Tenant’s Revolt unveil map detailing renters’ complaints, Whatcom Museum to Waive Admission, Extend Hours One Day per Month with “Access for All” Grant, Chanterelle Trail extension set to open by early November, Climate Pledge becomes first sports arena to earn zero carbon certification, Indigenous people in WA incarcerated at higher rates than any other group, data shows Promo: Beyond Bars, Run after ruling–
______________________________
Independent, nonprofit community radio.
KMRE brings you local news for Wednesday, October 18th. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: Tenants’ Revolt unveil map detailing renters’ complaints
The Bellingham renters’ advocacy group, Tenants Revolt, has launched an interactive map called the “Horrible Properties Map.”
Users can view and report rental properties with habitability problems, such as mold, utility issues, lack of heat, and more.
The map, accessible via the Tenants Revolt website, is searchable by address, parcel number, property management company, or landlord. It aims to compile a record of renter concerns and hold landlords and property management companies accountable. Current or former tenants can submit information about a property, including their experiences and warnings. The map had over 150 data submissions at launch. It also offers paths for redemption and ways for landlords to verify improvements to their units.
Rebecca Quirke, head of Tenants Revolt, says their goal is to expand the Horrible Properties Map to other areas and share it with renters nationwide.
STORY: Whatcom Museum to Waive Admission, Extend Hours One Day per Month with “Access for All” Grant
Starting next year, entrance to the Whatcom Museum will be free the first Friday of every month.
The $40 million Access for All grant from the Art Bridges Foundation was awarded to 64 institutions across the country, with Whatcom Museum receiving a portion of the funds.
In addition to the free Fridays, the museum will also extend open hours until 9 pm, and bring local and visiting artists in to create and lead projects for community participation. The museum’s monthly extended hours and free admission will coincide with First Fridays through the Downtown Bellingham Partnership.
More information about special events and free Fridays will be available on the Whatcom Museum website.
STORY: Chanterelle Trail extension set to open by early November
Construction of a new path on Lake Whatcom Park is expected to be finished by early November.
The new 4-plus-mile trail will descend 2,000 feet from the current end of the Chanterelle Trail and will include a viewpoint. According to Whatcom County Parks Supervisor Asa Deane, the full loop involves about 12 miles of hiking and will be open for foot traffic only. Deane expects the total cost of the new trail to come out to around $300,000.
The completion of this project marks the first of several improvements planned for Lake Whatcom Park, including the construction of new public restrooms, additional parking spaces and stormwater treatment infrastructure.
STORY: Climate Pledge becomes first sports arena to earn zero carbon certification
Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena has become the world’s first sports stadium to receive a zero-carbon certification.
The International Living Future Institute certified the arena after 12 consecutive months of meeting its net zero-carbon standard. Institute CEO Lindsay Baker said that it was a significant undertaking for a project as large and complex as Climate Pledge.
To receive this certification, a building must solely rely on renewable energy sources, use low-carbon materials during its construction, and create renewable energy on- or off-site. Climate Pledge has solar panels among other things and gets clean power from Puget Sound Energy’s Lower Snake River wind farm. During its recent remodel, the arena completely stopped using natural gas and converted operations, like its heating system, to electric.
STORY: Indigenous people in WA incarcerated at higher rates than any other group, data show
U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics data shows that indigenous people in Washington are imprisoned at over six times the rate of white people.
The information, compiled and released by the Prison Policy Initiative, shows that while Native people make up about 2% of the state’s population, they constitute 5% of the state’s prison population. This disparity has doubled over the past decade, even while incarceration numbers for both groups have decreased.
This high rate is attributed to factors such as disproportionate rates of poverty among Indigenous communities, over-policing of those communities, and a history of dispossession and disinvestment.
The Prison Policy Initiative says addressing this racial disparity in Washington’s jails may involve increasing public benefits, providing affordable housing, and offering social programs as alternatives to incarceration.
PROMO: BEYOND BARS
In other incarceration news, a sales tax increase designed to provide financing for a new jail facility in Whatcom County will be voted on in three weeks.
Earlier this year, KMRE News collaborated with Cascadia Daily News on Beyond Bars, a series of interviews designed to explore the complexities of one of the most contentious issues on the ballot. To provide more background on this important issue we are re-airing the interviews after the 5pm newscast.
Today, we hear from Chief Corrections Deputy Wendy Jones—the person who runs the Whatcom County Jail, to find out more about the history of the jail.
JONES AUDIO
Tune in after the 5pm news, read more at Cascadiadaily.com, and find a complete playlist of all the Beyond Bars interviews at kmre.org/beyondbars.
WX:
Today will be partly sunny with a 50% chance of rain. Highs of 66° with temperatures going down to 53 tonight. Winds of up to 14 mph will calm down to 5 mph during the night. The rain will continue through 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.
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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.
