White Center Now: The blog about White Center

(WCN/WSB photo, last Wednesday)

The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has charged two 15-year-olds with unlawful gun possession as a result of last week’s incident at Evergreen High School. Both are charged with Unlawful Possession of a Firearm in the Second Degree and Unlawful Possession of a Dangerous Weapon. KCPAO spokesperson Casey McNerthney explains their custody status as follows:

King County prosecutors asked at the first appearance for both to be held in secure detention. The court – after hearing from prosecutors, defense, juvenile probation counselors, and family – ordered the two 15-year-olds to electronic home detention with conditions, including no unauthorized contact with Evergreen High School and that they stay in touch with their juvenile probation counselors.

Neither suspect is reported to have a prior record. Both are due to be arraigned – at which time they will enter initial pleas – this afternoon in juvenile court.

According to the charging documents provided by the KCPAO, here’s how it unfolded: A student tipped school administrators that one of the suspects had brought a loaded gun to school and had it in his backpack. When officers responded and questioned that suspect – who reportedly tried to flee until they cuffed him. He reportedly told investigating officers that two other students had guns. One did turn out to have a gun in his backpack that he claimed belonged to his mother (who was out of town at the time). According to the court documents, the first gun was a Glock, with extended magazine and 30 9mm rounds; the second was a Smith & Wesson. Neither gun had been reported as stolen; the Smith & Wesson had a purchase record at a regional dealer in early 2024.

(Wednesday WCN/WSB photo by Torin Record-Sand)

The two teens arrested after deputies found guns at Evergreen High School on Wednesday had their first court appearance today. The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office says both are 15 years old. Spokesperson Casey McNerthney summarizes the appearance:

King County prosecutors noted the serious community safety concerns and asked for both to be held in secure detention.

The court – after hearing from prosecutors, defense, juvenile probation counselors, and family – ordered the two 15-year-olds to electronic home detention with conditions, including no unauthorized contact with Evergreen High School and that they stay in touch with their juvenile probation counselors.

Probable cause was found by the first appearance judge for their arrests. However, under court rules and state law regarding Juvenile Court, there is not a public first appearance narrative the same way there is in adult cases.

Monday, Dec. 22, is the date set by the court for a rush file charging decision. Right now, the case has not been referred by Sheriff’s Office investigators to the KCPAO, but that’s normal – in all types of cases, juvenile or adult, the case referral usually comes in the days after a first appearance hearing and close to the rush-file charging deadline.

No previous cases involving the teens have been referred to the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.

‘Tis the Thursday before Christmas, and all through White Center … it’s Rat City Art Walk night, 5-8 pm, in a variety of venues from White Center north to South Delridge, with more than 70 artists/vendors participating! The list/map is here.

(Added: WCN/WSB photos by Torin Record-Sand)

10:02 AM: Thanks for the tip. Huge King County Sheriff’s Office response at White Center’s Evergreen High School. A KCSO spokesperson tells us, “We responded to reports of a person with a weapon at the school; it went on lockdown about 9 am. Three people have been detained and at least two weapons recovered. No injuries.” Radio exchanges indicate that deputies are continuing to search the school.

10:18 AM: Our photojournalist at the scene says K-9 teams are there too, but a few deputies have left the scene (radio traffic suggests those may be the ones whose normal duties would be for transit services). … Nothing’s visible from outside the school aside from at least 9 KCSO vehicles.

11:32 AM: We talked to KCSO spokesperson Brandyn Hull at the school. She says two of the three juveniles who were detained are being transported to juvenile detention, while the third was released. We’ll add her quick statement on video as soon as we upload it. (Update – here it is:)

11:55 AM: The school’s security status is easing, according to this message on Evergreen’s website:

Law enforcement has advised us it is safe to transition Evergreen from a Lockdown to a Hold.

The Hold action is used when the hallways in the school need to remain clear. Classroom learning still takes place as normal during a Hold, but students may not be able to change classes until after the Hold has been lifted.

