Don’t let the creepy poster fool you! This is a great opportunity to meet the men and women of our own South Precinct. From SPD:
This is a free event and all South Precinct community members are invited! Enjoy dancing, music, food, magic, balloons, raffles and fun! Get a precinct tour, meet local officers, SWAT, K-9 and more.
The South Precinct – located at 3001 S. Myrtle – serves the neighborhoods of Beacon Hill, Columbia City, Duwamish/SODO, Georgetown, Mt. Baker/North Rainier, North Beacon Hill/Jefferson Park, Rainier Beach, Seward Park and South Beacon Hill/NewHolly.
Tagged as:
beacon hill,
columbia city,
Lakewood,
mt. baker,
New Holly,
NewHolly,
North Rainier,
rainier beach,
Rainier Valley,
Seward Park
KOMO:
It’s news that will have most Seattleites salivating — Dick’s Drive-In is expanding.
The iconic Seattle burger franchise announced Tuesday that for the first time in 36 years, they are going to build a new drive-in. But they haven’t decided yet where they’re going to build it.
That’s where you come in. The company is asking for customers and fans to help select the next location, and it sounds like they are not limited to staying within the Seattle city limits, as the current five franchises sit. Read more.
South Seattle is currently running neck and neck with the North end with 41% of the votes (53129 votes). Vote here NOW!
Tagged as:
Dick's,
Rainier Valley

In light of concerns about Mayor McGinn’s political and public safety priorities, faithful RVP reader “Anon” suggested that his honor be invited to live in Rainier Beach for six weeks.
Naturally, your RVP is all over the idea and has already started drafting the basics of the challenge:
- Ride the #7
- Shop the UnSafeway
- Live at Lake Washington Apartments
- Try to get a latte at Graham Street SBUX without a car
- Bike Rainier Avenue South from Rainier Beach to Mt. Baker
- Ride light rail between Columbia City and Rainier Beach at night
- Entertain drivers waiting to turn left across Martin Luther King Jr. Way
- Hang out at Rainier Avenue South and South Henderson after 10 pm on a Saturday night (bonus points earned for wearing “19yr old BLK M SouthEND RESIDENT” t-shirt)
What do you think the Mayor should experience during the Rainier Valley Live Local Challenge? Submit your ideas via the comment section below by this Fri., Aug. 20, at 11:59 pm, and you could win an RVP t-shirt and four free tickets to Columbia City Cinema!
Tagged as:
othello,
rainier beach,
Rainier Valley,
RVP Contests
Construction crews for the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) will close the southbound I-5 Off-ramp to S Dearborn Street for several hours on Tues., July 27, between 9 PM and 5 AM in order to install final pavement markings for crosswalks and traffic symbols on S Dearborn Street.
According to SDOT, this work will bring the “Bridging the Gap” funded Dearborn Street Repaving project to substantial completion.
Tagged as:
Dearborn,
Rainier Valley

The 2010 graduation season isn’t over yet! Seattle Goodwill will hold a festive Graduation Ceremony on Thur., July 15, at 3 p.m. for more than 300 students who completed programs at its Job Training and Education Center.
These are not your typical graduates; each has a unique story of triumph over hardship and adversity. They have battled problems like drug abuse, homelessness, language barriers, poverty and chronic unemployment. By completing Goodwill’s free training programs, they have put themselves in better positions to find jobs and support themselves.
One such student is Asha Yakuti. After escaping her native Tanzania, located in East Africa, Asha entered the United States under political asylum and now lives in Seattle. Goodwill’s free job training classes have helped her learn English, retail skills, and American customs; she now has a job that enables her to support herself and her children. Asha plans to enroll in community college to eventually become a Pharmacist.
“When I first got here in America, I didn’t think I could get a job. Goodwill helped me and now I can dream big and become a Pharmacist,” Yakuti says.
Goodwill operates nine job training centers in the central and northern Puget Sound region. The graduation takes place at the Job Training and Education Center in Seattle, located at 1400 S. Lane St. (corner of S. Dearborn St. and Rainier Ave. S.).
Register for upcoming classes: Graduation also means that a new session of classes will be starting at Goodwill soon; the next session runs from Aug. 9 through Sept. 30. Registration for the upcoming session will take place from July 19-23. Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis, so be sure to come early to guarantee a spot. Classes will include:
- English for Speakers of Other Languages – pre-literacy, literacy, basic, and intermediate levels
- Computers – classes include keyboarding, basic computers, Microsoft Word, and Microsoft Excel
- Basic math
- Cashiering
- Writing for school and work
Goodwill graduates celebrating Dec. 2009 graduation. Photo/Goodwill
Tagged as:
Rainier Valley


