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Felice Upton, a former DCYF assistant secretary, said she was fired after raising concerns about overcrowding and unsafe conditions in juvenile detention facilities. CHEHALIS, Wash. — The former head of Washington’s juvenile detention system says her complaints about “unconstitutional treatment” of inmates and “unsafe conditions” for staff were ignored before she was fired in April. Former Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) Assistant Secretary Felice Upton filed a $4.75 million tort Aug. 26 against the state claiming that she was fired for being a whistleblower. Upton says DCYF leaders did not heed her warnings about overcrowding caused by the shutdown of the Naselle Youth Camp in Pacific County. The reduced capacity forced more young inmates into the Green Hill School in Chehalis and Echo Glen Children's Center in Snoqualmie. Conditions were exacerbated by a sharp rise in youth crime that resulted in more offenders being sentenced to the existing facilities. DCYF leaders blamed overcrowding and safety issues in a failed effort to move some offenders over the age of 21 to adult prison last year. Current Washington law allows juvenile rehabilitation facilities to house inmates up to the age of 25. Upton was the assistant secretary of juvenile rehabilitation at DCYF and oversaw the state’s juvenile detention facilities. In a brief statement to KING 5, Tana Senn, the new DCYF secretary who terminated Upton said, “The concerns raised in Ms. Upton’s tort claim were in no part a factor in the personnel and organizational changes I made in executive leadership when I joined as the new head of DCYF.” Senn replaced the embattled former DCYF Secretary Ross Hunter. Upton claims Hunter ignored her concerns and later tried to blame her for the problems. Over the last six years, the KING 5 Investigators have exposed many problems at the Green Hill School including overcrowding and rioting, staff shortages and assaults, and misconduct by staff.  “(Hunter) was hostile to me and blamed me for the news reports,” Upton wrote in her claim.   Hunter did not respond to a request for comment from KING 5. Upton’s tort claim was first reported by the Washington State Standard. As Upton’s claim came to light, DCYF announced her replacement as assistant secretary of juvenile rehabilitation. The agency promoted Jennifer Redman, who was the interim head of Green Hill School.  “Safety is number one priority,” Redman said in a press release.

The man told officers at the scene that he was an off-duty Edmonds officer, but in reality was a security guard. BREMERTON, Wash. — A man who was passing himself off as an off-duty detective was arrested after showing up to an active crime scene in Bremerton with a vehicle featuring blue police lights. The Bremerton Police Department (BPD) says the man arrived in an unmarked Ford Explorer and identified himself as an off-duty Edmonds detective. He had body armor with "POLICE" and "SWAT" logos and a metallic Edmonds Police badge.  The man turned out to be a security guard for a nearby business and he "had been committing law enforcement acts in the downtown corridor." Officers determined that the man was a convicted felon who was illegally possessing a firearm. He also was in possession of a large amount of police equipment when he was arrested, BPD says. The man was booked into the Kitsap County Jail on suspicion of criminal impersonation and unlawful possession of a firearm in the second degree. Anyone who may have had an encounter with the man is asked to call Bremerton police at 360-473-5220 and reference case number B25-004726.