Please do not come to the school or call the school or district office. Coming to campus distracts law enforcement and staff from keeping students safe. Stay where you are and remain available to receive updates and instructions.

All students and staff are following emergency procedures.

3:10 PM: The hold was subsequently lifted, and EHS says all after-school activities are canceled today.

8:15 PM: This is the poster for an Amber Alert sent a short time ago, regarding two children taken in Burien:

According to Seattle Police radio, officers are checking out a report of what might be the car in the alert, seen speeding near Highland Park Way and West Marginal, a short time ago, If you have any information or a possible sighting, call 911.

11:58 PM: The alert is canceled because the children were found.

The new King County cabinet has been announced – mostly holdovers, including the leaders of two departments that matter a lot to White Center and vicinity, Local Services and Natural Resources & Parks. Here’s the full announcement:

Today, King County Executive Girmay Zahilay announced his full Cabinet, along with three new senior leaders to serve in the Executive Office.

“This is a strong, experienced team that knows King County and cares deeply about the people who live here. In many departments we are keeping steady leadership in place, and in others we are being thoughtful about transitions as we recruit for the future. I am grateful to the leaders who are stepping down for their service, and I am excited to work alongside this Cabinet and senior team as we focus on delivering real results for residents across the county. We will continue building out this administration, with additional senior leadership announcements in the weeks ahead,” said Executive Zahilay.

Eight cabinet departments will have leaders reappointed, while three will be led by current county leaders in an interim capacity as leadership recruitment processes are launched. The Cabinet members include:

-Patti Cole-Tindall as King County Sheriff to lead the King County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO)
–Dwight Dively and Susan McLaughlin to serve as Co-Interim Directors of the Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS)
-Dr. Sandra Valenciano as Interim Director of Public Health — Seattle & King County (DPH)
–Megan Pedersen, appointed as Chief People Officer (see below), to serve as Interim Director of the Department of Human Resources (DHR)
–John Taylor as Director of the Department of Natural Resources and Parks (DNRP)
–Allen Nance as Director of the Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention (DAJD)
–Matt Sanders as Director of the Department of Public Defense (DPD)
–Michelle Allison as Director of Metro Transit Department (MTD)
–Leon Richardson as Director of the Department of Local Services (DLS)
–Lorraine Patterson-Harris as Director of the Department of Executive Services (DES)
–Stephen Heard as Chief Information Officer, leading the department of King County Information Technology (KCIT)

Dr. Sandra Valenciano is currently the Health Officer for Public Health. Susan McLaughlin is currently the Division Director of Behavioral Health and Recovery in DCHS. Dwight Dively is transitioning to a new role with this interim co-director appointment and will also be Senior Advisor to the Executive. The Executive thanks Dwight for his leadership over the past 16 years in operations and budget in the Executive Office.

The Executive also thanks outgoing department heads Dr. Faisal Khan, Jay Osborne, and Kelly Rider for their years of leadership and dedication to the County.

Executive Zahilay is also excited to announce three more senior leaders in the Executive Office. They include Christopher Sanders as General Counsel, Megan Pedersen as Chief People Officer, and Aaron Rubardt as Chief Budget Officer. Full bios are below. These new team members are in addition to the two leaders announced in November – Deputy Executive Karan Gill and Chief of Staff Jasmin Weaver. With the exception of Gill, senior leaders’ appointments will begin in January.

Executive Zahilay will continue to build out his new administration over the coming weeks with additional announcements to follow.

Senior Leadership Bios:

Megan Pedersen will serve as Chief People Officer, leading the Labor Relations and Human Resources teams at King County. She has served as Acting Chief People Officer since June 2025 and brings an incredible depth of King County government experience to the role. Megan is a results-oriented and people-centered leader with more than 15 years of experience in operations, labor relations, people strategy, and employee engagement at the County.

