The opening of a furry taproom called Slightly Furry in Seattle by Martinisoft and SpORK Styles was covered by the local alternative magazine The Stranger.

This establishment replaces what used to be called the Sovereign Brewing establishment, just off the very Western end of Interstate 90 before it meets Interstate 5.

This is the second furry-operated taproom to open in the city. The first is a facility called the Vulpine Taproom located near the northernmost shore of Lake Washington. The article by The Stranger contains interviews and stories behind both businesses.

On May 1, 16-year-old Kiera Inman left home in Spokane, Washington to meet 30-year-old Zachary Jones, known as Kelo on Fur Affinity, where Inman's grandmother believes they met.

The two were found at a rest stop in Columbus, Ohio, where Jones was arrested and charged with first-degree kidnapping, a federal law punishable by "not less than 20 years of imprisonment" when a minor is the victim. Kelo's Fur Affinity account has been suspended; he also has accounts on Inkbunny, Weasyl and SoFurry.

Inman, whose grandparents describe her as "developmentally delayed", was said to have been groomed online by Jones for several weeks according to entries in her diary, and she left a note reading, "by the time you read this I'm gone...or dead".

Washington state furry convention RainFurrest 2016 has been cancelled, after failing to find a suitable venue for this year's event.

Historically based in Seattle, RainFurrest's former chair posted a strong warning last October that the acts of some of the 2704 attendees had jeopardized the convention's relationship with the Hilton airport hotel, resulting in uncertainty about future events.

Convention staff had previously posted apologizing for not giving more feedback, discussing rumors about a move to Spokane, and noting the board's decision to discuss contracts there. Last month saw posts about travel, hotels and recreation, and, on January 30, the opening of registration and the announcement that RainFurrest's parent organization was now a 501(c)(3) non-profit. All these posts have now been removed from the convention's website.

Update (20 Feb): Former con-chair buni has posted a post-mortem of the challenges faced in attempting to organize RainFurrest 2016.

See also: Hotel management doesn't care what your fursona is

Furry artist FilthyRotten Jackalope (Tangela Parten, née Harris) has been reported dead following complications from emergency surgery at the age of 35.

A long-time resident of Atlanta, Georgia, and a long-time participant in the local furry community, FilthyRotten served as Volunteer Coordinator at Furry Weekend Atlanta from 2008 to 2013. She moved in June 2013 to Vancouver, Washington, with her husband DarkPatu (Paul Parten) and their three children.

On April 1, 2014, FilthyRotten posted pictures to her Twitter account from her stay at the Peace Health Services Hospital for a blood transfusion (due to a history of chronic internal bleeding), but by April 4, she posted that she would be heading to emergency surgery the next day. According to DarkPatu, "Complications after an emergency hysterectomy led to an infection in her brain and cranial bleeding."

Wired has a gallery of twenty works in a Seattle art exhibition open June 16–July 22, “Rayguns and Robots!” (with an exhibition poster partially inspired by Planet of the Apes), at James Monosmith’s Ltd. Art Gallery.

The exhibit, curated by Chris Jackson, consists of over seventy pieces by forty-one artists, “dedicated to art influenced by the sci-fi stylings of the 1940s and 1950s.”

Most of the paintings, sculptures, and vinyl toys are not anthropomorphic, but check out Mikeatron!’s painting of a Godzilla-like monster skipping rope in the radioactive ruins of Tokyo, Chet Phillips’ “MST3k Attacks”, “They Came From Beyond Space” by Ken Keirns, “Back to the River, Back to the Forest” by Patrick Maxcy, and “Captain Qwendolth Blazar and the Thing From Beyond” by Tyler Parker.

Seattle filmmaker Chris Diani is seeking funding for a project involving furries. His proposed film, Let's Pretend We're Bunny Rabbits, is envisioned as "a throwback to the classic screwball comedies of the 30s and 40s".

In the film, a gay couple (both broke artists) break up and go looking for sugar daddies. One artist succeeds, but upon meeting his sugar daddy at a hotel, discovers that he is a furry, and the hotel is hosting a furry convention.

Spokane convention All Fur Fun may hold a one-day event this year, according to event organizers Tora Kiyoshi and Moorcat.

The con served almost 200 attendees last year, but fell into debt after several setbacks, including a chandelier accident.

To make matters worse, the US Olympic figure skating tryouts were held in Spokane this year, disrupting hotel bookings.

Current plans are for a one-day event on 15 May, including an art show, after which attendees can participate in the Spokane Lilac Festival Torchlight Parade before returning to the hotel for a party. A full weekend event is expected for 2011.

In related news, proposed Arizonan convention Phoenix Furness looks to be no more, as inquiries on its journal go without official answer.