If you’re one of the elite eco-hipsters who drive a fully electric vehicle, now you can get recharged at Sea-Tac Airport – they’re offering plug-ins for FREE in the Airport Garage!

The pilot program includes six spaces located on the fifth floor of the garage that provide free electric charging.

The new electric vehicle plug-ins consist of standard 120 volt outlets with 20 amps and the spaces are designated with green striping.

The spaces are available on a first-come, first-served basis and standard parking rates apply.

Oh, and did we mention that the electrical charging is free of charge?

Popularity: 34% [?]

The opening of Sea-Tac’s third runway has inspired a lot of discussion, both good and bad, and our sister site The B-Town Blog is commemorating something that happened on the original runway 61 years ago today (Nov. 30, 1947) – a tragic airplane crash that killed nine and injured 17.

Read the full story here.

Popularity: 32% [?]

A bus carrying the football team from Bellevue High School overturned on I-5 in SeaTac Friday morning (Nov. 28th) , injuring some of the 38 players on board and causing a major traffic jam.

The bus was driving south near South 188th Street around 11:15am when a swerving car caused it to careen and flip on its side. .

Some of the football players suffered minor injuries, including Bellevue High head coach Butch Goncharoff.

The Bellevue High Wolverines, the state’s top rated 3A football team, was en route to playing against Olympia’s Capital High at 3pm in the Tacoma Dome.

The game has been postponed until 7pm Monday night.

Popularity: 40% [?]

On Thursday afternoon (Nov. 20th) you may have witnessed lotsa hullabaloo around Sea-Tac Airport, like helicopters, media vans, VIPs and such.

Don’t worry, it wasn’t the end of the world as we know it, it’s just proof that the third runway at Sea-Tac Airport opened with a PR-stunt bigshot landing.

Here’s a snippet from the Port of Seattle of what went down :

The Port of Seattle will formally open Seattle-Tacoma International Airport’s third runway with an invitation-only celebration Thursday, November 20 between 3 and 5 p.m. at the Gina Marie Lindsey Arrivals Hall.

The event will include a live video look at the first commercial operation of the third runway plus dignataries scheduled to include U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters, Acting FAA Administrator Robert A. “Bobby” Sturgell, Governor Chris Gregoire, Port of Seattle Commissioners, POS CEO Tay Yoshitani, Alaska Airlines CEO Bill Ayer and other local political and community leaders.

Sea-Tac’s third runway will be one of three new runways scheduled to open that day across the country. The Transportation Secretary and FAA Administrator are scheduled to travel to each new runway beginning at Dulles (Washington, D.C.), then to O’Hare (Chicago) and finally to Sea-Tac. Potential program delays could occur based on their travel time.

Speaking of third runways, if you didn’t hear this excellent piece on KUOW recently, we highly recommend you listen to it, as it includes an eye-opening interview with longtime local resident Brett Fish, who says that all the PR we hear lately from the Port about the renewing of MIller (and Walker) Creeks may not be so true after all – according to Brett, salmon are not returning like they used to.

In fact, during the taping of the KUOW piece, not one salmon was found where the Port folks said they would be:

KUOW story here (includes transcript and audio recording).

Popularity: 34% [?]

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport’s controversial third runway is scheduled to begin operating on Thursday, Nov. 20th, with hopes that bad-weather delays could be trimmed by 25 percent.

Airport Manager Mark Reis is enthusiastic about how Sea-Tac’s third runway will improve airline operations. Its chief benefit, Reis said, is “to allow two streams of traffic in all weather conditions.”

“This will bring a substantial reduction in delays, and, in the process, will not only bring customers a better customer experience, but also will bring airlines substantial savings in fuel not wasted from circling, and will reduce greenhouse gases,” he said.

The third runway opens Nov. 20, eight years later than originally planned, and at a cost of $1 billion, far higher than originally envisioned.

Popularity: 24% [?]

According to several news sources, a man was found shot to death in his car near SeaTac Airport early Monday morning.

The man, in his 30s, was found slumped over the wheel in a car near the intersection of International Blvd (aka Highway 99) and State Route 518 just after midnight.

The shooter remains at large.

Apaprently, SR-518 was closed down for a while as police dogs and a helicopter searched the area, causing backups for drivers headed to or from the area.

The name of the man who was killed has not been released.

SOURCES:

• KOMO News
• Seattle P-I
• KIRO-TV
  

View Larger Map

Popularity: 31% [?]

According to the Port of Seattle, Sea-Tac Airport will conduct a full-scale emergency exercise simulating an aircraft crash on Wed., July 30th, between 9am and Noon.

The exercise will test airfield disaster preparedness and response as required by the FAA every three years.