See our Big Dates Page – the only comprehensive calendar of events in all of southeast Seattle – for more information on these and other south-end gatherings, events, meetings, groups, etc. In the meantime, here’s a sampling of what’s happening around the community this weekend…
Friday:
Saturday:
Sunday:
BeatWalk (RVP sponsor) features a diverse line-up of first-rate, local musicians hosted by neighborhood businesses for audiences of all ages. Since 1995 BeatWalk has brought music lovers together for a fun and safe night out on the town. 7-10pm, $7 cover for all venues. Kids are FREE! Photo/BeatWalk
Tagged as:
columbia city,
Entertainment,
Lake Washington Boulevard,
mt. baker,
rainier beach,
Rainier Valley

Northwest Asian Weekly:
On any given day, the cacophony of different languages, sight of public art on streets and sidewalks, and wafting smell of cuisines as diverse as the local citizens fill the streets around Martin Luther King Jr. Way and Rainier Avenue South, the main thoroughfares of the Rainier Valley.
“[The Rainier Valley area] has the best selection of foods, music, and culture I think you can find in any neighborhood. It’s got a level of tolerance for difference that I’ve not seen anywhere else in the city [or] anywhere else I’ve lived,” said Jeffrey Taylor of State Farm Insurance in Columbia City.
“It’s an area with mountains and water with several parks in the area. There are lots of activities and events in the area like the street fairs and the Seafair,” said Earl Richardson, executive director of SouthEast Effective Development (SEED), a nonprofit community development corporation striving to create community investment in housing, arts, and economic development. Read more.
Photo/do communications
Related:
Tagged as:
Brighton,
columbia city,
MLK Jr Way,
mt. baker,
othello,
rainier beach,
Rainier Valley

SPD:
Mother & Baby Found Dead on Beacon Hill: At approximately 10:15 am officers responded to a residence in the 1300 Block of South Ferdinand Street. The call stated that two people were deceased inside the house, an adult female and a 14 month-old infant. Homicide and CSI detectives responded to the scene and are conducting the investigation. This is an active and on-going investigation. More information will be posted here when it becomes available.
Drive by Shooting in Othello: On December 21st, at approximately 8:25 pm, South Precinct officers responded to a house in the 6800 Block of Rainier Avenue South on a report of a shot fired at the house. Officers arrived and contacted the residents inside. Two adults and five children were present inside when a single bullet entered through a window facing Rainier Avenue South. No one was injured and the bullet was recovered by officers. A brown Chevrolet Malibu or similar style vehicle occupied by a black male in his 20’s was seen driving away from the area, but it is unknown if that car or man was involved.
Teens Responsible for Strong-Armed Purse Snatch Robberies in Rainier Valley: Between November 19th and November 22nd, four strong armed ‘purse snatch’ robberies occurred in the Rainier Valley area. Two teens were responsible for the robberies and were seen leaving in a white sedan. Most of the victims were approached from behind and did not get good descriptions of the suspects. A pattern worksheet and bulletin describing each incident had been distributed department-wide.
On November 25th, two teens were arrested in Rainier Valley for driving a stolen white Honda. The Robbery Unit was contacted and the suspects were questioned by detectives. Both denied involvement in the robberies and were booked into the Youth Service Center for Auto Theft.
Last week, detectives interviewed a victim who talked to one of the suspects before being robbed. She viewed a photo montage and positively identified one of the suspects previously arrested in the stolen Honda.
On December 21st, Robbery detectives tracked the identified suspect to an address in Tukwila. He was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Robbery office for processing. The suspect denied involvement in the series of robberies. He was booked into the Youth Service Center for Investigation of Robbery.
Detectives continue their investigation in an effort to apprehend the second suspect.
Photo/Will Austin Photography
Tagged as:
beacon hill,
Muggings,
othello,
Rainier Valley,
shootings
According to the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT), more than 250 people are expected to participate in a procession honoring Our Lady of Guadalupe, from Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in the Rain-King neighborhood to Saint Mary Church in the Central District on Sun., Dec. 13, starting at 9:30am:
The procession route will start at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church (3010 South Charlestown Street), head west on South Charlestown Street to Renton Avenue South; north on Renton to Martin Luther King (MLK) Jr Way South; north on MLK Way South to 23rd Avenue South; north on 23rd to South Judkins Street; west on Judkins to 20th Avenue South; north on 20th to South Weller Street to Saint Mary Church (611 20th Avenue South).
Our Lady of Guadalupe – regarded as Mexico’s most popular religious and cultural image – is a celebrated Catholic icon of the Virgin Mary. According to the traditional account, the image appeared miraculously on the cloak of Juan Diego, a simple indigenous peasant, on the hill of Tepeyac near Mexico City on December 12, 1531. The icon is on display in the Basilica of Guadalupe.
Tagged as:
Central District,
MLK Jr Way,
mt. baker,
rain-king,
Rainier Valley