Gov. Inslee meets with West Coast leaders on climate change

The KIRO Newsradio Newsdesk brings you their top stories on the morning of Friday, Oct. 7.

Governor Jay Inslee gathered with leaders from California, Oregon, and British Columbia to sign a new agreement to fight climate change.

The initiative promotes investments in climate infrastructure like electric vehicle charging stations and a clean electric grid.

According to the Governor’s website, the initiative will also have a major focus on equity, ensuring all communities are able to transition to a low-carbon future.

“We have watched, we have smelled, we have suffered through the smoke. We understand what it is doing to our communities, to our children, and to our economy,” Inslee said.

Governor Inslee says that a commitment to greener jobs and lowering carbon usage will help future generations in our state.

Low water levels close salmon season early

Historically low water levels have prompted Washington state wildlife officials to end the salmon and game fishing season early this year for many rivers and streams.

Officials say there have been such low water flows, that many fish have been unable to get to their spawning grounds, with about 50 rivers and streams affected.

So, there will be no salmon and game fishing as of Saturday, Oct. 8, and it will stay closed for the foreseeable future.

You can go to the Fish and Wildlife Department’s website for specifics.

aPodment buildings for sale leaving residents questioning where to live

Nearly two dozen buildings that house tiny, affordable apartments known as ‘aPodments’ are up for sale, putting the fate of the people who live in them up in the air.

Brokers tell The Seattle Times they’ve reached out to the city and Amazon – which helps to fund some of these low-income projects – but haven’t heard back.

The average size of a “pod” apartment is 177 square feet, or about the size of a parking spot.

But with an average rent of $921 a month, they’re generally cheaper than typical studio or one-bedroom apartments in Seattle.

About 1,400 total units are for sale, but there is some concern that if a new owner raises rates, those living in the pods could become homeless.

Per capita greenhouse gas emissions decrease, but population growth raises total

In King County, per-person greenhouse gas emissions are decreasing, but total fossil-fuel pollution is increasing because of the growing population.

A new study shows that in the 12-year period ending in 2019, emissions per resident went down 7% mostly due to more energy-efficient vehicles and buildings.

In that same time, King County gained 20% more residents, which is increasing the number of emissions overall.

The study predicts new local, state, and federal policies will continue to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Arrest made in case of body found on UW greenbelt

A 32-year-old man is being held in King County Jail on $5 million bail, in connection with the murder of Mavis Kindness Nelson.

The 56-year-old woman’s remains were found in a greenbelt near the University of Washington in June.

Nelson has three children and all were able to attend the burial.

Seattle Police are still working to determine if others may be connected to the murder.

Mariners playoff merch is homerun for fans

With hours to go before the Mariners play their first post-season game in decades, fans are buying up playoff gear at the Mariners Team Store at T-Mobile Park.

“October Rise” shirts, hats, and post-season jerseys were among the more popular items.

Playoff jerseys were also a big seller.

Fans believe this could be the year the Mariners make a deep run in the playoffs.

You can hear each and every Mariners playoff game on our sister station Seattle Sports 710 AM.

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