Community Corner

🌱 Patch AM: Why Bellevue’s congressman backs a defense bill safety experts oppose

Happening soon: Historically Hip Artisan Market on the Bellevue Patch calendar

Patch AM Team's profile picture
Patch AM Team, Patch StaffVerified Patch Staff Badge
Saturday December 13th Patch AM
Saturday December 13th Patch AM (Patch graphic)

Greetings Bellevue! Your go-to source for what's happening in town is here. Stay in the loop and read on. ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

  • Why Bellevue’s congressman backs a defense bill safety experts oppose
  • How today’s emergency at Bellevue Transit Center is changing your bus ride
  • What investigators are saying about the Bellevue transit center shooting

Also on today's calendar: Historically Hip Artisan Market and 9 more events.

Find out what's happening in Bellevuefor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Today's riddle: What did the boat dock say when it was arrested? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

Find out what's happening in Bellevuefor free with the latest updates from Patch.

  • Saturday: Clouds giving way to some sun, with a high of 55 and low of 49 degrees.
  • Sunday: Cloudy with a shower or two, temps: high: 57, low: 50.
  • Monday: Breezy with rain, some heavy, with a high of 61 and low of 49 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. WA Dems split on defense bill, raising alarms from aviation safety experts (seattletimes.com) — Bellevue’s Rep. Adam Smith is backing a major defense bill that aviation safety experts warn could make D.C. airspace less safe by letting some military aircraft fly without broadcasting their locations. Washington’s delegation is split, with Sen. Maria Cantwell pushing an amendment to restore stricter safety rules after a deadly January midair collision near D.C. raised alarms about military flight tracking.
   

2. LIVE COVERAGE: Large police response at Bellevue Transit Center (king5.com) — Bellevue Transit Center is currently closed due to an emergency response, and Sound Transit is rerouting buses around the area. Riders are being asked to use stops just before the transit center, with ST Express 560 specifically redirected and outbound passengers using NE 6th St & 110th Ave NE instead of Bay 6.
   

3. Officer and suspect injured in Bellevue, WA shooting near transit center (fox13seattle.com) — An officer and a suspect were injured Friday afternoon in a shooting near Bellevue’s transit center, and both were taken to a nearby hospital. Details on what led up to the incident remain unclear, and the King County Force Investigation Team is now leading the investigation with information coming from Bellevue Police.
   

4. Wild Waves Theme Park Will Close After 2026 Season (kvi.com) — Bellevue residents face more economic uncertainty as Amazon, Microsoft, Meta, and other tech giants cut thousands of Washington jobs, including many at Bellevue offices, while lawmakers float a new payroll tax on high earners. Against that backdrop, Federal Way’s Wild Waves Theme Park will close after its 2026 season, raising fresh concerns about regional tourism, service jobs, and family recreation options.
   

5. Valve announces the Steam Controller, Steam Machine, and Steam Frame (wsspaper.com) — Valve just unveiled three new gaming devices from its headquarters in Bellevue including a console-style Steam Machine, a redesigned Steam Controller, and the Steam Frame VR headset. Early hands-on impressions praise comfort, performance, and wireless tech, though pricing remains unknown and some gamers question the Steam Machine’s specs and non-console-style pricing strategy.
   

📸 Around Bellevue

Show off your photography skills and the sights around town! Click here to submit your Photo of the Day to Patch AM!

🗓 Upcoming Events in Bellevue

Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!

★ Featured events ★

Want to see your event featured? Click here!

Other local events

📣 Bellevue Shout Outs!

Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

 

Thank you 👏👏👏 to the local businesses for making Bellevue PatchAM possible:

Click here to show your appreciation! 💚

Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.

💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • Thanks to the folks at Marymoor dog park, and especially to the gentleman that offered to go in for me when my dog got stuck on a branch in the river!
    My lab is a good swimmer but river is flowing faster than normal and she got caught up on a branch. I was a bit embarrassed and not sure if I… (Nextdoor Enatai and Surrey Downs)
  • Firefighters are battling a house fire on Bartlett Ave NE in Seattle, with reports of downed power lines, structural concerns, and significant progress in controlling the fire.
    6:09PM on Dec 11: Fire reported in a building at 11024 Bartlett Ave NE in Seattle. (Nextdoor )
  • Staffing posted a job opening for Delivery Manager - Bellevue, WA in Bellevue. Apply here.
  • Sunrise Senior Living posted a job opening for Job Housekeeper in Bellevue. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Bellevue here.

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: I demand a jury of my piers.
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

👉 Help make Patch AM better

We use a combination of real people and machines to tell you what’s happening around town. Learn more about Patch AM.

Share to NextDoor     Share to Facebook

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

More from Bellevue