Alec Cowan

Asahel Curtis' photography continues to suprise archivists nearly a century later

In Point Roberts, tourists' slow return prompts questions about the peninsula’s future

Since the early 1980s, Alaska has sent checks to residents every October, generally for around $1,000 or $2,000. In 2020, they were for more than $3,000. A typical household could get up to $10,000.

In 1906, the Steamship Dix was shuttling passengers from Colman Dock to Port Blakely when it crossed the path of the SS Jeanie. After the SS Jeanie rolled the SS Dix, the latter's passengers scrambled for safety, with dozens tragically sinking aboard the vessel. More than 100 years later, local shipwreck enthusiasts believe they've found the steamer's resting place in Elliott Bay.

Take a drive along the Columbia River and you’re bound to see towering dams that produce the bulk of our state’s hydropower. That energy is a point of pride for many Washingtonians – it’s plentiful, clean, and renewable. If you have direct access to that power, your electric bill is probably pretty darn cheap. In recent years the promise of that dirt-cheap electricity has brought swarms of cryptocurrency miners to small towns throughout Central and Eastern Washington. At times, that’s led to som…

Old-style ships are still around, and they need regular maintenance on their large, billowing sails. But there aren’t many businesses that make these kinds of sails anymore. One of the last places in the world that does is right here in the Puget Sound region.

In 2007, Seattle’s urban forest management plan set a goal for 30% of the city to be canopied, meaning covered with urban trees. However, a recent report from the city showed that Seattle’s canopy actually decreased by 1.7% over the last five years -- an area roughly the size of Green Lake.

Ecology blocks are large slabs made from recycled concrete, with grooves on the top and bottom to help form retaining walls. But on city streets and sidewalks, they form a different kind of barrier: Deterring RVs and encampments, which have proliferated in Seattle during the pandemic.

Soundside is on summer break, but while we’re away, we’re brining you some of our best stories since we launched our show in January. Today: the best of tech.

The towns and cities around Puget Sound are no strangers to wildlife. From orcas and sea slugs to bald eagles and crows, a whole host of creatures call our urban habitat home. But learning to live with our wild neighbors hasn’t always been easy, and it’s only getting more difficult.