Whatcom PUD no. 1 declares emergency condition around Douglas Road water transmission line, Final Beats on the Bay performance moved ashore amid mounting safety concerns, Gas prices update, Two Bellingham authors announced as finalists for Washington State Book Awards, Library launches Participate in Democracy series, Five men indicted in Seattle federal court as part of wider money laundering scheme, WA joins coalition of states suing to block conditional retraction of federal funding for contraception, Are millionaires really moving out of WA due to income tax? Whatcom County Open House (run bet 9/15- 9/28)
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STORY: Whatcom PUD no. 1 declares emergency condition around Douglas Road water transmission line
A major water line in western Whatcom County is now under emergency review.
The Public Utility District says the Douglas Road transmission line is at risk of failure after a recent inspection found widespread deterioration. The pipeline was built in the mid‑1960s and supplies irrigation, industrial process water, and fire‑suppression service. Both the PUD and Whatcom County have issued emergency declarations, citing the threat to public safety, property, and the continuity of fire‑suppression water if the line were to rupture.
Emergency replacement is underway. Crews will build a new line while the existing one stays in service, with an accelerated timeline of about 90 days. The new segment will run through the Unick and Ulrich Road area and end at Lake Terrell Road. Temporary repairs will stabilize the old line during construction.
The PUD says it’s committed to public safety and will meet all environmental and regulatory requirements.
STORY: Final Beats on the Bay performance moved ashore amid mounting safety concerns
A popular Bellingham waterfront event is getting a closer look this year.
The Community Boating Center says the final Beats on the Bay, scheduled for September 1st, is canceled for this season. They say the event grew faster than the safety support around it. As crowds increased, they saw more people putting themselves in risky situations on the water — missing life jackets, swimming through boat traffic, impaired decision‑making, and using watercraft unsuited for the Bay’s cold conditions when the weather turned rough.
The Boating Center plans to work with the City, maritime partners, and first responders to explore how the on‑water version could return next year with added safeguards.
In the meantime, the celebration will continue on land as Beats Near the Bay, happening September 1st at Kulshan Trackside.
STORY: Gas prices update
Washington’s gas prices continue to edge higher.
Triple-A puts the statewide average for regular at $5.32, slightly above yesterday and noticeably higher than a month ago.
In Bellingham, Triple-A says regular is averaging $5.16. That’s flat from yesterday, but up 17 cents from a week ago. A year ago, drivers here were paying about 90 cents less per gallon of regular gas.
Nationally, GasBuddy reports the average for regular has dipped to $4.01, but analysts warn the relief may not last. They say global tensions — including U.S.–Iran developments and Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries — are keeping oil markets volatile. Any shift in those conflicts could push prices around quickly, and drivers should expect continued ups and downs in the weeks ahead.
STORY: Two Bellingham authors announced as finalists for Washington State Book Awards
A statewide book award program is shining a spotlight on two Bellingham authors this year.
The Washington Center for the Book has named 41 finalists for the 2026 Washington State Book Awards, which honor outstanding books published by Washington authors in 2025. Bellingham’s Cori Winrock is recognized for her memoir Alterations, and Rena Priest is a finalist for her essay collection Positively Uncivilized. Priest is also a former Washington State Poet Laureate.
The full finalist list features writers from across the state — from Spokane and Seattle to San Juan Island, Tacoma, and beyond — reflecting the depth and range of Washington’s literary community.
Winners in each of the seven categories will be announced September 15th. The awards, now in their 60th year, recognize literary merit, lasting importance, and overall quality. Judges reviewed 308 books for this year’s selections.
STORY: Library launches Participate in Democracy series
The Bellingham Public Library is launching a fall series on civic engagement.
The library will host workshops, discussions, trivia events, and voter‑registration sessions through September, October, and November — all aimed at helping residents better understand government and participate in democracy.
The first program is Wednesday, when Rural Civic Engagement Specialist Michael Bowman leads an interactive session on federal civics at the Central Library. The workshop runs from 4 to 5:30 p.m. and includes a group reading of the Declaration of Independence, discussion of its legacy, and trivia about how federal government systems work. Pizza will be available, and registration is encouraged but not required.
Later events in the series will cover topics such as river‑rights debates, ranked‑choice voting, how local governments function, voter registration with the League of Women Voters, civic trivia, and a discussion on data‑center expansion.
More details are available on the library’s website.
STORY: Five men indicted in Seattle federal court as part of wider money laundering scheme
A new federal indictment targets an alleged elder‑fraud laundering ring.
The Department of Justice says five men helped move money stolen from seniors through tech‑support and impersonation scams. Investigators say the group routed victim payments through shell companies and dozens of bank accounts, then sent the money overseas. Three of the defendants are detained, one is released pending trial, and one is still being sought. Trial is set for November.
Federal officials describe the laundering network as highly organized, saying it helped keep a larger fraud operation running nationwide. They estimate seniors may have lost more than $7 million in this case, with losses climbing even higher across the broader scheme.
The defendants face conspiracy and money‑laundering charges. The charges carry up to 20 years in prison for conspiracy and concealment, and up to 10 years for money laundering by spending, along with substantial fines.
STORY: WA joins coalition of states suing to block conditional retraction of federal funding for contraception
Washington is joining a multistate push to stop new federal rules that could strip healthcare funding from clinics.
On August 27, the state joined 22 others in suing the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services over new conditions tied to Title X (Title 10) — the long‑running program that supports cancer screenings, family planning, STI testing, pregnancy counseling, and other preventive care.
The lawsuit says the new rules would force providers to discourage contraception, promote marriage and childbirth, and exclude transgender patients, or lose their funding. The states argue the conditions are unlawful, discriminatory, and far outside what Title X has required for more than 50 years.
Attorney General Nick Brown says healthcare decisions should be made by patients and clinicians, not politicians. Washington received about 4.3 million dollars in Title X funds last year, supporting more than 76,000 people statewide.
WX: Stay gold, Sunnyboy
And now for the weather…
Some clouds and sunshine are in store for the rest of the afternoon, with temperatures looking to top out at highs in the mid-70s across most of the county. Expect a cool, overcast evening to follow, with nighttime lows expected to fall into the mid-50s.
Look for a repeat tomorrow, before some rainier weather heads our way on Wednesday.
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: Are millionaires really moving out of WA due to income tax?
STORY: Whatcom County Open House (run bet 9/15- 9/28)
Whatcom County residents will have a chance to learn more about county government during the second annual Whatcom County Open House.
The event is September 30 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the County Courthouse, with staff from county departments and elected offices available to answer questions and explain how county government works.
Topics will include the new jail and behavioral health care facility, the upcoming county budget process and the county court system. Attendees can also test their knowledge with Whatcom County trivia.
County Executive Satpal Sidhu said the event is intended to make local government more accessible and give residents an opportunity to connect directly with county staff and elected officials.
County Council Chair Kaylee Galloway said the open house is also an opportunity for residents to raise concerns and have direct conversations with the people who serve them.
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