PETA penned a letter to BGSU senior George Carlson, asking him to keep Pudge away from football games, where he has gained notoriety and fame. BOWLING GREEN, Ohio — Animal rights activist group PETA has penned a letter requesting that Bowling Green State University (BGSU) locker room cat, Pudge - whose fame has exploded seemingly overnight - be kept away from football games, citing concerns for his health.  PETA wrote the letter to BGSU senior long snapper George Carlson, who first brought Pudge to the locker room to cheer up a teammate. PETA, in its letter, asked that he leave Pudge at home instead of taking him to university home games.  The reason for the request, PETA said, was that Pudge is a breed of cat with a "cartoonishly flat" face that causes, as a result of selective breeding, breathing difficulty, as well as other eye conditions and disorders.  Pudge has become a social media sensation in the last few weeks. But PETA claims that promoting Pudge will cause other people to seek out flat-faced cats from breeders who "purposely breed these cats to have unnatural characteristics," damaging their health.  Pudge has generated interest from all across the country, partly through interactions on social media. T-shirts are now being sold in his honor, with the Falcon feline wearing a helmet and holding a football in its paw. Since then, Pudge was seen at BGSU's season opener last week, which he attended in a carrier. He was then taken out of the carrier and held up like Simba from The Lion King, before he was returned to his carrier.  Pudge is scheduled for a meet-and-greet at a Pudge Party in the Ziggy Zone Student Tailgate on Sept. 13, according to BGSU. WTOL 11 reached out to BGSU for comment. BGSU's Assistant Athletic Director, Vince Briedis, offered the following statement, and confirmed there is a licensed veterinarian present at all games to monitor Pudge: "Bowling Green State University thanks PETA for its concern for Pudge, the beloved pet of George Carlson who has endeared himself to millions around the world. The University prioritizes Pudge’s health and safety at all times. At every BGSU football game, a licensed veterinarian is present to carefully monitor all aspects of Pudge’s well-being." PETA's full letter is included below.  "Dear Mr. Carlson: I’m writing on behalf of PETA and our more than 10.4 million members and supporters worldwide. It’s obvious how much you adore your cat, Pudge, and enjoy showing him off to your fans and teammates, but we’re writing to ask that you leave Pudge at home—starting with tomorrow’s game.   Here's the ugly truth that breeders are hiding in their playbook: Cats like Pudge are bred to have cartoonishly flat faces, which cause them a lifetime of debilitating health problems. Their abnormally shaped skulls cause their eyes to bulge out, subjecting them to excruciatingly painful eye conditions and disorders. And having a smushed-in face means their nostrils and trachea are almost squeezed shut, making breathing a constant struggle for them. Do you ever hear Pudge wheezing, snorting, or snoring? Those sounds are not normal for cats—they are signs that he is struggling for air. Imagine having to breathe through a straw—that is what life is like for breathing-impaired breeds like Pudge.  We know Pudge is adored by many, but promoting him to your fans will likely send people in search of their own breathing-impaired cat and drive them straight to breeders who purposely breed these cats to have unnatural characteristics that come at the expense of their health.  Please will you give Pudge a bye week, or better yet, let him stay home for the rest of the season? We’ll give you an extra point if you add ‘Adopt, Don’t Shop’ to your Pudge merchandise. Doing so would be a game-changer for the millions of homeless animals in shelters.   Bowling Green State University’s motto is “Be the Good,” and we believe you have the power to do just that for Pudge and other cats like him. Thank you for your consideration."

Helen Ruth Elam Van Winkle amassed more than 3 million followers on Instagram and landed partnerships with brands like Tillamook Ice Cream, IT Cosmetics and more. KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The great-grandmother known as "Baddie Winkle," who was famous for her wild outfits, catchphrases and ability to be unapologetically herself, has died. She was 97.  "Yesterday, an era ended and a star ascended," her great grand daughter Kennedy Lewis wrote on her page Friday. "She was joy, rebellion, and tenderness wrapped in one. The crown is eternal, & her love on many realms will live forever. This isn’t a goodbye, this is a See ya later my superstar." Helen Ruth Elam Van Winkle amassed more than 3 million followers on Instagram and landed partnerships with brands like Tillamook Ice Cream, IT Cosmetics, Sally Beauty and more.  "She was iconic," Paris Hilton commented on the post announcing her death. "Sending love." She rose to fame in 2014 after Lewis posted a photo of Winkle in a tie-dye shirt and cut-off jean shorts while holding up a peace sign. So many were impressed with her vibrant and sometimes controversial style. Her social media tag line was "stealing your man since 1928," which trended for some time in 2016.  The great-grandmother, who had lived in Kentucky and previously lived in Knoxville, Tennessee, had said she "reinvented" her wardrobe to be more colorful after going through a dark time in her life.  Her husband died in a car accident on their 35th wedding anniversary and their son died from bone cancer, according to CNN Money.  "I can't even explain what that did to me," Winkle said in 2015.  Her reinvention of her wardrobe and how she thought about life resonated well with her fans of all ages. Most comments on her posts read something to the line of "I want to be you when I grow up" and "What a baddie."   Her popularity earned her an invite to the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards in Los Angeles where she wore a sequin-filled sweatsuit and metallic sneakers. She said she earned the title of "best dressed" and met Miley Cyrus.  She also joined musician Kacey Musgraves for her 2019 Coachella performance.

SEATTLE — The KING 5 Big Game of the Week is back this year with a twist. Each week, KING 5 will still feature a local high school football match-up in our newscasts with the addition of a livestream of the entire game on our streaming app KING 5+. KING 5 Sports Reporter Chris Egan will provide color commentary during the game before presenting his report of the game on KING 5 News at 10 p.m. The game will be livestreamed starting at 7 p.m. each Friday night. Afterward, a replay of the game will be available to watch on demand. Download KING 5+ for your TV and watch for free. Big Game coverage kicks off Sept. 5 with the match-up between O’Dea and Graham-Kapowsin high schools at Art Crate Stadium in Spanaway. Want to know where KING 5 Sports will go next? Egan will announce the next week’s Big Game at the end of the livestream of the week’s featured football game. Due to logistics of livestreaming, fans won’t be able to vote for the Big Game match-up. However, KING 5 will still provide coverage of the biggest high school football games across Puget Sound during Friday night’s newscasts.

