Viva La Cola!

Founded in January 2009, PubliCola is a blog about Seattle written by journalists who are dedicated to non-partisan, original daily reporting that prioritizes a balanced approach to news. Started by longtime local editor and award-winning reporter Josh Feit, PubliCola is the first online-only news site in state history to get media credentials to cover the state capitol.

PubliCola was off and running. In June 2009, PubliCola hired another award-winning journalist, super-sourced Seattle city hall reporter Erica C. Barnett.

People were afraid that blogging would change journalism. Instead, we believe journalism can change blogging. Twenty-first century journalism may look and feel different, and yes Erica isn't afraid to get cranky, but we're committed to making sure online news still delivers independent, reliable, even-keeled coverage. And most of all, we're committed to making sure the coverage sparks honest civic debate.

Bringing you cola for the people, PubliCola is named after Publius Valerius PubliCola, the alias for the authors of the Federalist Papers—the original bloggers.

The first online-only news site in state history to get media credentials to cover the state capitol and Seattle city hall, PubliCola has been called a “must-read” by the Seattle Post Intelligencer and a hot “New Media Mover and Shaker” by Seattle Magazine—which also cited our own Erica C. Barnett as the city's No. 1 news nerd.

Man Shot on Capitol Hill, Shooter at Large

Police were called to Boylston and Union just before 6:00 p.m. after a man in his thirties was shot in the chest. According to a source, multiple shots were fired. A white male in his mid 30s was struck in the chest with at least one low caliber round. Our source says the victim is carrying multiple cell phones and has a strong odor of marijuana about him. 

It sounds like police are searching for a black Mercedes.


Capitol Hill Seattle spoke with a witness at the scene who says this was a robbery. As we noted earlier today, SPD crime stats show robberies are up 19% over last year.

The man was alert and conscious when officers and medics arrived, but he is being taken to Harborview to be treated for what looks like a fairly serious gunshot wound. According to Seattle Police Department spokesman Jeff Kappel, the victim has life-threatening injuries. Our sources tell us the man is expected to survive.

Kappel says the suspect or suspects fled the scene in a dark colored sedan and “remain at large.”

As of 8:00 p.m., police have reopened the street.

Photos via Capitol Hill Seattle




  • Chad

    He was reported to be a while male driving a black Mercedes with nice rims and a red t-shirt.

  • enough

    “carrying multiple cell phones and has a strong odor of marijuana about him.”

    So what??? Why did you print something that can’t be proven?

  • Billy Chav

    Hey ‘enough’: go away.

  • Curby

    Because if it’s true, it means this was drug related. A good percentage of shootings are drug related — surprise!

  • Heath Hunnicutt

    would that make this nicotine related?

  • Billy Chav

    Of course not. There’s no problem w/ nicotine dealers running around shooting people, whereas drug-related violence is an epidemic. But it rightly reassures the general public that this is probably not some anonymous assault, so we can relax a little bit.

  • Map

    enough: it CAN be proven. Marijuana /smells are confirmable by a number of tests, not to mention K9 units. Cell phones are easy enough to identify (perhaps by anyone under age 45: push the buttons, if it makes a call, it’s a phone?). I’m sure whether of not it’s proven though, it was still reported.
    You know, News and crime sites publish reports, and not all turn out to be completely confirmed or correct until later – this is the way of news (eg. balloon boy; OJ; Jeff Goldblum’s ‘death’; seattle snowplows “clearing roads now”, etc)
    What so hard to understand / believe???

  • enough

    I was questioning the source, not the smell of weed. I’m not going anywhere.

  • stillahippie

    Marijuana is a herb not a DRUG it contains a drug. Coffie contains a drug but you would not report; THE VICTIM HAD A STRONG SMELL OF COFFIE ABOUT HIM.

  • stillahippie

    just report he was stabed robbed and hospitalized
    http://stillahippie2009.wordpress.com/

  • Jonah Spangenthal-Lee

    Because those are possibly pertinent details, hippie. Although clearly you’re not big on details anyhow. Victim was shot, not stabbed.

  • Charlie

    Feeling sensitive about this are we, hippie?