Local News

Weather: More sunshine today, similar to Saturday. But expect slightly cooler temperatures, with highs in the mid 70s. Expect this to be the end of our run of great weather, as we should be facing the possibility of rainy weather throughout the week — starting with a chance of rain tonight and an increasing chance of rain Tuesday through Thursday.  The National Weather Service forecast.

Traffic: There are plenty of weekend road closures. Here’s a quick hit of what’s closing, which you can read more about here:

The traffic map and cams.

Lumber inferno in Montesano: A large lumber mill was completely destroyed in a massive fire in Montesano, Grays Harbor County, according to KOMO-TV. No one was injured. But about 100 mill employees are now out of a job.

Gear up for Pac-12 football: You’ll find all of our Huskies and Cougars coverage leading up to the first kickoff in our college football preview section. And live sports today: Mariners play Chicago at 11:10 a.m. and the Storm plays New York at home at 6 p.m.

Jay Inslee began to make his mark as a tenacious young lawyer in Yakima County during the 1970s and ’80s. (Photo C/O Yakima Herald Republic)

A look at Jay Inslee’s political career: We have another installment in our coverage of the candidates and issues in the gubernatorial race. Today we look at the nearly two decades Democratic candidate Jay Inslee worked as a plaintiff’s attorney in Eastern Washington, representing clients in lawsuits against government and businesses.

Most-read stories this morning on seattletimes.com:

Weather:  Much cooler today than the last week, with lower highs than normal. Expect temperatures in the lows 60s to low 70s. This cooler weather should stick around through midweek when we might even see some showers. The National Weather Service forecast.

Traffic: No major accidents or closures to report at this time. The map and cams.

Man killed in Skyway on his birthday: A man who was celebrating his birthday with friends was found shot to death in a car early this morning, according to the King County Sheriff’s Office.

A man calling himself Henry Hemp exhaled at Hempfest Saturday, saying he has a medical marijuana card and is an advocate for legalization (Alan Berner / The Seattle Times).

Last day of Hempfest: Today is the last day of Hempfest, running from 11:30 a.m. to the closing ceremony at 8 p.m. If you want to witness the festivities from a safe distance, photographer Alan Berner has you covered in this gallery. In other pot news, tax enforcers have started auditing medical-marijuana dispensaries in the state.

Taylor Bridge Fire: Environmental reporter Craig Welch takes a good look at the wildfire that scorched 23,252 acres last week between Cle Elum and Ellensburg. The fire, he writes, offers a nasty glimpse of what fire experts fear may be increasingly common in the future.

Most-read stories this morning on seattletimes.com:

Primary ballots are due today. If you haven’t voted yet, everything you need to know is listed below. The Seattle Times politics team will be providing live updates in the Politics Northwest blog as results come in around 8 p.m. Read more about candidates and issues on the ballot.

On the ballot: Primary contests for governor, U.S. Senate and House, state Supreme Court, the entire state House of Representatives and about half the state Senate; a levy to help pay for Seattle library operations, a levy to rebuild the King County Youth Services Center; and other local offices and ballot measures.

Voting deadline: Mail-in ballots must be postmarked by Tuesday or put in a drop box by 8 p.m. that day. Be sure to sign the ballot envelope.

Missing ballot: If you lost your ballot or never received one, in King County call 206-296-8683, or visit kingcounty.gov/elections. In Snohomish County call 425-388-3444.

Drop boxes: Ballots placed in drop boxes do not require postage. For the list of locations in King County: kingcounty.gov/elections/voting/ballotdropboxes. Here’s the list of locations in Snohomish County.

Voting centers: For disabled voters unable to vote by mail, accessible voting centers are available at King County Elections in Renton, Bellevue City Hall, Green River Community College, North Seattle Community College and Union Station in Seattle. Hours: Call 206-296-8683 or go to kingcounty.gov/elections/voting/accessible.

In Snohomish County, accessible centers are at the Auditor’s Office in Everett and the Lynnwood Sno-Isle Library. Click here or more information.

Weather:  Hot. Hot. Hot. Today’s forecast calls for it to be even hotter than yesterday, with highs possibly reaching high 80s to low 90s. We could even break the record for this day: 89 degrees, which was set in 1977, according to KING5. Things will start to change quickly tomorrow, with winds shifting to bring in cooler coastal air, which may bring showers and possible thunderstorms. The National Weather Service forecast.

Traffic: Currently all clear out there right now, but remember that the I-90 bridge will close this afternoon from 12:45 to 2:40 p.m. for Blue Angels performances. The Highway 520  floating bridge also will close from 11:30 a.m. to about noon for boat traffic. The map and cams.

Seafair: Today is the last day of Seafair and we couldn’t have asked for a better day to cap the festival. As I mentioned above, the Blue Angels perform over Lake Washington from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Also happening, the final hydro heats start this morning at 10:25 a.m.,  leading up to the Albert Lee H1 Unlimited Final at 4:45 p.m. Complete Sunday Seafair schedule.

