Bellingham man arrested following alleged hate crime in Walmart, Ferndale City Council rejects new tax (waiting on info), Housing authorities purchase Sehome Court, Dispute Resolution Center Gala(press release), Cross-border commemoration of September 11th attacks scheduled to take place at Peace Arch Park, Whatcom Water Week runs 9/12-9/20, WA market approves substantial hike in health insurance rates for 2027, AG’s office co-leads suit challenging federal weakening of Endangered Species Act, F&C for 9/11, Numerous WA Democrats among signatures on brief rejecting Trump administration’s crackdown on mail-in voting (bumpable.. Also, this is starting to smell a bit moldy), What tariffs are costing WA state (has this been used?), Community Conversations District 2 (run at end of Sept), Are millionaires really moving out of WA due to income tax?, Library’s Growing Community Through Food Event on 9/17 (run by 9/15), Whatcom County Open House (run bet. 9/15-9/28), Community Conversations District 2 (run at end of Sept), F&C 9/24-26, Gas Prices Up – Diesel sets state record
Independent, nonprofit community radio. KMRE brings you local news for Wednesday, Thursday, 10. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: Bellingham man arrested following alleged hate crime in Walmart
A suspected hate‑crime incident at Walmart has resulted in an arrest.
Bellingham Police say a father was in the bathroom at the Meridian Street business last week when a man confronted him, stepped into a fighting stance, threatened to kill him, and shouted racial slurs as he left with his young child. The victim later told officers he believed he was targeted because of the suspect’s perception of his race.
The man left before police arrived, but surveillance images helped officers identify him.
Officers found the suspect Tuesday near Meridian Street and took him into custody on an unrelated warrant.
He remains in the Whatcom County Jail on $20,000 bail.
STORY: Ferndale City Council rejects new tax (waiting on info)
Ferndale City Council has rejected a proposal to adopt a public‑safety sales tax.
The measure — a one‑tenth‑of‑one‑percent sales tax dedicated to public safety — failed on a 3–4 vote, with Councilmembers Hawkinson, O’Larey, Pinkley and Mutchler opposed.
City staff said the tax was expected to generate about $430,000 in its first full year, based on conservative estimates using 2025 taxable sales. Staff said the tax would not fix long‑term budget problems, but it would add a stable funding source for public safety and reduce strain on the general fund.
Lynden, Bellingham and Whatcom County have all implemented similar public‑safety sales taxes.
The council’s vote closes out discussion on the proposal for now.
STORY: Housing authorities purchase Sehome Court
Affordable housing in Bellingham is getting a significant boost.
The Bellingham and Whatcom County Housing Authorities have purchased Sehome Court, adding 57 affordable housing units.
All units are two‑bedroom homes priced for households earning 55 to 70 percent of area median income. The agencies say keeping Sehome Court affordable will help stabilize families and maintain much‑needed housing in the community.
The location offers residents easy access to schools, jobs and transit, with a bus stop next to the site.
Executive Director Andrew Calkins says the acquisition creates long‑term stability for families and adds a permanently affordable housing asset for the region.
The agencies closed on the purchase last month for $12.5 million.
That purchase comes as Whatcom County continues to face high housing costs, with 59 percent of renters paying more than 30 percent of their income on housing.
STORY:Dispute Resolution Center Gala(press release)
The Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center has announced the recipients of its 2026 Peace Builder Awards, honoring six individuals and organizations working to strengthen connections and build a more peaceful community.
This year’s honorees include Marie Eaton for Arts and Aging; Recovery Cafe for Connection; volunteer Naaman (naa-muhn) Hilton; Immigrant Resources Immediate Support for Belonging; Mauri (Mau-ree) Ingram for Catalyst; and Betty Canete (ka-NYEH-teh) and Aolani Bumatay (ah-oo-lah-nee boo-mah-tie) for Leadership, recognizing their work on Squalicum High School’s first student-led Pow Wow.
The winners will be honored October second at the 23rd annual Peace Builder Awards Gala at Silver Reef Casino Resort. The event includes dinner, music, a silent auction, dessert dash, and poetry from the winners of the Youth Peace Poetry Contest.
Proceeds support the Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center and its sliding-scale conflict resolution services.
Early-bird tickets are available through September tenth at whatcomdrc.org slash peace-builder-awards.
STORY: Cross-border commemoration of September 11th attacks scheduled to take place at Peace Arch Park
Canadians and Americans will gather at the Peace Arch to mark the 25th anniversary of the September 11th attacks.
The ceremony begins at 11 a.m. tomorrow at Peace Arch Park , bringing both countries together to remember the nearly 3-thousand people killed and honor those who responded.
Four New York City first responders who served on 9/11 will attend. Organizers expect hundreds of Canadian and American first responders, officials and members of the public. Highlights include a Homeland Security helicopter flypast, joint honor guards beneath the Peace Arch, national anthems by the Van City Chorus, and memorial observances.
Organizers say the Peace Arch location underscores the meaning of the day — Canadians and Americans standing together in remembrance, showing that some things rise above borders.
A community barbecue will follow at Peace Arch Provincial Park, with donations accepted.
STORY: Whatcom Water Week runs 9/12-9/20
Whatcom Water Week is back with activities celebrating Whatcom County’s waterways.
The annual event runs September 12th through 20th, with family‑friendly chances to learn, explore and volunteer. It starts Saturday with Run with the Chums. Monday brings Kids’ Science and Story Time at the Marine Life Center, and Tuesday offers tours of the Bellingham and Birch Bay water treatment plants.
Thursday features Water Week Read Aloud at Taylor Dock, Life Below the Waterline at Cornwall Park, and Totally Tubular Water Play at the Lightcatcher Building. Friday includes a Toddler Family Nature Walk and an accessible Wonder Walk at Whatcom Falls Park.
