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The Lyrid meteor shower is one of the oldest known annual meteor showers. It was first recorded by Chinese observers in 687 BC.

Credit: KING 5

SEATTLE — The peak of the Lyrid Meteor shower is early Tuesday morning.

We may have enough clear sky to see it, if you can get away from city lights.

The Lyrid meteor shower is an annual meteor shower that occurs between April 15 and April 29. It happens as the Earth's orbit takes it through the dusty debris left behind by the comet Thatcher as it moves around the sun. Most of the meteors you will see in this shower are caused by particles called meteoroids - the name for meteors before they hit the Earth's atmosphere.

The meteoroids are mostly the size of a grain of sand or smaller, with the brighter ones ranging up to the size of a small pebble. They are small, but they slam into the Earth's atmosphere at about 50-75 miles altitude at speeds ranging from 25,000 miles per hour to over 150,000 miles per hour. Their trail of light is produced as they are vaporized by the frictional heating of the Earth's atmosphere!

The Lyrid meteor shower is one of the oldest known annual meteor showers. It was first recorded by Chinese observers in 687 BC.

It is not usually a big producer, averaging about 10-20 meteors per hour at its peak under dark sky conditions. It has sporadically produced up to 100 meteors per hour - most recently in 1982- but the occurrences seem to be random.

This year, the peak is expected to occur Monday night. The highest rates will be after midnight when we are on the leading edge of the Earth in its orbit and we sweep up more meteoroids. The best viewing, as always, will be away from city lights with dark skies and a broad view of the sky. The meteors can appear anywhere in the sky; however, if you trace their paths backwards, it will generally lead you to the constellation Lyra. This defines the shower's radiant point and gives the shower its name.

Credit: KING 5

We should see at least partly cloudy skies Monday night, so we do have a chance of seeing some of the meteors. If you can, use a chair that reclines for a better view of the whole sky. Dress warmly. Temperatures after midnight should be in the low 40s but maybe into the 30s in the colder spots.

If you can't make it out Monday night or the clouds do not clear for your location, the rate of meteors should only drop a little by Wednesday morning, when the skies should be mostly clear.

An April 7 op-ed, “Cuts to Washington hospitals will hurt children statewide,” doesn’t tell the full story. Hospitals say that legislative proposals will put pressure on their bottom lines. But Washington families have been hammered by high health costs for decades. State legislators aren’t proposing to “cut” care – they’re asking the health industry to stop treating patients like blank checks.

It’s time for hospitals and other health industry players to face an uncomfortable truth: Washington families can’t bear the high price of health care.

Health care cost growth in our state has outpaced wage growth for decades. In a 2024 survey of more than 1,000 Washingtonians, more than half of those surveyed reported skipping care because they couldn’t afford it. Nearly one-third of households reported having medical debt. Public servants, such as teachers, have seen health care costs increase by nearly 7% each year.

We agree that some proposals to cut health spending are irresponsible. Congressional plans to cut $880 billion from Medicaid and other essential programs would be catastrophic for patients and hospitals alike. One in four Washingtonians, including children, people with disabilities, elders and low-wage workers, depend on Medicaid for their care.

But here in the other Washington, legislators have a more thoughtful proposal to manage known cost drivers. Recent state data shows that per-person health spending jumped 30% over just six years, driven by a 21% increase in prices. Rising hospital prices were a key contributor to this growth. Some Washington hospitals charge three or four times what Medicare pays for the same care. That money comes straight from the pockets of working families, from local businesses and our state budget.

Instead of letting health costs continue to rise unchecked, why not develop a targeted solution to rein in the highest outlier prices, while reinvesting in needed care? Why not start with the health coverage the state provides for teachers and other public servants, ensuring that we’re prudent stewards of taxpayer dollars? Why wait any longer, when family budgets and the state budget are under strain?

Sen. June Robinson, D-Everett, and Rep. Nicole Macri, D-Seattle, aren’t waiting: They have a plan. Senate Bill 5083 sets a reasonable limit on what hospitals can charge public worker plans, saving the state hundreds of millions of dollars and reducing out-of-pocket costs for families. The bill reinvests some of those savings in behavioral health and primary care access.

We know this approach works. Oregon proved it in 2019 when it adopted a similar policy and saved $100 million in two years while decreasing worker out-of-pocket costs by nearly 10% — without harming care.

Hospitals say they can’t find any efficiencies. We don’t buy it. The Legislature just invested $1 billion in hospitals by increasing Medicaid rates, starting last year. The United States spends more on health care yet has worse patient outcomes than any other developed country. Talented, committed people lead our local hospitals – surely we can find some ways to drive better value for patients.

There’s an old saying that if you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu. Our health industry has ignored the realities working families face for too long. We should know: We were state health policy insiders for decades. We’ve watched as the local health care we once knew has been swallowed up by big business and venture capital. We’ve worked in hospitals, and we love our local hospitals – but they and other industry players need to be part of the solution.

