PeaceHealth plans ‘new’ outpatient surgery center as Pacific Rim closes, Paving of New Ferndale overpass to impact traffic, Bellingham Schools announces new Climate Action Plan, Blaine school board approves levy and bond measures for February ballots, Colleges in Whatcom still recovering from pandemic-induced drop in enrollment, Update on Drug Test Lawsuit, WSP hiring lateral officers for the first time in agency history
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STORY: PeaceHealth plans ‘new’ outpatient surgery center as Pacific Rim closes
The Pacific Rim Outpatient Surgery Center in Bellingham closed on August 31, after its lease was not renewed by PeaceHealth.
PeaceHealth plans to take over the facility and expand its own outpatient surgical center. The new facility will have six rooms, including five operating rooms. County leadership supports this expansion due to population growth and limited access to health services. Pacific Rim has proposed building a smaller facility in the Cordata area that would include three mixed-use rooms and is scheduled to open in late 2024.
PeaceHealth remains the primary health service provider in the region and has faced criticism for reducing multiple services but plans to re-launch comprehensive palliative care in 2024.
STORY: Paving of new Ferndale overpass to impact traffic
Drivers should expect traffic impacts around the southbound I-5 on- and off-ramps at Portal Way, as paving work will be done on the new Thornton Street overpass between 7am and 7pm both today and tomorrow. The work is expected to cause delays in the area of the 2nd Avenue and Portal Way roundabout.
Flaggers will be there to direct traffic as trucks enter and leave the work site via the roundabout, and motorists are encouraged to avoid the area and use alternate routes.
STORY: Bellingham Schools announces new Climate Action Plan
Bellingham Public Schools accepted their new Climate Action Plan yesterday, after a year in the works.
The plan is split into three areas: facilities and operations, teaching and learning, and habits and culture. The plan lays out tactical goals that the school district should reach by 2025, such as better management of water, developing a more integrated climate change education, and making sustainability a central part of the school system. As said in the foundation statement, the plan will hopefully create a “systematic and enduring commitment to addressing the climate crisis”.
The plan is motivated by recent extreme weather events, as well as other recent Climate Action Plans by the city of Bellingham and Whatcom County. By involving the nearly 13,000 students and staff in the process, Bellingham Public Schools hopes to develop an enduring culture of sustainability to prepare students and the community for the future.
STORY: Blaine school board approves levy and bond measures for February ballots
In a unanimous decision, Blaine School District board members approved placing separate levy and bond requests on the February 13th special election next year.
The four-year, $7.5 million enrichment levy would replace an expiring one and maintain the existing tax rate depending upon assessment values in the district. It would increase to $8.5 million by 2028. The enrichment levy currently funds slightly over 17% of the district’s operating budget, with funds used to pay for enhanced staffing units, substitute staffing, extracurricular activities, transportation, food service and more.
The board also approved placing a $70 million bond levy on the ballot that would be paid from local property taxes for up to 25 years. The district’s financial projections show that the tax rate would not exceed current levels. The bond would pay for improvements to the Pipeline Athletic Complex, the Point Roberts Primary School, the replacement of aging and outdated instructional spaces at the middle school, upgrades to the Performing Arts Center, preliminary design for the proposed Birch Bay school, and updates to electrical and mechanical infrastructure.
STORY: Colleges in Whatcom still recovering from pandemic-induced drop in enrollment
Colleges in Whatcom County and across the state are still recovering from a pandemic-induced drop in enrollment.
The Education Research and Data Center released a report on Friday, detailing enrollment information for colleges across Washington. Data shows that enrollment at public institutions in Washington has continued to drop since the pandemic began in 2019. Community and technical colleges across the state have seen the biggest impact with a 25% drop in enrollment, while 4-year colleges have only gone down by 10% in 2022 compared to 2019.
Whatcom Community College has noticed a slighter greater decrease in enrollment at 30%. Western matches the statewide trend of 10%, but according to Communications Director Jonathan Higgins, a large part of the challenge is ensuring that freshmen return after their first year. Last year, the university reported that only 77% of freshman students from 2021 returned in 2022. The university had recently received nearly $48 million from the state in April to construct a new Student Development & Success Center, hoping to bring together services centered around recruitment and retention.
STORY: Update on Drug Test Lawsuit
The recent drug test lawsuit against the Washington State Dept of Corrections regarding the use of presumptive drug tests to penalize inmates is seeking damages. Here to comment on the ongoing case is Alison Bilow, the attorney representing the plaintiffs of the case.
[Clip – It’s really tragic]The case is setting a precedent that could be seen in practices that the Washington State Dept of Corrections use as far as drug testing goes. The effect of the penalties, especially solitary confinement, on the person is something that should be taken into account according to Bilow.
[Clip – It really causes harm]While the case is ongoing, it is uncertain what will come of the lawsuit.
STORY: WSP hiring lateral officers for first time in agency history
The Washington State Patrol is accepting lateral hires for the first time in the agency’s more than 100-year history.
The Washington Legislature has budgeted the WSP money to hold two lateral classes over the next two years in response to hiring and retention challenges felt by law enforcement agencies across the country. Among commissioned officers, the WSP currently has upwards of 250 openings between vacancies and expected retirements.
A lateral hire is an applicant who is already a certified law enforcement officer. Such hires already completed a training academy, meaning lateral hires will undergo a shortened training prior to graduating as a WSP trooper. The WSP aims to have 40 lateral hires in time for the inaugural class slated to begin in March, with a second class expected later in 2024.
WX: Showers and thunderstorms likely
Today is expected to be yet another rainy day in Bellingham, with a 70% chance of showers during the day and a 40% chance of showers tonight. There is also a chance of thunderstorms later in the afternoon and throughout the night. Nighttime temperatures are to drop from a daytime high near 60* to a low around 46. Mild south-southwest winds during the day are expected to become light and variable tonight.
OUTRO:
Today’s newscast was produced by volunteers AnThu Nguyen (ANNE-two new-WIN) , 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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