Lummi man pleads guilty to ownership of illegal firearms and shooting two bald eagles, Bellingham-based healthcare provider formally names interim CEO to long-term position, Bellingham mayor to address city’s response to recent ICE activity, Fairhaven sidewalks under repair, Mount Baker Ski Area staff gear up for potentially historic season amid Super El Nino conditions, Blaine-based cookie restaurant to celebrate grand opening of Bellingham location this weekend, Western WA U.S. attorney removed by Trump after less than an hour last July reinstated following judicial injunction, Free and cheap, Whatcom County announces flood preparedness week (run sometime week of Oct. 5th), Public invited to Port of Bellingham open house (Oct 29), Bellingham considers changes in code, Crud comes early, Bellingham Bird Week (Air OCT 5), Library closed Oct 8, WA leaders push back against Canadian pipeline, F&C Oct 10
Independent, nonprofit community radio. KMRE brings you local news for Friday, October 2nd. Good afternoon, I’m _David Korb_____.
STORY: Lummi man pleads guilty to ownership of illegal firearms and shooting two bald eagles
In U.S. District Court Seattle on Thursday, 39‑year‑old Lummi Nation man Joel David Ridley pled guilty of killing two bald eagles. He was arrested last February after Lummi Nation Police responded to gunfire and found a dead eagle in his SUV.
Court records say a witness on the Lummi Reservation heard two shots and saw someone pick an eagle up off the ground. Moments later, another eagle fell from a tree on the witness’ property, badly injured. Officers later found Ridley’s SUV nearby, with a dead eagle inside, then arrested him. A search warrant turned up a .22‑caliber rifle. Ridley is barred from possessing firearms because of a 2003 first‑degree assault conviction in Whatcom County.
Ridley faces up to 15 years in prison for unlawful firearm possession and up to a year for each eagle killed.
STORY: Bellingham-based healthcare provider formally names interim CEO to long-term position
Unity Care NW has named Bonnie Ross as its new CEO, effective October 5th.
Ross joined the Bellingham health system in 2021 as chief financial and compliance officer and has served as interim CEO since June. She previously led a rural community health center in Oregon and has 20 years of experience in health care finance and operations.
Ross succeeds Jodi Joyce, who retired in June after six years as CEO. During Joyce’s tenure, Unity Care NW expanded to nearly 25,000 patients a year and opened the Way Station Health and Hygiene Center.
STORY: Bellingham mayor to address city’s response to recent ICE activity
Bellingham mayor, Kim Lund, will speak next week about the city’s response to ICE enforcement.
She’s giving a presentation titled “Protecting the Rights and Dignity of All,” focusing on how Bellingham is addressing ICE overreach. Organizers note Whatcom County has the highest per‑capita rate of ICE detentions in Washington.
Indivisible Bellingham says her talk will headline its All Hands meeting, which has been shifted to Tuesday at 7pm at the Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship at 1207 Ellsworth St.
A Q&A will follow. The event is free and open to the public.
STORY: Fairhaven sidewalks under repair
Sidewalk and street-tree work is about to get underway in Fairhaven.
Crews begin work Monday on the 1100 block of 11th Street in Fairhaven.
Crews will repair sidewalk tripping hazards, replace dead or damaging trees, and enlarge some tree wells to give them room to grow.
The project is expected to take about two weeks
Businesses will remain accessible, but on-street parking will be limited during construction. New trees will be planted after the work is complete.
STORY: Mount Baker Ski Area staff gear up for potentially historic season amid Super El Nino conditions
Mount Baker Ski Area is preparing for what could be a big snow season.
Season passes go on sale tomorrow at 7am, with an online waiting room opening at 6am. General Manager Mike Trowbridge says snowfall patterns from past strong Niños suggest the area could see hundreds of inches of snow this season.
Meanwhile, WSDOT crews will close part of Mount Baker Highway Monday and Tuesday, October 5th and 6th, from 7:30am to 4pm. The closure will be between Silver Fir Campground and Heather Meadows for seasonal road preparation.
STORY: Blaine-based cookie restaurant to celebrate grand opening of Bellingham location this weekend
Blaine-based Chewzy Cookies will open a store in Bellingham this weekend.
The new drive-thru location will hold its grand opening tomorrow at 1259 Barkley Blvd across the street from Lowe’s.
The shop will offer free cookie samples all day, with more than a dozen varieties, including gluten-free options.
Chewzy Cookies says they will also serve Dirty Sodas, energy drinks, and coffee made with locally roasted organic beans.
STORY: Western WA U.S. attorney removed by Trump after less than an hour last July reinstated following judicial injunction
A federal judge has stepped in to reverse a sudden shake‑up in Washington’s top federal prosecutor’s office.
Roger Rogoff was dismissed less than an hour after being sworn in as the U.S. attorney for the Western District of Washington, even though federal judges had appointed him to the job after it sat vacant.
UPI reports that Judge Stanley Bastian [BAST-yin] ruled that a court‑appointed U.S. attorney cannot be removed unilaterally, saying Rogoff has been the rightful officeholder since July 15th. He ordered Rogoff reinstated until the Senate confirms a replacement. Trump has nominated Simon Peter Serrano for the position.
The Justice Department says it will appeal and seek to pause the ruling immediately.
STORY: Free and cheap
If you’re looking for something free or cheap to do this weekend, here’s a bit of what’s going on around the county.
Bluegrass First Fridays returns to Stones Throw Brewery at 1009 Larrabee Ave in Fairhaven tonight from 6 to 8pm. Admission is free.
