West
Washington county sheriff tells deputies to not enforce city's new homeless encampment legislation
The King County, Washington, sheriff has directed her deputies to not enforce a City of Burien order outlawing homeless encampments within 500 feet of locations like schools and parks until the constitutionality of the order was resolved, without telling city officials.
Now, Burien Mayor Kevin Schilling is examining the inter-local agreement between the city and county sheriff’s office. Schilling said if he determines the agreement was broken, he would consider establishing a city-run police department.
Burien’s city council adopted a new ordinance on March 4, which prohibits people from sleeping overnight on public property from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. the next day, if a shelter, bed or treatment facility is available.
Camping on public property is also prohibited during daytime hours under the new law.
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Orson Lee, who’s been homeless for six years, drinks water from a water bottle while outreach worker Mary Guiberson looks on at a park in Burien, Wash. Outreach teams have fanned out to provide water and other aid to the homeless. (AP Photo/Manuel Valdes)
When the new ordinance was passed, the city said on its website that it was collaborating closely with the Kings County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) and service partners to ensure outreach and services were offered before the code is enforced. The city also said the KCSO understands that the code cannot be enforced without first verifying that a shelter, bed or treatment facility is available.
King County Sheriff Patti Cole-Tindall, on Friday, told her deputies to not enforce the ordinance, according to internal documents obtained by KTTH Radio host Jason Rantz, citing concerns over the constitutionality of the new law.
“We have strong concerns on whether the terms of this ordinance are constitutional, based on the existing legal authority,” Cole-Tindall said via Rantz’s reporting for KTTH.
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Andrea Suarez dismantles a tent as garbage lies piled at a homeless encampment on March 13, 2022 in Seattle, Washington. (John Moore/Getty Images)
“I do not want any of you to find yourself in a situation where you are asked or expected to do something that could violate legally-established rights,” the sheriff wrote in an email obtained by the station. “I am directing you that we will not enforce this particular section of the Burien Municipal Code until the constitutionality of the public camping ordinance is resolved.”
Cole-Tindall did not make Burien city officials aware of the decision, including Schilling.
The county executive and sheriff’s office did not immediately respond to inquiries from Fox News Digital on the matter.
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FILE – King County, Washington sheriff’s deputies were directed by its leader to not enforce a new ordinance in Burien, outlawing homeless encampments within 500 feet of locations like schools and parks. (iStock)
The sheriff was appointed by King County Executive Dow Constantine, a move granted by voters in 2021.
“This is the undemocratic situation that occurs when a higher government official gets to dictate what occurs in local governments,” Schilling told Fox News Digital. “The City of Burien pays millions of dollars to the King County Sheriff’s Office with the expectation they will enforce our city codes and laws to keep the community safe and publicly accessible for all.”
The mayor said Constantine and Cole-Tindall are prioritizing politics over public safety.
The station reported that Constantine has not been supportive of Burien’s moves to address homelessness because she does not support sweeps.
The 30-year-old mayor said he was in high school when Constantine was elected in 2009, and for years, problems have not been solved.
“Instead, King County has the highest level of homelessness ever, the highest number of overdose deaths in the country, and continuously increasing taxes for programs that do not show results or solve problems,” Schilling said. “I believe in government accountability and individual responsibility. This isn’t a liberal or conservative problem. The issue of homelessness, drug addiction, mental health issues, and criminal activity cuts across traditional partisan divides.
“We need to ensure that we are prioritizing treatment over tents, and public safety over politics so that we can get folks off the streets and into shelter and services,” he added.
KTTH reported that city council members passed the ordinance in a 5-2 vote, as members saw the legislation as an “emergency ordinance,” connected with health and public safety implications of a previous law that banned camping on public property.
Despite not enforcing the homeless encampment ordinance, Cole-Tindall told deputies to continue enforcing criminal code violations.
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A California sea lion pup found last week on a San Francisco street corner is malnourished but “active and quite feisty,” The Marine Mammal Center said Monday.
The sea lion, believed to be about 10 months old, had apparently wandered into city’s Outer Sunset neighborhood and was discovered early Thursday morning, authorities said.
