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Seattle closes three parks for safety but fails to curb nearby encampment growth. SEATTLE — Seattle has temporarily closed three parks, citing ongoing safety concerns and misuse. But neighbors say the closures haven’t solved the problem — and a growing encampment across the street from an elementary school has them worried. Seven Hills Park on Capitol Hill, Lake City Mini Park, and Blanche Lavizzo Park in the Central District were all closed Aug. 28. Seattle Parks and Recreation says the parks will remain closed for 60 days while the city considers changes such as new lighting, decorative fencing or removing certain amenities. Neighbors who live near Seven Hills Park say conditions there had spiraled out of control. “This problem has metastasized,” one Capitol Hill resident said. “The park has been marked as a safe space to come and do drugs and be an outlaw, and that cannot go forward.” Before the fences went up, photos taken at Seven Hills Park showed tents, trash and used needles scattered across the grounds. While residents welcome the temporary closure, they fear the activity is simply moving elsewhere. “We’ve been bombarding the city with our Find It, Fix It reports, and it is only after months that something will miraculously happen,” one neighbor said. Several blocks away, neighbors say an encampment across the street from Lowell Elementary School has been growing for weeks. Mary Lamery, who lives nearby, says she’s deeply concerned about students seeing or walking past the site. “When I see an encampment across the street where fentanyl is being smoked, it concerns me greatly,” Lamery said. “Blocking the sidewalk, there’s several tents up there, garbage, abandoned furniture. Who knows what else is on the ground there.” Lamery says she’s filed multiple complaints through the city’s Find It, Fix It app but hasn’t received a response. The night before school started, she says she flagged down a Seattle police officer to raise the alarm. “I said, ‘Officer, there’s a fentanyl encampment across from Lowell Elementary, and tomorrow is the first day of school,’” she said. She says the officer told her he would check it out. “He said he would, and he understood the importance of what I was requesting and why he needed to go,” Lamery said. “And then he asked me, he goes, ‘Did Find It, Fix It ever get back to you?’ And I said, ‘No, they didn’t.’ And I could see a shift — he just went like this, and he couldn’t believe an agency responsible for attending to that hadn’t made their way there. He said these encampments are an ongoing problem.” Neighbors say they want the city to take responsibility and act faster. “Start dealing with this head-on and realize you have a serious problem, and quit making excuses for it,” Lamery said. “Help us and help these people — help yourselves. This is insane. It’s insane,” another Capitol Hill resident said. Seattle Public Schools says the encampment near Lowell Elementary is not on school property. The district says it is working with the city and has rerouted a few bus lines to prioritize student safety.

The milestone surpassed the previous high of $122 million set in July 2023, when Major League Baseball’s All-Star Week and two Taylor Swift concerts drew visitors. SEATTLE — Downtown Seattle hotels capped a record-breaking July, but operators warn that behind the surge in business, they continue to face steep operational challenges. Hotels citywide generated more than $126 million in revenue in July — the highest monthly total on record, according to Visit Seattle. Downtown properties sold nearly 420,000 rooms with an occupancy rate of 89%. “July was a record-breaking month for us,” said Michael Woody, chief strategy officer for Visit Seattle. “To see it starting to move in the right direction is so important.” The milestone surpassed the previous high of $122 million set in July 2023, when Major League Baseball’s All-Star Week and two Taylor Swift concerts drew visitors. This year’s numbers were fueled by more than 20 sporting events, eight concerts, 50-plus cruise ship sailings and other large gatherings. “We really had a great opportunity to welcome a lot of people here to Seattle to enjoy the things that make this place special,” Woody said. For longtime hoteliers, the strong season is encouraging but complicated. “We’re all grateful that we have so much business in the city right now,” said Craig Schafer, owner of Hotel Ändra, who has run Seattle properties for more than 25 years. “There was a time when we didn’t feel like that was going to happen.” But Schafer said record revenues mask the challenges of rising costs, staffing shortages, and a drop in international travel. “Most people would say, hey, you’re busy, you have records. Again, love it, but it’s a very challenging environment,” he said. Visit Seattle noted the strong summer was expected, given the seasonal spike. “We celebrate the records set while acknowledging operating challenges impacting the hospitality community nationwide,” the organization said in a statement to KING 5. Those challenges echo broader concerns raised by the Seattle Southside Regional Tourism Authority. CEO Mark Everton said in June that King County hotels have sold about 65% of their rooms this year at an average daily rate of $167, with both figures slightly down from a year ago. “In the case of some of the San Francisco Bay Area’s largest hotels, they’ve either closed or handed their keys back to their lenders simply because they can’t afford to refinance,” Everton said. “King County hotels may be facing some similar situation in the near future.” Visit Seattle told KING 5 that they're unaware of any imminent closures. Despite the busy cruise season and strong passenger traffic at Sea-Tac Airport, Everton said forecasts point to “minimal growth in occupancy” while operating costs and inflation continue to weigh on the industry. “Operating costs continue to grow and with inflation and low international travel, hotels are going struggle,” he said Wednesday.

