Spotlight
COVID-19 a year later: ‘A light at the end of the tunnel’
It has been a little over a year since the shutdown due to COVID-19, and life is slowly (and hopefully safely) returning to normal. Linda Kachinsky, who a year ago was ordering groceries online and picking them up, is still doing so. “I’m good at it, and it saves time and money because there is no impulse-buying,” said Kachinsky. She and her husband have been vaccinated and are venturing out to smaller stores that have capacity control. “No big-store shopping and no groups of people,” she said, adding that they aren’t lowering their guard. The couple orders takeout meals from local businesses and have hosted friends for an outside meal. Steve Kirkelie, city manager for Puyallup, is delighted and encouraged by the vaccine and the president’s plan to get it into more communities.
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News
Governor Jay Inslee announced today a tentative statewide reopening date of June 30, and that until then, all counties will move to Phase 3 of the state’s Roadmap to Recovery reopening plan. The announcement comes after the governor paused phase movement for two weeks to review an emerging flattening trend in statewide COVID-19 data. As
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A mass COVID-19 vaccination site lasting through May is underway at the Tacoma Dome. The drive-through and walkup site, organized by Pierce County’s Department of Emergency Management, opened for six weeks starting April 27 with a goal of vaccinating at least 1,170 people each day–an estimated 34,000 doses that officials said will be given from
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The rate of COVID-19 cases in Washington is improving but not enough for the public to stop masking up and social distancing, according to the state Department of Health. The department (DOH), in a report released May 7, said there are signs that cases may be starting to flatten, but disease activity remains high. That
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In the wake of reports that three King County hospitals offered special access to COVID-19 vaccines to donors and board members, the King County Council formally condemned the activity and urged Washington’s governor and state lawmakers to prohibit such practices. The council criticized the hospitals for creating a situation of unequal access. “I was appalled,”
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Lifestyles
Don’t worry, be happy in these 100 cities (Seattle and Tacoma included) Three Washington cities are in the top-100 happiest cities in the United States, an unofficial ranking that’s led by Fremont, Calif. To determine where Americans are most content, WalletHub (a consumer and financial services website based in Washington, D.C.) compared 180 of the largest of the approximately 16,000 cities and towns nationwide. WalletHub said 31
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Food
Homegrown vegetables: Plan, rotate crops, and enjoy Whether planning your first, second or 10th vegetable garden, it can be overwhelming. There are so many tasty vegetables and never enough space and time to grow them all. Start with a plan. Locate your garden in a sunny location with moist, well-drained soil. Save those partially sunny areas for greens like lettuce, chard and
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Adventures
TSA checkpoints could get a technology turbo boost The threat of COVID-19 is another layer of unpleasantness for air travelers. Many already were stressed by airport security—the long lines, worrying about what may trigger a re-check, emptying pockets and removing shoes, belts and coats. Such a hassle. The good news is that the airport security experience could improve over the next few years.
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Health & Fitness
Double-masking against COVID is a problem for deaf or hard of hearing A recent survey by the Hearing Loss Association of America found that 95 percent of respondents with hearing loss say masks and facial coverings have created communication barriers since the COVID-19 pandemic began—a problem that could get worse if people take the advice of government and public health officials and start wearing two masks as
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Personal Finance/Business
Half of households can’t sustain pre-retirement standard of living Most Americans work throughout adulthood with the hope of retiring from the workforce some day. Ideally, the milestone is achieved when one is young enough to enjoy their work-free lives without worries about finances or debt. Unfortunately, half of U.S. households can’t maintain their pre-retirement standard of living throughout retirement. Many Americans are forced to
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