The company has agreed to pay authors about $3,000 for each of an estimated 500,000 books covered by the settlement. NEW YORK — Artificial intelligence company Anthropic has agreed to pay $1.5 billion to settle a class-action lawsuit by book authors who say the company took pirated copies of their works to train its chatbot. The landmark settlement, if approved by a judge as soon as Monday, could mark a turning point in legal battles between AI companies and the writers, visual artists and other creative professionals who accuse them of copyright infringement. The company has agreed to pay authors about $3,000 for each of an estimated 500,000 books covered by the settlement. “As best as we can tell, it’s the largest copyright recovery ever,” said Justin Nelson, a lawyer for the authors. “It is the first of its kind in the AI era.” A trio of authors — thriller novelist Andrea Bartz and nonfiction writers Charles Graeber and Kirk Wallace Johnson — sued last year and now represent a broader group of writers and publishers whose books Anthropic downloaded to train its chatbot Claude. A federal judge dealt the case a mixed ruling in June, finding that training AI chatbots on copyrighted books wasn’t illegal but that Anthropic wrongfully acquired millions of books through pirate websites. If Anthropic had not settled, experts say losing the case after a scheduled December trial could have cost the San Francisco-based company even more money. “We were looking at a strong possibility of multiple billions of dollars, enough to potentially cripple or even put Anthropic out of business,” said William Long, a legal analyst for Wolters Kluwer. U.S. District Judge William Alsup of San Francisco has scheduled a Monday hearing to review the settlement terms. Books are known to be important sources of data — in essence, billions of words carefully strung together — that are needed to build the AI large language models behind chatbots like Anthropic’s Claude and its chief rival, OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Alsup’s June ruling found that Anthropic had downloaded more than 7 million digitized books that it “knew had been pirated.” It started with nearly 200,000 from an online library called Books3, assembled by AI researchers outside of OpenAI to match the vast collections on which ChatGPT was trained. Debut thriller novel “The Lost Night” by Bartz, a lead plaintiff in the case, was among those found in the Books3 dataset. Anthropic later took at least 5 million copies from the pirate website Library Genesis, or LibGen, and at least 2 million copies from the Pirate Library Mirror, Alsup wrote. The Authors Guild told its thousands of members last month that it expected “damages will be minimally $750 per work and could be much higher” if Anthropic was found at trial to have willfully infringed their copyrights. The settlement's higher award — approximately $3,000 per work — likely reflects a smaller pool of affected books, after taking out duplicates and those without copyright. On Friday, Mary Rasenberger, CEO of the Authors Guild, called the settlement “an excellent result for authors, publishers, and rightsholders generally, sending a strong message to the AI industry that there are serious consequences when they pirate authors’ works to train their AI, robbing those least able to afford it.”

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.

Gun store owner Kory Krause said nothing stood out with Robin Westman. ST. LOUIS PARK, Minn. — The shooter who killed two schoolchildren and injured 21 other people at a Catholic church in Minneapolis visited a suburban gun shop the weekend before the attack, but the owner of the store said Thursday that his staff saw no warning signs in their interactions. Gun store owner Kory Krause told The Associated Press that Robin Westman spent around 40 minutes at Frontiersman Sports in St. Louis Park on Aug. 23 and appeared completely at ease. A surveillance video showed Westman examined several guns before ultimately buying a revolver. Westman had already passed the required background checks and had a valid permit to purchase the gun, Krause said. The revolver wasn't one of the guns Westman used in the shootings at the Church of the Annunciation on Aug. 27, when it was full of students from the affiliated Annunciation Catholic School who had gathered for their first Mass of the academic year. Investigators recovered a semiautomatic assault-style rifle, a shotgun and a different handgun at the scene, and said Westman was legally entitled to buy them. Krause said none came from his store. Westman, 23, attended the school for eighth grade and Westman's mother formerly worked for the parish, but investigators are still trying to determine a motive. Westman died by suicide after firing 116 rifle rounds through the church’s stained-glass windows. According to the Associated Press, the security video shows Westman handling several firearms and talking with employees and other customers. Krause wasn't in the store at the time, but he said he promptly shared the video with investigators and is cooperating with them. Krause stressed that nothing in Westman's conduct raised any concerns among his staffers, who he said are trained to watch for warning signs. “This person said all the right things, they checked all the right boxes, asked all the questions, they were friendly, talkative, making jokes, laughing, knowledgeable about guns, handled a lot of guns that were not the type of guns you would think are of the interest of somebody looking to do a mass shooting,” Krause told the AP. Krause said his employees have extensive experience in picking out bad actors, straw purchasers, people who are homicidal, suicidal, mentally unstable or under the influence of alcohol or drugs. He said nothing stood out with Westman. “We're still going over it,” Krause said. “We’re still scratching our heads thinking, ‘What did we miss? What could we have done?’ But it always ends with the answer of ‘nothing.’ There was just nothing there. And that’s what makes this situation so unique.” A mother's plea At a news conference Thursday at Hennepin Healthcare, a trauma hospital that treated several victims, Annunciation parent Malia Kimbrell delivered a wrenching account about her daughter’s injuries and implored lawmakers to ban assault weapons. Her 9-year-old daughter, Vivian St. Clair, was shot three times: twice in the back and once in the arm. The girl, who had been in intensive care, is now recovering at home. “Her friend said to her, ‘Vivi, are you OK? You have a hole in your back,’” Kimbrell recounted. Kimbrell, a nurse in the hospital's newborn intensive care unit, challenged lawmakers to ban the kind of high-powered rifles and high capacity magazines used by the shooter, saying she will “settle for nothing less.” “I will get the names of any lawmakers who stand in the way of that happening, and I will invite you to come to my living room and insist that you hold Vivian’s hand while we do her dressing changes each night and she cries the entire time,” she said. “Action is our only hope. Thinking and praying are what you do after a tragedy. Taking action is what we can do before the next tragedy occurs.” RELATED: 'Prayers didn't stop the bullets': Mother speaks after shooting Annunciation Catholic Church The politics of change Democratic Gov. Tim Walz said Tuesday he intends to call a special session of the Minnesota Legislature to address gun and school safety, and he suggested that an assault weapons ban would be on his list of proposals, which he is still developing. But it would be very difficult for anything to pass the closely divided Legislature without at least some bipartisan support. House Republicans on Thursday released a list of proposals that lack any restrictions on access to firearms. It calls for increased funding for school security and for school resources officers, including for private schools. The proposals would also prohibit districts from banning school resource officers, as Minneapolis and some other districts have done. The House GOP also called for more mental health treatment beds and mandatory minimum prison sentences for repeat criminals who use guns and for straw purchasers of firearms that are used in violent crimes. Students Demand Action, an arm of Everytown for Gun Safety, is organizing school walkouts across the country for Friday to demand that state and federal lawmakers ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. Karnowski reported from Minneapolis. AP writer Sarah Raza contributed from Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.     

