August 2009

Given my abject lack of technical knowhow, I am always wowed by people who ooze tech savvy. Maybe it's because I still have a VCR (that doesn't work) and I somehow got a pair of socks stuck in my computer's printer.

So, you can imagine my slackjawed awe when I interviewed the three co-founders of Redmond's OmniTechNews. They do product reviews for things that I can't come close to identifying. I think one of them was a cell phone...

>> Continue reading: We're not nerds. We're geeks!

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The back to school scramble has begun. And my to-do list is a mile long! So is the school supply shopping list required by my daughter's school. This year the 5th graders must own a flash drive. That's one of the gadgets we talked to a Best Buy guy about in this week's Northwest Families segment. Another is a >> Continue reading: Back To School Scramble

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There were no real surprised in today's release of the annual "Best Colleges" rankings from U.S. News & World Report . Harvard and Princeton are tied for first, with a four-way tie for Number 4: Cal Tech, MIT, Stanford and the University of Pennsylvania.

>> Continue reading: 2010 "Best College" rankings are released

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That's the headline. For the sixth straight year Washington students scored far above the national average on the ACT exam. Results released this morning show students in our state tied for seventh with Rhode Island on the college readiness exam. The test is mainly used for admission into colleges and universities.

>> Continue reading: Washington students continue to score well on ACT

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I don't know about other kids, but my daughter has a love-hate relationship with this time of year. She's anxious for school to start - but also dreading the end of her summer vacation. I too have a love-hate relationship with this time of year. It is right about now that we start covering stories about the possibility of teacher strikes.

>> Continue reading: Teacher pay takes center stage

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They came from Miami and Michigan, Calgary and Chicago, Birmingham and Big Brother. Most finished the program in the normal three years, others took longer. Many work in local news, some don't. But they all love weather, and that's why they found themselves in out-of-the-way Starkville, Mississippi.

>> Continue reading: Some Barbecue With Your Weather?

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Washington's Superintendent of Public Instruction, Randy Dorn, held a news conference this morning to release the latest WASL and AYP scores (see yesterday's blog for definitions)... and called on the federal government to change the guidelines under which schools are identified as needing improvement. The number of Washington schools failing to make Adequate Yearly Pr...

>> Continue reading: Dorn says No Child Left Behind is "unfair"

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Tomorrow morning, the state schools superintendent, Randy Dorn, is scheduled to release the latest , and last, WASL scores.
The WASL is being replaced in the coming school year by the MSP and HSPE. Dorn will also be releasing the latest AYP scores.
Sometimes I think officials use acronyms just to confuse the populace. So, here's a primer on the meaning of some of those acronyms that you'll hear tomorrow.

>> Continue reading: The abc's of OSPI acronyms

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Last night I re-watched a re-broadcast of this week's Aerospace Summit moderated by KING-5's Glenn Farley . The objective of the summit was to talk about the future of the aerospace industry in Washington State.

>> Continue reading: The ties that bind the fight to keep Boeing here & education

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When I was a child this was always my favorite time of year. The weather was warm and school was only a few weeks away. I loved going shopping with my mother for back to school supplies. Call me crazy, I love the smell of freshly sharpened pencils! We would always set aside a Saturday afternoon to gather up all the necessities... pencils, paper, crayons and a 3-ring binder. I'm certain my mother never spent more than ten dollars on su...

>> Continue reading: The increasing costs of school supplies

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Last week most of our attention was focused on the thermometer, as record high temperatures left most of us sweltering in the heat. But as we fanned ourselves in an attempt to stay cool, one story passed under the radar.
On Wednesday, the Center on Education Policy released an in-depth report on the Washington Assessment of Student Learning - better known as the WASL.

>> Continue reading: WASL contributes to student achievement... really?

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We're back online at KING5.com. See this story for more info.

>> Continue reading: We're back!

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EVERETT, Wash. - An early morning shooting in Everett sent a woman to the hospital and police say it looks like a case of domestic violence.
It happened at the Colby Creek Apartments at around 4 this morning.
Police say the 37-year-old woman was apparently shot by her 38-year-old boyfriend. She's in critical condition.
Police have arrested the shooter.

>> Continue reading: Early morning shooting sends Everett woman to hospital

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SEATTLE (AP) -- A Seattle bank teller has lost his job because he ran down a would-be bank robber and held him until police arrived.
Jim Nicholson, who worked at a Key Bank branch, says he understands the bank's policy that employees comply with robbery demands and avoid dangerous confrontations. But he tells The Seattle Times that his instincts took over when the man demanded money during the Tuesday incident.
Nicholson says he tr...

>> Continue reading: Seattle bank teller loses job after chasing robber

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Check out this picture taken from our Queen Anne Tower Cam of the fog rolling in from Elliott Bay. There's a larger version inside.
It's thick enough that the foghorns are soundin...

>> Continue reading: Fog rolling in off the Bay

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Nearly 100 former Washington Mutual executives are suing the government for millions.
They were all fired when the government seized control of the failing bank and transferred it to Chase.
The executives claim that transfer triggered a "change of control" agreement in their Wa-Mu contracts - entitling them to lump sum payments of up to twice their annual salary.
"I think common people think it's a bunch of bankers trying to...

>> Continue reading: Former Wa-Mu execs sue gov't for millions

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The men and women from Washington National Guard's 81st Brigade Combat Team should arrive at McChord Air Force Base at 2:45 p.m. today.
From McChord, they'll head to Fort Lewis for a welcome home ceremony with family and friends.
This is the first wave of 81st Brigade soldiers to come home from Iraq.
More arrivals are expected over the next two weeks.

>> Continue reading: Welcome home for 250 Nat'l Guard soldiers

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Road crews have reopened part of State Route 522 after a deadly crash in Monroe.
Washington State Patrol troopers say two men died after a head-on crash near Main Street around 2 a.m. today.
The driver and passenger of an SUV died at the scene.
Another passenger inside was rushed to Harborview Medical Center in critical condition.
The driver of a pickup truck suffered minor injuries and was arrested for driving under th...

>> Continue reading: Head-on Monroe crash kills 2

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The 5th Avenue Theatre will hold a special fundraiser in memory of South Park stabbing victim, Teresa Butz.
Butz's brother, Tim, plays a leading role in the musical "Catch Me If You Can."
For each ticket sold to the Aug. 5 performance, $5 will go to the Compass Center where Butz served on the board of directors.

>> Continue reading: 5th Avenue Theatre fundraiser for South Park stabbing victim

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