9/7: Labor Day

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STATE

  • Red Flag Warnings indicating critical fire conditions have been issued from Monday morning to Wednesday evening along the Cascade range and the Cascade foothills even below 1,500 feet, and for the eastern slopes of the Olympic Mountains, the Black Hills and the lowland areas of the central coast and southwestern Washington.
  • Road closures across the state due to fire, collisions, dust/smoke visibility hazards, and other hazardous conditions include I-90 from the Grant County line to Ritzville, US 395 Ritzville to SR 26. US 2 from SR 172 to SR 17.
    • The state Department of Transportation notes that other closures could come with little warning.
    • Updates are available on the departments twitter page @wsdot and at wsdot.wa.gov, or by dialing 511 from a phone anywhere in Washington.
  • Evacuation notices have been issued for areas of Okanogan, Whitman, Lincoln, and Douglas Counties.

PIERCE COUNTY

  • The Tacoma-Pierce County health department has created an online dashboard to show how the county is doing in terms of returning students to in-person classes.
  • Pierce County Public works reminds residents that document shredding events are indefinitely on hold due to COVID-19.

SCHOOLS

  • Most local school districts began last week or begin this week with remote learning.
    • Bethel, Clover Park, Fife, Puyallup, and Steilacoom Historical school district students started last week on Wednesday or Thursday.
    • Federal Way, Franklin-Pierce, Peninsula,Sumner-Bonney Lake, and University Place school districts all begin tomorrow, Tuesday September 8th.
    • Tacoma Schools students begin on Wednesday, September 9th.
    • The start of kindergarten is delayed by a few days in many districts–call local schools or district websites for more info.

TACOMA

  • Tacoma City Council will hold its weekly meeting virutally tomorrow, September 1st at 6pm
    • It will air on TV Tacoma and will be livestreamed on TVTacoma.com and on the city’s Facebook live. Tacoma Community House will be distributing food boxes tomorrow, September 8th, at 10 am, on a first-come, first-serve basis until all food boxes have been distributed.
    • Tacoma Community House is located at 1314 South L Street.
  • On Wednesday September 9th 3-5pm the Salishan Association will host a classic car parade starting at Salishan Park and ending at First Creek Middle School, where community partners will be distributing backpacks, school supplies, and swag for Tacoma Public School students.
    • Donations may be dropped off at the Eastside Family Support Center.
    • Families of students in kindergarden through 5th grade: schools will notify families on dates and times for supply pick-up at your student’s home school.
    • Masks will be required
  • On Wednesday, September 9th, 6:30 – 7:30 PM, the University of Tacoma will host an online lecture called “A TALE OF TWO PLAGUES: THE 1918 FLU PANDEMIC AND THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC OF 2020” with Dr. Anna Groat Carmona.
    • The lecture will examine the social, political and ecological dynamic at play during the 1918 flu pandemic, and how it could inform our reaction to modern influenza strains and the current COVID-19 pandemic.
    • Attendees can go totacoma.uw.edu/gritcity to find links to listen via Zoom on one’s computer or phone.
  • On Thursday, September 10th at 11 AM, Rainbow Center will be distributing free non-perishable food boxes, masks, hygiene and sanitizing supplies, and fresh boxed meals at 2215 Pacific Ave in Tacoma.
    • Call 253.383.2318. for more info.
  • Symphony Tacoma is providing video content for live performances as well as connecting on a deeper level with the artists themselves!
  • Learn more: at symphonytacoma.org/concerts

TESTING SITES

  • There are numerous free testing sites in our region:
  • For Pierce County locations, visit TPCHD.org/covidtest.
  • This week’s mobile testing events in Pierce County include:
    • PLU will hold walk-up testing on Tuesday Sept 8 and Wednesday Sept 9, 9:30am-3:30pm
    • On Thursday, Sept 10, both Centro Latino in Hilltop and UW Tacoma will hold testing 10am-3pm
    • The Puyallup Tribe will offer free COVID-19 testing on Thursday, Sept 10th for its government employees 10am-noon and for Tribal members noon-3pm.
    • Tacoma Community College’s mobile testing event is Friday, Sept 11th 10am-3pm
  • No ID is required for the Pierce County tests (Puyallup Tribal tests may require identification, and tests are free and open to anyone.
  • Patients can also call their health providers for tests.