Families of two students sue Blaine School District over alleged violations of Title IX in response to sexual assault cases, Sudden Valley fire station back in action after two-year closure, Worsening air quality predicted for Whatcom in coming days, Rep. Larsen releases statement following tour of Bellingham & Tacoma ICE facilities, Primary ballots due tomorrow, Primary ballots due tomorrow, Spokane on fire, Ferguson issues state-wide wildfire emergency, WDFL internal investigation finds evidence of repeated misconduct among commissioners, Refunds reportedly bound for WA consumers following hotel booking fee settlement, attempted traffic stop turns into a series of poor decisions. (kicker, Skagit County), Dept of Ed demands change from WA and CA, Toxic algae numbers for Lake Whatcom released, Amazon gets $600 million dollar tariff refund, F&C August 9th: F&C Aug 21, Children’s Craft Fair at the Bellis Fair Mall, Friday, August 21, 5:00 – 7:00 pm, Inside Bellis Fair Mall
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KMRE brings you local news for Monday, August, 3. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: Families of two students sue Blaine School District over alleged violations of Title IX in response to sexual assault cases
The families of two students are suing Blaine School District over alleged mishandling of sexual assault cases.
The Bellingham Herald reports a second federal lawsuit against the district was filed Friday. The case alleges the district violated Title Nine when dealing with two cases of sexual assault by the same male student. Title Nine protects students from gender discrimination, and requires an investigation for sexual assault cases to prevent interference with students’ education.
The Herald reports both female students had protective orders against the male student, but the school refused to enforce them. Instead, the district suggested a safety plan that would also punish the girls if they came into contact with him.
The Herald reports that the district blamed the girls for being unsupervised on campus, and seemed skeptical about whether the assaults were unconsensual.
The lawsuit seeks judgement against the district for civil rights violations, and asks for damages and injunctions against the safety plans proposed by the district.
STORY: Sudden Valley fire station back in action after two-year closure
Sudden Valley’s fire station has reopened after being closed for more than two years following extensive water damage.
South Whatcom Fire Authority announced July 31 that Station 22 is back in service after frozen pipes burst in January 2024, which caused a major leak that damaged walls, ceilings and electrical systems. The repairs were completed as part of a planned renovation.
The upgraded station includes improved safety features and redesigned living and work spaces. Fire district officials say a community open house will be announced soon.
STORY: Worsening air quality predicted for Whatcom in coming days
Whatcom air quality is predicted to worsen this week.
The air quality index is forecasted to enter the orange zone by mid-week. Smoke from growing fires in Eastern Washington is likely the culprit of the increased particulates. This means everyone, not just sensitive groups, could be impacted by respiratory symptoms.
Whatcom County Health and Community Services recommends cautionary measures for members of sensitive groups, like the elderly, children and those with respiratory conditions.
If you can’t stay inside, keeping doors and windows closed and using a HEPA air filter or air conditioning are the next best options. Tight-fitting N95 and N100 masks can filter out small smoke particles and reduce respiratory symptoms if going outside is necessary.
For more safety information and instructions for making an air filter at home, visit the Whatcom County Health and Community Services website.
STORY: Rep. Larsen releases statement following tour of Bellingham & Tacoma ICE facilities
Congressman Rick Larsen toured the ICE holding facility in Ferndale and plans to seek more information about its operations.
Larsen said the facility has two holding centers for up to 16 people and that detainees are typically held for four to five hours before being transferred to the ICE detention center in Tacoma.
He said detainees have access to toilets, sinks, and private phones to contact attorneys, but the facility does not have kitchens, showers, or on-site medical staff.
Larsen also said Homeland Security Investigations were responsible for operations that detained nearly 50 people in Lynden in recent months. He plans to seek additional information about those operations.
The congressman said his office will work with the facility to help detainees request assistance from his staff and may send a follow-up oversight letter to federal officials.
REMINDER: Primary ballots due tomorrow
There’s one day until primary ballots are due.
The Whatcom County Auditor’s Office has released a list of ballot drop box locations, with 21 sites available across the county. Voters can return ballots at boxes in Bellingham, Blaine, Ferndale, Lynden, Sumas (soo-MASS), Point Roberts, Sudden Valley, the Lummi Nation and other communities. An indoor drop box is also available at the Auditor’s Office in downtown Bellingham during business hours.
The auditor’s website has exact locations.
STORY: Spokane on fire
Three fast-moving wildfires near Spokane have become one of the most destructive wildfire disasters in Washington history.
More than 60,000 people have been forced to evacuate and the fires have damaged an estimated 700 structures.
The Autumn Lane, Fairview and Old Trails fires ignited Saturday under extreme heat, dry conditions and strong winds, burning about 8,000 acres. More than 900 firefighters, supported by aircraft and the National Guard, are battling the blazes as thousands remain without power.
Officials say no deaths have been confirmed, but thousands remain displaced.
STORY: Ferguson issues state-wide wildfire emergency
Governor Bob Ferguson issued a burn ban and declared a state of emergency due to drought and wildfire.
