Family Care Network to drop insurer, Whatcom County Council tables discussion on how to appoint Sheriff, San Juan Trail divides farmers, recreation advocates, Meridian School District plans to address child-care desert, Seahawks first preseason game, Promo for Food Systems Story
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KMRE brings you local news for Thursday, August 10th. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: Family Care Network to drop insurer
On Monday, the healthcare association Family Care Network informed patients that it will end its contract with United Healthcare, one of the nation’s largest medical insurers, starting in January.
PeaceHealth employees are upset by the development, all of whom are insured by United Healthcare so long as they haven’t opted out. PeaceHealth has about 3,500 employees in Whatcom County and another 475 in Skagit County. PeaceHealth would not share the number of employees and their families that receive care from Family Care Network, but Senior Director of Marketing and Communications Bev Mayhew says it’s a significant amount. Workers and their dependents who want to continue receiving care from their primary physicians will have to pay entirely out of pocket.
As PeaceHealth employees scramble to look for care elsewhere, many will look within the PeaceHealth system itself. However, this influx of thousands of new patients may further stress an already struggling system. Some clinics have wait times of three or four months and short-staffing has resulted in patients being unable to see their primary care physician and going to the ER instead.
FCN’s decision to drop United Healthcare will affect an estimated 4,000 to 5,000 patients overall.
STORY: Whatcom County Council tables discussion on how to appoint Sheriff
The Whatcom County Council voted to cease discussions on changing the elected sheriff to an appointed role.
Tensions escalated during a meeting, with personal exchanges among members. Member Ben Elenbaas criticized what he saw as a personal conflict between Sheriff Bill Elfo and councilmember Todd Donovan.
ELENBAAS AUDIO
Despite this, Donovan stressed the importance of evaluating the administration of the jail and law enforcement.
DONOVAN AUDIO
The resolution was tabled with a 4 to 2 vote in favor, and one abstention.
Whatcom County Undersheriff Doug Chadwick and current Blaine Chief of Police Donnell Tanksley are running to replace Sheriff Bill Elfo in the upcoming November election.
STORY: Proposed San Juan Island trail divides farmers, recreation advocates
Plans for a new trail on San Juan Island have sparked controversy between farmers and other residents.
The 3-mile paved trail would cut through agricultural land, connecting the popular tourist destination Friday Harbor with a larger network of hiking trails at Zylstra Lake Preserve.
Farmers on San Juan Island fear trespassing, noise, litter, and increased taxes brought on by an influx of hikers, bikers and tourists – according to reporting by the Seattle Times.
The idea was first proposed in 2005, after a county survey showed 82% of responding households wanted more recreational trails. For years, residents have been lobbying to make roads safer for cyclists who ride on county roads with no separation from cars.
Building the trail will require the county to purchase easements from 30 landowners along the route. The county government could use its right to eminent domain to purchase the land without owners’ consent, however, the county public works department will instead work to develop partnerships with current landowners, said the project’s leader Grant Carlton.
Some residents have voiced fears that they will get priced off the land as the island becomes more accommodating of tourists, and its population continues to grow.
STORY: Meridian School District shares plans to address child-care deserts
Senator Patty Murray visited the site of the proposed Whatcom Early Learning Center in the Meridian School District this week.
Murray requested federal funds for the Early Learning Center to address childcare shortages, especially in rural areas of Whatcom County.
Shortages of early childhood learning staff, and closures of childcare facilities have resulted in over 5,000 unfulfilled care slots for young children. The center plans to have space for up to 120 children between 1 and 5 years old, with extended hours and days of operation to support working families.
A research review published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry estimates that 20 percent of children between the ages of 1 and 7 suffer from a diagnosable mental health problem. Care at the facility will prioritize behavioral and mental health-inclusive services to support healthy development and behavior.
Whatcom County provided 2 million dollars of funding from the American Rescue Plan Act to establish the early learning center. It is also awaiting 4 million dollars of federal funding to be approved by Congress. Meridian School District needs to collect an additional 7.5 million to cover the projected cost.
STORY: Seahawks first preseason game
The Seahawks have their first preseason game today against the Vikings. While it’s unlikely that starters will be playing, there are still things to look forward to. Many players who haven’t seen playing time since last season will look to prove themselves during this preseason and show how they’ve developed over the last year. These games are crucial for the rookies and younger players to gain experience and get settled in. The match is set for tonight at 7 pm at Lumen Field.
STORY: Promo for Food Systems Story
Whatcom County recently passed a new Food Systems Plan– the first of it’s kind in Whatcom County. KMRE reporter AnThu Nguyen (ANNE-two new-WIN) sat down with Riley Sweeney, the chair of the Whatcom Food Systems Committee, to find out more about the plan and the committee’s goals for the county. Listen to the full story today after the 5pm news.
WX: Overcast/Cloudy
Partly cloudy skies in Bellingham this afternoon, with a high of 72* and an overnight low of 57. Clouds are expected to hang around through Saturday with temperatures steadily rising. Sunshine and temperatures in the low 80’s are forecasted for Sunday.
OUTRO:
Today’s newscast was produced by volunteers AnThu Nguyen (ANNE-two new-WIN), Myles Weber, Emma Toscani and Carlos Braga. 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 listener donations. I’m ________________ and thanks for listening.
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