New program at BTC for homeless residents, Fire District 14 seeks property tax hike, Street renaming unveiled in Fairhaven, WNS Breast Cancer Awareness, Medicare open enrollment started yesterday, avoid scams, Rite Aid Files for Bankruptcy, WWU’s Fall 2023 First-Year Class is its Second Largest Ever, New Amtrak Cascades plan for railway travel underway, New Amtrak Cascades plan for railway travel underway, Run after ruling
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Independent, nonprofit community radio.
KMRE brings you local news for Monday, October 2023. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: New program at BTC for homeless residents
Last week, Bellingham Technical College announced a new partnership to provide homeless residents educational opportunities.
Called the “Break the Cycle” partnership, BTC hopes to offer access to GED programming or trade programs to those in need. BTC is planning on working with Lighthouse Missions Ministries and Northwest Youth Services to provide those services. Russell Whidbee, who is coordinating the effort, said that furthering one’s education and learning a trade is a proven way to improve one’s economic status and become self-sufficient.
The partnership is set to be finalized and implemented by Winter Quarter 2024.
STORY: Fire District 14 seeks property tax hike
A property tax increase has been put on the November 7th ballot to help fund Fire District 14 in northeast Whatcom County. Voters will be asked to approve a levy rate of $1.20 per $1,000 of assessed value.
According to Assistant Fire Chief David Moe, the additional funding would be used to hire more firefighters and make necessary equipment upgrades. The newest fire engine in the district’s fleet is 19 years old, and the district’s ambulances are aging too. According to Moe, if the levy doesn’t pass, the fire district would have to slow or cancel planned equipment and station replacements, as well as pause hiring.
STORY: Street renaming unveiled in Fairhaven
A street near the Fairhaven Library is getting a new name today in honor of longtime local resident and community supporter, Brian Griffin.
A small section of 12th street will be renamed Brian Griffin Way in acknowledgment of the lifetime of work for Bellingham. Griffin, who is now 90, was instrumental in establishing the downtown Bellingham parking garage on Commercial Street, collaborated with the Bellingham Rotary Club to create Boulevard Park in 1980, led a successful fundraising campaign that resulted in the development of Fairhaven Village Green, and was instrumental in the creation of Depot Market Square along Railroad Avenue. Bellingham resident Michael Bradburn came up with the idea of renaming the street, and says it’s an important acknowledgment of a lifetime of service.
AUDIO: GRIFFIN 1
STORY: WNS – Breast Cancer Awareness
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and health professionals say younger women are increasingly being diagnosed with it. Eric Tegethoff has more.
CANCER AUDIO
STORY: Medicare open enrollment started yesterday, avoid scams
As Medicare Open Enrollment starts, the FTC is warning subscribers to be on lookout for scams.
Open Enrollment began yesterday on the 15th, and scammers have started as well. The FTC recommends two actions to avoid getting your information stolen. First, never give personal information to anyone who contacts you out of the blue. Medicare doesn’t call people unexpectedly to ask for personal and financial information. Secondly, don’t respond to anyone who seems to be from Medicare and asks for your personal info. Don’t click on links, open any attachments, or call any numbers in those messages. If you receive a suspicious message, throw away the mail, delete the messages, or get off the phone.
To report a potential scammer, consumers are encouraged to call 1-800-MEDICARE.
STORY: Rite Aid Files for Bankruptcy
Rite Aid drugstores have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The chain, which recently closed two locations in Bellingham, is currently dealing with lawsuits over its role in the opioid pandemic and a debt load of roughly $4 billion dollars.
According to court papers, Rite Aid began a series of debt swaps and pay-downs between 2020 and 2022 to try to cut its interest expenses in order to address the impact of the pandemic. The chain also closed around 200 underperforming stores and entered sale-leaseback deals. They also agreed to sell its pharmacy benefits manager business, Elixir, to MedImpact Healthcare Systems for $575 million in cash. Any potential sale is subject to court approval.
WX: Sunny
Today will be rainy in Bellingham, with highs near 65*, and winds from the south-southeast reaching as high as 32mph. There is also a chance of a thunderstorm in the afternoon. The rain will continue through the night, with a low near 49*. The rainy weather is expected to last until Wednesday at the very least.
OUTRO:
Today’s newscast was produced by volunteers AnThu Nguyen (ANNE-two new-WIN) 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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STORY: WWU’s Fall 2023 First-Year Class is its Second Largest Ever
Western Washington University has announced its second-largest incoming class in the institution’s history.
Although Fall enrollment includes 3,184 new first-year students, total enrollment is still below pre-Covid counts. A release from WWU blames lower overall enrollment to lingering impacts from the pandemic, with the smallest pandemic-era cohort now entering their fourth year. However, Western says overall trends are positive, with a more than 10% increase in first-year Fall enrollment.
The report also notes increased retention rates and a higher FAFSA completion rate among new first-year students. Approximately 30% of Western’s overall student body identifies as students of color, demonstrating a four-year trend of increasing diversity.
WWU’s total registered students for Fall 2023 is 14,651.
STORY: New Amtrak Cascades plan for railway travel underway
WSDOT unveiled a new Amtrak Cascades Service Development Plan to create a blueprint for improving Amtrak Cascades service for the next two decades.
The creation of the blueprint is underway now, outlining things like future capital improvements and service changes. WSDOT explains that by having a Service Development Plan ready, it will improve its ability to compete for federal funds for future infrastructure and service improvements. A preliminary SDP will be released to the public next month with information about the two additional daily round trips between Seattle and Portland to be added this fall to increase service in the Pacific Northwest. The preliminary plan will also identify travel trends, outline project goals, and forecast future ridership.
Comments will be sought for the new plan when it releases, with sign ups available on the WSDOT site.
Run after ruling–
The Washington State Supreme Court is set to hear a significant case involving the rights of people sheltering in their vehicles.
A growing number of homeless individuals in Washington are living in their vehicles, but they face challenges due to local laws, including bans on vehicle habitation, restrictive parking rules, and towing. These laws often force people to leave their communities, even if they have lived there for a long time.
Jack Potter, a longtime resident of Lacey, was forced to live in his travel trailer due to housing market pressures. Lacey passed a law prohibiting vehicles used as shelter from parking in town for more than four hours, essentially forcing Potter and others out of their community.
Tomorrow, Potter’s case will be heard by the Washington Supreme Court.
