Ashley Gross

King County launches web site for electronic property tax appeals

Ashley Gross — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 22:17:31 +0000

People who are anxious about the possibility of their property taxes going up have a new resource to turn to. King County just launched a web site to allow homeowners to appeal their property valuations electronically. They can use the site to look up comparable sales and submit that information along with the appeal.

Washington aerospace companies celebrate Airbus test flight (quietly)

Ashley Gross — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 12:00:00 +0000

Each maiden voyage of a Boeing airplane has been cause for much celebration in Washington state. But now there’s a big chunk of the local aerospace industry that also supplies Boeing’s main rival, Airbus. So when a new Airbus plane takes to the skies – like the A350 earlier today – a large contingent of workers here in Boeing’s backyard watches with pride.

Auditor: Record-keeping at Seattle Center parking garages is lax

Ashley Gross — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 23:15:53 +0000

The state auditor says the Seattle Center hasn't done a good job of making sure people pay at three city-owned parking garages.

The three garages took in almost $5 million in revenue last year that went into the Seattle Center budget. State auditor Troy Kelley says he doesn’t have an estimate of how much money the Center may have lost out on, but he says his team found a lot of problems with record-keeping at the garages – one on Fifth Avenue North, one on Mercer Street and one on First Avenue North.

Are fees eating away at your 401(k) retirement account?

Ashley Gross — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 12:00:00 +0000

In the wake of the recession, many people are trying to rebuild their retirement accounts. That can be tough if investment companies charge high fees. A recent "Frontline" special called the Retirement Gamble investigated how fees can eat away at people’s savings.

Alaska Air reaches tentative deal with its pilots

Ashley Gross — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 20:26:41 +0000

Alaska Air has reached a tentative five-year contract with its nearly 1,500 pilots. It’s a bright note in an industry known for testy labor relations.

Amazon adds Dora the Explorer, other kids' shows with Viacom deal

Ashley Gross — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 22:18:45 +0000

Amazon has signed a deal with Viacom for online rights to hundreds of TV shows. But the most important shows are ones geared toward kids.

Cafe Racer gunman's father : I 'should’ve kept coming back at it'

Ashley Gross — Thu, 30 May 2013 12:01:00 +0000

For Walt Stawicki, the past year has been one of grieving and what-ifs. Exactly one year ago, his 40-year-old son Ian Stawicki, killed himself in West Seattle after fatally shooting five people, including four at Café Racer.

Stawicki is pleased the Legislature passed a law making it easier to commit someone involuntarily for psychiatric care. He says he and his wife struggled to find the right care for their son, especially after they took a trip and noticed their son had deteriorated.

Tacoma group pushes paid sick leave ordinance

Ashley Gross — Thu, 30 May 2013 12:00:00 +0000

A group in Tacoma is starting a campaign to get a paid sick leave ordinance passed. The supporters are taking a cue from the city of Seattle, which last year began mandating that businesses offer paid time off for illnesses.

Healthy Tacoma is a coalition of nonprofits, labor unions, and religious groups pushing to get the sick-leave ordinance passed. They say about 40,000 workers in Tacoma can’t take a paid day off work when they or a family member is sick. Many of those people work in food service, increasing the chance that they’ll spread the illness to others.

Amazon shareholders tell Bezos: Enough with the violent products

Ashley Gross — Thu, 23 May 2013 21:39:29 +0000

Once a year, Amazon shareholders have a chance to ask billionaire CEO Jeff Bezos anything they wish. At this year’s annual meeting, a number of them urged Bezos to stop selling brutal video games and other products that glorify violence.

Workers stage protest at Alaska Air shareholders meeting

Ashley Gross — Wed, 22 May 2013 01:04:47 +0000

(Editor's note May 23, 2013: Corrects to clarify that baggage handlers, cabin cleaners and other airport workers have signed cards to join unions but have not been recognized as unions by their employers. Until that happens, they don't have legal status as collective bargaining units.)

Dozens of protesters including flight attendants, baggage handlers, and religious leaders turned Alaska Air Group’s annual shareholders meeting into a raucous affair on Tuesday.

The protest began outside with chanting flight attendants who haven’t reached a new contract with the company after 18 months of negotiations.

Seattle wants to give free-standing public toilets another go

Ashley Gross — Tue, 21 May 2013 03:01:00 +0000

Five years after Seattle had to get rid of its free-standing public toilet structures, Mayor Mike McGinn wants to give it another go, this time with a new design.

Sea-Tac workers aim for pay raise with ballot initiative

Ashley Gross — Fri, 17 May 2013 12:01:00 +0000

Workers at Sea-Tac Airport are trying to get a big pay raise by way of a ballot initiative. If approved, the increase would put them 60 percent over the state’s minimum wage of $9.19 per hour.

Why I ditched my smartphone

Ashley Gross — Thu, 16 May 2013 12:01:00 +0000

By the end of this year, about one and a half billion people will have a smartphone. That’s one for every five people on the planet—and remember, that number includes babies.

But I'm one of the ones who longs for the good old days—you know, when phones were just used to call people. It's not that I'm a complete Luddite; I just have a hard time restraining myself with such a cool gadget and not letting it take over my life. That's why I decided to ditch my smartphone.

Seattle Symphony, Opera musicians approve contract

Ashley Gross — Tue, 14 May 2013 23:25:23 +0000

Labor disputes have shut down performances across the country, but Seattle Symphony and Seattle Opera fans don’t have to worry about cancelations anytime soon. The musicians have agreed to a new contract.

Inslee begins effort to secure Boeing's next jet

The Associated Press and Ashley Gross — Thu, 09 May 2013 22:50:16 +0000

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee wants to streamline government permitting and review aerospace incentives in order to help convince Boeing Co. to build its 777X jetliner in the state.

Inslee said Thursday that other strategies that lawmakers need to implement include improving the state's transportation corridors and investing in education and workforce training programs. He added those efforts can help preserve thousands of jobs.

"Today what we are doing is starting for the competition not just for the 777x but for the replacement of the 737. We’re getting ready for that today. We’re thinking long-term," the governor said.