A former Sparkman Cellars employee pleaded guilty Wednesday and will pay nearly $50,000 in restitution. SEATTLE — A former Sparkman Cellars employee who caused $300,000 in damage by draining thousands of gallons of wine at the Woodinville winery has pleaded guilty and was sentenced Wednesday to restitution but no jail time. Mark Griswold admitted to criminal trespass in the first degree and malicious mischief in the third degree. A judge ordered him to pay nearly $50,000 in restitution, undergo a mental health evaluation within 30 days, and stay away from the winery’s owners and staff. Prosecutors said Griswold committed the act of vandalism just before Thanksgiving 2023, about 14 months after leaving his job at the family-owned winery. Surveillance footage showed him wearing a mask and using an employee access code to enter the barrel room. In six minutes, he opened valves on two tanks, releasing roughly 2,300 gallons of wine before slipping out the back door. Griswold had worked at Sparkman Cellars for about a year before leaving in September 2022. According to investigators, he "felt angry about how much he was being paid and harbored resentment and anger toward the winery owner." “According to the Sparkmans’ victim impact statement, he had asked for a 25% raise, and they were not financially able to do that, but they said they met him halfway and did give him a raise, and they could have another conversation later that year,” said Senior Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Stephanie Sato. “And then he quit two weeks after that, in the middle of harvest, which is a very crucial time.” The destruction left a deep mark on the winery, Sato added. "Their family was scared because they didn't know why it was done to them. And from speaking with the Sparkman's, they said that their employees were also scared," she explained. Griswold offered no explanation for his actions in court. When asked by the judge for his plea, he simply replied, “Guilty.”

After taking a plea agreement, the Army soldier shared disturbing details of the assault in court. He said he and another soldier filmed the assault on Snapchat. JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. — Editor's note: Some of the details in this story may be disturbing to read. If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, you can call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673. Additional resources are available on the Washington State Department of Health's website. Disturbing new details about a crime committed in the barracks of Joint Base Lewis McChord were shared in a military courtroom on Wednesday. One of the four soldiers charged with sexual assault in connection to the incident detailed the crime after agreeing to a plea deal. Audio and video recordings are not allowed inside military courtrooms, but KING 5 had a crew inside for the duration of Wednesday’s hearing. Deron Gordon,20, is one of the four soldiers who have been charged in connection to a sexual assault of a college student that happened in October of 2024 in the barracks. Gordon took a plea deal where he pleaded guilty to sexual assault and sexual misconduct. As part of the plea agreement, his charges of attempted sexual assault, obstructing justice, and conspiracy to commit sexual assault were dropped. Gordon recounted the crime as he took his plea deal, admitting to what he did. He said that he and another soldier followed the college student into a bedroom after she had been drinking with them. He said she was unstable walking into the room and when they went inside she was on the bed and not responsive. Gordon said he and the other soldier each proceeded to have sex with her and they filmed each other sexually assaulting her on Snapchat. His defense team said he is not pleading guilty to committing the crime while she was unconscious, but in his own words in court Wednesday Gordon described the victim as being unresponsive, limp, and having her eyes closed. He said she appeared to be asleep. KING 5 asked military officials why Gordon was charged with sexual assault and not rape. They said this was because “Gordon committed sexual acts against the victim while she was incapable of consenting due to voluntary alcohol intoxication.” They said that rape is defined as “a sexual act accomplished by applying unlawful force, threatening serious violence, rendering the victim unconscious, or impairing the victim through the forceful or unknowing ingestion of a drug, intoxicant, or other substance.” The other three soldiers’ court proceedings are at different points in the legal process, as they are all being treated as separate cases. Gordon is expected to be sentenced on Thursday. According to his plea agreement he faces four to eight years in prison. Without that plea agreement he would have faces up to 42 years in confinement for the charges he pleaded guilty to.

