Brittany Howard Drops a (Rockin’) Bomb With Thunderbitch

Posted on by Vickie Gilmer

Fans who were disappointed in the more esoteric twists and turns Alabama Shakes’ latest album, Sound & Color, took will be more than a little pleased to tune in to frontwoman Brittany Howard’s surprise self-release under the moniker Thunderbitch.

Dropped without any preamble on September 1, the album’s 10 tracks  showcase Howard unleashing her best. Her full-throttle vocals careen and proselytize; she cries out like a woman that’s been kept down too long and the result is a glorious romp of grinding rock.

There’s no game here, either. Throughout the album, Howard’s lyrics carry a raw honesty.Thunderbitch-Album

“I want to grow up to wear a leather jacket/That will hold my soul in/I’m never going to take it off,” she sings in the opener “Leather Jacket.” The simplicity of this desire, replete with a sneer, recalls Joan Jett’s brazen, yet equally plaintive statement, “I love rock n’ roll” — a sentiment Howard echoes later on in “I Just Wanna Rock n Roll.”

What Howard successfully delivers is that she’s able to back up the imagery of a cool rock chick who has a don’t-mess-with-me demeanor with an emotional plea of who we want to be. I’ve got a massive girl crush, that’s for sure.

Elsewhere, a sly nod to Rick Springfield’s “Jessie’s Girl” surfaces in “Very Best Friend” and the band rips through “Closer” sounding like Deliverance band camp pickers on ecstasy. (The band is comprised of players calling themselves Matt Man, B Bone, ThunderMitch, Char Man and A Man — fronted, of course, by Thunderbitch.)

If you’re wondering why Howard picked up a side project, it might not be a stretch to place blame on the spotlight the Alabama Shakes have been under since their debut Boys & Girls was released. Just take a listen to Howard on the closing “Heavenly Feeling,” as she drops to a weary sigh and sings, “When people love you, thank you for nothing.”

Listen to Alabama Shakes on Rhapsody here.

 

Dog has his day, commandeers parking enforcement scooter

Posted on by Vickie Gilmer

SEATTLE — Not many people are fans of the so-called meter maids that putter around town in their scooters, doling out parking tickets. And it seems that one dog thought it would have its day, if not its say, when it hopped in one of the scooters Tuesday. (We guess that’s what you get for leaving your scooter unattended.)

Seattle police said they released the canine from custody after he commandeered the scooter to escape from a storm.

The dog had taken a seat in parking enforcement officer Stan Estaban’s scooter after Estaban finished his rounds in the Leschi neighborhood. When Estaban walked back to his scooter, the shaggy dog ducked in out of the storm, and onto Estaban’s lap.

Estaban tried to shoo the dog out of the scooter, but it wouldn’t budge. A group of people in the neighborhood told Estaban they had seen the dog trailing them earlier, and that the dog seemed to be quite frightened by the storm.

The dog didn’t have any tags, so Estaban called Animal Control and turned the heat up in his scooter to keep it comfortable. And in a sign of a canine-friendly solidarity, another officer dropped by with some biscuits.

Animal Control officers collected the dog and reunited him with his owner on Wednesday.

(Originally published at kcpq.com)

Catch him if you can: Man poses as U.S. attorney to get out of jail

Posted on by Vickie Gilmer

SEATTLE — Identity theft is what landed Muhammed Tillisy in hot water with the Feds in the first place, but posing as an Assistant U.S. Attorney to get out of their clutches could have him facing even more charges.

Tillisy, who had served time for fraud, was released on probation in February 2012, court documents state. About three months after his release from prison, Tillisy’s probation officer filed a petition for his arrest after he violated the terms of his parole. Within a week, Tillisy was picked up and was being held in the Snohomish County Jail.

According to court documents, terms of his incarceration stated that if he were to be released for any reason, he could not be released back into the community.

An investigation in September 2012 revealed that Tillisy made a number of calls to an acquaintance as well as the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington and the U.S. Marshals Service. In these calls Tillisy allegedly sussed out the name of the federal attorney who was prosecuting his case and then, posing as that attorney, contacted the Marshals office requesting a fax allowing for his release from the Snohomish County Jail  to “DOC.”

Once he received confirmation that a fax was on his way, he then contacted the Snohomish County Records Office and, again posing as the Assistant U.S. District Attorney, informed them they would be receiving a fax that rescinded the hold on inmate Tillisy.

The next day, Tillisy posted $25,000 in bail and was released from jail within 24 hours. However, his freedom didn’t last long — Tillisy was apprehended by U.S. Marshals two days later.

He could now face charges of one count of identity theft and one count of impersonation of a federal official.

(Originally published at kcpq.com)

Some medical insurance plans, rates approved for state’s new health exchange

Posted on by Vickie Gilmer

hospitalOLYMPIA — Washington state Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler announced Thursday he has approved four health insurance companies and individual rates to sell in Washington’s new health insurance exchange.

Under the “Washington Healthplanfinder,” starting Oct. 1, 2013, in most counties, people will have a choice of two dozen health insurance plans.

The approved rates are 1.8 percent lower than what the companies originally requested, resulting in a savings of more than $10 million, Kreidler said in a statement.

“We’re now one step closer to giving Washington consumers access to affordable health insurance,” Kreidler said. “Many of the companies will look the same, but they’re going to sell all new plans with much better benefits.”

The following list includes the approved companies and the counties where they intend to sell:

Bridgespan – King, Kitsap, Pierce, Skagit, Snohomish, Thurston, and Spokane

Group Health Cooperative – Benton, Columbia, Franklin, Island, King, Kitsap, Kittitas, Lewis, Mason, Pierce, San Juan, Skagit, Snohomish, Spokane, Thurston, Walla Walla, Whatcom, Whitman, and Yakima

Lifewise – All 39 counties

Premera Blue Cross– All counties except Clark

Three of these insurers — Group Health Cooperative, Lifewise and Premera — now also have approved individual plans for sale outside of the Exchange. Six additional insurers (Asuris, Regence Blueshield, Regence Blueshield of Oregon, Group Health Options, Time and Moda) have filed individual health plans for sale outside of the Exchange. Kreidler has until the end of September to approve these plans and their rates.

The board of the Washington Health Benefit Exchange will now review the approved Exchange plans to determine if they meet their Qualified Health Plan standards. A final announcement is expected at the Aug. 21 board meeting.

Kreidler said all of the approved plans include the 10 essential health benefits such as prescription drug coverage and maternity coverage. Also, annual out-of-pocket costs including deductibles and copays are capped at $6,350 for an individual and $12,700 for a family.

How much someone pays will depend on their age, where they live, whether or not they smoke, and which plan they select. Premium and cost-sharing subsidies are available for plans sold through the Washington Healthplanfinder, depending on income.

Only Kaiser applied to sell small employer plans inside the exchange and only in Clark and Cowlitz counties, Kreidler said. The exchange has granted Kreidler an extension to Aug. 6 to complete his review.

“For too long, people have struggled to find affordable coverage,” Kreidler said. “If they have insurance, they’ve continued to pay more, yet seen their benefits dwindle. The new plans for sale starting this October provide meaningful coverage and will give people peace of mind and financial security.”