The Sound Transit Board of Directors voted Thursday to move forward with the East Link light rail Starter Line, which will begin service in March 2024.
In January, the board voted to authorize $6 million to develop the option to open a completed portion of the East Link Extension after it was announced last year that the project would be delayed.
The board voted in favor Thursday to establish the East Link Starter Line. The line will run from South Bellevue Station to Redmond Technology Station. Read more
Wildfire moved back into the region Thursday and is expected to get worse over the next few days.
It’s not clear how bad air quality could be over the weekend, but it is expected to worsen between Friday and Sunday. However, it is not expected to be as poor as it was last weekend, when it was unhealthy for everyone. Read more
Representatives for some of those killed in the 2022 floatplane crash off Whidbey Island filed a lawsuit Tuesday against several companies involved in the plane's production and operation.
A total of 10 people, including the pilot, were killed when the plane crashed on Sept. 4, 2022.
Companies included in the lawsuit include: Viking Air Limited, De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Limited, Longview Aviation Capital Corporation, Northwest Seaplanes, Inc., and West Isle Air, Inc. Read more
Bellevue-based T-Mobile announced Thursday it will lay off 5,000 employees, about 7% of its workforce, over the next few weeks.
In an email to employees, CEO Mike Sievert said the layoffs will begin this week and will continue over the next five weeks, impacting roles across the country. He said the impacted roles are “duplicative” and include corporate, back-office and some technology roles. They will not include retail or customer care roles.
Sievert said the organizational changes include streamlining and centralizing operations and are meant to improve efficiency and effectiveness while reducing cost. Read more
The Red Cross is continuing to serve people in Maui affected by the deadly wildfires to make sure those who cannot return home have a place to stay, food to eat, emotional support and spiritual care.
Aaron Hayes, now retired after years as a Washington State Patrol trooper and volunteer firefighter, was among the volunteers deployed during the early days of disaster response. He returned with an understanding of the scope of the devastation and a request that anyone who can devote their time and donations to recovery, which will likely take years
"Just the magnitude of how big this was," Hayes said. "It wasn't your standard wildland fire. It was just an entire town that got wiped out." Read more
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