From remote workers being incentivized to bring their income to a smaller city, to housing grants for students, here's what local cities are offering. SAN FRANCISCO — In an effort to boost small local economies, cities across the United States are offering incentives totaling tens of thousands of dollars for folks from big cities to move into little towns.  MakeMyMove calls itself the “first marketplace for relocation programs,” acting as the middleman between a city in need of an economic boost and people wanting to move somewhere else.  Cities are offering incentives from personalized tours and helping new residents move in, to free college tuition and housing assistance programs for eligible applicants, or even straight up cash for moving costs.  What’s in it for the cities? Incentivizing people with certain skills and jobs to move into smaller areas can boost the economy.  While some may focus on remote workers bringing their larger income to a lower cost of living area, there are many cities offering incentives for people to work and live in their community.  Each remote worker generates more than $80,000 on average to their new location’s economy, cofounder Evan Hock told SFGate. Movers brought over $34 million in annual household income in 2024. Of that, 46% flows to communities with declining populations, according to MakeMyMove data. Many locations offering incentives have populations of a few thousand, but there are some large, well known cities offering incentives for people to move into certain areas.  There are over a dozen states offering incentives on MakeMyMove, totaling more than $500,000 when added up.  Here are some of the largest offerings across the country and who may be eligible. Indiana  Indiana has the most offers available with 34 incentives totaling nearly $300,000 when added up. Here are some of the largest offerings.  Noblesville, Indiana Noblesville, a town with a population just over 75,000, is offering $15,000 in incentives to U.S. citizens living outside of Indiana ages 18 or older with jobs making at least $80,000 annually. Some incentives include: $5,000 relocation grant$500 "health and wellness stipend" 1-year membership to a workspace location to work remotelySeason passes to nearby golf courses, amusement parks and the aquatic center An "exclusive" welcome event to speak directly to the city mayor Floyd County, Indiana Floyd County, consisting of cities like New Albany and Georgetown, has a population of 80,000. The county is offering $15,000 worth of incentives to those living outside of Indiana ages 18 or older with jobs making at least $75,000 annually. Some incentives include: $5,000 cash for relocationFive years access to two workspace locationsA curated welcome basket made up of "local favorites" Fort Wayne, Indiana Fort Wayne is the second most populated city in the state with more than 273,000 people living there. The city is offering a total of $14,480 in incentives to those living outside of Indiana ages 18 or older with jobs making at least $50,000 annually. Some incentives include: 5% in down payment assistance and closing costs to eligible buyersDiscounts, pours and other perks at one of Fort Wayne’s favorite local breweries2 complimentary passes to the Fort Wayne Botanical Conservatory Angola, Indiana Angola is a city near the Ohio and Michigan state lines and has a population of under 10,000. The city is offering a total of $19,849 in incentives to those living outside of Indiana ages 18 or older with jobs making at least $50,000 annually. Some incentives include: $5,000 cash for relocation5% in down payment assistance and closing costs to eligible buyersOne month of free rent at certain apartments1-year Indiana State Park Pass Wells County, Indiana Wells County, consisting of cities like Bluffton, has a population just over 23,000. The county is offering $20,190 worth of incentives to those living outside of Indiana ages 18 or older who can or will get a full-time job in the county. Some incentives include: $5,000 cash for relocation1-year Southern Wells Community Schools all-sports pass5% in down payment assistance and closing costs to eligible buyers Huntington County, Indiana Huntington County has a population of 36,000 people. The county is offering $15,000 worth of incentives to U.S. citizens living outside of Indiana ages 18 or older with jobs making at least $50,000 annually. Some incentives include: $5,000 cash for relocation5% in down payment assistance and closing costs to eligible buyers6 week summer day camp for kids ages 4-14 Wabash County, Indiana Wabash County has a population just over 31,000 people. The county is offering $17,800 worth of incentives to U.S. citizens living outside of Indiana ages 18 or older with jobs making at least $50,000 annually. Some incentives include: $5,000 cash for relocation$100 "travel fund" stipend for family to visit 5% in down payment assistance and closing costs to eligible buyers$250 "Early Award Scholarships" for children in middle school Illinois  Mattoon, Illinois Mattoon has a population just under 19,000 people. The city is offering $11,000 worth of incentives to those living at least 100 miles away from Mattoon and making $45,000 working remote. Some incentives include: $5,000 cash for relocation$500 in restaurant vouchers6 months free storage unit$1000 off a car purchase, or a $200 service gift card Michigan Michigan may not have many offers available, but they total to more than $30,000 in incentives.  Muskegon County  Muskegon County is offering teachers up to $15,000 to move and work in the county of 178,000. The incentives are available to Pre-K through 12 grade teachers with two and four-year early childhood certificates.  $15,000 paid quarterly over the course of 3 years Jackson, Michigan Jackson is a city of 31,000 offering invectives totaling $26,000 for anyone not currently living in the city. The person must make at least $70,000 in total household income, but be at or below 120% of the Area Median Income for some incentives. Some incentives include: $25,000 in Down-Payment Assistance1-year golf course membershipOne month household YMCA membership  Jackson is also offering a $20,000 signing bonus to those joining the Jackson Police Department force. The offer is available to U.S. citizens 21 years and older who pass a background investigation, psychological evaluation and other tests. Some incentives include: Signing bonus up to $20,000Tuition and gym reimbursement Southwest Michigan The southwest corner of the state, specifically Berrien, Cass or Van Buren counties, are offering out-of-state residents up to $14,000 to live and work in these areas. Some other incentives include: $5,000 put toward buying a homeFree college tuition at Lake Michigan College for eligible applicantsHelp finding partner job in the new location Detroit, Michigan Detroit is offering a Tech Fellowship with incentives totaling $31,680. Applicants must have from a Michigan college or university after 2022, are a "founder of an established venture backable startup with fewer than 10 employees," and are willing to work at least 40 hours a week. Some incentives include: $2,000 per month stipend for rent (for one year)"Curated community and cohort events"Collaborative co-working space memberships Texas, Arkansas  Texarkana On the state line and split between Texas and Arkansas, Texarkana is offering people 18 and older living outside Arkansas or the Texarkana region who earn at least $60,000 up to $18,900 in invectives.  $5,000 cash for relocation25% off tuition at Texas A&M Texarkana, with the first class freeMembership to the Texarkana Regional Arts and Humanities Council