The Hall of Fame receiver announced his cancer diagnosis in 2024, which caused him to leave his role as an anaylst with ESPN. CHARLOTTE, N.C. — NFL legend Randy Moss celebrated the completion of his cancer treatment at Atrium Health. Moss rang the bell to signal the accomplishment. He was joined by family members and Atrium Health staff. “I want to thank everybody at this hospital for welcoming me to be a part of their family,” Randy said. Moss announced he had cancer outside his bile duct in December 2024. The diagnosis caused him to depart from his longtime role as an analyst with ESPN.  He had a procedure to put a stent in his liver on Thanksgiving after experiencing urine discoloration. Moss said he was hospitalized for six days after the procedure. He said was being treated with radiation and chemotherapy at the Charlotte hospital. “Let’s Moss cancer” — and he did just that! We join NFL Hall of Famer Randy Moss in celebrating a major milestone and ringing the bell, marking the completion of his cancer treatment at Atrium Health Levine Cancer in Charlotte. Throughout a journey filled with challenges, Randy met each moment with the same grit and determination that defined his legendary career. We’re honored to have walked alongside Randy and his family during this fight against bile duct cancer and even more proud to cheer him on as he shared his inspiring story on Good Morning America. “I want to thank everybody at this hospital for welcoming me to be a part of their family,” shared Randy after ringing the bell on his last day of cancer treatment. Thank you, Randy, for trusting us with your care. Your strength inspires us all.Posted by Atrium Health on Thursday, September 4, 2025 Two months after stepping away from the ESPN role, Moss made an emotional return to the set for Super Bowl coverage in February.  Moss was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018 after playing 14 seasons with the Minnesota Vikings (1998-2004, 2010), Oakland Raiders (2005-06), New England Patriots (2007-10), Tennessee Titans (2010) and San Francisco 49ers (2012). Moss is second in NFL history with 156 touchdown catches and had an NFL-record 23 TD receptions in 2007 for the Patriots.

Captain B. Ballard, a federal firefighter with Navy Region Mid-Atlantic, was honored after saving a passenger in cardiac arrest during a flight. NORFOLK, Va. — A federal firefighter stationed at NSA Portsmouth is being recognized for his quick actions that helped save a life while traveling off duty. Captain B. Ballard, a supervisor with Navy Region Mid-Atlantic Fire & Emergency Services, jumped into action during a recent flight when a passenger went into cardiac arrest mid-air. According to IAFF Local F-25, Ballard provided life-saving measures, including CPR, and was able to help the passenger regain a pulse before the plane landed. Union leaders said Ballard’s response highlights his training, professionalism, and dedication to public service, even when he’s off the clock. “Firefighters are never truly off duty,” IAFF Local F-25 shared in a statement, commending Ballard for his heroism.