(Images: Suzi Pratt)

We admit full on bias when it comes to the BottleNeck Lounge. It’s an important little piece of the CHS and Central District News puzzle. The lounge was born as both our neighborhood news sites were getting started in an area that bridges the neighborhoods we cover. You can see just how different we were back then. We didn’t know what was ahead. We’ve grown. Erin Nestor and her BottleNeck have been part of both sites from the beginning as an advertiser and a community member adding comments and news tips along the way. Her effort has grown, too, with Tommy Gun now resident on E Olive Way. But on Friday night, it was time to celebrate the BottleNeck and the place where Capitol Hill and the Central District connect. Happy 5th birthday, neighbors.

Seattle Police fanned out across the area surrounding E Cherry and 26th in a search for three suspects following a reported robbery at Tana Market  Monday night just after 9p.

According to police radio, the suspects were described as three black males, two in all dark clothing and a third man wearing a mask, a grey hooded sweatshirt and dark jeans at the time of the robbery. The victim reported no weapons were used by the suspects.

A K9 unit was summoned to the area as units set up a perimeter to search for the suspects only minutes after the suspects were reported to have left the store on foot.

It was probably too late for Santa but a report of “three orange orbs or fireballs” flying above the Capitol Hill and Madison Valley area of Seattle early on December 26th is circulating in online extraterrestrial enthusiast communities after being posted to a UFO tracking site:

Last night, as I was walking the dog, I noticed a single orange light coming towards me from the southwest and traveling overhead to the northeastern part of the sky. At first I thought it was some kind of low flying plane or helicopter, but it was fuzzy in appearance and flaring outward in all directions. It moved slowly. Soon afterwards it flew directly over me, and behind the cloud deck off to the northeast.

Next about 20 seconds later, I saw two more orange lights traveling in formation, heading on the same course as the first object. The two objects appeared from the same direction, same course, same speed, and same altitude, flying in a single file pattern. As I tried to get a closer look at them, I noticed that each was a fuzzy, glowing, light orange ball or orb. They did not appear to have any solid noticeable center, and their outlines were faint and semitransparent (almost halo-like). These objects made no sound at all, had no beacons or flashing lights on them, and just seemed to float along. Their speed would be equivalent to a small plane or helicopter. They were not moving very fast. But these lights were definitely not aircraft. I have no idea how large they may have been or how far away they actually were. What is interesting is that when the objects were directly overhead, I noticed a slight wobble and floating movement (unconventional propulsion), in which one of objects moved slightly away from the other one, slowing down for a moment and then speeding up again to meet back in formation with the other object. After a few seconds they continued to travel at the same speed towards the northeast. My thoughts were that these two strange orange orbs were following, or catching up with the first orange orb.

Were you involved with any luminaria ceremonies that night? Flying lanterns seem to be behind most of the sightings reported in the area over the years. The truth is out there.

(Images: CDN)

The first ever Central District Holiday Party looked to be worthy of a repeat performance in 2012. It’s not every day your holiday pageant includes break dancers from Coyote Central or an eight-kid guitar group from Meter music school. It’s also not every day those guitar kids break out Modest Mouse and Weezer. Nope, it’s the magic of Christmas.

Add Santa in Central Cinema’s lounge and a couple PBR tallboys for moms and dads and you have the makings of a new CD holiday tradition.

The marchers might have been slightly fewer in number than the previous walkout but Garfield High students still came out in numbers Wednesday afternoon to support a citywide demonstration and rally against ongoing education budget cuts in Olympia. The marchers set off just after 12:30p on a route down 23rd Ave from their school to the University of Washington for the afternoon rally where thousands are expected. Along the route, media reporters mainstream and neighborhood alike were joined by a contingent of moms with cameras as passing cars beeped in support. The students marched along the sidewalk and stopped at crosswalk signals as they chanted “save our future” and waved signs.

SPD units are demanding a suspect give himself up in a standoff on 21st Ave between Union and Pine. We don’t yet have details on what lead to the situation but we have reports of a flash-bang going off and police attempting to communicate with the suspect via bullhorn and demand that he come outside and give himself up.

We don’t have confirmation from police yet but Central District activist Wyking Garrett of Umojafest Peace Center says that a situation at the old Horace Mann school Friday afternoon has resulted in arrests.

According to police radio dispatches, SPD was called to the school now leased by private operator People’s Family Life Center Friday afternoon for a report of a group of people who refused to leave the premises after a meeting was canceled.

Garret tweeted the following message about the situation at 3:26p:

A small army of Puget Sound Energy workers were out on 22nd Ave Tuesday night executing a twilight inspection of the area where an electrical incident damaged a house Sunday night.

Workers told CDN that there was no report of gas leaks or smells Tuesday night and that the inspection was a routine follow-up to Sunday’s incident.

(Images: CDN)

We don’t yet have all the details on what happened Sunday night. Commenter DoubleDeuceMama shared this unconfirmed account.

I spoke with an electrical inspector from Seattle City Light this afternoon and this is the story: a high voltage line fell last night and landed on another wire that was running into a home. The power surged through that home causing two small fires and basically blowing out the wiring in the entire house. The fallen line also caused a number of the transformers on the block to blow. By 2:30 a.m. last night all but a few houses on 22nd had power. A number of houses on 22nd are still without power as of 5 p.m. this evening. They have been left without power until they can be inspected for damage.

According to Seattle Fire radio reports Sunday night, there was a a natural gas odor reported at the scene of the downed wire at 22nd and Union.

In late September, an explosion at a north Seattle home was determined to have been caused by leaks in a gas line created by electrical arcing.

We’re checking with PSE about the inspection on 22nd Ave and why it’s happening two days following the electrical incident.

Flickering lights across the Central District and Capitol Hill accompanied reports of a possible transformer explosion fire near a home at 22nd and Union where a power line could be seen on the ground.

There was no sign of smoke or fire at the scene but there were reports of the smell of natural gas in the area.

Just got a call to CDN HQ reporting that a “nice” laptop and power brick were found in a dumpster at the Rainier Oven building at 14th and Jackson. You’ll need to describe the computer to claim — but the username on the machine is Theresa1. Yours? Call (206) 329-9290. We’ve also asked the finder to let the police know about the recovery.