Bellis Fair Macy’s calling for boycott as strike looms over wages and worker safety, Authorities locate the body of missing Whatcom County man who went off-roading alone, Tenants want action after flooding damages Bellingham affordable housing during freeze, Bham internet access survey now open, Whatcom Waterway sediment cleanup to continue next Monday, Harsh winter weather leads to steep drop in blood donations, Prisoners would get to vote under bill backed by formerly incarcerated WA lawmaker
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STORY: Bellis Fair Macy’s calling for boycott as strike looms over wages and worker safety
Workers at the Bellingham Macy’s are calling for a boycott as a potential strike looms.
Members of Macy’s Workers United UFCW 3000 first went on strike on Black Friday last year over wages and safety protocols. Workers say that Macy’s has cut down on hiring, increasing the workload on others, and also lacks adequate security. In an email to the Bellingham Herald, Bellis Fair Macy’s employee Samatha Wilson, said that the last few offers from the company have been even worse than the previous ones.
The union authorized a new strike after Macy’s attempted, during negotiations, to further cut wages and remove MLK Jr Day as a flex day off. Alderwood Mall Macy’s, the largest in the state, has been on strike since the 15th. The union says Bellis Fair and Southcenter could follow at any moment and is calling for a boycott of all locations.
STORY: Authorities locate the body of missing Whatcom County man who went off-roading alone
Local authorities have called off the search for a missing Whatcom County man after his body was located on Saturday.
26-year-old Stefan Olivier (o-LIV-ee-ay) told friends he would be off-roading in his Subaru, and was reported missing on Friday. Olivier’s last known location was Mosquito Lake Road near the Nooksack River.
Deb Slater with the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office said Olivier’s body was found on Saturday after a passerby notified Search and Rescue units about a body in a ditch mostly covered by snow. His vehicle was found Sunday, at the bottom of a nearby embankment.
Authorities are still unsure how Olivier became separated from his vehicle.
STORY: Tenants want action after flooding damages Bellingham affordable housing during freeze
Residents of Meadowood Townhomes want action after their units were flooded by a burst pipe during the winter freeze earlier this month.
The low-income apartment complex, located in North Bellingham, is owned by Bellingham and Whatcom County Housing Authority, and managed by Indigo Real Estate. According to recent reporting by the Bellingham Herald, fire sprinklers suddenly burst on January 12th – flooding several apartments. Residents resorted to sweeping out the water themselves with brooms and say many belongings were damaged.
Residents say that building maintenance made some attempts to help, but note that they were left to handle the situation in freezing temperatures and have not been compensated for the increase in their energy bills. Tenants also say this is a recurring issue during the winter months, one that their management has yet to address.
Last September, 37 residents signed a petition to unionize because of the lack of response to issues such as improper eviction notices, vehicle towings, and delayed responses to service requests.
Bellingham/Whatcom Housing Authority and Indigo Real Estate have not yet responded to our request for comment.
STORY: Bham internet access survey now open
The City of Bellingham is currently asking residents to complete an Internet access survey as part of a broader campaign to assess community broadband resources.
All residents are encouraged to complete the survey, regardless of current Internet access or housing status. The survey takes around 10 minutes to complete, and responses will close on February 6th.
To take the survey, visit EngageBellingham.org. Paper copies are also available at the Bellingham Public Library Central branch on Central Avenue.
STORY: Whatcom Waterway sediment cleanup to continue next Monday
The Port of Bellingham is set to dredge about 22,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment at the Bellingham Shipping Terminal.
The cleanup at the Shipping Terminal site is part of the broader Bellingham Bay Demonstration Pilot, which is made up of 12 cleanup sites around the bay. Past industrial activities, including discharges from a chlor-alkali (KLOR AL-kuh-li) plant and wood waste products, led to mercury and dioxin sediment contamination. The dredging efforts are designed to address contamination, pollution sources, and habitat restoration.
Dredging is expected to occur in two phases and has been expedited due to recent federal funding.To protect juvenile salmon, dredging will occur in two phases and is set to start on Monday. Construction activities are expected to begin in 2025 and will take several years to complete.
STORY: Harsh winter weather leads to steep drop in blood donations
Due in part to the recent cold snap, Washington blood banks are warning hospitals that they are close to reaching a ‘code red’ shortage of blood donations.
A code red is declared after 3 days of ‘emergency’ blood levels. Experts state that the holidays normally slow down the rate of blood collection, but the recent winter weather led to the ‘perfect storm’ of events halting blood donations and distribution even further. The record freezing temperatures this month led to many cancellations of donation appointments and snow and ice on the road halted distribution from the Red Cross to hospitals.
As the weather warms up, the Department of Health is encouraging more people to donate. To set up an appointment, visit BloodWorksNW.org. All blood types are needed.
STORY: Prisoners would get to vote under bill backed by formerly incarcerated WA lawmaker
A legislative proposal in Washington state would allow all state prison inmates, except those convicted of crimes punishable by death, to vote and sit on juries.
Currently, Washington restores voting rights to incarcerated individuals immediately upon release. However, the state’s first formerly incarcerated legislator, Representative Tarra Simmons, says that’s not enough. House Bill 2030, introduced by Simmons, is supported by advocates who argue that voting is an inalienable right and that allowing prisoners to vote can help reduce recidivism. In a public hearing, proponents pointed to historical disenfranchisement and disparities in incarceration rates, and framed the legislation as “righting a historical wrong.”
Critics of the bill expressed concerns about violent criminals, such as serial killers, voting and serving as jurors. They, as well as the Secretary of State’s office, raised logistical and safety concerns regarding the proposal. There are around 13,000 people in Washington’s prisons, although not all of them are citizens.
If Washington enacts HB 2030, it would join only Maine, Vermont and the District of Columbia in allowing prisoners to vote. The bill is currently still in committee.
WX: Rain
The rain will continue today with a high of 49 degrees and light winds. Tonight should reach a low of 40. Expect more rain all week and faster winds tomorrow.
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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