KING 5 Staff

Police say a shot hit a transformer, cutting power to thousands in Beacon Hill and Yesler Terrace. SEATTLE — A man was critically injured Friday afternoon after being shot during an altercation in the Chinatown-International District. A stray bullet from the incident damaged an electrical transporter, cutting power to nearly 10,000 nearby customers. Seattle police responded to reports of a shooting at 3:48 p.m. near South Jackson Street and 12th Avenue South. Officers found an adult man with a gunshot wound to the upper body and provided aid until Seattle Fire Department medics arrived. The victim was transported to Harborview Medical Center in critical condition. Detectives with the Gun Violence Reduction Unit are investigating. Police said the victim and a male suspect had been involved in an altercation shortly before the shooting. The suspect fired multiple rounds, striking the victim and damaging an electrical transformer before fleeing north on 12th Avenue South in a light-colored vehicle. The transformer strike caused a power outage that affected about 8,220 customers in the Beacon Hill and Yesler Terrace neighborhoods, according to Seattle City Light. Service was restored by about 9:30 p.m. Investigators are working to determine what led up to the shooting.

Jurors reached a verdict in Andrew Baim's murder trial for the death of Ravensdale father Nick Valison. RAVENSDALE, Wash. — Jurors reached a verdict Friday in the murder trial of a man accused of killing a Ravensdale father with a truck in 2023. Andrew Ralph Baim, 40, is charged in the death of Nick Valison, 53, on Sept. 21, 2023 after Valison tried to stop him from illegally dumping trash in a wooded area near homes. The jury is expected to read the verdict Friday at 1:30 p.m. KING 5 will carry the sentencing live on KING 5+. The jury deliberated for less than a day in the case after attorneys conducted closing statements Thursday morning. Court documents show Valison confronted several people who were possibly illegally dumping trash near 329th Place Southeast and 327th Way Southeast when he was assaulted. King County Sheriff’s Office deputies found Valison unresponsive, and he was pronounced dead. Deputies testified in court that a U-Haul being used to dump debris and a pickup truck were linked to Baim through forensic evidence and nearby surveillance footage. Investigators said Baim fled in a black pickup truck after the collision, later setting it on fire in an attempt to destroy evidence. Baim was arrested two months later and charged with second-degree murder, second-degree arson, and two counts of possession of a stolen vehicle. He pleaded not guilty to all charges. After he was killed, Valison’s friends and family remembered him as a beloved husband, son, brother and father who was “a girl-dad to the core.” Valison’s wife, Tanie Valison, said he would beam with joy at the mention of his daughters. Ravensdale is a tight-knit, rural community, and Valison’s death rocked residents who said Valison was “just always there.” KING 5's Maddie White, Adel Toay and Sebastian Robertson contributed.

The blaze destroyed the church and injured one firefighter. Investigators later tied O’Dell to credit card purchases of gasoline and lighters. SEATTLE — A Texas woman who set fire to a Snohomish County church in 2023, causing more than $3.2 million in damage, was sentenced Thursday in federal court to six years in prison. U.S. District Judge Jamal N. Whitehead handed down the sentence to Natasha Marie O’Dell, 38, of Temple, Texas, who pleaded guilty in April to arson, damage to religious property and obstructing persons in the free exercise of religious beliefs. “This offense was devastating and dangerous,” Whitehead said at sentencing. “You burned down the spiritual home of a congregation. The wounds you have inflicted deepen for each day they are away from their home.” Prosecutors said O’Dell traveled to western Washington in August 2023 to visit relatives in Woodinville and deliberately set fire to the Seattle Laestadian Lutheran Church in Maltby. Video surveillance captured her pouring gasoline on the building’s exterior and using a lighter to spark the flames. The blaze destroyed the church and injured one firefighter. Investigators later tied O’Dell to credit card purchases of gasoline and lighters, as well as an Uber ride to the church. “Ms. O’Dell acted with extreme disregard for community safety,” Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller said. “This conduct put anyone inside the church, the neighbors around the church, and the firefighters who responded in extreme danger.” The fire forced the congregation to rent space at a nearby middle school for services. The judge will determine restitution at a later hearing. The case was investigated by the Snohomish County Fire Marshal’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd Greenberg.

