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In today's newsletter:
Also on today's calendar: Leah Rudick at Forum Social House in Bellevue and 9 more events.
Today's riddle: What is the 1 way to guarantee winning a small fortune at the casino? 🤔 (Answer below!)
1. Amazon to permanently lay off 121 workers in Seattle, Bellevue amid ongoing AI push (komonews.com) — Amazon plans permanent layoffs that will hit workers in Bellevue, Seattle and Sumner starting October 1, adding to thousands of local tech jobs already cut during its AI-focused restructuring. The piece outlines prior Bellevue-area reductions, explains how state rapid-response teams will assist affected employees, and raises concerns about broader economic impacts on the region's tech-driven economy.
2. Aven Foundation (insidephilanthropy.com) — Bellevue schools and nonprofits are receiving substantial support from the Medina-based Aven Foundation, including a six-figure grant to Bellevue Schools Foundation and funding for Bellevue LifeSpring and local housing groups. The low-profile funder focuses heavily on education, housing stability, behavioral health, and medical research in the Puget Sound region, and quietly accepts concise petitions from aligned charities without a formal application process.
3. State employees stage walkouts in fight for new contract (kiro7.com) — State employees with the Department of Child, Youth and Families rallied in Bellevue as part of coordinated walkouts demanding higher pay and better staffing in contract talks with Gov. Ferguson. Local workers say severe shortages are driving overwhelming caseloads while they try to keep Washington children safe, with negotiations continuing toward an Oct. 1 deadline.
4. A Cannon That Shoots Salmon, Was Invented In Washington (kw3.com) — A Bellevue-based company, Whooshh Innovations, is getting fresh attention for its quirky yet practical "Salmon Cannon," a pneumatic tube system that helps fish bypass dams across Washington. The piece dives into how the invention works, its massive daily capacity, and the playful reactions it's inspired, while inviting readers to share other oddball Washington-made creations.
5. 600,000-pound trains now crossing Lake Washington on 'floating rail bridge' (interestingengineering.com) — Light rail trains now connect Bellevue and Seattle across Lake Washington via a groundbreaking floating bridge on I-90, giving riders a smooth commute over a highly engineered structure. The story unpacks how Sound Transit and WSDOT solved massive challenges of weight, motion, and stray electricity to safely run 600,000‑pound trains on a shifting concrete pontoon system.
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Ok Bellevue! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!
-- The Patch AM Team
P.S. The answer to today's riddle: By starting with a large fortune. (Thank you Kourtney Z. for sending it in!)
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