More information and a full list of events is available at whatcomwin.org.
STORY: WA market approves substantial hike in health insurance rates for 2027
Health insurance premiums on Washington’s Exchange are set to jump next year.
State regulators have approved an average 22‑percent rate increase for 2027 plans. The Insurance Commissioner’s office says the higher rates reflect rising medical costs, increased use of care, and fewer healthy people remaining in the market.
Twelve insurers will offer coverage in 2027, but Providence Health Plan — which covered 254 enrollees this year — will not participate.
Commissioner Patty Kuderer says families could continue facing steep premiums without broader reforms to slow spending and improve affordability.
Nearly 250,000 Washingtonians buy coverage through the Exchange, including self‑employed workers, early retirees and small businesses.
The Exchange Board is reviewing the plans for final approval.
STORY: AG’s office co-leads suit challenging federal weakening of Endangered Species Act
Washington has joined a multi‑state challenge to new federal rules weakening protections for endangered species.
Attorney General Nick Brown and 20 other attorneys general filed two lawsuits yesterday against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service. They argue the new Endangered Species Act rules make it easier to damage or destroy critical habitat and strip core protections from threatened species.
Brown says the changes threaten orcas, salmon and other species central to Washington’s economy and culture, calling the rules an attempt to gut the Endangered Species Act.
The lawsuits challenge the removal of the longstanding definition of “harm,” and new rules that make it easier to exclude federal lands from “critical habitat” designations.
The coalition argues the changes violate federal law and will accelerate species decline.
WX: Hide yo kids, hide yo light
Expect more partially sunny skies and mellow temperatures throughout the rest of the day, with highs around low 70s to high 60s. The cloud cover should increase steadily as the evening wears on. Overnight lows are expected to hover around the low 50s. Oddly enough it looks like the clouds will clear in the dead of night, only to show back up just before morning.
Expect those clouds to stick around for most of 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, 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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F&C for 9/11
Band Night with the Sam Harris Band returns tonight at the Upfront Theatre in Bellingham. The show blends live music and improv comedy, with performers and musicians creating scenes and moments together in real time. It runs 7 to 8:30 p.m., and tickets range from $13 to $17.
Improv & Dragons also takes the stage tonight at the Upfront. Audience members help guide a band of unlikely heroes on a dice‑driven quest through strange lands and unexpected challenges. The adventure starts at 9 p.m., and admission is $15.
Tomorrow, Run with the Chums at BP Highlands in Blaine. It’s a free, family‑friendly 5K, plus the Smolt Sprint for kids 10 and under. Check‑in starts at 8:30 a.m., the kids’ sprint at 9:30, and the 5K at 10. Free T‑shirts are available while supplies last, and leashed pets are welcome.
STORY: Numerous WA Democrats among signatures on brief rejecting Trump administration’s crackdown on mail-in voting (bumpable.. Also, this is starting to smell a bit moldy)
STORY: What tariffs are costing WA state (has this been used?)
Washington households are absorbing sharply higher import costs under new tariffs.
New second‑quarter data from the National Taxpayers Union Foundation shows presidentially-imposed tariff increases have added an estimated $7.1 billion to the state’s import bill since January 2025 — roughly $2,300 per household.
The foundation says these executive tariffs are increases ordered directly by the president, separate from long‑standing statutory rates set by Congress. About 40 percent fall on raw materials, parts, and equipment used by Washington manufacturers.
Cars and trucks saw the biggest jump, with importers paying $1.6 billion in added tariffs and average rates rising to 16.9 percent, compared with 1 percent in 2024. Toys and games averaged 18.5 percent, clothes and shoes hit 31 percent, and household goods rose to 28.4 percent, all several times higher than last year’s levels.
STORY: Are millionaires really moving out of WA due to income tax?
STORY: Library’s Growing Community Through Food Event on 9/17 (run by 9/15)
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.
STORY: Community Conversations District 2 (run at end of Sept)
Whatcom County residents will soon have a chance to meet their council members and ask questions.
Three councilmembers — Elizabeth Boyle, Barry Buchanan, and Jon Scanlon — will take part in a community conversation on Thursday, October 1 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Round Table Pizza on East Sunset Drive. It’s part of the council’s Community Conversations series, this time held with the Barkley Neighborhood Association.
The event is free and open to the public, with time for updates and a Q&A.
More information on upcoming Community Conversations events is available on the county’s website.
F&C 9/24-26
Friends of the Bellingham Public Library September Book Sale
Thursday, September 24, 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Friday, September 25, 10:00 am – 6:00 pm, half-price
Saturday, September 26, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm, $5/bag
Lecture Room, Central Library
Visit the Lecture Room at the Central Library for the Friends of the Library September Book Sale and browse from a huge selection of books, DVDs, and more. There will be items for all ages and all proceeds benefit your library. Credit card and cash payments will be accepted. Check it out!
STORY: Gas Prices Up – Diesel sets state record
As gas prices continue to climb, diesel has hit a new statewide record.
Triple-A says Washington’s average for regular is now $5.53, up about 9 cents from a week ago. In Bellingham, regular is averaging $5.38, also up roughly 9 cents from last week.
Diesel continues to surge statewide, reaching $6.97 — the highest average price ever recorded in Washington.
GasBuddy says the national average for regular on Labor Day set a new holiday record. Diesel hit a new national high as well.
Analysts say rising crude prices are adding pressure. Oil is nearing $100 a barrel as tensions escalate in the Strait of Hormuz, contributing to rising fuel costs.
Federal data show gasoline supplies remain lower than usual for this time of year, and refineries are running near full capacity — keeping markets tight.
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