The Pershing County Sheriff’s Office said Kruglov was found in a pool of blood at the annual art and music gathering in the Black Rock Desert. TACOMA, Wash. — Authorities have identified the man found dead at the Burning Man festival in Nevada as 37-year-old Vadim Kruglov of Tacoma. The Washoe County Regional Medical Examiner’s Office said Wednesday that Kruglov was pronounced dead at the scene on Aug. 30 in Black Rock City. The cause and manner of death remain under investigation. The Pershing County Sheriff’s Office said Kruglov was found in a pool of blood at the annual art and music gathering in the Black Rock Desert, about 110 miles north of Reno. Investigators said the case is being treated as a homicide. Deputies and Bureau of Land Management rangers responded to the scene Saturday and cordoned off the area. Authorities have interviewed several festival participants but have not announced any arrests. Kruglov’s family has been notified, the sheriff’s office said. Burning Man organizers said they are cooperating with the investigation and urged attendees not to interfere. The weeklong festival, which draws tens of thousands of people each year, concluded Monday with the burning of a towering wooden effigy. Copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.     

Waymo announces plans to expand its self-driving fleet to Seattle but faces skepticism from local drivers. SEATTLE — The autonomous rideshare company Waymo announced it's expanding its fleet of self-driving vehicles to Seattle.  Waymo still needs to test its vehicles on Seattle's streets. There is no timetable for when service will launch. The company will begin with human drivers, gradually shifting to self-driving vehicles. KING 5 spoke with a taxi driver on Wednesday who said it's a bad idea. "What's going to happen to the drivers?" he asked. There are about 20,000 rideshare and taxi drivers in Seattle, and not enough customers to go around, according to the Drivers Union. It's unclear how Waymo plans to compete. Waymo's are typically more expensive. In the past, Uber has partnered with Waymo to offer customers a self-driving vehicle option in the app. "Everyone's a little worried about robots coming for their jobs right now, and drivers are a part of that as well," the driver told KING 5.

On October 3 at 8 p.m., Bruce Harrell and Katie Wilson will answer questions about the top citywide issues. SEATTLE — KING 5, along with media partner The Seattle Times, today announced coverage plans to live broadcast a Seattle mayoral debate. The debate between Mayor Bruce Harrell and mayoral candidate Katie Wilson will broadcast live from KING 5 Studios on Friday, October 3 at 8 p.m.  KING 5 News anchor Mimi Jung and Seattle Times City Hall reporter David Kroman will co-moderate the debate, asking questions about the top citywide issues for one hour.The debate will broadcast live on KONG-TV, as well as stream on digital platforms including KING 5+ and king5.com. The debate will also be streamed at seattletimes.com. "Seattle voters have a big decision to make and before they do, they deserve a chance to hear the candidates answer direct questions from reporters. We are proud to collaborate with our partners to put on a substantive debate that will delve into the major challenges and opportunities facing our city," said KING 5 president and general manager Christy Moreno. The debate will feature opening statements, structured questions with 90-second responses from each candidate, followed by 45-second rebuttals. The discourse is aimed at providing context and clarity with public service in mind. Both candidates will have closing statements to conclude the hour-long debate. "This election comes at a consequential time for the city. We face a crisis of affordability, questions about public safety in certain neighborhoods, and other persistent problems," said Michele Matassa Flores, executive editor of The Seattle Times. "Our journalists will press the candidates for clear, detailed answers on the most important topics."

Firefighters upgraded the response to two alarms after flames extended from the initial home to an adjacent structure. SEATAC, Wash. — Puget Sound Fire crews responded Tuesday evening to a two-alarm residential fire in SeaTac that spread to a neighboring home. The fire was reported around 5 p.m. at 21246 33rd Ave. S, according to Puget Sound Fire spokesperson Pat Pawlak. Firefighters upgraded the response to two alarms after flames extended from the initial home to an adjacent structure. No information on injuries or the cause of the fire was immediately available. Pawlak said a public information officer was headed to the scene to provide updates. This is a breaking news report. Check back for updates. 

