially eliminated the Seahawks from postseason contention.
The Rams (10-6) have clinched the division after winning nine of their last 11 games, while Seattle (9-7) will have to settle for just a winning season in their first year after moving on from Pete Carroll and hiring Mike Macdonald as head coach.
If the Seahawks beat Los Angeles next Sunday, they would become the first team since the NFL instituted a 17-game schedule in 2021 to finish a season with a 10-7 record and miss the playoffs, according to Seattle Sports’ Cameron Van Til.
The radio broadcast of next Sunday’s Seahawks-Rams game will be carried, as always, on Seattle Sports 710 AM, KIRO Newsradio 97.3 FM, and the Seattle Sports, KIRO Newsradio and official Seahawks apps. Coverage will begin at 10 a.m. with the pregame show.
The TV broadcast of the game will air on FOX.
More on the Seattle Seahawks
• After trio of injuries, Seahawks’ Nwosu back in sack column
• Does Seahawks DL Leonard Williams have a case for DPOY?
• ‘Like a torpedo’: Seahawks CB Devon Witherspoon continues to wow
• Bump: What Charbonnet, McIntosh add to Seahawks’ run game
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Seattle, WA
Baltimore Orioles Considered ‘Best Fit’ Trade Match for Seattle Mariners Ace
Corbin Burnes is back in Arizona preparing for his first season with the Arizona Diamondbacks. He had $210 million reasons sign that six-year contract.
But it also puts the Baltimore Orioles in bit of a pickle.
To date, the only free-agent starter the Orioles have signed is pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano, one of the most accomplished pitchers in Japanese baseball history. But at 35 years old, he’s not seen as an ace at the MLB level.
The O’s still have Grayson Rodriguez, Zach Eflin, Dean Kremer and Albert Suarez. But two other pitchers, Kyle Bradish and Tyler Wells, are basically out for most, if not all, of 2025 due to elbow surgeries.
So, the Orioles can look in free agency, where a former Orioles starter, Jack Flaherty, is considered the top second-tier option, or they could try and swing a trade.
That could include Seattle Mariners right-hander Luis Castillo, who has been rumored to be on the trade market. MLB Trade Rumors gauged potential suitors for Castillo and listed the Orioles in the “best fit” category.
Why would the Orioles be a good fit? The Mariners are in need of some help in their infield and the Orioles are lousy with infielders, both at the minor league and Major League level.
MLB Trade Rumors noted that the Orioles have reportedly inquired about Castillo this offseason, but, naturally, nothing has happened — yet.
In the piece, the proposed trade could look something like Ryan Mountcastle, who can play either corner infield position but is more suited for first base, along with a pitching prospect like Cade Povich.
The Orioles have a system that is flush with prospects, so finding a package that could work for both sides may not be that difficult. But a Major League-ready infielder is likely a necessity.
For a starting pitcher of Castillo’s caliber, his cost is controlled through at least 2027, as he makes about $24 million each season. He comes with a vesting option in 2028 through $25 million before he becomes a free agent in 2029.
He may have a losing record for his career (73-76), but he has a solid 3.56 ERA and he strikes out nearly 10 hitters per nine innings. He also has three All-Star appearances.
It’s not as easy as a trade, though. Castillo has a no-trade clause, a result of the long extension he signed with Seattle. So he would have to approve a deal to move cross-country.
But if the Orioles can swing that kind of a deal, it would help both teams next season.
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