I-5 closes after report of man with gun on overpass: After police received a report about a man with either a stick or a rifle on the I-5 overpass, a Ferndale police officer said he may have seen a muzzle flash. Despite a full response, including a K-9 unit and a Homeland Security helicopter, officers could not find a suspect or any evidence a shot was fired, according to the Washington State Patrol.

Tuesday primary: Need a refresher on the primary? Or if you haven’t paying attention until now, Andrew Garber breaks down the key races and gives practical information on voting deadlines, drop box locations and voting centers for the disabled.

Most-read stories this morning on seattletimes.com:

Sailors on board the USS Bunker Hill, foreground, line the ship in their dress whites as the USS Halsey follows behind in the parade on Elliott Bay Wednesday (Alan Berner / The Seattle Times). View more photos.

Corrected version

We posted earlier about the Blue Angels and I-90 closures — the complete schedule of closures is at the bottom of this post — but other Seafair festivities will be going on this weekend. For complete Seafair events, go to the Seafair website calendar.

It’s Fleet Week and the USS New Orleans, USS Halsey and USS Bunker Hill, along with one Coast Guard vessel and three Royal Canadian Navy ships are in town. Some of the ships will be offering tours to the public through Sunday. Kids must 8 years of age or older to tour the ships. The ships will participate in other events as well — they were part of today’s Parade of Ships, which photographer Alan Berner captured in the photo at the top of this post.

The hydroplane action begins on Friday with qualifying races at 2:50 p.m., and heats continuing Saturday and Sunday, culminating in the Albert Lee Cup H1 Unlimited Final at 4:45 p.m. Sunday. Watch from Stan Sayres Pits and Genesee Park. More detailed information below.

Qualifying: Friday, 2:50 p.m.

Saturday schedule: Unlimited Heats 1A(3:10 p.m.), 1B (3:30 p.m.), and 1C (4:05 p.m.)

Sunday schedule: Unlimited Heats 2A (10:25 a.m.), 2B (10:40 a.m.) and 2C (10:55 a.m.); Heats 3A (12:10 p.m.) and 3B (12:30 p.m.); Provisional Heat (2:55 p.m.); Albert Lee Cup H1 Unlimited Final (4:45 p.m.).

Tickets: Friday: General admission free; reserved grandstand $20; Saturday and Sunday: Reserved grandstand $40; general admission $25 advance and $30 at the gate for adults, $10 for age 65-over and youth age 6-12. Pass for both Saturday-Sunday, $30.

And finally, for all you Blue Angels fans, here’s their schedule of events:

Thursday: 9:45 a.m. – noon and 1:15 – 2:30 p.m. Circle and Arrival maneuvers over Seattle.
Friday: 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Practice Show over Lake Washington
Saturday and Sunday: 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Boeing Air Show over Lake Washington

And here’s the Bridge Closure Information for those of you avoiding the Blue Angels mess:

Thursday: First Closure – 9:45 a.m.- 12 p.m.
Second Closure – 1:15 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Friday – Sunday: 12:45 p.m. – 2:40 p.m.

Correction: A graphic that ran on this post incorrectly showed that the USS Bunker Hill will be moored at Pier 48. It will be moored at Terminal 46N.

Weather:  Summer is on hiatus today as clouds rolled in overnight. Chance of rain later this afternoon and highs in the mid to upper 60s. Tomorrow should be rainy as well, giving way later in the afternoon. The rest of the coming week should be more similar to the end of last week, with morning clouds changing to afternoon sunshine.  The National Weather Service forecast.

Traffic: All clear out there right now. The only thing to note is the Highway 520 Bridge will close from 10:30 a.m. until 11 a.m. The map and cams.

Police are still searching for a missing Mercer Island man after his boat, above, was found grounded in Kirkland Friday night. (Photo courtesy of King County Sheriff’s Office)

Boat aground, man missing: Authorities are continuing to search for Richard Sweezey, whose 1965 Chris Craft was found grounded near Kirkland on Friday. Police found a portable generator running, and Sweezey’s car near the boat’s Portage Bay slip. But no sign of the captain.

Wither the Key: Seattle Times reporter Bob Young breaks down the uncertain future of KeyArena as the city and county consider helping Chris Hansen and friends build a new arena. Can the city-owned venue avoid becoming a white elephant?

Capitol Hill Block Party: You don’t normally put Capitol Hill Block Party and toddlers in the same sentence, but this morning the music-fest is inviting the kids in. There is free ice cream and lemonade from 9 a.m. to 10:30, followed by a free show from Caspar Baby Pants from 10:45 to 11:30 a.m. at Neumos.

Most-read stories this morning on seattletimes.com:

The Seattle City Council and the Metropolitan King County Council are holding a joint hearing to take public testimony on the proposal to build a $490 million sports and entertainment venue with $200 million in public financing.