Christopher Sanders will serve as General Counsel, the Executive’s chief legal advisor. Currently an attorney at Pacifica Law Group, his practice focuses on representing public entity clients in various stages of civil litigation. Christopher previously was an Assistant Federal Public Defender for the Western District of Washington. He also worked as an attorney for the King County Department of Public Defense. As a seasoned trial attorney with experience in both civil and criminal law, Christopher has over a decade of experience representing clients at all stages of the litigation process in state and federal courts.

Aaron Rubardt will serve as Chief Budget Officer. Aaron is a leader in local government budgeting and financial planning, first joining King County in 2007 and most recently serving for the past six years as the Deputy Budget Director. His professional mission is to provide financial and operational management to public organizations. He believes in an accountable, transparent, and cost-effective government that is responsive to taxpayers, enhances lives, reflects community values, and creates opportunities for all residents. Before joining King County, Aaron worked in health care and employment benefits consulting and brokerages, both in the Pacific Northwest and Washington, DC.

Just in , this announcement from the King County Department of Local Services:

due to the regional weather emergency, we must cancel the White Center Holiday Lights Kickoff Celebration originally scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 10 at 3:50 p.m. While we won’t be gathering in person, the lights along 16th Ave SW — stretching from SW 100th Street to SW Roxbury Street — are glowing and ready to be enjoyed safely.

King County Sheriff’s Deputies and Seattle Police are collaborating on an investigation after a robbery attempt at a smoke/vape shop led to a carjacking, with the victim driven to West Seattle. According to Seattle Police radio, this all started at the VIP Smoke & Vape Shop at 10261 16th Ave SW in White Center; two would-be robbers, reportedly armed with handguns, carjacked a victim described as the store’s owner, and drove them to the Lincoln Park area in West Seattle, then left in the stolen car, described as a 2017 dark gray Toyota Camry with Texas plates. The carjackers were described only as “two Hispanic men, 20s.” We’ll follow up with KCSO later this morning,

(Some of the lights are visible in this traffic-cam screengrab)

You’re invited to a party in downtown White Center next Wednesday, celebrating the new lighting that King County Local Services explains in this announcement:

The heart of White Center is glowing especially bright this holiday season.

Thanks to a collaboration between King County’s Department of Local Services and the White Center Business Alliance, more than 2,000 white lights now stretch across rooflines in the 16th Avenue SW corridor between SW 100th Street to SW Roxbury Street.

To celebrate these new lights and the holiday spirit that they represent, the public is invited to a community celebration on Wednesday, Dec. 10 at 3:50 p.m., at the corner of 16th Avenue SW and SW 98th Street.

Attendees can expect free refreshments, smiles, and of course, community spirit topped with holiday cheer!

The most exciting part? The new lights are just the beginning. They’re part of a broader initiative to beautify and brighten White Center starting in 2026:

Expanded lighting for safer, more welcoming streets – a capital project launching in 2026. Community members chose this project through the King County Participatory Budgeting project.

-Community clean-up event
-Graffiti removal in partnership with Uplift NW
-Murals

The holiday lights were installed by Renova Exteriors.

Come see the lights, celebrate with neighbors, and be part of the transformation of White Center — where community pride shines brightest.

At the end of a long newsletter from our area’s King County Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda, we found this:

We normally hold this space to highlight local artists, but this month we want to share a little about a small business in our district. Farmboy Burgers, located at the Future Primitive Brewing location in White Center, recently had an electrical fire in their space. Everyone is ok, but they could use a little love as they work to recover. Stop by and grab a burger, or even get a koozie or hat for a great stocking stuffer. Proprietors Jay and Shaina are part of the small business community that makes White Center such a great place.

You can go get a Farmboy burger as soon as tomorrow – they’re open Wednesdays through Sundays at Future Primitive (9832 14th SW).

8:16 PM: Thanks for the tip. Sheriff’s deputies have converged on 9609 16th SW, where they got an alarm-company report that an intruder was seen on live video. They’re still investigating to see if there was an actual burglary.