We’re proud of the progress we’ve made in our state – 95% of Washington residents now have coverage – but that coverage isn’t worth much if people can’t afford to use it. It’s time to take a different approach.

[Editor’s note: Mark Stensager, former director of Seattle-King County Area Agency on Aging and a former hospital executive, contributed to this op-ed.]

Eileen Cody: is a former state legislator from the 34th District and chaired the House Health & Long-term Care Committee.

Bob Crittenden: is a physician and former two-time health policy adviser to Washington's governor.

Pam MacEwan: was the CEO of the Washington Health Benefit Exchange and currently is policy adviser to the Purchaser Business Group on Health.

BELLEVUE — Avery Lovern hovered over a table covered in royal blue construction paper, carefully writing the name of his favorite video game.

The 18-year-old is still exploring what might come next after graduation, but his focus was on the party — a vibrant celebration that his classmates at the Evergreen Transition Program planned meticulously, decking out the building’s first floor with tropical decorations and transforming classrooms into discos, movie theaters and game rooms.

Parties like these occur monthly at Evergreen, a 67-student Bellevue School District program that provides essential life skills, education and job opportunities to 18- to 22-year-old students with disabilities. The program aims to pave a smoother path for these students into college and employment, where people with disabilities are often underrepresented.

In a 2023 national survey of more than 25,000 people with intellectual or developmental disabilities, only 17% reported they had paid jobs in their communities.

In Washington, at least in the short term, the outlook is more favorable: Around 40% of people with disabilities found full- or part-time employment within a year of leaving school, according to a state survey of more than 6,500 Washingtonians who exited the K-12 school system during the 2021-22 school year. Fewer than 1 in 5 surveyed reported attending college, while roughly a quarter were neither employed nor attending college.

Securing employment is the Evergreen program’s bread and butter work. Every student must participate in work opportunities secured by the school and work toward finding a job in their area of interest, if that is their goal. Over the past six years, the percentage of graduates from the program who found employment within a year of graduation has ranged from 48% to 78%.

Evergreen, initially tailored for students seeking supportive employment, has evolved to accommodate a broader range of aspirations. The program now supports paths ranging from college-bound to artistic careers. For instance, the school boasts a robust glass arts program, which produces jewelry and other crafts sold throughout the district. This adaptability has allowed students like Alijah Edwards, 21, to discover and pursue passions he hadn’t previously considered.

While every school district is legally required to begin the process of transition services for students with disabilities by age 16, not all offer programs as formal or comprehensive as Evergreen’s.

Transition services are tailored to each student’s needs, often involving a blend of academic support and job placement assistance through collaboration with state and county agencies. But a dedicated program with its own facility and identity, such as Evergreen’s, is relatively rare, officials at the Washington Department of Social and Health Services said.

Life after high school

Around 40% of students with disabilities found full- or part-time jobs within a year of leaving high school, according to a state survey of more than 6,500 Washingtonians who exited the K-12 school system during the 2021-2022 school year. Less than one in five of those surveyed said they were attending college, while roughly a quarter were not employed or attending college.

976

1,135

1,770

2,671

6,552

Number of responses

Other

Higher education

Neither education nor employment

Competitive employment

Source: Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (Reporting by Dahlia Bazzaz, chart by Mark Nowlin / The Seattle Times)

Social skills are also a crucial part of that transition.

“A lot of students exit the K-12 system in an isolated place,” said Jennifer Strehle, program coordinator.

That’s why, between weekly visits to jobsites, cooking lessons and classes, parties are a monthly affair. Students take turns hosting themed parties. The goal of this party was to visit five activity stations with a friend, and prizes awaited the winners.

“It can be hard for the students to make friends,” said special education teacher Adina Rosenberg, whose class planned Pajama Paradise. She explained that in many special education settings, there is often an overreliance on staff support, with paraeducators and one-on-one aides playing such a central role that it can unintentionally limit students’ opportunities to form natural peer relationships. “It can reinforce learned helplessness,” Rosenberg said, noting that many students then become more comfortable socializing with educators, rather than with their classmates.

To foster connections between students, Evergreen partnered with Aaron Chasan, Rosenberg’s former college classmate and the founder of Thred. The company uses an algorithm to connect individuals based on shared interests. Thred has helped with a handful of other events at the program, linking students based on hobbies such as photography or video games.

Thred typically works with companies to help their employees connect. But it didn’t take much tweaking to make it work in a school setting, said Chasan. They did add one thing, though: so many students were interested in machinery that Thred added it as an interest area.

The value of using Thred, Rosenberg said, is in how intentionally it helps create space for student-to-student connection. “The big win,” she said, “is stepping back and letting students engage with each other.

Upstairs, Jorge David quietly operated a station he designed — a glow-in-the-dark ring toss game paired with cornhole lit with neon accents.

“It’s a fun place to make new friends,” he noted.

David will attend college in the fall through Washington State University’s ROAR, Responsibility Opportunity Advocacy and Respect, a residential postsecondary program for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Making friends

Samuel Wong, 20, and Angel Vargas Madrigal, 19, were among the first students to complete the day’s objective.

