Matthew Smith
KIRO 7
Seattle, WA, United States
Contact Matthew
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Past articles by Matthew:
‘A forest fire in Puget Sound’: Heat wave bakes Washington shellfish industry
PUGET SOUND, Wash. — As the record-setting temperatures hit the Pacific Northwest last week, tens of thousands of locals were seeking shelter from the heat. Over at Hama Hama’s clam beds in Lilliwaup, Washington the farm manager was simply trying to understand what he was seeing with his own eyes. “The clams were popping up, it looked like they were steamed open,” explained Adam James, a… → Read More
How a Seattle business boomed while taking back narrative of Native art
Walking into the Eighth Generation factory in SoDo you immediately notice the sounds. Music plays overhead, though the distinct hum of machinery and the workers bouncing between textiles, jewelry and a printing machine draws attention. “I feel, like, seen here,” explains Jasmine Frazier, as she ties off loose ends on a scarf. “We’re taking back the art and putting out authentic art.” Speaking… → Read More
Months after dam removal, Pilchuck River is showing signs of recovery
As water rushes along the Pilchuck River, it’s almost too loud to hear Brett Shattuck, a restoration ecologist with the Tulalip Tribes, ask his team whether they’ve spotted any fish. “Don’t fall,” he says jokingly, wading through nearly chest-high water to another scientist. They’re working their way across the river to get a better glimpse of the location where a dam stood for more than 100… → Read More
High school shifts theater production to streaming event
Most theaters across the United States are shut down, but Kentridge High School is preparing a one-of-a-kind student production set to be unveiled later this month. → Read More
Giant hornets spell trouble for beekeepers, farmers in Washington state
It was roughly five months ago that the world’s largest wasp, the Asian giant hornet, was spotted in Washington state. → Read More
How Gravity Payments has avoided a single layoff during COVID-19 crisis
Five years ago, Gravity Payments made national headlines when its CEO, Dan Price, slashed his own salary to ensure his employees received at least $70,000 a year. This time it’s his employees making voluntary cuts to ensure that no one is laid off. → Read More
Seattle couple riding out COVID-19 pandemic in Ecuador
ECUADOR — When travel bans tied to COVID-19 started being implemented, Americans around the globe scrambled to get home. In mid-March, KIRO 7 heard from an Edmonds woman who made it out of Quito on one of the final flights out of the country – the ticket cost $6,000 and got her as far as Texas. Others, including Zach and Alex Edwards, decided it was better to shelter in place. “It seems like… → Read More
Seattle musician pens ‘Coronavirus Blues’ while trapped in Italy
More than 20 people have died within an hour 'sdrive of Maureen Mershon, but her mind is focused on what’s unfolding thousands of miles from home. The coronavirus is on her community’s doorstep, but she’s thinking about her son stranded in southern Italy. “As a mother, obviously, you want to protect your children no matter how old they are,” she says moments before picking up her cellphone and… → Read More
Trio of students save elderly man’s life; one boy doesn’t tell his parents
A trio of middle-schoolers are being hailed as heroes, but some of the students didn’t initially tell their parents because they thought they’d be in trouble. It’s the odd twist of an act of kindness that went viral, which is tied to a dangerous incident involving an 88-year-old man in Thurston County. Harold Storelee was mowing his lawn Friday morning when he fell and broke his hip. According… → Read More
Dog is last line of defense against Washington’s multimillion dollar problem
An invasive species-detecting pup is the latest tool in WDFW’s fight against zebra mussels → Read More
Flooding victim catches restoration worker trying to steal from her home
MAPLE VALLEY, Wash. — When Lynne Bray was given an alert that she needed to evacuate her home, she never could have anticipated the mess that was about to unfold. Her home in Maple Valley had never flooded, according to neighbors who have lived in the area longer, but when the Cedar River broke through a levee, the water rushed across two lots and into her home. The water rushed so quickly it… → Read More
Fishers released into Mount Rainier National Park
Despite a cancellation notice sent to dozens of attendees, snow at Mt. Rainier National Park couldn’t stop more than 50 people from showing up to witness history. On a snowy Friday a team of scientists released four fishers into the wild. A sight that had a handful of adults all smiles as Dr. Tara Chestnut, an ecologist with Mount Rainier National Park, jumped up shouting: “We did it!” To… → Read More
Fishers released into Mount Rainier National Park
Despite a cancellation notice sent to dozens of attendees, snow at Mt. Rainier National Park couldn’t stop more than 50 people from showing up to witness history. On a snowy Friday a team of scientists released four fishers into the wild. A sight that had a handful of adults all smiles as Dr. Tara Chestnut, an ecologist with Mount Rainier National Park, jumped up shouting: “We did it!” To… → Read More
Lime to pull bikes from Seattle streets
SEATTLE — There will be one less option to get around Seattle beginning in 2020. Lime has announced that it is packing up its e-bikes around the city, as its permit with the city expires. The company told KIRO 7 that it had an option to extend the permit an extra three months to connect to an anticipated deal to bring e-scooters to the city, but instead it opted to halt service as usage was… → Read More
Crowding, short-term bike ban coming as light rail prepares for construction
SEATTLE — In less than a month, the platform at Pioneer Square is going to get crowded, a lot more crowded. Sound Transit is preparing for Connect 2020 – a multi-phase construction project that will connect the downtown tunnel, to the East Link light rail line. In order to keep the trains running, thousands of riders will have to adapt to how they travel – including a stop at Pioneer Square… → Read More
End of Thanksgiving travel causing headache at airports
The tail-end of Thanksgiving travel is causing a headache at airports throughout the United States, that includes SeaTac which has a growing number of delays piling up. → Read More
Nationwide Christmas tree shortage looming
It may be Thanksgiving, but savvy shoppers are already planning their Christmas tree shopping with a nationwide shortage looming. → Read More
Daylight Saving Time gives us an extra hour this weekend
It’s back: Daylight Saving Time is fast-approaching, meaning it’s time to fall back once again. → Read More
Where to go to get your kids' Halloween candy screened
It’s Halloween — and that means plenty of families are making plans to trick-or-treat despite the rain. → Read More
Family identifies 28-year-old man shot, killed before his vehicle was stolen
Police are investigating a deadly shooting that took place on Detroit’s west side early Saturday morning. → Read More