8:40 PM: Deputies were able to get into the building; no intruder there now. We haven’t heard whether they confirmed a break-in.

The White Center Food Bank is asking for more support as it deals with more need. “While SNAP/food stamp benefits have been temporarily restored, uncertainty remains and the demand on our services continues to grow. We were stretched thin even before these shifts, and we are actively working to ensure we can continue meeting the evolving needs of our community,” writes WCFB’s Randy Nguyen in the food bank’s “end-of-year appeal.” They’re thankful for “incredible support, from hosted food drives to financial donations and volunteer hours, all of which have helped us keep our community fed,” but now is the time to step it up: “This season is a crucial time for nonprofits, and every gift helps us meet the growing needs of families, seniors, and individuals who rely on our services, while ensuring we can keep the community fed into the new year, when donations decline but demand remains steady.” Last year, WCFB distributed more than 1.6 million pounds of food, and this year’s total will be higher. They’re asking you, if you can, to make a tax-deductible gift before year’s end – just go here.

Eight months before the 2026 primary, eleven months before the 2026 general election, our area’s King County Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda is launching her re-election campaign. Mosqueda left the Seattle City Council to join the County Council after winning 55 percent of the vote in November 2023. She’ll be running for re-election after three years rather than four years because voters approved changing the county charter so that these are even-year elections rather than odd years as in the past. Mosqueda’s announcement came in a news release that says she has “strengthened housing stability, expanded public health services, protected workers, and delivered meaningful investments to communities from West Seattle, to Capitol Hill, Downtown Seattle, South Park, the Duwamish Valley, White Center, Burien, Tukwila, and of course Vashon-Maury Island.” It also says: “A Campaign Launch event is scheduled for January 8th in White Center.” We just checked the state website and it does not appear anyone else has registered a campaign for this position yet.

4:25 PM: King County Sheriff’s Deputies are investigating a shooting near the former Bartell Drugs building at 15th/Roxbury. They got the first call a few minutes before 4 pm; one person was subsequently reported to have a gunshot wound to their finger, not life-threatening. No description of the shooter so far other than “unknown-race male in dark clothing.”

4:48 PM: Most deputies have cleared the area (our photographer just saw the ones shown above) and the street has been reopened. Here’s the early info from KCSO:

Deputies responded to the area of SW Roxbury St & 15th Ave SW after reports of shots being fired came into the Communications Center just before 4 PM today. Preliminarily, deputies have located one adult male with a non-life-threatening gunshot wound. They’re working to locate surveillance footage and witnesses that may provide information about a suspect.

(WCN photos)

Gift-shopping? Enjoy rummage-sale-style treasure-hunting? You have one more chance to catch the White Center Library Guild‘s sale, on Saturday. Books, of course:

But also trading cards:

And unusual items:

Plus handmade items:

The sale continues 11 am-4 pm Saturday in the community room at WC Library (1409 SW 107th)

Seen today. If you’re looking for a tree – particularly a non-plastic type that can be reused in later years – this just might be what you’re looking for! Other fresh trees are due in next week.

White Center is alive with art tonight (Thursday, November 20) – it’s time for the third Thursday Rat City Art (and Food) Walk! Here is the participant list that organizers posted:

Your holiday shopping can also serve as reusing/recycling – buy gently used books and other items at the White Center Library Guild‘s bazaar and book sale, coming up next Friday-Saturday:

With the next two years’ King County budget nearing the final stages of review, tonight brings a “town hall” hearing in which you can participate either in person or online.

The King County budget is expected to total more than $19 billion over the next two years. It’s a wide-ranging budget – including services from transit to wastewater treatment (as shown in the pie chart above).

To comment on any budget topic(s), tonight’s 5:30 pm hearing is on the 10th floor at 516 Third Avenue downtown, or accessible via this Zoom link, using Webinar ID 867 1228 9077. You also can comment via this online form or email budget.council@kingcounty.gov.