Halloween – Events around the city, Landlords to face higher fees for inspections after City Council Vote, Lynden City Council pushes discussion on fluoridation removal to Jan, Whatcom County Council resolution in support of Lummi Nation, Kaiser Permanente and WA workers reach tentative contract agreement, Democracy Block
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STORY: Halloween – Events around the city
It’s Halloween– and there are a variety of family-friendly Halloween experiences for people of all ages in Bellingham. Here are some of the highlights:
The Downtown Bellingham Trick-or-Treat will take place from 4-6 p.m. in downtown Bellingham. It features over 100 participating businesses and is open to all ages.
“FEAR” Haven will host trick-or-treating from 3-6 p.m. in Fairhaven Village. This event also includes a photo booth.
The Cordata Place Trick-or-Treat event will run from 4-7 p.m. and starts at Christ The King Bellingham church in the Cordata neighborhood. There will be over 25 candy stops, hot cocoa, glow sticks, and a photo booth.
Bellis Fair Mall will also host Spooktacular Mall-O-Ween– a trick-or-treating event from 4-6 p.m. Participating stores will be giving out candy.
And finally, the Lake Samish Association will host Trunk-or-Treat from 4-6 p.m. at Lake Samish Park. The event includes candy, games, prizes, music, and hot beverages.
STORY: Landlords to face higher fees for inspections after City Council vote
The Bellingham City Council has voted unanimously to double registration fees for landlords.
Part of an update to an 8-year-old rental inspection program aimed at ensuring safe living conditions for tenants, the new fee structure will impose escalating penalties for failed inspections. Fees will increase to $100 for the first failure, $200 for the second, and $500 for the third. Fees for missed appointments will also rise incrementally.
The council plans to finalize these changes in November. The increased revenue will support the rental inspection program and allow for the hiring of dedicated inspectors to fast-track re-inspections.
Approximately 55% of Bellingham homes are rented, according to 2022 census figures.
STORY: Lynden City Council pushes discussion on fluoridation removal to Jan
The Lynden City Council voted two weeks ago to push the discussion on water fluoridation removal to January.
The council tried to vote on setting a public hearing date for the topic during the October 16th meeting, but it failed and council members unanimously agreed to table the topic until next year.
Both sides of the discussion were represented at the meeting. Critics of public water fluoridation said that it’s not about the benefits of fluoride, but whether or not the government is in a position to make decisions about citizens’ health. Others said that they wanted pure water, and not have to deal with the “chemical”.
Various dentists showed up to the meeting in support of fluoridation. They cited the American Dental Association’s recommendation of fluoride use, as well as the beneficial change in Lynden residents’ teeth since the addition of fluoride.
The next city council meeting is scheduled for November 6th.
STORY: Whatcom County Council passes resolution in support of Lummi Nation
Last week, the Whatcom County Council approved a resolution in support of the Lummi Indian Business Council’s state of emergency declaration in response to the fentanyl crisis.
The LIBC declaration was originally made in September, in response to the increasing number of overdose deaths in Lummi Nation. In the resolution, the council recognizes the fentanyl crisis across Whatcom County, and pledges to support all efforts, from tribal to federal, in combating the crisis.
Tribal leader Nickolaus Lewis pushed for the council to declare its own state of emergency, but Councilmember Ben Elenbaas was worried about the resolution becoming too political and not passing. He emphasized that the council would be able to be the most effective if it worked in a collaborative, non-political manner.
91 overdose deaths have occurred in Whatcom county this year.
STORY: WA 2023 fire season a ‘wake-up call,’ DNR chief says
This year’s fire season in Washington was especially challenging, according to the Department of Natural Resources.
While fewer acres burned this year in total than in previous years, the fires were some of the most catastrophic. The Gray and Oregon Road fires were the most destructive ever in Spokane County history. The fires killed two people and destroyed over 350 structures. And for the first time, more fires sparked in Western Washington than in Central and Eastern Washington combined. DNR reported 596 fires on the western side of the state, and 559 on the eastern side.
Public Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz called it a “wake-up call” for Western Washington, urging people to start safeguarding their homes from fires, and protecting forest health to prevent wildfires from getting out of hand in the first place.
STORY: Kaiser Permanente and WA workers reach tentative contract agreement
Kaiser Permanente and its Washington staffers have reached a tentative contract agreement. The agreement, which comes after months of negotiations, would avoid a strike that was set to start tomorrow.
SEIU Healthcare eleven ninety-nine northwest, the labor union representing the Kaiser staffers, shared few details about the deal but said it complements the tentative national agreement reached earlier this month. According to the SEIU, the new agreement would offer local Kaiser workers competitive wages, better benefits, generous retirement income plans, and more job training opportunities.
The new four-year contract still has to be voted on by the state’s roughly 3,000 Kaiser workers, with voting due to begin tomorrow.
STORY: Democracy Block
KMRE and Cascadia Daily have collaborated on a series of interviews with some of the 2023 candidates for office. We’ve chosen specific questions from those interviews so that listeners can compare the candidates’ positions on issues that matter most to Whatcom County.
Today after the 5pm news, listen to County Executive Satpal Sidhu and challenger Dan Purdy answer questions on affordable housing in Whatcom and share their ideas on possible answers. Tomorrow, we’ll air the challengers for Whatcom County Sheriff– Doug Chadwick and Donnell ‘Tank’ Tanksley– share their views on local law and justice.
WX: Sunny
Today will be partly sunny with a high of 56° and calm winds. Trick or treaters will be roaming in temperatures around 40 tonight. Tomorrow’s temps will be similar, but with guaranteed rain during the night.
OUTRO:
Today’s newscast was produced by volunteers AnThu Nguyen (ANNE-two new-WIN), Carlos Braga, and Connor O’Boyle. 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.