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Thred had suggested they were a good match because they were both interested in drawing and photography. But they connected in a room dedicated to break dancing and emerged from that room laughing and sweating.

“It’s been great being able to share energy and talents here,” said Wong, an aspiring interior designer. He is applying to the Occupational & Life Skills Program at Bellevue College next year, where students with learning disabilities can earn an associate degree.

After showing their work to the staff, the pair rummaged through a bin for their prizes. Madrigal chose a fidget spinner, and Wong settled on Pokémon and Winter Soldier stickers.

Students interact with the program as much as they need. Some drive to the building once or twice a week, while others are there full time.

Students gain real-world experience in settings such as Everbean cafe at the school district’s headquarters or working at Overlake Medical Center. At the same time, they work with staff to determine the types of jobs they would like to apply for, based on their interests and skills.

That student-centered approach is essential to any transition program, said Josh Taylor, a professor of special education at Washington State University. Often, people with disabilities are “pigeonholed” into work that doesn’t interest them or doesn’t have growth opportunities, he said.

“Like anybody else, people with disabilities thrive when they like what they’re doing,” said Taylor, whose research focuses on employment interventions and outcomes, particularly for transition-age youth.

Rosenberg, previously a high school special educator, also appreciates this focus on autonomy, which enables her students to have greater involvement in Individualized Education Plan processes. In high school classes, she had only 50 or so minutes to work with students, and the time was often spent meeting rigid academic standards.

She recently co-led a class with one of her Evergreen students at the University of Washington, Tacoma, emphasizing student participation in their education planning.

As the Pajama Paradise party wound down, students lingered over their waffles. Staff milled about, assisting students and having a snack break of their own. Chasan and his co-founder at Thred, Ayush Srivastava, said several students completed more than the required five activities with their matches.

When students graduate this year, they will leave the program with six more friend recommendations through the Thred algorithm, as well as ways to stay in touch with them.

Students seem to be embracing that emphasis on social connection. When seven students were asked what their favorite part of the program was, they replied, “making friends.”

Keeping those friendships going will be the challenge, said Rosenberg. However, the bonds formed during the parties give her hope.

Madrigal and Wong, the first pair to complete the party challenge, talked to each other even when no one else was around, she said. Since the party, they’ve been chatting when they bump into each other at school.

“That’s huge,” said Rosenberg.

Dahlia Bazzaz: 206-464-8522 or [email protected].

Seattle, WA (April 21, 2025) – Authorities are searching for a motorcyclist involved in a hit-and-run crash that left two pedestrians injured Friday evening at the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr Way South and South Alaska Street.

The incident occurred around 8:20 p.m. when a motorcycle traveling southbound on MLK Jr Way S struck a 59-year-old man and a 57-year-old woman as they were crossing the street. Witnesses told investigators that the motorcyclist fled the scene immediately after the crash, failing to stop and render aid to the injured pedestrians.

Seattle Fire Department and emergency medical crews responded quickly, treating both victims on the scene before transporting them to a local hospital. Officials confirmed that both pedestrians sustained injuries, though their conditions have not been publicly disclosed. Authorities have described the injuries as non-life-threatening but potentially serious.

Police are actively working to identify and locate the suspect. Surveillance footage from nearby businesses is being reviewed, and investigators are asking anyone with information to come forward. The suspect motorcycle has been described only as a dark-colored sportbike at this time.

We send our best wishes to the injured pedestrians and hope for their full recovery.

Hit-and-Run Collisions Involving Pedestrians in Seattle

The hit-and-run crash at MLK Jr Way S and S Alaska Street highlights a deeply troubling issue across Seattle and other urban areas—reckless driving and the increasing number of collisions involving vulnerable road users such as pedestrians. These types of crashes are particularly egregious when drivers or riders flee the scene, leaving injured individuals without aid or accountability.

In Washington, hit-and-run involving injury is a felony offense, and fleeing the scene of an accident reflects not only legal wrongdoing but also a disregard for human life. In pedestrian collisions, the injuries are often serious due to the lack of physical protection, especially when the vehicle involved is a motorcycle traveling at high speeds.

Seattle has made ongoing efforts to improve pedestrian safety, including reduced speed limits, more visible crosswalks, and public awareness campaigns. However, these efforts rely heavily on the cooperation of all road users. Motorcyclists, like all drivers, have a legal and moral obligation to stop after any crash—especially one resulting in injury.

For victims of hit-and-run crashes, the road to recovery can be long and difficult. Alongside physical healing, there is often emotional trauma and financial stress from medical expenses and time away from work. When the at-fault party is unknown, victims may also face complex challenges in accessing insurance compensation or legal recourse.

At Local Accident Reports, we are committed to helping crash victims and their families find the support they need. Whether you’re looking for legal guidance, recovery resources, or help tracking updates in your case, we are here to connect you with compassionate, reliable assistance. If you or someone you love was hurt in a pedestrian hit-and-run, please reach out—we’re here to help you move forward.