Lynden business owner held in detention by ICE ordered to be released, Bellingham man arrested after allegedly assaulting resident inside their apartment, Former BTC student sues college over alleged negligence after receiving “catastrophic burns,” in welding class, Ballots due – Community members offering ballot return services (kill after 8/4), Toxic algae numbers for Lake Whatcom released, Overnight paving in Mount Vernon set to begin tonight, Amazon gets $600 million dollar tariff refund, DOJ reports leader of massive drug ring sentenced to a decade behind bars, Washington among multiple states urging Supreme Court to affirm pause on executive order to overhaul mail-in voting, Dept of Ed demands change from WA and CA, Central WA data center scuppered, 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 Tuesday, August, 4. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: Lynden business owner held in detention by ICE ordered to be released
A Lynden business owner detained by immigration agents in Colorado has been ordered released within 24 hours.
A man identified only as Alexander has been held since March. Cascadia Daily News reports a federal judge ruled he qualifies for protection from deportation due to his pending T‑visa application, a status for victims of human trafficking. The judge also barred immigration authorities from detaining him again unless they show he’s a flight risk or a danger to the community.
The order followed a chaotic weekend where ICE transferred him to Louisiana and indicated he could be deported within days. His attorney says the family received conflicting information about where he was being held, and worries the agency may not comply with the judge’s ruling.
Alexander’s wife says the family is relieved but unsure when he’ll return home.
STORY: Bellingham man arrested after allegedly assaulting resident inside their apartment
A Bellingham man was arrested after an assault earlier this month sent another man to the hospital.
The Bellingham Herald reports the incident happened July 16th on East Sunset Drive. Police say two people were outside their apartment when the 31‑year‑old suspect approached angrily, then forced his way in after they went inside. One of the residents was allegedly punched and had his
eye gouged twice; he was also pushed down the stairs while trying to flee.
Witnesses were holding the suspect when officers arrived. The victim was hospitalized and the suspect was taken to the ER for an unrelated evaluation, then booked into jail Friday. He faces first‑degree burglary and second‑degree assault charges.
STORY: Former BTC student sues college over alleged negligence after receiving “catastrophic burns,” in welding class A former Bellingham Technical College student is suing the school for alleged negligence leading to severe burns from welding equipment.
Tess Sivret and her parents filed the lawsuit last week, alleging that BTC instructors failed to make sure the equipment and protective gear were maintained and working properly. Sivret was a student in the welding technical training program at the time of the incident in 2023.
According to The Bellingham Herald, court filings say Sivret was not supervised while welding, and safety protocols were not enforced by staff. The family’s GoFundMe page says Sivret suffered extensive second and
third degree burns, and underwent multiple surgeries and months of rehab.
The lawsuit, as reported by the Herald, alleges BTC’s negligence caused Sivret and her family physical pain, emotional distress, medical expenses and loss of earnings. The family is seeking an unspecified amount of damages.
STORY: Ballots due – Community members offering ballot return services (kill after 8/4)
It’s Election Day, and ballots are due by 8 pm tonight.
Whatcom County Auditor Stacy Henthorn is advising voters to use official drop boxes. There are 23 in the county, and all of them are listed on the auditor’s website.
There are also members of the community offering to collect ballots at unofficial boxes. While there are no Washington state laws that prevent people from collecting ballots, this method does not guarantee your ballot will make it to an election center and be processed.
STORY: Toxic algae numbers for Lake Whatcom released Recent testing found no detectable levels of harmful cyanobacteria toxins in Lake Whatcom.
Washington’s Department of Ecology says water samples collected July 23rd and 24th showed the toxins 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: Overnight paving in Mount Vernon set to begin tonight An overnight maintenance paving project in Mount Vernon starts tonight.
Crews are paving the road on State Route 538 between Leigh Drive and Windsor Drive starting at 8 p.m. tonight and ending at 5 a.m. tomorrow morning. Eastbound traffic will shift into the center lane.
There’s also overnight paving tomorrow night on State Route 20 near Farm to Market Road, starting at 9 p.m. and ending at 4:30 a.m. Thursday morning. The right lane of westbound traffic will be closed.
Travelers should prepare to use caution and navigate delays. Another night of work may be scheduled if it rains.
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.
STORY: DOJ reports leader of massive drug ring sentenced to a decade behind bars
A Federal Way man who led a large drug trafficking ring has been sentenced.
The Department of Justice says 25-year-old Hector Duran Aldaco was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to nearly 11 years in prison.
Prosecutors say Aldaco oversaw a network of more than a dozen people moving meth, fentanyl and cocaine from California to western Washington. The case involved multiple federal, state and local agencies in Washington, Oregon and California. Despite multiple law‑enforcement seizures, investigators say he kept the operation going by switching from rental cars to intercity buses to move drugs north.
He pleaded guilty earlier this year to drug conspiracy and using a firearm in a trafficking crime. At sentencing, U.S. District Judge Kymberly Evanson called the amounts “staggering.” Agents seized firearms, body armor, cash and additional drugs during searches last year.
STORY: Washington among multiple states urging Supreme Court to affirm pause on executive order to overhaul mail-in voting Two dozen Democratic state officials are urging the Supreme Court to pause decisions on President Trump’s mail-in voting executive order until after the midterm elections in November.
Trump issued an executive order on March 31st asking USPS and Homeland Security to compile lists of eligible voters in each state and only mail ballots to people on that list.
In their letter to the Supreme Court, the Democrats pointed out that there is no time to overhaul the mail-in voting systems before the midterms. They added that the administration has not defended the legality of the executive branch’s intervention in election administration.
The administration said the postal service and the Department of Homeland Security have not yet written the rules as directed by the executive order.
WX: Driving Miss Hazy
And now for the weather…
Expect some sweltering temperatures and heavy sunshine for the remainder of the afternoon, with forecasts calling for a brightness index of 9 and highs in the low-to-mid-80s. Some hazy smoke is expected to settle
in by this evening, so exercise caution if venturing outside. Nighttime lows are projected in the mid-50s.
Tomorrow, expect continuing high temperatures, and potentially worsening air quality.
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: 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.
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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