Body found after Fairhaven fire officially confirmed to be cafe owner Nate Breaux, Fire crews respond to blaze at State Street Bar, Bellingham Immigration Advisory Board proposed to be halted, Bellingham City Council swearing-in ceremony, Women are close to holding half the seats in WA’s Legislature, Ferndale School Board reaches settlement, case dismissed, Respiratory virus activity is high and rising across the United States, WA, Satpal Water Rights,
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Independent, nonprofit community radio.
KMRE brings you local news for Wednesday, January 3rd. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: Body found after Fairhaven fire officially confirmed to be cafe owner Nate Breaux
The body pulled from the wreckage of the Terminal Building in Fairhaven has been officially identified as 39-year-old café owner Nate Breaux (BRO).
Breaux was confirmed to have died from smoke inhalation during the fire that engulfed the building on December 16th. The Whatcom County Medical Examiner’s office determined the cause of death to be an accident.
Mr. Breaux, who owned both the Harris Avenue Cafe and The Old Independent Coffeehouse, was declared missing the day after the fire. Due to the structural instability of the building’s remains, his body wasn’t recovered from the wreckage until 10 days later on the 26th.
STORY: Fire crews respond to blaze at State Street Bar
Yet another fire happened at a historic building today.
The Bellingham Fire Department responded to a two-alarm fire at the State Street Bar just after 8:30 a.m. Officials shut down traffic along North State Street between Holly and Magnolia while crews battled the fire.
Three tenants in the five upstairs apartments were out of the building when the fire started, while a tenant on the second floor evacuated the building as soon as they saw smoke outside his window. Fire Chief Bill Hewett stated that the fire is under control, and there appear to be no injuries.
The cause of the fire is yet unknown. KMRE will continue to update the story with more information as it develops.
STORY: Bellingham Immigration Advisory Board proposed to be halted
City council member Hannah Stone has proposed indefinitely suspending the Immigration Advisory Board in Bellingham.
Stone’s ordinance claims that board members lack training on public-records and public-meeting laws, have met with other local governments without authorization, and operate without by-laws. Concerns include violations of the state’s Open Public Meetings Act and city staff being restricted from information.
Despite concerns, some council members emphasize the IAB’s potential to benefit immigrants but stress the need for structured guidelines. The council will further discuss the matter on January 29.
STORY: Ferndale School Board reaches settlement, case dismissed
A case involving the Ferndale School district was recently dismissed by its plaintiff after a settlement was reached on December 7th.
In March of last year, Arthur West filed a complaint that the school district violated the Open Public Meetings Act (OPMA) when they failed to provide accurate notice for specific meetings in early 2023.
According to recent reporting from Whatcom News, the district paid the $5,000 that West asked for in return for their violation of the OPMA.
The district also made changes to their meeting guidelines, which satisfied West’s concern with their initial conduct.
STORY: Bellingham City Council swearing-in ceremony
The Bellingham City Council will hold a public swearing-in ceremony on Monday at 7 p.m.
Municipal Court Judge Debra Lev will administer the ceremonial oath of office to Mayor-elect Kim Lund, new City Councilmember Jace Cotton, and returning City Councilmembers Lisa Anderson, Dan Hammill, and Hannah Stone in the Bellingham City Council chambers.
The newly-elected officials assumed their responsibilities as of January first.
STORY: Women are close to holding half the seats in WA’s Legislature
Washington’s State Legislature is on track to achieve equal representation of men and women elected into office by 2026.
Women now hold 67 out of 147 seats in the Washington Legislature – a record-breaking 46%. That puts Washington well above the national average where just 33% of state legislators across the country are women. Among these seats include key leadership positions. Representative Laurie Jinkins of Tacoma is the current Speaker of the House, and Senator Karen Keiser of Des Moines (duh-MOINS) is Senate President.
According to Jean Sinzdak, Associate Director of the Center for American Women and Politics, research shows that women are more likely to focus on issues that matter to women like health care, child care, and education. Elected women are also more likely to work across the aisle, emphasize transparency, and bring underrepresented groups into the process.
Washington is currently 4th in ranking for female representation in state legislature, with only Arizona, Colorado and Nevada having more.
STORY: WA Dept of Health cuts hundreds of jobs as COVID funding runs out
The Washington Department of Health has cut over 300 employees involved in the state’s pandemic response, and more positions are at risk due to the ending of federal COVID aid.
Jobs eliminated include roles in vaccine distribution, testing services, contact tracing, and data tracking. According to the department, from January 2020 to October 2023, the Department of Health spent nearly $316 million on COVID-19 hires, accounting for half of its two-year operating budget.
The impact of the layoffs on the state’s ability to respond to future pandemics remains uncertain. Public health experts argue that maintaining a robust public health workforce is crucial for future preparedness, and emphasize the importance of state funding for these efforts.
STORY: Respiratory virus activity is high and rising across the United States, WA
In Washington, virus activity is rising as the temperature plummets.
According to CNN, late December in the U.S. as a whole showed around 29,000 patients admitted with COVID-19. Another 15,000 were admitted for the flu and thousands with respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV. Because of this, some hospitals are now requiring masks upon entry.
According to the Washington Department of Health, the week of December 17th showed a 25 percent increase in hospitalizations from influenza, and an 11 percent increase in COVID-19 E.R. visits when compared to the week prior.
A possible cause for the recent uptick is from the lack of people receiving vaccinations. Only 15 percent of individuals are up to date with the CDC’s recommended doses on COVID-19 boosters, 16 percent have the RSV vaccine, and 28 percent have received a recent flu shot.
Masking and vaccination has now become highly encouraged by the CDC in order to curve the rate of infection.
PROMO: Interview with Satpal Sidhu
In a new occasional series called Speak Out, KMRE reporters ask elected officials questions sent in by listeners. On a recent visit to the Cascade studio, Whatcom County Executive Satpal Sidhu sat down with KMRE to talk about important issues– including the upcoming water rights adjudication that will affect water users across the County.
SATPAL WATER RIGHTS
Listen to the full interview with Satpal Sidhu Thursday after the 5pm news.
WX: Cloudy, with some rain
Today will come with a high of 51 degrees and a low around 42 with light winds. Rain will start after 5 pm, and become heavier at night, with winds picking up to speeds of 14 mph. Tomorrow will bring more rain, and even faster gusts of winds.
OUTRO:
Today’s newscast was produced by volunteers AnThu Nguyen (ANNE-two new-WIN), Carlos Braga, Connor O’Boyle, and Tristan Trudell. 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. If you would like to help keep local news accessible, check out our new Patreon page at patreon.com/kmrenews or go to kmre.org and click on the banner. I’m ________________, and thanks for listening.
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