Thursday is the Great ShakeOut, a worldwide earthquake preparedness event, PeaceHealth surgery center to open by end of month, Man found dead at Bellingham homeless encampment, WWU’s Fall 2023 First-Year Class is its Second Largest Ever, New Amtrak Cascades plan for railway travel underway, Washington Kaiser health care workers vote to strike, Run after ruling-
______________________________
Independent, nonprofit community radio.
KMRE brings you local news for Tuesday, October 17th. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: Thursday is the Great ShakeOut, a worldwide earthquake preparedness event
This Thursday is the Great ShakeOut, an annual drill held worldwide to help people practice earthquake safety.
The exercise will happen at exactly 10:19 am. During this time, the National Weather Service will test the Emergency Alert System on TVs and radios, and Washington state will test its tsunami sirens.
The worldwide drill is an important addition to the other preparations being made on the West Coast. Research has shown that the Cascadia subduction zone, which reaches from Vancouver Island in Canada to Northern California, could produce an earthquake of magnitude 9.0 or greater, with many communities along the coast disastrously underprepared.
To help spread awareness, Bellingham is hosting an event at Squalicum Harbor from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday, where you can learn more about earthquakes, tsunami, and the tsunami sirens.
STORY: PeaceHealth surgery center to open by end of month
PeaceHealth will begin providing outpatient surgeries at the former Pacific Rim Outpatient Surgery Center by the end of October.
The not-for-profit health care system opted to establish their own outpatient surgery program instead of renewing the lease for Pacific Rim, which closed on August 31st. The first patient could be seen in the new center as early as October 26, after building and equipment upgrades are complete. It will offer a wide range of procedures that don’t require overnight hospital stays.
Pacific Rim plans to maintain a local presence and will build a smaller surgery center in the Cordata neighborhood.
STORY: Man found dead at Bellingham homeless encampment
Bellingham police are investigating the death of an unidentified man who was found in a wooded homeless encampment near Walmart on Saturday.
The body was found by officers early Saturday morning, in a makeshift structure made of wood and tarps. Police found no identification with the individual and are investigating to determine his identity.
An official at the medical examiner’s office said that as of Monday they could not yet release any information on the case.
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.
STORY: Washington Kaiser health care workers vote to strike
Around 3,000 Washington Kaiser Permanente workers voted last week to go on strike next month, if a new contract is not reached by the end of October.
Jane Hopkins, a nurse and president of SEIU Healthcare 1199NW, says that 99% of union members voted to strike if a deal is not reached by November, affecting sites across Washington.
Last week, tens of thousands of Kaiser Permanente workers went on strike nationwide demanding better wages, and protesting understaffing. Kaiser reached a tentative deal with the unions representing the 75,000 workers who participated in the strike, and set a new minimum wage.
Hopkins says the deal is a step in the right direction, but that more is needed in Washington. According to Hopkins, Kaiser workers in the state are 20-30% behind colleagues at other local institutions, which leads to short staffing as workers leave for better paying positions.
If a deal is not reached, this will be the seventh strike to affect the healthcare industry this year alone.
WX:
Rain will continue through the afternoon with a high of 58 degrees and light and variable winds. Rain will continue through the evening, with showers overnight and a low of 52 degrees. Expect a 50% chance of rain tomorrow.
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.
###
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.
