Staffing challenges limit capacity at shelters across Whatcom County, WWU students go without heat amid single digit temps, winds, Port of Bellingham accepting final comments on public access plan, Family whose son was hit by vehicle in Bellingham crosswalk sues city, federal agency, Family whose son was hit by vehicle in Bellingham crosswalk sues city, federal agency, WA AG sues to block Kroger, Albertsons merger, WA AG sues to block Kroger, Albertsons merger, Biden announces plan to cancel some student loan balances under $12,000
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KMRE brings you local news for Tuesday, January 16th. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: Staffing challenges limit capacity at shelters across Whatcom County
The City of Bellingham recently opened a new warming shelter as severe County weather shelters reached capacity last Thursday.
However, the city is scrambling to find enough trained volunteer staff to keep it functioning. The shelter is located at 1013 Holly Street, the former Lighthouse mission drop-in center, and is open 8:30 AM to 6:30 PM on weekdays. In a recent release, Mayor Kim Lund stated that they are working actively to see if the shelter could function overnight.
According to Assistant communications director Mellissa Morin, the shelter had capacity for 60 people last Friday. All four overnight winter shelters have been reaching their cap, and are stretched to capacity.
Lund stated that they first looked to Bellingham public schools in order to staff the shelters with individuals trained in de-escalation. 26 principals and administrators agreed to support them over the weekends.
The Lighthouse mission is also currently working on preparing a 400-bed shelter for next year, in an effort to account for everyone that needs a warm place to stay out of below-freezing temperatures.
STORY: WWU students go without heat amid single digit temps, winds
People living at the Elevate apartments in Bellingham, faced challenges Thursday night, as power and water went out amid sub-freezing temperatures.
With temperatures feeling like negative 16 degrees, residents had to find ways to stay warm. Despite difficulties, power and water were restored by Saturday afternoon. According to reporting by KIRO News 7, homeless individuals were able to enter the building during the outage, prompting complaints to the police.
The outage was attributed to a block-wide power loss and a broken pipe near the parking garage. In a recent letter to residents, management promised reimbursements and assured ongoing efforts to address issues.
Although populated primarily by students, the building is not university-owned, and investigations into the incident are ongoing.
STORY: Port of Bellingham accepting final comments on public access plan
The Port of Bellingham is seeking public input until Monday on its draft recreation, conservation, and public access plan.
This plan is updated every six years and guides the development of open spaces, parks, and recreation facilities on port property. Projects are ranked from 1 to 3 based on funding status. Notable projects include Waypoint Park, Plover Park, and the development of trails around the airport.
The draft plan is open for review on the port’s website, and public comments can be submitted until the end of January. Port commissioners are expected to vote on the draft at the end of January.
STORY: Family whose son was hit by vehicle in Bellingham crosswalk sues city, federal agency
The family whose son was struck while riding his bike across a non-functioning crosswalk in the Barkley area, is suing the city of Bellingham and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The incident occurred in February of 2022, when the teenager was riding his bike on a trail in the Barkley area and crossed a crosswalk equipped with a flashing beacon system. The system, which lights up when a person presses the crosswalk button, failed to flash on the south side of the crosswalk, and the teenager was allegedly struck by Matthew Murphy. Murphy was driving an ICE vehicle at the time.
The Stodolas filed a federal personal injury lawsuit on January 2nd against the city of Bellingham, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and Murphy. The Stodolas’ lawsuit states that their son has suffered emotional distress, humiliation, mental anguish, physical and mental pain, and a decrease in his ability to enjoy life. The lawsuit alleges that city employees knew the rapid flash beacon system at this crosswalk was not working, and that the city did not provide signage to warn people that it was not functioning properly. The lawsuit further accuses Murphy of failing to have his vehicle under control, failing to keep a lookout for people using the crosswalk, and failing to yield the right of way to people who were using the crosswalk.
STORY: WA AG sues to block Kroger, Albertsons merger
Washington state has filed a lawsuit seeking to block the proposed $25 billion dollar merger between Kroger and Albertsons.
The state argues that the deal would harm consumers and raise prices, as the two retailers account for over half of all grocery sales in Washington. Albertsons currently owns Haggen and Safeway, and Kroger owns Fred Meyer and QFC. Attorney General Bob Ferguson, who is running for governor, claims that the merger would severely limit competition, leading to higher prices, lower quality, and less variety in local markets.
The Federal Trade Commission is also considering legal action, and California is reportedly contemplating a similar lawsuit. In a statement released on Thursday, Kroger contends that the merger would result in lower prices, more choices for consumers, and a strong unionized workforce.
The lawsuit against the merger was endorsed by United Food & Commercial Workers, Local 3000, which represents Kroger and Albertsons employees in Washington, northeast Oregon and northern Idaho.
STORY: Biden announces plan to cancel some student loan balances under $12,000
On Friday, President Biden announced that students with federal student loans under $12,000 who have been repaying for 10 years will get the remaining balance canceled.
The cancellation of debt is contingent on enrollment in the administration’s new repayment plan, called Saving on a Valuable Education Plan, or SAVE. The announcement of this plan came hours after the Supreme Court struck down the Biden administration’s attempt to cancel up to $10,000 in debt for everyone across the board. The SAVE plan allows borrowers with income under 30k a year to pay zero dollars in repayment. The maximum income level is increased for those with larger families. So far, 6.9 million borrowers have enrolled in SAVE, and of them, 3.9 million have a $0 dollar monthly payment.
The cancellation of up to $12,000 will begin next month and is automatic for those enrolled in SAVE. According to the White House, the decision will affect 133,500 borrowers in Washington. Enrolment is available online at StudentAid.gov.
WX: Snow, Wind Advisories
There is a Winter Storm Warning in effect tonight at 10 pm, covering the lowlands of western Whatcom County. Heavy mixed precipitation is expected, with 2 to 5 inches of snow and a tenth of an inch of ice. The warning advises to keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in your vehicle if you need to travel.
Today will be mostly cloudy, with a high near 39 degrees and light winds. Rain and snow will come later tonight before 11 pm with a low of 33, and wind chill values between 25 and 30 degrees. Precipitation will continue overnight, ending before 10 am. Tomorrow will be even colder. Bundle up and stay warm!
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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