Michael Paul Brown, who evaded police for a week, was charged with additional crimes including lighting a fire in an attempt to destroy or damage the bar. BILLINGS, Montana — A Montana man suspected of killing four people at a bar then evading capture for a week was charged on Wednesday with additional crimes, including lighting a fire in an attempt to destroy or damage the bar. State District Judge Jeffrey Dahood ordered Michael Paul Brown to be held without bail after the defendant's attorneys said mental illness could be an issue in the case. The owner of The Owl Bar in Anaconda, Montana, David Gwerder, said Wednesday he was told by investigators that Brown lit a cardboard pizza box on fire hoping to use it as a “fuse” to ignite a bucket of flammable or explosive material. The bucket did not ignite, Gwerder said he was told, and the suspect allegedly left the bar then returned a minute later with a gun and killed the bartender and three customers. Brown, who lived next door, was charged with attempted arson, according to newly-released court documents that said he set objects on fire and tried to damage or destroy the bar “by means of fire or explosives." Brown's family has said the 45-year-old former soldier long struggled with mental illness before the Aug. 1 shooting. Defense attorney Walter Hennessey pleaded not guilty on Brown’s behalf to charges that also include four counts of murder, theft and eluding police. Brown appeared by video from jail in Butte, Montana. A decision on whether to seek the death penalty against Brown for the murder charges is pending, Deer Lodge County Attorney Morgan Smith told the court Wednesday. Executions in Montana have been on hold since 2015 in the state under a court ruling regarding a drug used in lethal injections. Bail for Brown previously had been set at $2 million. But Dahood on Wednesday sided with a prosecution request to hold Brown for now without the possibility of bail. The judge cited public safety and the mental health issues raised by Brown's attorneys. The judge set trial for Jan. 12. Anaconda, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) northwest of Butte, is home to roughly 9,000 people. It is surrounded by mountains. Following the shooting, Brown allegedly stole a truck that he ditched several miles outside of town at the base of a mountain before escaping into the forest. He hid for a week in that area west of Anaconda where he was eventually apprehended, moving locations while helicopters and drones circled overhead and officers and dogs searched on the ground, officials said. Brown was captured on Aug. 8 inside an unoccupied structure near a bar in the small community of Stumptown, authorities said. Investigators also have been examining whether he had any contact with individuals or property owners who might have helped him while he was on the run. Authorities have not commented on a possible motive, and much of the case against Brown has been sealed by the judge. Brown had patronized the bar over several decades and knew the victims, Gwerder said. Copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.     