Allied Arts opens a new free exhibition today at its 1213 Cornwall Avenue gallery, featuring painting, jewelry, and woodburning inspired by nature and story. There’s a reception tonight from 6 to 9pm with live music. Exhibit hours are 11 to 4pm Saturday and Sunday.
Downtown Bellingham hosts First Fridays from 6 to 10pm, with galleries, shops, restaurants, and music throughout the city center. There’s also a free open roller skate at Depot Market Square from 6 to 8pm — bring your own skates and safety gear.
Saturday from 9 to 3pm, Whatcom County holds a free paint collection and recycling event at Barkley Village for safe disposal of old household paints.
Also Saturday, Apple Fest at the Chuckanut Center, 103 Chuckanut Dr N, runs from 10 to 3pm with apple pressing, games, and a dessert competition. Admission is free.
Stemma Brewing hosts the Naaman’s Necessities Launch Party Saturday at 2pm, with live music, raffles, and family‑friendly activities. At 2039 Moore St, Bellingham.
Local artists open their studios for the Whatcom Artist Studio Tour Saturday and Sunday from 10 to 5pm. More details at studiotour.net/
On Sunday, Structures Brewing hosts the SingleSpeed Cyclocross World Championships, a high‑energy bike race and spectator event starting at noon. Located at 1200 Bay St. Admission is free.
And in Skagit County, Chuckanut Brewery’s South Nut Taproom holds the Bread to Beer sustainability event, highlighting beer brewed from surplus bread. Saturday from noon. At 11937 Higgins Airport Way Burlington. Admission is free.
WX: Cloudy Quaid
And now weather…
We close out the week with partly sunny skies and highs in the mid-60’s, calm winds over night are expected to bring fog and lows in the lower 50’s.
Looks like fog will stick around tomorrow morning, burning off by noon, followed by sun with temperatures close to 70. Saturday night, expect partial clouds and overnight lows around 50. Sunday, expect a repeat with highs near 70 and the sun returning on Monday.
OUTRO:
Today’s newscast was produced by volunteers Carlos Braga, Kyler Cantrell, Glen Hirshberg, Kathi O’Shea, Kai Blais-Schmolke, Jenny Lam, Doug Langworthy, and Cheri Cloninger. Tune in to local news on KMRE weekdays at 3, 4 and 5pm 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 _David Korb________… thanks for listening!
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STORY: Whatcom County announces flood preparedness week (run sometime week of Oct. 5th)
STORY: Public invited to Port of Bellingham open house (Oct 29)
The Port of Bellingham will hold an open house for the public on Thursday, October 29th.
Community members can talk with Port staff and project leaders about the future of the waterfront, airport, harbors, events and community programs, while sharing their questions and ideas.
The free event will include refreshments and information stations. And, while supplies last, anyone who gets a passport stamped at all the stations can take home a rubber Disco Duck.
The event runs from 4 to 6pm at the Squalicum Boathouse.
STORY: Bellingham considers changes in code
Bellingham is proposing changes to its home occupation rules that would give home-based businesses more flexibility.
The changes would allow businesses to operate in accessory buildings, sell goods made on-site, and have up to three employees.
The city says the proposal is a first step toward potentially allowing more small-scale commercial activity in residential neighborhoods. That broader change could be introduced as early as 2027, with the goal of supporting walkability, neighborhood gathering places, and local employment.
STORY Crud comes early
Washington is seeing an early rise in respiratory illnesses.
State health data shows respiratory illnesses accounted for 11 percent of emergency room visits during the week ending September 26, up from 8.2 percent three weeks earlier.
In King County, there were 233 emergency room visits associated with influenza during the week ending September 19, compared with 31 during the same week last year.
COVID is also showing signs of increasing activity. Several Seattle-area wastewater sites reported high or very high virus levels in late September, and COVID-related hospital use has risen from its summer lows.
Health officials recommend staying up to date on flu and COVID vaccinations, staying home when sick, and taking extra precautions around people at higher risk of severe illness.
STORY: Bellingham Bird Week (Air OCT 5)
Welcome to Bellingham Bird Week!
The North Cascades Audubon Society and Audubon Washington will host an array of bird-themed activities including storytimes at the Bellingham Public Library, a bird-drawing session and a screening of Lights Out Texas at the Whatcom Museum, followed by a panel discussion.
Residents can also vote for Bellingham’s official bird. Mayor Kim Lund will announce the winning bird Friday, October 9th, at 5:30pm at the Bellingham Cruise Terminal.
STORY: Library closed Oct 8
All Bellingham Public Library locations will be closed Wednesday, October 7, for the library’s annual Staff Learning Day.
The day gives staff from different branches a chance to meet for professional development and training.
The library will reopen Thursday, October 8, on its regular schedule.
STORY: WA leaders push back against Canadian pipeline
Washington Governor Bob Ferguson and Department of Ecology Director Casey Sixkiller are criticizing Canada’s decision to fast-track a proposed oil pipeline project.
The Canadian Major Projects Office has designated the West Coast Oil Pipeline a “Project of National Interest,” a move that could limit environmental reviews and public input.
Ferguson and Sixkiller say the project would significantly increase the amount of crude oil and the number of tankers moving through the Salish Sea. They say the proposed supertankers could carry up to 92 million gallons of oil—about 260 percent more than the largest tankers currently using these waters.
Washington officials say existing spill-response resources would not be adequate for an expansion of this size. They’re calling on Canada to commit to additional safeguards and emergency-response capacity before the project moves forward.
F&C Oct 10
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