Man pleads guilty to 2021 shooting death at Bellingham homeless encampment, Registration open, tickets on sale for April Brew’s Day fundraising event in Bellingham, Registration open, tickets on sale for April Brew’s Day fundraising event in Bellingham, Water Advisory Board gains new leadership, Whatcom County farm program focused on bridging gaps in food access plans to shut down, ‘Semi-incoherent’ Skagit County decision grants approval for controversial gravel mine, WA Senate passes bill that would ban hogtying by police
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KMRE brings you local news for Wednesday, February 7th . Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: Man pleads guilty to 2021 shooting death at Bellingham homeless encampment
A new plea deal has been reached for a man who was charged for fatally shooting 27-year-old Scott Dobson in September of 2021.
Travis William Hamilton, 40, was previously charged with one count of second-degree murder after shooting Dobson at a Bellingham homeless encampment. However the charges were recently changed as part of a plea deal between prosecution and defense.
On January 25th, Hamilton pleaded guilty in Whatcom County Superior Court to one count of second-degree manslaughter. The prosecuting attorney is expected to recommend Hamilton be sentenced to six years and three months in prison, with 1 and a half years on probation.
His sentencing hearing is set for February 12th.
STORY: Registration open, tickets on sale for April Brew’s Day fundraising event in Bellingham
Tickets for this year’s April Brew’s Day are now on sale.
Proceeds from this year’s event, which is taking place on April 27th, will go to support the Max Higbee Center, an organization that provides recreational programs for disabled youth and adults.
Breweries interested in participating this year are encouraged to sign up soon as space is limited. Over 70 local and regional breweries participated in last year’s event, with over 140 different beers and ciders being served.
More information on tickets for this year’s event can be found at AprilBrewsDay.org.
STORY: Water Advisory Board gains new leadership
Bellingham City Council has unanimously approved the seating of a new board to oversee local water issues.
The Water Resources Advisory Board, proposed by Mayor Kim Lund, will take the place of the Water Advisory Board (WAB), a group focused primarily on Lake Whatcom. The new Board will oversee water sourcing, preservation and prevention, environmental advocacy and some utility systems. The appointees are: Fiona McNair, Francesca White, Rick Eggerth, John Peppel (PEP-ull), Martin Kjelstad (CHELL-staad), Kirsten McDade, Benjamin Cairns, Bret Beaupain (BO-pan) and Laura Weiss (WHYS). The appointees come from a variety of professions, including Biotechnology, Civil Engineering, and environmental conservation.
The Water Resources Advisory Board will meet six times a year with a one-year term planned.
STORY: Whatcom County farm program focused on bridging gaps in food access plans to shut down
A program designed to support beginner farmers by providing affordable land, equipment, and market connections is shutting down.
Operating under Sustainable Connections, the Incubator Farm Program says insufficient staffing and funding is forcing them to terminate the program. As a part of Cloud Mountain Farm Center, the program currently supports four farms on Lawrence Road. According to recent reporting by the Bellingham Herald, the decision has left the four farmers stressed about relocation and the impact on food access in the county. The closure also impacts the Foothills Food Bank, which relies on produce from the program. Savannah Flynn, owner of Flynn Farms, expressed worries about the closure limiting opportunities for diverse farmers as well as its negative effects on food security.
Despite the closure, Flynn hopes to start a fundraiser for a new Incubator Farm Program and find alternate farmland. Sustainable Connections says it plans to sell the land on Lawrence Road but says it would like to support future partners who can continue the program’s mission. Proceeds from the sale will fund other farmer-support activities provided by Sustainable Connections.
Three out of the four farm incubator businesses operating on the Lawrence Road property say they will continue farming for the 2024 season.
STORY: ‘Semi-incoherent’ Skagit County decision grants approval for controversial gravel mine
Skagit County has approved the controversial Grip Road Gravel Mine project without any conditions, despite criticism and legal disputes surrounding the decision-making process.
Now-former Skagit County hearing examiner, Andrew Reeves, issued a two-page ‘notice of decision’ that approved the applicant’s wishes and cited legal pressure as a reason for the delayed decision.
The approval sparked outrage from opponents, including the Central Samish Valley Neighbors, who view Reeves’ decision as invalid as it does not address key concerns such as road safety, truck traffic, and environmental impacts, despite hours of public testimony highlighting these concerns. The decision will allow the proposed gravel mine to go forward without further restrictions.
Central Samish Valley Neighbors plans to appeal the decision.
STORY: BNSF Railway responsible for Tunnel 5 fire, damage, lawsuit alleges
A new lawsuit filed against Burlington Northern Railway alleges that they are responsible for the fire that burned over 500 acres in the Columbia River Gorge last year.
The lawsuit, filed in Skamania (skuh-MAY-nee-uh) County court, alleges that the Tunnel 5 fire started as a result of sparks, hot debris, particles, emissions and other materials from a passing BNSF Railway train that ignited nearby vegetation. The suit alleges the railway company knew the risks of operating a debris-prone 46-year-old locomotive amid high fire danger. The lawsuit cites a Department of Natural Resources report that identified brake debris and carbon emission particles found from that same train as being the cause of the fire.
The Tunnel 5 fire burned for over a week, and destroyed 10 homes and nearly 550 acres.
STORY: WA Senate passes bill that would ban hogtying by police
A bill that would ban hogtying by police has passed the State Senate.
Senate Bill 6009 was passed unanimously on Tuesday, and now moves onto the House for consideration. The bill would ban the practice of hogtying and classify it as ‘excessive force’.
The legislation was spurred on by the March 2020 death of 33-year-old Manuel Ellis, who had been hogtied and told police several times that he couldn’t breathe. Ellis was also punched, shocked with a Taser, placed in a neck hold, fitted with a nylon spit hood over his face, and knelt and sat on by officers. The Pierce County medical examiner ruled Ellis’ death a homicide caused by oxygen deprivation due to physical restraint. The three police officers charged in Ellis’ death were acquitted by a Pierce County jury in December. The Tacoma Police Department had no policies on hogtying at the time – after Ellis’s death, the department’s collective bargaining agreement with the city was revised to prohibit hogtying.
Senate Republicans and Democrats alike agreed that the ban would not affect the ability of law enforcement to do their job, and would eliminate an outdated, dehumanizing technique.
The bill now awaits the House’s consideration.
WX: Rain
Today will be partly sunny with a high of 48 degrees. Expect rain late in the night, as temperatures drop to a low of 36. The rain will continue on into tomorrow, with temperatures remaining steady.
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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