An air quality alert remains for Kittitas and Yakima due to wildfire smoke. KITTITAS COUNTY, Wash. — People in Kittitas and Yakima counties are being warned of potentially unhealthy air quality due to wildfire smoke.  An Air Quality Alert issued by the National Weather Service is in effect until further notice due to current and anticipated wildfire smoke from the Wildcat Fire.  The Wildcat Fire is burning in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, east of Mount Rainier. It's currently burned an estimated 1,100 acres. It was believed to be caused by lightning. When air quality is unhealthy, people in impacted areas are advised to limit their time outside and avoid strenuous outdoor activity. As of Tuesday afternoon, much of central and eastern Washington, as well as the Seattle-Tacoma area, was experiencing "moderate" air quality, according to the Department of Ecology's air quality map. The coast, southwest Washington and areas north of Everett were all under "good" air quality.  Meanwhile, a Red Flag Warning is in effect for a portion of the Cascades until 9 p.m. Wednesday for hot and dry conditions. The warning impacts the western slope of the Cascades generally above 1,500 feet. A Heat Advisory is in effect for the western Cascade foothills until 5 p.m. Thursday. The weather service warns of temperatures in the upper 80s to mid-90s, with low overnight temperatures in the 60s and low 70s. By the weekend, high pressure begins to drift east and a large upper level low will develop off the Oregon and California coasts. This should provide more clouds and gradually cooler temperatures with highs mainly in the 70s. 

The main factors that impact the vibrancy of fall colors are the leaf pigments, the declining intensity of sunlight leading to fall, and other weather factors. WASHINGTON, USA — With the beginning of September comes the start of meteorological fall. Though seasonal fall doesn't arrive until later this month, many are already getting into the spirit.  One of the most highly anticipated changes of the season ahead comes with the changing of the leaves. When can we expect to see peak colorful foliage around western Washington?  According to smokymountains.com, which issues an annual fall foliage prediction map, here's when counties around western Washington are expected to reach their peak colors:  Whatcom, Skagit, Clallam, Thurston, Yakima: Around Oct. 7Chelan, Kittitas: Around Oct. 14King, Pierce, Snohomish, Jefferson, Mason, Gray's Harbor, Kitsap, Pacific, Lewis, Wahkiakum, Cowlitz, Clark, Skamania: Around Oct. 21.  This is around the same time that fall foliage peaked in 2024.  Smoky Mountains uses data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), including historical and forecasted temperature and precipitation, historical leaf peak trends and more to anticipate when peak fall colors will arrive.  Key factors impacting fall colors The fall foliage is all thanks to photosynthesis and chlorophyll. A leaf's transition from green to red depends on the quantity of chlorophyll, which is driven by weather conditions. As chlorophyll reduces in a leaf, other compounds emerge, such as carotenoids (oranges) and anthocyanins (reds), and flavanols (yellows). The main factors that impact the vibrancy of fall colors are the kind of pigment in each plant species, the declining intensity of sunlight leading to fall, and the weather, according to the U.S. Forest Service. Temperature and moisture are the main factors.  The best weather pattern for the brightest possible fall colors is a series of warm, sunny days and cool nights that aren't freezing. A late spring or severe summer drought can delay the onset of fall colors by a few weeks. Meanwhile, rainy and windy weather can knock leaves down prematurely, which could shorten the color display at its peak. Summer drought conditions can also stress trees, causing them to lose their leaves or start color production prematurely, Harvard Forest, Harvard University’s 4,000-acre laboratory and classroom, says. Moisture also plays a role in the vibrancy of fall colors. Adequate summer rains promote good tree health and leaf retention, likely leading to a better display of fall colors, according to Harvard Forest. Places to see the fall colors around western Washington 1. Chuckanut Drive Scenic Byway in Bellingham2. Stevens Pass Greenway3. Chinook Scenic Byway through Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest and Mount Rainier National Park