The pup was spotted near 48th and Irving Streets, one block from Ocean Beach and Sunset Dunes park. A trained responder from the Marine Mammal Center was joined by San Francisco park rangers and police officers to safely corral the pup, now named ‘Irving’, into a carrier crate.
Dubbed ‘Irving’ by his rescuers, Irving weighed in at 40 pounds and is considered malnourished, the Marine Mammal Center said.
“The sea lion is active and quite feisty which is a positive initial sign in terms of general behavior,” the center said in a news release on Monday.
During an exam by veterinarians, a series of blood samples were also taken to determine whether there’s any underlying ailment.
Irving is being tube fed a fish smoothie blend two times per day to boost hydration and weight; offers of whole herring will also begin shortly.
The quick actions by police, recreation and parks staff and Ocean Avenue Animal Hospital gave the young sea lion a second chance at life, said Lauren Campbell, animal husbandry manager at The Marine Mammal Center.
“As a roughly 10-month-old pup in his first year of learning how to forage on his own, this animal has a long road to recovery due to his severe malnutrition,” Campbell said. “We are hopeful that in the coming weeks with continued specialized care that this pup starts to make positive strides toward recovery and release.”
Irving will be held in the Center’s Intensive Quarantine Unit until clearing medical protocols, before likely being transferred this week to a traditional rehabilitation pool pen. A long-term prognosis and potential release timeline are not currently known.
Denverites looking for a stellar cup of Joe don’t need to travel far to savor the flavor of excellent coffee.
That’s according to The World’s 100 Best Coffee Shops, a website that rates global hospitality establishments where coffee lovers can find better brew. The website recently announced its 2026 list of the best coffee shops in North America, Central America and the Caribbean and two local companies made the list.
Sweet Bloom Coffee Roasters came in at No. 43, while Queen City Collective Coffee ranked No. 61. Not bad for a list that includes must-hit destinations in places like Guatemala and Costa Rica, which are known for their exports of coffee beans.
The World’s 100 Best Coffee Shops decided the ranking through a mix of nominations and voting by both the public and experts. Places were evaluated based on the quality of coffee served, barista expertise, ambiance, sustainability practices, and innovation among other criteria, according to the website.
Sweet Bloom Coffee Roasters, which came on the scene in 2013, helped usher the so-called fourth wave of coffee locally, which focuses on honoring the beans’ agricultural roots and using techniques like pour-over to extract more flavor from each brew. The company started with a wholesale roastery and retail shop in Lakewood before expanding to Arvada through a merger with another company called Two Rivers, and later to Westminster. In 2022, Food and Wine magazine named Sweet Bloom’s Westminster locale the best coffee shop in Colorado.
Queen City Collective has certainly earned the popular vote among Mile High City coffee drinkers if the company’s expansion is an indication. Since opening its first retail location in 2018, in a spot shared with Novel Strand Brewing Co., Queen City has expanded to seven locations between Denver and surrounding suburbs, including Wheat Ridge and Aurora.
To see the full list of must-hit coffee shops across the globe, visit theworlds100bestcoffeeshops.com. For additional recommendations, check out our list of Colorado’s best coffee shops with picturesque patios and views.
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Seattle, WA
Delta flight from Seoul to Atlanta diverted to Seattle after report of suspicious package
SEATTLE — Delta Air Lines Flight 188, traveling from Incheon International Airport in South Korea to Atlanta, was diverted to Seattle on Monday morning after a suspicious package was reported on board.
The flight, a regularly scheduled service between Seoul-Incheon and Atlanta, diverted to Seattle around 10: 30 a.m. It was originally supposed to land in Atlanta at 5 p.m.
Delta released a statement that the diversion was initiated after reports of a “suspicious package” onboard, with the flight crew making the decision out of an abundance of caution.
After landing at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, the plane was staged at Taxiway Tango on the airfield. Passengers were deplaned to buses while investigators assessed and swept the aircraft, and officials met the plane to conduct additional security screening.
Delta stated that no credible threat was discovered and no arrests were made. After the plane was cleared, passengers were reboarded and cleared to head to the gate and go through Customs.
Delta said it is supporting an investigation involving law enforcement, aviation regulators, and others.
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