19-year-old Andy Bunch has been an entrepreneur since he was 13. Now, he's opened a second business aimed at providing the community with their coffee fix. BEAN STATION, Tenn. — The Bean House opened last Friday. The coffee shop is something the surrounding community has long wanted in the area.  Though it's only been open for a few days, the little shop is already winning over customers. Owner Andy Bunch said he worked quickly to open.  The space became available in June. He moved in on Aug. 1 and opened at the end of the month.  "I spent hundreds of hours out here in that month. I mean, I don't think I ever left. It was here and then to the hardware store and then back and forth," he said.  Running a business is nothing new for him. He and his mother opened Aunt B's Ice Cream when Bunch was 13. He took full ownership just before his 18th birthday.  Now he's providing the community with another treat. "We've had great turnouts for the grand opening. We had State Legislator Jesse Seal here, had the mayor here. We had a great opening. Everybody seems to like it so far. I've already had tons of returning customers," Bunch said. "I'm glad that it is something I could give back to the community because I do feel like we've needed it." He said while running a business, let alone two, isn't easy, he's grateful for the opportunity and the support he's gotten.  "It's the scariest and the best feeling at the same time. I feel accomplished, but at the same time, it's very nerve-wracking because it's like, wow, I've got people that depend on me now," Bunch said.  His message to other young entrepreneurs is this. "Don't be afraid to get out of your comfort zone," he said. "I was really nerve wrecked with not going to college or anything like that. Everybody says you need to go to college now. I didn't, and it got out of my comfort zone, but so far it's working out great and I'm really appreciative of it." He said there's a chance for future business ventures, but he's focusing on these two shops for now. 

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.

Bones found near the Rock Island Campground are confirmed to be non-human, according to Central Washington University's examination. LEAVENWORTH, Wash. — Bones found in the vicinity of the area where Travis Decker's three daughters were found dead are not human, an examination at Central Washington University confirmed.  Multiple bones were found during a two-day search of the vicinity of the Rock Island Campground Aug. 25-26. Some of those required additional examination, according to a statement from W. Mike Herrington, special agent in charge of the FBI's Seattle field office. The search team cleared nearly 250 acres on foot around the campground outside of Leavenworth, according to the FBI.  The search, according to the FBI, is one step in a "three-month process by a variety of agencies" to find Decker, signs of his whereabouts or other evidence related to the murder of his daughters. The bodies of Paityn, Evelyn, and Olivia Decker were last seen May 30 leaving Wenatchee with their father, Travis Decker, who had a scheduled visitation. The girls' bodies were found near the Rock Island Campground outside of Leavenworth on June 2, after last being seen with their father, Travis Decker. The discovery prompted a manhunt for Decker throughout the Cascades; however, he has evaded authorities for three months.  Tips on possible sightings of Decker came in from throughout the region and beyond, but so far he has not been found. The search has prompted closures in popular recreation areas, including the Enchantments.  Anyone who sees Decker is urged to call 911 immediately and not to try contacting or approaching him. The U.S. Marshals Service is still offering a reward of up to $20,000 for information leading directly to his arrest.

The British rock band last performed in 2018. NEW YORK — Something is in the water in England. After a summer defined by the Oasis reunion, yet another beloved British rock band is set to return to the live stage: Radiohead. The band — made up of vocalist Thom Yorke, guitarist/keyboardist Jonny Greenwood, guitarist Ed O’Brien, bassist Colin Greenwood and drummer Phil Selway — have 20 shows on the books, taking place in five cities across Europe: Madrid, Bologna, London, Copenhagen and Berlin this November and December. They will perform four nights in each city. Radiohead last performed in 2018, in support of their last album, 2016's “A Moon Shaped Pool.” It is unclear if the band is preparing a new release of original material, but earlier this month, they did announce a new live album, “Hail to the Thief — Live Recordings 2003-2009,” arriving Oct. 31. “Last year, we got together to rehearse, just for the hell of it. After a seven-year pause, it felt really good to play the songs again and reconnect with a musical identity that has become lodged deep inside all five of us,” Selway said in a statement. “It also made us want to play some shows together, so we hope you can make it to one of the upcoming dates. For now, it will just be these ones but who knows where this will all lead.” Registration for tickets begins Friday at Radiohead.com and will be open for 60 hours. The regular ticket sale will begin a week later, on Sept. 15. In the years since their last live performance, the members of Radiohead have been busy. Yorke and Jonny Greenwood's art rock spinoff project, The Smile, has released three albums. Colin Greenwood joined Nick Cave's live band. O’Brien released his debut solo album, “Earth” in 2020 and in 2023, Selway released his third solo album, “Strange Dance.” Copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.