Numerous Whatcom roads close amid mounting rains, Human remains discovered near Concrete identified as woman missing for weeks, Coast Guard rescues maydaying kayaker near Chuckanut Bay, Deming woman arrested following threatening calls to Whatcom jail, Whatcom Environmental Council appeals Bellingham’s development plan, Cuts to early education survive preliminary budget drafts, higher education spared, AG Brown joins multi-state lawsuit aimed at protecting anti-discriminatory housing programs
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KMRE brings you local news for Thursday, March, 19. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: Numerous Whatcom roads close amid mounting rains
Flooding is impacting roads across Whatcom County.
Officials say more than 30 roads are either closed or have water over the roadway.
Among the affected areas are parts of Marine Drive, Bayon Road, and several roads near Lynden and Nooksack. On Wednesday afternoon, Public Works crews shut floodgates on Slater Road near Ferndale due to rising water.
Drivers are urged to avoid flooded areas and check the county’s website for the latest road closures and updates.
STORY: Human remains discovered near Concrete identified as woman missing for weeks
The Skagit County coroner has identified human remains found along the Skagit River east of Concrete as 37-year-old Krista J. Hunt.
Hunt had been reported missing since early February. Her remains were discovered March 12th near State Route 20 during a sheriff’s office search of the river.
Authorities say the cause of death is still under investigation, and the case remains active. Investigators have not confirmed whether a man last seen with Hunt is a suspect.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the Skagit County Sheriff’s Office.
STORY: Coast Guard rescues maydaying kayaker near Chuckanut Bay
Coast Guard crews responded to a mayday call near Chuckanut Bay Tuesday morning after a kayaker reported a medical emergency.
Officials say the call came in around 11:30 a.m. from a tandem kayaking partner, reporting symptoms including an elevated heart rate and nausea.
Station Bellingham crews arrived on scene within about 20 minutes and brought the kayaker back to shore. Emergency medical personnel were waiting and transported the individual to a local hospital.
No further details on the kayaker’s condition have been released.
STORY: Deming woman arrested following threatening calls to Whatcom jail
A Deming woman is facing charges after allegedly making threats against the Whatcom County Jail.
Forty-seven-year-old Abby Danielle Adams-Wright was arrested and charged with two counts of making threats to bomb or injure property.
According to an affidavit of probable cause filed in Whatcom County Superior Court and Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) Law Incident Media Summary Report, she called 911 late Saturday night, demanding the jail and work center be evacuated and threatening to shoot people if inmates were not released. Investigators say Adams-Wright told deputies her boyfriend was in custody and made additional statements during a follow-up call.
Court documents also cite an earlier incident in which she allegedly blocked a jail entrance while yelling for inmates to be released.
She was arrested early Sunday morning, later released on bail, and is scheduled to appear in court April 8th.
STORY: Whatcom Environmental Council appeals Bellingham’s development plan
An environmental group is challenging the City of Bellingham’s newly adopted comprehensive plan.
The Whatcom Environmental Council has filed an appeal with the state Growth Management Hearings Board, arguing the plan doesn’t do enough to prevent sprawl or protect Lake Whatcom, the community’s main drinking water source.
Founded in 2024 by a group of civic-minded retirees, the group has joined other nonprofits to tackle local issues like the AltaGas appeal and Bellingham’s sewage incinerators at Post Point. WEC members say the plan allows new development in the watershed and lacks strong policies to promote dense, transit-oriented growth. City officials say they’re working with the council to address concerns and have agreed to pause legal proceedings while discussing a possible resolution.
The comprehensive plan, adopted in December, will guide growth and development in Bellingham for the next 20 years.
STORY: Cuts to early education survive preliminary budget drafts, higher education spared
At the end of Washington’s 60-day legislative session, cuts to higher education were largely spared, but early education didn’t fare so well.
The legislature adopted a 27 million dollar cut to Transition to Kindergarten. This program provides free early learning to four and 5-year-olds whose families don’t qualify for low-income federal or state early learning programs but still can’t afford child care.
A majority of Whatcom County schools have the Transition to Kindergarten program. According to the advocacy group Start Early Washington, one-third of the Transition to Kindergarten program slots could be reduced as a result.
For higher education, lawmakers redistributed funds meant for capital projects into institutions’ operating budgets, avoiding the expected cuts. Western Washington University received a 175,000 dollar cut to administrative funds, but received 10.1 million dollars in its operating budget as a result of this swap.
STORY: AG Brown joins multi-state lawsuit aimed at protecting anti-discriminatory housing programs
Washington Attorney General Nick Brown has joined a multi-state lawsuit aimed at protecting anti-discriminatory housing programs.
According to a news release from Brown’s office, the lawsuit alleges that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is illegally trying to undermine its partnerships with state and local agencies.
The department has allegedly threatened to withhold funding from these agencies, according to the lawsuit, which also claims that the HUD is trying to impose vague and unlawful language in its program funding conditions.
Brown is joining fifteen other attorneys general on this lawsuit, led by California’s Rob Bonta (BON-tuh) and Illinois’s Kwame Raoul (KWAH-may rah-OOL).
WX: Dripendo Duo
And now the weather:
Day two of this most recent flood watch is here, and has brought with it forecasts of a half-inch of rain backed by 27-mph winds. Daytime highs should remain in the mid-high 50s, with evening lows set to barely drop at all. Unsurprisingly, it’s looking like it’ll rain throughout tonight and beyond.
The flood warning is set to close tomorrow as we see the last of this rainy spell hit us with another inch of precipitation.
OUTRO:
Today’s newscast was produced by volunteers Carlos Braga (BRAH-guh), Connor O’Boyle, Kyler Cantrell, Glen Hirshberg (HERSH-berg), Kathi O’Shea (o-SHAY), Austin Wright, Kai Blais-Schmolke (KAI BLAZE-SHMOLE-kee), Kieran (KEAR-un) Dang, and Bella Farris. Tune in to local news on KMRE weekdays at 3, 4 and 5 p.m. For news tips and feedback, send us an email at news@kmre.org or call 360-398-6150. KMRE is a nonprofit community radio station, powered by your donations. To help support our work, check out our Patreon, or Substack, or visit kmre.org and click on the banner. I’m _________… thanks for listening!
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