Bellingham woman receives prison sentence for plot to kidnap son, Ferndale City Council tables vote on public safety sales tax, Third major blaze in Whatcom balloons to well over 500 acres, Rice recall, Northwest Indian College secures additional property on Lummi Island, WA joins FTC lawsuit against Amazon’s alleged inflated ad pricing, Numerous state employees gather in Olympia in ongoing bid for wage hikes, Nooksack Tribe, Mount Baker schools ink ‘historic’ partnership to support tribal students, Are millionaires really moving out of WA due to income tax? What tariffs are costing WA state, Whatcom County Open House (run bet 9/15-9/28)
Independent, nonprofit community radio. KMRE brings you local news for Tuesday, September, 1. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: Bellingham woman receives prison sentence for plot to kidnap son
A Bellingham woman is headed to federal prison for abducting her son.
Prosecutors say 32‑year‑old Talisa Manuella Munoz has been sentenced to ten months in prison for taking her 4‑year‑old son overseas without the father’s permission. Investigators say she failed to return the child to his father after a scheduled visitation last September. Munoz had falsely claimed on her son’s passport application that she had no way to find or know the father, and submitted a birth certificate that said “none named” where the father’s name should be. She then flew with the boy to Panama after months of planning with family members.
Munoz was arrested in Panama and extradited to Washington earlier this year. Her son has since been reunited with his father.
A restitution hearing is set for November.
STORY: Bellingham man sentenced for distributing sexual images of former partner
A Bellingham man has been sentenced for posting intimate images of a former partner while impersonating her online.
30‑year‑old Collin Ruginski was given 180 days in jail with credit for time served, plus three years of community custody. The Bellingham Herald reports he pleaded guilty to first‑degree criminal impersonation and disclosing intimate images. Court records say he posted explicit photos of the woman on social media last year while pretending to be her, including captions encouraging people to sexually assault her. He also posted photos of her car and license plate, along with her schedule and birthdate.
In addition to Ruginski’s sentence, Judge Jennifer Slattery imposed five‑year no‑contact orders. Ruginski must also complete any recommended treatment and register as a sex offender.
STORY: Ferndale City Council tables vote on public safety sales tax
Ferndale leaders are split over whether to adopt a new public‑safety sales tax.
The Lynden Tribune reports the council spent more than an hour debating the Criminal Justice sales tax at its August 17th meeting. Mayor Greg Hansen noted that Whatcom County, Bellingham, and Lynden have already enacted the tax; this means Ferndale residents help fund public safety elsewhere, but not locally.
City staff say the need is growing: Ferndale will require four new officers by 2027, and as many as ten over the next decade. The tax would raise roughly $430,000 in its first year, and about $500,000 annually after that — helpful, but not enough to close the city’s long‑term budget gap.
Council members disagreed sharply on whether to move ahead. After extended debate, they postponed a decision until next Tuesday.
STORY: Third major blaze in Whatcom balloons to well over 500 acres
A third major wildfire is burning in Whatcom County.
The newest blaze, the Electric Fire, was discovered last week in the Bacon Creek drainage about seven miles north of Marblemount. It’s estimated at 576 acres. Crews say it’s burning in heavy dead timber and steep, rugged terrain that limits safe access. Seventy‑nine personnel, including the Prineville Hotshots and aviation resources, are assigned.
Farther east, the Border 2 Fire has burned 76-hundred acres on the U.S. side of the Canadian border. It is 73‑percent contained after more than six weeks.
Finally, the Luna Fire, discovered in early July, is holding at just under 55-hundred acres and 27‑percent containment in remote terrain of the Mount Baker–Snoqualmie National Forest. No growth has been reported in the past day.
STORY: Rice recall
Washington shoppers are being told to check their pantries after a nationwide rice recall expanded.
The FDA says more than 27-thousand bags of Lundberg Family Farms white jasmine rice may contain foreign material. The recall covers 2‑pound bags with best‑by dates of February 1st and 2nd of 2027.
The rice was distributed through major retailers — including Walmart, Target and Whole Foods — and reached consumers in 13 states, including Washington. The FDA classifies this as a Class II recall, meaning any health effects are expected to be temporary or reversible.
Lundberg says the issue came from a single production run. The product has already been pulled from shelves, and no illnesses have been reported.
Consumers who have the affected bags should not eat the rice and can return it to the store for a refund.
STORY: Northwest Indian College secures additional property on Lummi Island
Northwest Indian College is returning to its roots on Lummi Island.
The college has acquired a Legoe Bay property that will become an educational center for classes, retreats, research, and community gatherings. The site sits next to the original Lummi Indian School of Aquaculture, where Tribal students learned fish and shellfish hatchery skills through hands‑on work in the marine environment.
The new Legoe Bay Educational Center includes indoor and outdoor meeting spaces, classrooms, two kitchens, gardens, and ADA‑accessible facilities overlooking the water.
President Dr. Lexie Tom says the center will help teach lessons in Tribal leadership, self‑determination, and culturally rooted programming.
STORY: WA joins FTC lawsuit against Amazon’s alleged inflated ad pricing
Washington has joined the Federal Trade Commission and 21 other states to file a suit against Amazon.
They accuse Amazon of artificially inflating the prices of ads on its e-commerce platform and misrepresenting how it sets ad prices.
They allege that since 2019, Amazon has been adding a hidden surcharge to its so-called auction system for ads; all while prohibiting businesses from seeing each other’s bids.
State Attorney General Nick Brown pointed out that many small businesses rely on Amazon for their livelihood and his office is committed to making sure they are treated fairly, transparently, and in accordance with the law.
STORY: Numerous state employees gather in Olympia in ongoing bid for wage hikes
Washington state workers unions have until October 1st to ratify wage agreements if they are to get funding for the next two years.
This as Governor Bob Ferguson is about to face a third consecutive term with a budget shortfall.
The Washington State Standard reports hundreds of state workers staged a one-hour walk-off in Olympia yesterday to demand wage hikes in the deal.
Another protest is planned for this coming Saturday.
WX: Tues’ Company
And now for the weather…
Expect some scant sunshine to keep peekin’ through the increasing cloud cover this afternoon, leaving us with a mostly overcast night sky once the big lightbulb goes down, coupled with a decent chance of some rain. Temperatures look to remain roughly where they’ve been for the last little while, with daytime highs in the low-70s and nighttime lows in the upper-50s.
Tomorrow looks to be in fine autumnal fashion, with tonight’s cloudy weather, off-and-on drizzles, and occasional strong gusts looking to hang around for at least a day or two. There might even be some thunder and lightning to kick autumn off!
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: Nooksack Tribe, Mount Baker schools ink ‘historic’ partnership to support tribal students
The Nooksack Tribe and the Mount Baker School District have formalized a new partnership to better support tribal students.
Cascadia Daily News reports the two sides unanimously approved a memorandum of understanding at a joint meeting last week. The MOU outlines priorities including improving student outcomes, strengthening collaboration, fully implementing the Since Time Immemorial curriculum, and expanding culturally relevant services and family engagement.
It also sets rules for data‑sharing and coordination on programs, and protects cultural expression at graduation ceremonies. The agreement creates a Native Student Success coordinator, funded through federal Title VI dollars and a $15,000 contribution from the tribe. That person will track grades and attendance for tribal students and serve as a liaison for families.
Tribal leaders called the agreement historic, saying it reflects a shared vision for Nooksack students.
STORY: Are millionaires really moving out of WA due to income tax? STORY: What tariffs are costing WA state
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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