Right of Way initiative shelters homeless people in Everett, sparking accusations from city’s mayor

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Ashley Archibald is the editor of Real Change News.

Articles by Ashley Archibald

Councilmember Kshama Sawant speaks to a television news reporter on the steps of Seattle City Hall in 2017.

Sawant will not run for reelection

By Ashley Archibald | January 19, 2023

By Ashley Archibald
Editor

Seattle City Councilmember Kshama Sawant announced Thursday that she will not run for reelection in District 3 and will instead launch a worker’s rights campaign called Workers Strike Back.

Sawant is now the fourth incumbent City Council member who will be vacating a seat, joining Debora Juarez (North Seattle), Lisa Herbold (West Seattle) and Alex Pedersen (University District). ...

A young/middle-aged Black man in black sweat jacket stands among crowds with signs outside youth jail, speaking into a mic.

Reaffirming the call for justice, peace on MLK, Jr. Day

By Ashley Archibald | January 18, 2023

A blue tarp covered the floor of the Garfield High School gym in preparation for the hundreds of people expected to gather for the 40th annual celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day in Seattle.

They entered the event space as the clock ticked toward 11 a.m., some arriving for the rally and march, some coming from the workshops that had begun at 9:30 that morning.

“It is good to be home,” said Bobby Alexander, the vice chair of the Martin Luther King Jr. Organizing Coalition. ...

Election season...again | Compete all you want

By Ashley Archibald | January 11, 2023

Election season … again

The fields for the 2023 Seattle City Council and King County Council races are beginning to take shape, because the region loves nothing more than an odd-year November election season.

Sitting councilmembers Lisa Herbold, Debora Juarez and recently Alex Pedersen have announced that they will not be running for reelection to the Seattle City Council. ...

An explosive proposal | Seattle freeze

By Ashley Archibald | December 28, 2022

An explosive proposal

Gov. Jay Inslee and Attorney General Bob Ferguson want the legislature to consider two new gun control measures in the next legislative session, one that would ban the sale of military-style assault weapons and another that would cause gun manufacturers and dealers to face legal liability if they fail to establish and enforce “reasonable controls” around gun production and sales. ...

Photograph of King County courthouse on overcast wintry early evening

King County Superior Court plans to keep some virtual options post-pandemic

By Ashley Archibald | December 28, 2022

Courts across the country plan to keep hybrid models of remote jury selection, civil trials and limited criminal trials that were established during the pandemic, according to reports from various jurisdictions that cite better overall access, in some cases, and concerns about the digital equity, in others. ...

Audited | Local group breaks with EPA | Christmas kittens

By Ashley Archibald | December 7, 2022

Audited

Cities and counties in Washington state, including Seattle, need to better use data and monitor service providers in order to deal with the homelessness crisis, according to the state auditor. ...

Anchors up in Shoreline | It’s cold outside | Holding people to account

By Ashley Archibald | November 30, 2022

Anchors up in Shoreline

The King County District Court and city of Shoreline are reopening the Shoreline Community Resource Center, a place where people can access services such as health care, education, job training, behavioral health and substance use disorder help. The resource center was opened in conjunction with the Shoreline Community Court, but was operated virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic. ...

Advisory panel announced | King County budget passes | Seriously, it’s election season | Back in business | Homeless to housed

By Ashley Archibald | November 23, 2022

Advisory panel announced

Mayor Bruce Harrell and Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz announced the creation of a panel of experts on sexual assault that will help address the failure of the Seattle Police Department (SPD) to adequately investigate those crimes and support victims.

The six-member panel includes public health, legal and law enforcement professionals who will work to reform SPD’s internal processes as part of a comprehensive review. Harrell and Diaz also pointed to “unprecedented staffing shortages” as part of the problem. ...

Tragedy and response at Ingraham High | Voting on the next vote

By Ashley Archibald | November 16, 2022

Tragedy and response at Ingraham High

Students held a citywide walkout Nov. 14 to call for action on gun violence in the wake of a deadly shooting at Ingraham High School in North Seattle the previous week. They demanded that the city invest $9 million in schools to increase the number of counselors.

It’s the second time that students have rallied over gun violence in recent months. In June, young people from across King County gathered at City Hall to demand Gov. Jay Inslee ban semi-automatic rifles. ...