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FEBRUARY 11, 2026
Sisterhood, Strength, and a State Title for Lincoln High School W
SPD Chief: 2025 Crime Down, 2026 Rough Start
hen the final scores were announced at the State Cheer Championships, the Lincoln High School cheerleaders stood together, breath held, hands linked. Months of early
Brett Davis The Center Square
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Laura Marie Rivera
mornings, late nights, bruises, setbacks, and perseverance came down to this moment. Then came the result: State Champions. For only the second time in school history, Lincoln High School qualified for state competition—and this time, they returned home with the ultimate prize. The Traditional competition team placed first, earning the state title, while the Gameday team secured an impressive fourth place finish. The championships were held at Battle Ground High School, where teams from across Washington gathered after qualifying through high scores at regular-season competitions. For senior Libby Campbell, a Queen Anne resident and
leader on the team, the win represented far more than a trophy. “I joined the LHS cheer team my junior year,” she said. “I’ve cheered sideline for football, basketball, volleyball, unified sports—and competed on both the Gameday and Traditional teams. Being on cheer has brought me a strong community that always has my back.” The road there was anything but easy. The team practiced nearly every day of the week, often cheering for basketball games after long competition
“The road there was anything but easy” practices. Without a dedicated or safe practice space, they moved throughout the school, carrying heavy cheer mats up and down staircases to wherever they could find room. “At competition we perform on nine cheer mats,” Tammy explained. “But on a good day at practice, we use three cheer mats and six old wrestling mats.
SISTERHOOD, 4
Sisters, Libby Campbell (12th grade) & Charlotte Campbell (9th grade), celebrate their win!
Tết in Seattle Celebrates 30 Years of Vietnamese Lunar New Year Traditions at Seattle Center The free, family-oriented festival welcomes the Year of the Horse, February 14 & 15 Courtesy of Tết, A Festál Celebration
throughout the weekend. Guests can enjoy six different lion dances, firecrackers, and interactive dance elebrate three decades of culture, community, and tradition at workshops, as well as an Áo Dài Tết in Seattle – Vietnamese Lunar Fashion Show celebrating traditional Vietnamese dress. A kids’ Tết New Year, returning to Seattle Center zone offers activities for younger for its 30th anniversary celebration on festivalgoers, while the Tết in Seattle Saturday and Sunday, February 14 & 15, from 11 a.m.–6 p.m. The free, joyful, Community Art Gallery explores this year’s theme, Steadfast Warmth, in and multi-generational festival takes place at the Seattle Center Armory and honor of the Year of the Horse. Food is a central part of the celFisher Pavilion, welcoming the Year of ebration, featuring a wide selection the Horse with music, food, art, and of Vietnamese dishes from local food hands-on cultural experiences. vendors. Attendees can take part Part of the Seattle Center Festál in a food passport experience, kids’ year-round series of cultural festivals, Tết in Seattle honors the cultural roots and adult eating competitions, and a festive Bánh Tết (sticky rice cake) of Vietnamese Americans through the celebration of Tết, the Vietnamese wrapping competition highlighting a cherished Lunar New Year tradition. Lunar New Year. The festival presents The festival also includes a health and promotes the arts, music, performances, and foods unique to Vietnam, fair open to all ages, offering numerous free resources and services such creating a space for families, elders, as vaccines, health education, vision youth, and visitors from across the screenings, bone density screenings, region to come together in connecand more. tion and celebration. “Tết in Seattle is a beautiful Festival highlights include headexample of how sharing cultural line performances by renowned traditions strengthens community Vietnamese singer Hồ Lệ Thu on Saturday and Trúc Linh & Trúc Lam on and creates a sense of belonging,” Sunday, alongside live entertainment
C ALEX GARLAND
he timing of Seattle Police Department Chief Shon Barnes’ first Year in Review address touting dropping crime rates could be considered unfortunate, coming in the aftermath of recent multiple homicides in the city. Two Rainier Beach High School students were killed at a bus stop on Friday, and another man was killed in a separate shooting in Pioneer Square early Sunday. “This is not a victory lap,” Barnes said, after acknowledging the killings, from the Northwest African American Museum on Monday. “This is the first lap in a long marathon toward public safety.” The recent violence didn’t stop the chief from noting positive year-end 2025 crime data in the Emerald City and plans for the upcoming year. “And although we understand that no amount of crime in our city is ever acceptable, we are proud to report that in 2025 we saw an 18% overall reduction in crime citywide,” Barnes said. Seattle experienced 37 homicides in 2025, which is 36% fewer than the 58 people killed in 2024. This is the lowest level of homicides since before the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year, SPD solved 86% of those homicide cases. “That means SPD brought some measure of closure to 32 of 37 families affected by a tragic homicide,” Barnes said. The 86% clearance rate also represents a substantial improvement over the department’s 2024 clearance rate of 57% and surpasses the 61% national average. SPD data shows a decrease in both violent incidents and injuries, with an 8% reduction in aggravated assaults and a 36% drop in victims struck by gunfire. In 2025, stolen vehicle incidents decreased by 24%, resulting in 1,821 fewer victims than the previous year. Burglaries decreased by 18% last year, translating into 1,571 fewer victims. SPD hired 167 officers in 2025, a net increase of 94 officers. The department saw the fewest number of officer separations since 2016, “with only 62 officers leaving our department,” Barnes said. The chief attributed the improved crime statistics to greater collaboration among patrol, detectives and the new Real-Time Crime Center. The RTCC assisted in 45% of homicide cases within months of launching, the chief said. This collaborative approach, which integrates technology, field intelligence and investigative support, aims to improve public safety and community trust. The community played a major role, too, Barnes pointed out. “Our ability to solve 86% of last year’s homicide cases suggests we are improving in the most important category of all: community trust,” he said.
VOL. 107, NO. 6
SPD, 3 PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
SEATTLE, WA PERMIT 1271
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