The hearing began at 5:30 p.m. in Seattle City Council Chambers, 600 Fourth Avenue, Seattle. Around 500 people were in the audience, including those in an overflow room. 132 participants signed up to voice their opinion about the arena proposal and Councilmember Tim Burgess promised all would get a chance to speak.

Weather: Cloudy again to start off the morning and it may stick around all day, with a chance of rain and thunderstorms throughout the day. Temps should stay around 60 degrees. The drizzle and cooler weather should stick around until Tuesday, but it should be nice the rest of the week. The National Weather Service forecast.

Traffic: Again, roads may be snarled this weekend from multiple road closures and weekend events, including:

• Highway 520 closed from Montlake Boulevard to the I-405 on-ramps until early Monday.

• Pine Street at Broadway closed both directions until early Monday.

• Market Street is closed from 24th Avenue to 20th Avenue due to the Ballard SeafoodFest. Today’s the last day of the festival, if you’re hoping to attend.

Gunfire in Belltown this morning, suspect arrested: Seattle police say gunfire broke out while a crowd gathered in a Belltown parking lot early this morning. Police were dispatched to the 2100 block of First Avenue for a fight in a parking lot. No one was hit.

NBA/NHL arena explained: Need help understanding the intricacies of the potential arena deal? Lynn Thompson does an awesome job of breaking down the big questions surrounding the proposal.

While Sharvil Talati, top with paddle, provided the muscle, Ansuya Somashekar, front, and Vehd Reddy provided the spirit on the Buzz Buzz Milk Carton vessel Saturday in the annual Milk Carton Derby on Green Lake. About 80 boats paddled their way on the 600-foot course (Alan Berner/The Seattle Times).

Is Seafair still relevant? In the 62 years since Seafair started, Seattle grew from a small town to a high-tech metropolis. Is it possible New Seattle still could be interested in this midcentury creation? We sat down with Seafair CEO Beth Knox to answer this question and others.

Most-read stories this morning on seattletimes.com:

Weather: Another great day of summer in Seattle, with highs in the mid-70s and low 80s. Get out there and enjoy it one last day before the work week starts. But have no fear, it’ll remain nice all week and possibly into the weekend.  The National Weather Service forecast.

Traffic: Lots of road closures this weekend, with construction closures on Aurora Avenue North, Mercer Street and South Spokane Street. So watch out if you’re planning on taking the convertible out. The map and cams.

Police chase in West Seattle: The West Seattle Blog is reporting police were pursuing an SUV this morning from Alki to the West Seattle Bridge. A barricade was set up at the bridge, a witness told the West Seattle Blog, adding that the suspect drove around and onto the bridge onramp.

Explosive device blows up parking meter: In what Seattle police are calling an act of vandalism gone awry, a bomb attached to a electronic parking meter in Ballard blew up, injuring one man and severely damaging the meter.

The Farnborough Air Show begins tomorrow and Boeing reporter Dominic Gates has a good preview story today, as well as an interesting post with a video of how the 787 will fly at Farnborough.

Ballard blood- and bone-marrow drive: After two members of one family received cancer diagnoses, they decided to stage a drive to get people to donate blood and register to donate bone marrow, so others — especially racial minorities — could be helped. That drive is today at the Ballard Boys & Girls Club.

Most-read stories this morning on seattletimes.com:

Weather:  Another rainy day in the neighborhood. It looks like most of the rain predicted for today fell this morning, and there might even be a chance for sun in the afternoon — although, I’m not holding out hope. Highs will once again be in the 60s. When will it end, you ask? Well, just like every year, it should get sunny on July 5th. The National Weather Service forecast.

Traffic:  The southbound lanes of the viaduct were closed overnight between the north end of the Battery Street Tunnel and the West Seattle Bridge. They reopened at 9 a.m. this morning. Otherwise nothing else to report. The map and cams.

Six injured at house party shooting: Six people were injured during a shooting early this morning at a large house party in  South Seattle. One of the victims suffered “life-threatening injuries,” according to Seattle police, and is critical condition at Harborview Medical Center. Police had been at the party, with several hundred people in attendance, twice earlier in the evening.

Seattle plastic-bag ban begins today: Plastic bags are no longer available at most retail stores and customers will need to bring their own reusable bags or pay 5 cents for paper bags. The city council unanimously approved the plastic bag ban last December. To help shoppers, Seattle Public Utilities and Safeway are giving away 32,000 reusable grocery bags at the grocery stores on Sunday.

Tolls go up today: Only six months after electronic tolls began on the Highway 520 bridge, the rates are going up today, to a peak rate of $3.59 each direction for cars using the Good to Go pass. The figure represents a 2.5 percent increase for inflation, to be followed by three more annual 2.5 percent increases. Also, The News Tribune reports the Tacoma Narrows Bridge tolls will go up today as well.

Most-read stories on seattletimes.com: