Man arrested for false report of stabbing in Blaine, Bellingham City Council unanimously approves higher standards and new audit process for rental inspectors, WWU expands guaranteed admission program to all WA high school students above certain GPA threshold, Emissions control upgrades bound for Post Point Wastewater Treatment Plant, Three new murals bound for Bellingham buildings after conclusion of art festival, Settlement with AG’s office leads to Google distributing a $13 million payout among Washington’s Android users, Sightings of devastating invasive beetle species confirmed in southern WA, Wildfires cost state more than $200 M last month, WA Job Growth Slow (prepare yourself- this requires analysis!), Bellingham City Council issues verdict on Viewcrest Road development (Aug 21, set to be released at 0830), 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 Thursday, August, 20. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
UPDATE: Man arrested for false report of stabbing in Blaine
Blaine police say a reported stabbing earlier this week never happened.
Officers arrested a 26‑year‑old man yesterday on suspicion of false reporting. Police say he claimed he was stabbed Monday in Montfort Park, but investigators found no crime scene or blood evidence where he said his vehicle had been parked.
Security cameras didn’t show him or his vehicle in the area, K9 units found no scent of a suspect, and officers said his injuries didn’t match the alleged assault.
The Bellingham Police Department and Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office assisted with the investigation.
STORY: Bellingham City Council unanimously approves higher standards and new audit process for rental inspectors
Bellingham’s rental inspectors will now face higher standards and regular audits.
The City Council has approved updates to the Rental Registration and Safety Inspection Program, adding new certification requirements for private inspectors and creating a formal audit process for both city and third‑party inspectors. Private inspectors will now reapply every two years, complete required training, perform a ride‑along with the city’s building official, and show proof of certification from an approved home‑inspector organization.
Audits will check whether inspectors are missing deficiencies, submitting accurate paperwork, maintaining current credentials, and keeping a balanced record of passed and failed inspections. The changes follow a report showing private inspectors almost never failed rental units, compared to a 15‑percent failure rate for city inspectors.
Corrective actions range from additional training to suspension from the city’s list of approved inspectors. A falsified inspection report would result in immediate suspension.
STORY: WWU expands guaranteed admission program to all WA high school students above certain GPA threshold
Western Washington University will expand its guaranteed admission program to all Washington high school students
The program was only offered to students who have a grade point average of at least 2.75 in five counties last year.
This is in addition to the state guaranteed program for students who have a GPA of 3 or higher.
Western has seen a decline in student enrollment since Covid. The college set a goal of enrolling at least 3200 first year students this year, but whether they will achieve that will not be known until October when the data is released.
STORY: Emissions control upgrades bound for Post Point Wastewater Treatment Plant
The Bellingham City Council has approved upgrades for the wastewater treatment plant in Fairhaven.
The council moved forward with the upgrades project in a meeting this week. They voted unanimously to authorize a contract with Walsh Construction Company to build new incinerators at the Post Point Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Incinerating solid waste produces a lot of pollutive exhaust gases. The Northwest Clean Air Agency cited the plant for missing permits and violating emissions regulations in 2024.
The City of Bellingham did not admit to any wrongdoing, but they did sign an agreement to install more air pollution controls, like carbon monoxide monitors. The new incinerators will help prolong the life of the current system while the city explores other, more sustainable solutions.
Construction is expected to begin in late 2027 and will take about 3 years.
STORY: Three new murals bound for Bellingham buildings after conclusion of art festival
Artists from across the country turned out last weekend for the Noisy Waters Mural Festival at Trackside Beergarden.
Nearly nine‑thousand votes were cast over the three‑day event, where the top murals earned cash contracts to paint Bellingham’s next public walls.
Grand Prize went to Denver artist Catie Michel, whose mural quickly became a community favorite. Her prize wall will be installed at 109 North Samish Way.
First Place went to Jessa Gilbert, based in Squamish, BC. Her outdoor‑inspired work will continue at 345 Ohio Street.
Second Place went to Denver artist Oak Bloak, also known as Max Coleman, whose portrait‑driven mural sparked conversations about hope and resilience. His prize wall will be installed at 1117 Ellis Street.
Third Place went to Jason Harvin of Gibsonton, Florida, known as Wayward Walls, who received a one‑thousand‑dollar cash prize.
The prize murals are scheduled for installation in spring and summer of 2027.
STORY: Settlement with AG’s office leads to Google distributing a $13 million payout among Washington’s Android users
Some Android users in Washington may benefit from a pay out as part of a multistate settlement in a lawsuit against Google.
The case accused Google of monopolizing apps distributed on Android phones and devices. Customers were also charged an extra 30% if they purchased apps through the Google Play Store.
State attorney general, Nick Brown, said a federal court approved a total of 700 million settlement for all the states involved.
$13 million of that will go to Washington to benefit 2.4 million Android users
The payout will be delivered via PayPal or Venmo.
STORY: Sightings of devastating invasive beetle species confirmed in southern WA
An invasive beetle has been confirmed in Washington state.
The emerald ash borer was found in Vancouver, and has previously been detected in Oregon and in Vancouver, British Columbia. It has already destroyed more than one hundred million ash trees in the U.S. since it was first detected in Michigan two decades ago. An analysis by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources found that if an outbreak isn’t contained, a municipality can lose ninety to one hundred percent of its ash trees within ten to twelve years.
Limiting the transportation of firewood, removing infected ash trees, replacing them with non‑ash species, and avoiding new ash plantings are the only ways to manage an outbreak. Emerald ash borers have never been successfully eradicated.
Residents should report suspected sightings to the Washington Invasive Species Council.
STORY: Wildfires cost state more than $200 M last month
Washington is facing steep wildfire costs as crews battle 20 fires statewide this month.
The Department of Natural Resources says the state has already spent an estimated 207 million dollars on suppression — more than two‑thirds of last year’s total spending. More than 770‑thousand acres have burned so far, the third‑highest on record, and the fire season is still months from ending.
DNR spent a record 304.8 million dollars on wildfire suppression last fiscal year, nearly 18 million over budget. The agency plans to seek federal emergency funding to help cover this year’s shortfall and is expected to request additional state wildfire funding next year.
WX: Sun forgettable
Warm sunshine makes the rounds once again today, with highs across Whatcom likely to reach into the upper 70s. Expect the skies to stay mostly clear throughout the evening, leaving us with a fairly standard summer’s night of light cloud cover and lows in the mid-50s.
Warm temperatures look to return tomorrow, though we may see some slightly heavier cloud cover as well, in advance of what might be some stormier weather this Saturday
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, 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: WA Job Growth Slow (prepare yourself- this requires analysis!)
STORY: Bellingham City Council issues verdict on Viewcrest Road development (Aug 21, set to be released at 0830)
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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