Most outdoor burning is prohibited through September, including yard debris burning, trash disposal, land clearing, removing weeds, lighting bonfires and uncontained campfires.
More restrictive bans from local governments take precedence over the governor’s ban. Whatcom County’s current burn ban prohibits all recreational fires, except for charcoal or propane barbecues and propane fire pits that don’t burn wood.
STORY: WDFL internal investigation finds evidence of repeated misconduct among commissioners
An internal investigation into the Department of Fish and Wildlife revealed evidence of misconduct.
The year-long investigation found DFW commissioners disregarded public transparency laws and ignored conflict of interest rules. However, these findings were not labelled as serious misconduct and are not likely to result in any punishment.
The probe began in 2022 when the commission voted to stop recreational black bear hunting in the state. A hunting group called Sportsmen’s Alliance sought access to their communications, citing concerns that public communications laws had been violated leading up to the decision.
The alliance petitioned Governor Ferguson to remove four of the commissioners for misconduct.
The report shows there were private communications between the commissioners that violated public meeting laws. Claims that commissioners had mistreated staff were also substantiated.
Ferguson greenlit the original probe, but has commented on its results yet.
STORY: Refunds reportedly bound for WA consumers following hotel booking fee settlement
Washington consumers will receive refunds after being charged illegal fees on four hotel‑booking websites.
The state Attorney General’s Office says Hotel‑Rates.com, Room77.com, HotelGuides.com and BookOnline.com added mandatory charges late in the checkout process — a practice known as drip pricing — which violates state consumer protection laws. The companies agreed to a $750,000 settlement and must clearly disclose all required fees before customers begin booking.
Refunds will be issued automatically to Washington consumers who paid the improper charges.
WX: Smogust Rush
And now for the weather…
Sunny skies with highs up to 80 and light winds are in the forecast today. The evening should cool things down, with temperatures falling back to lows in the mid-50s.
Expect temperatures to spike and air quality to possibly worsen tomorrow.
OUTRO:
Today’s newscast was produced by volunteers Carlos Braga (BRAH-guh), Connor O’Boyle, Kyler Cantrell (can-TRELL), Glen Hirshberg (HERSH-berg), Kathi O’Shea (o-SHAY), Kai Blais-Schmolke (KAI BLAZE-SHMOLE-kee), Jenny Lam, Nate Landi, Natalie Jones, Noelle Reger (no-ELL REE-ger), and Sean Lynch. 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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STORY: attempted traffic stop turns into a series of poor decisions. (kicker, Skagit County)
STORY: Dept of Ed demands change from WA and CA
The U.S. Department of Education has demanded Washington change its policies on student data.
The department says Washington and California must provide details on their student privacy policies and explain how they plan to comply with recent court rulings on parental rights.
The dispute centers on whether schools must disclose certain student information to parents, including issues involving transgender students. The Trump administration says current policies conflict with its interpretation of federal laws, including Title Nine and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.
The issue is expected to continue into November, when Washington voters will consider two initiatives involving parental access to school records and transgender student participation in sports.
STORY: Central WA data center scuppered
A proposed natural gas power plant planned to supply electricity to a Central Washington data center has been canceled.
Texas-based VoltaGrid had proposed installing 14 gas generators in Quincy to serve the nearby Vantage data center campus, but withdrew its air quality permit application after environmental groups submitted more than 500 public comments opposing the project. Grant County Public Utility District officials confirmed the project will not move forward, saying the on-site power generation is no longer needed.
The proposal had drawn criticism over its emissions and its connection to the growing energy demands of artificial intelligence data centers.
STORY: Toxic algae numbers for Lake Whatcom released
Recent testing found no detectable levels of harmful cyanobacteria toxins in Lake Whatcom.
The Washington State Department of Ecology says water samples collected July 23 and 24 showed microcystins, anatoxin-a, saxitoxin and cylindrospermopsin were all below laboratory detection limits — well under state recreational safety thresholds. Ecology funds the testing program to help monitor toxic algae in lakes across Washington.
STORY: Amazon gets $600 million dollar tariff refund
Amazon says it received about $600 million in tariff refunds last quarter and plans to return some of that money to customers.
The Seattle-based company revealed the refund after reporting stronger-than-expected earnings. The refunds stem from the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision overturning President Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs. Amazon says most of the refund will help keep prices low, while customers who directly paid tariff-related charges on eligible purchases will automatically receive refunds.
F&C August 9th:
Ferndale hosts a free Play, Learn & Connect Festival this weekend. The event runs Sunday from 11 to 2 at Pioneer Park, with giant building blocks, arts and crafts, hands‑on learning activities, community booths, and food trucks. It’s designed to celebrate play while connecting families with local programs and services.
F&C Aug 21
Children’s Craft Fair at the Bellis Fair Mall
Friday, August 21, 5:00 – 7:00 pm
Inside Bellis Fair Mall
Enjoy a wide array of handmade crafts and baked goods created by children ages 13 and younger. All items are priced $5 or less; cash only sales. Fun for all ages to shop for unique treasures and support local youth.
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