Hello again Federal Way! We're bringing you the latest town highlights. Don't miss out, keep going! ☕️️
In today's newsletter:
Also on today's calendar: The SisterFriend Gathering and 10 more events.
Today's riddle: Why do Norway's navy ships all have barcodes? 🤔 (Answer below!)
1. The Mirror wins General Excellence award (federalwaymirror.com) — Federal Way residents can celebrate their hometown paper, as the Federal Way Mirror just earned first place for General Excellence in the 2026 Washington Newspaper Publishers Association contest. Staffers also picked up an additional individual award, highlighting the strength of local reporting that covers your community's news, events, and issues every week.
2. King County Target Zero expands traffic safety education (federalwaymirror.com) — Two Federal Way-based nonprofits, Mujer al Volante and Mission Africa, just received $20,000 grants each to expand multilingual traffic safety education across South King County. Their programs help immigrants, refugees, and teens learn safe driving in multiple languages, supporting efforts to reduce crashes along high-risk corridors and making it easier for new residents to navigate licensing and everyday travel.
3. Wing and Walmart to expand 'largest drone delivery network' in the US (roboticsandautomationnews.com) — Federal Way residents are slated to be among the first in the Seattle metro to get Walmart items delivered by Wing drones, with Mayor Jim Ferrell touting the convenience and innovation. Starting in 2027, eligible shoppers using Walmart or Wing apps could receive thousands of everyday products in minutes, as part of what's billed as the nation's largest residential drone delivery network.
4. The geographic divide in WA natural gas usage (seattletimes.com) — Federal Way households are among South King County communities where about 40% of homes still rely on natural gas heat, meaning the state's renewed push to phase out gas could hit locally. A recent Supreme Court ruling overturning Initiative 2066 puts long-term pressure on homeowners here to consider costly electric heat pump conversions, with impacts varying widely between cities and income levels across Washington.
5. 2026 Regional Winners Announced for Hometown Heroes (fohonline.com) — A Federal Way-based company, Point Source Inc., has been named the Northwest regional winner in FOH's Hometown Hero sound company contest, putting it in the running for a national Parnelli Award. Local readers in the live events or music world may want to watch January's ceremony in Anaheim, where the overall Hometown Hero Sound Company of the Year will be announced.
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Ok Federal Way! 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: "Why do Norway's navy ships all have barcodes?" — So when they come back to port they can just scan-da-navi-an! (Thank you Jessica C. for sending it in!)
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