Two hospitalized after car crashes into fence near Maple Falls, New high school in Bellingham, Bellingham considers changes in code, Stretch of I-5 construction south of Bellingham set to wrap up this week, Bellingham Bird Week (Air OCT. 5), Whatcom County announces flood preparedness week, Library closed Oct. 8, WDFW to recommend classifying burrowing owl as endangered, seeking public comment, WA leaders push back against Canadian pipeline, AG’s office establishes permanent Sexual Assault Investigations Support Team, Public invited to Port of Bellingham open house (Oct 29), Crud comes early, Health department cider pressing safety, F&C Oct 10
Independent, nonprofit community radio. KMRE brings you local news for Monday, October, 5. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: Two hospitalized after car crashes into fence near Maple Falls
Two Maple Falls men were injured Saturday night in a crash on Kendall Road.
The Washington State Patrol says an 18-year-old Maple Falls man was driving northbound around 7:25 p.m. when he attempted to pass another vehicle, struck a fence, and came to rest on the east side of the road.
The driver, as well as a 20-year-old male passenger, were not wearing seatbelts; both of them were injured. The driver was taken to St. Joseph Medical Center, while the 20-year-old man was transported to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.
Two other passengers, a 20-year-old Bellingham woman and a 25-year-old Maple Falls man, were wearing seatbelts and were not injured.
The State Patrol says drugs or alcohol were involved.
STORY: New high school in Bellingham
Families in Whatcom and Skagit counties will have a new private high school option next fall.
Cascadia Daily News reports the region’s first Catholic high school will open in Bellingham for the 2027–2028 school year, after the Archdiocese of Seattle approved the project in August.
The school will begin its operations at the Sacred Heart Parish Hall, while leaders work through permitting and search for a permanent site. They expect 18 to 25 ninth-graders in the first class, and plan to add grades each year.
Tuition will likely begin around $14,000. Students do not have to be Catholic, but the school will include religious education and regular Mass. It will also run a four‑day school week, with Mondays set aside for teacher planning and optional student support or internships.
The school’s board will spend the next several months hiring staff, choosing curriculum, and applying for state private‑school approval.
STORY: Bellingham considers changes in code
Bellingham is proposing changes to its home occupation rules.
The changes would give home-based businesses more flexibility by allowing them 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: Stretch of I-5 construction south of Bellingham set to wrap up this week
Travel on I-5 near Chuckanut Creek should return to normal soon.
WSDOT (wash-DOT) says the northbound main lanes are expected to reopen by Friday morning. Drivers have been using a bypass lane since June, while crews built a new, fish-passable bridge over Chuckanut Creek.
Meanwhile, work continues on the nearby Old Samish Road bridge, which has been closed since April. WSDOT expects that road to reopen by December.
STORY: Bellingham Bird Week (Air OCT. 5)
Welcome to Bellingham Bird Week!
The North Cascades Audubon Society, in cooperation with Audubon Washington, is hosting an array of bird-themed activities starting today. These activities include storytimes at the Bellingham Public Library and a bird-drawing session, as well as 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 this Friday at 5:30 p.m. at the Bellingham Cruise Terminal.
STORY: Whatcom County announces flood preparedness week
Whatcom County is getting ready for flood season this week.
The county says Flood Preparedness Week is designed to share information on how to prepare for floods. This information includes how to build an emergency kit, sign up for local alerts, and protect your home from flood damage. The county will also highlight ongoing flood mitigation projects.
A Flood Preparedness Open House will be held Wednesday, from 5 to 7 p.m., at Nooksack Valley Middle School.
STORY: Library closed Oct. 8
All Bellingham Public Library locations will be closed this Wednesday 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 on its regular schedule.
STORY: WDFW to recommend classifying burrowing owl as endangered, seeking public comment
Washington’s burrowing owl might be listed as an endangered species.
The Department of Fish and Wildlife has asked for public comment on a draft report recommending the state list the burrowing owl as endangered. WDFW estimates fewer than 100 breeding pairs remain in Washington, mostly in the Yakima Valley and Columbia Basin.
The owls once lived across much of Eastern Washington, but habitat loss and degradation have sharply reduced their numbers and range.
The public can comment on the proposal through December 31st. The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission is expected to consider the recommendation next February.
STORY: WA leaders push back against Canadian pipeline
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.
STORY: AG’s office establishes permanent Sexual Assault Investigations Support Team
Washington wants to make temporary improvements to sexual assault investigations permanent.
The federal grant that funded the state’s Sexual Assault Kit Initiative for nearly a decade ended on September 30th. The Washington Attorney General’s Office will now continue the work through a permanent, state-funded Sexual Assault Investigations Support Team.
When the program began in 2017, Washington had more than 10,000 untested sexual assault kits. The Attorney General’s Office says all of those kits have now been identified and tested.
The work has helped solve at least 22 cases, with more investigations ongoing. More than 4,000 DNA profiles have been uploaded to a national database, resulting in more than 2,000 matches connected to offenders or other crimes.
WX: Partial arts
And now for the weather…
Today’s forecast calls for another day of sun and clouds, with highs in the mid-60s and light winds. Some light cloud cover should linger well into the evening, when we’ll see temperatures fall to lows in the 50s.
Expect fog tomorrow morning, which should gradually burn off and leave us with another partly-cloudy day — although some people might prefer to see that as partly sunny — with highs in the mid-60s. Cooler weather is expected later this week, so take advantage of the sun while it’s here.
OUTRO:
Today’s newscast was produced by volunteers Carlos Braga (BRAH-guh), Kyler Cantrell (can-TRELL), Glen Hirshberg (HERSH-berg), Kathi O’Shea (o-SHAY), Kai Blais-Schmolke (KAI BLAZE-SHMOLE-kee), Jenny Lam, Doug Langworthy, and Cheri Cloninger (SHARE-ee CLAWN-in-jer). 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: 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 6 p.m. at the Squalicum Boathouse.
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: Health department cider pressing safety
Cider‑pressing season is here, and health officials are reminding Whatcom County residents to handle unpasteurized cider safely.
Raw cider can carry bacteria like E. coli, which pose higher risks for young children, pregnant people, older adults, and anyone with weakened immunity.
Officials are asking people pressing cider at home – or attending a community pressing event – to clean and sanitize grinders and presses between batches; make sure volunteers wash their hands; and keep anyone who’s been recently sick away from food handling. Only apples picked from the tree should be used, and they should be rinsed well before pressing. Any apples that are bruised or dirty should be tossed.
Finally, officials are urging people to store cider in sanitized jugs; for the safest product, people should also pasteurize it by heating it to 158 degrees. This ensures any harmful bacteria is killed.
Officials say these steps help keep fall cider traditions safe for everyone.
F&C Oct 10
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