It’d be cool if something like this happened, but we kinda doubt it:

According to the Port:

With the availability of the soon-to-be-activated third runway, this will be the first full-scale exercise to occur on a Sea-Tac runway in at least 25 years. The exercise will NOT affect or delay any air travel. Both of Sea-Tac’s current runways will be open as normal and the exercise will NOT affect any customer activity within the terminal.

Over 100 volunteers will participate as ‘victims’ next to a mock-up aircraft fuselage placed in the middle of the third runway along with wrecked cars representing various debris designed to drill extrication procedures. Volunteers will arrive at approximately 6:30 a.m. for make-up to represent a variety of injuries that will test medical care triage practices.

Dozens of the King County area mutual aid police and fire agencies will participate in the exercise with an estimated 50 -75 pieces of equipment from fire engines to aid cars and up to 175 fire fighters. Additional police officers from the area are also expected to participate alongside first responders from the Port of Seattle Fire and Police Departments, Sea-Tac Airport Security, Airport Operations, Public Information and the Port Environmental team.

In addition, other key exercise participants will include airport and airline representatives, the FAA, the Red Cross, King County Emergency Management Division, and the King County Medical Examiner.

A comprehensive report will be prepared post-exercise to identify any gaps in emergency plans and then prioritize follow-up corrective actions.

SOURCE:

• Port of Seattle

Popularity: 30% [?]

Last Thursday, Burien Towing’s Mark Storer, 51, and his son Brian, 24, were killed in a floatplane crash near Shelton, WA.

A memorial service for both has been scheduled for this Thursday, July 31st at 11am at the Church by the Side of the Road, which is located at 3455 S 148th Street in Tukwila (map below).

According to the Burien Towing website:

• Mark and Brian took the afternoon off work to spend some time together in Mark’s amphibious airplane.
• The two were last seen enjoying the day on Lake Nahwatzel, before the plane’s engine failed shortly after taking off. Both died in the crash.
• Mark was a dedicated father and husband. He loved his family and will be missed by many.
• Brian was married and was a father of 2 young boys, ages 2 and 1. He also loved his family very much and will be missed.
• Both Mark and Brian dedicated much of their lives to the family business. Airport Towing mourns their passing and supports the families they have left behind.
• Any gifts or cards for the families are currently being collected at the main office:

Burien Towing
817 SW 149th Street
Burien, WA 98166

• All who knew Mark and Brian are invited to attend the service.
• Prior to the ceremony, a procession will lead the family to the Church from the Airport Towing office at 817 SW 149th Street in Burien. The lead car will leave the office at 10am.
• If you would like to join the procession, please arrive prior to 9:45am at the Airport Towing office for staging.
• All law enforcement vehicles, fire apparatus, tow trucks, and motorcycles are welcome in the procession.
• For more information on the procession, fill out the Contact form and Jared will respond to your inquiry.
• Following the service will be a reception at the Church. All are welcome to attend.
• A fund is currently being set up to benefit Brian’s family. Brian leaves behind a wife of 3 years and two sons, ages 2 and 1. Information on the Storer Family Memorial Fund will be posted when available.
• More information is available at jaredstorer.blogspot.com

View Larger Map

Popularity: 46% [?]

SEATAC – In another sign that the economy is tanking, American Airlines announced that it will lay off 22 workers at SeaTac Airport beginning Sept. 5th as part of a “nationwide staff reduction.” The announcement was made Tuesday in a warning notice filed with the state Employment Security Department. Nationwide, American plans to eliminate 6,500 employees, or about 8 percent of its work force.

Some employees may leave the company voluntarily with a severance package designed to bridge the gap between full-time employment and retirement, the company said.

American and most other major airlines plan to cut back flying beginning this fall to allow fuel-guzzling older aircraft to be grounded and to cull unprofitable flights from their schedules.

American hasn’t yet announced specific flight reductions at SeaTac, but it’s expected that the airline will consolidate some of the multiple flights it schedules between here and its hubs in Chicago and Dallas.

SOURCE:

• The News Tribune

Popularity: 32% [?]

Sometimes it’s fun to read the Craigslist “Missed Connections” and follow the fascinating storylines of all our rascally neighboring humanoids, and this last week was no exception.

We first found this ad on May 28th on seattle-tacoma craigslist > south king > missed connections:

How was your trip to Maui??? – w4m – 25 (SeaTac)

We met at at an airport parking place in Seatac on May 19th.

I was going to Disneyland and you were going to Maui.

You helped my daughter and I out with our luggage.

If you remember me, please let me know!

Then, a few days later, came this rather interesting rebuttal:

Hi,

You posted this for my husband.

His trip to Maui went fine, I was a day late due to a conference.

Why do you want to know how his trip went?

You must be the lady he mentioned when we were in Hilo.

He said you have a nice looking daughter and thought that you may have adopted her.

He said you stared at him plenty.

Mrs. Jake B.

Popularity: 54% [?]