Bellis Fair Macy’s ends boycott as union wins a contract promising better pay and safety, Crash blocks all northbound I-5 lanes in Ferndale, Crash blocks all northbound I-5 lanes in Ferndale, Bellingham voters likely to consider changing the length of term of City Council seat, Suspected fentanyl overdoses leave two dead in Lummi Nation, Ferndale Food Bank receives $10K from T-Mobile, First known outbreak of deadly fungus C. auris confirmed in WA, Bill would provide alternatives to defendants with mental health crises, The Federal Trade Commission is sending letters to funeral homes in Washington and across the country warning against illegal business practices
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STORY: Bellis Fair Macy’s ends boycott as union wins a contract promising better pay and safety
The employee-led boycott at the Bellis Fair Macy’s is over.
Over 400 employees in the Washington state’s Macy’s union voted in favor of the largest ratification bonus for Macy’s workers in the United States. Bellingham employees had been clashing with the chain since November, when they went on strike during Black Friday. A news release by the local union stated that the move came in response to Macy’s quote “not doing enough to address shoplifting, violent shoppers, and other safety threats to workers and customers,” as well as employee wages that didn’t match the cost of living.
The new contract includes a 20% ratification bonus for employees, increased safety conditions, and flex paid time off on MLK Day.
STORY: Crash blocks all northbound I-5 lanes in Ferndale
A massive crash blocked all northbound I-5 lanes in Ferndale yesterday.
First responders were dispatched to the scene of a seven-vehicle crash around 5:30 p.m. As a result of the crash, northbound lanes of I-5 south of the Portal Way interchange were closed. By 6pm, the closure had resulted in a three-mile traffic jam all the way back to the Slater Road interchange.
All lanes reopened to traffic by 6:45 p.m.
STORY: Bellingham voters likely to consider changing the length of term of City Council seat
On Monday, Bellingham City Council members took the first step in changing the council at-large seat to a four year term.
The City Council has seven council members, and the At-large position is the only one that lasts two years instead of four. The six regular positions put members in charge of specific areas of the city, called ‘wards’, while the At-large position is elected to represent the whole city.
Councilmembers voted 6-0-1 for city administration to write an ordinance that may eventually be submitted to voters. The recently elected at-large Councilman Jace Cotton abstained.
The measure will likely be prepared for the upcoming November election.
STORY: Suspected fentanyl overdoses leave two dead in Lummi Nation
Two more people have died in Lummi Nation due to the ongoing fentanyl crisis.
The Lummi Tribal Health Center released an emergency alert Monday reporting that two people died last week, likely from fentanyl overdoses. The alert urged people to carry naloxone at all times, learn how to respond to overdoses, and reach out to those suffering from addiction.
The Whatcom County Council adopted two resolutions earlier this month, urging both Governor Inslee and President Biden to declare emergencies for the ongoing opioid and fentanyl crisis. Lummi Nation declared an emergency earlier in September after a new batch of fentanyl led to a string of four deaths in one week.
More than 200 American Indian and Alaska Native people died from synthetic opioid overdoses from 2018 to 2022 in Washington state.
STORY: Ferndale Food Bank receives $10K from T-Mobile
T-Mobile has awarded $10,000 to the Ferndale Food Bank.
The award is one of five grants that acknowledge outstanding community service in areas where T-Mobile operates. A total of $50,000 was distributed among nonprofits in Washington and Hawaii. The Ferndale Food Bank was chosen for its efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic. Other recipients in Washington include Generating Hope and Habitat for Humanity Seattle – King & Kittitas Counties (SKKC).
STORY: First known outbreak of deadly fungus C. auris confirmed in WA
King County public health officials have confirmed the first outbreak of the deadly fungus Candida auris (CAN-did-uh ORE-is), or C. auris.
The first case was discovered in July when a patient tested positive for the fungus at Kindred Hospital in Seattle. Although no further cases were initially found, a recent infection was confirmed in another patient admitted to Kindred, leading to three more cases a week later.
C. auris is a multidrug-resistant fungus that spreads rapidly and poses a serious public health threat. Health officials find it particularly concerning because it’s resistant to common antifungal medications and can spread without symptoms, making early detection crucial.
Officials say the fungus is more dangerous for patients in long-term acute care facilities, which show a significant mortality rate for invasive infections. Public health officials are collaborating with Kindred to limit the spread, however the source of the infection remains unknown.
STORY: Bill would provide alternatives to defendants with mental health crises
A proposed bill would let judges send defendants accused of some lower-level crimes to jail alternatives, such as mental health or substance use treatment.
House Bill 1994, sponsored by Representative Darya Farivar from Seattle, would allow judges to set conditions, like getting treatment, and to eventually dismiss a case if a defendant complies “substantially” with those conditions. Farivar says the bill aims to address the root causes of the Trueblood lawsuit, which challenged the state’s failure to quickly provide mental competency evaluation and restoration, or treatment, services to defendants.
Although the lawsuit has been settled, compliance is still being monitored. In July, a judge fined the state $100 million dollars for violating the due process rights of defendants. The bill hopes to address the underlying mental health issues of offenders, and thus decrease recidivism which would reduce the amount of time and money the state spends on competency services.
Opponents of the bill say that it subverts the separation of powers between the state’s executive and judicial branches and harms public safety. Seattle City Attorney Ann Davison says that the bill undermines the criminal justice system by allowing judges to dismiss charges.
The bill is currently being reviewed by the House Rules Committee.
WX: Rain, Landslide warning
Due to recent rainfall, the National Weather Service has put out a Special Weather Statement, warning of an increased threat of landslides. The warning covers Western Whatcom County as well as many other coastal regions.
There is a 80 percent chance of rain today, with a high of 57 degrees and moderate winds. More rain will come later tonight, with lows of around 49. Rain is expected to continue overnight into 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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STORY:
The Federal Trade Commission is sending letters to funeral homes in Washington and across the country warning against illegal business practices.
In a recent release, the FTC announced that Mountain View Funeral Home and Crematory did not provide accurate information during undercover calls in February and August 2023. The funeral home gave materially different prices for the same goods and services on each call, violating the federal Funeral Rule.
A federal rule in effect since 1984 mandates the disclosure of itemized price information for general funeral services, including caskets and burial containers, and prohibits unauthorized fees, and the misrepresentations of legal requirements or ‘required’ purchases.
Although FTC staff does not currently plan formal legal action, Mountain View Funeral Home and Crematory has been advised to take immediate action to ensure accurate information is provided over the phone about prices and offerings.
