Nooksack Levy barely in favor by 7 votes, Blaine man booked attempted murder, State Charges Maple Valley women with serial shoplifting, Downtown Library starts phase two of upgrades, Rock climber rescued from Larrabee Cliffs, New state revenue report, Budget request for childcare during non-traditional hours
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Nooksack levy barely in favor by 7 votes, Blaine man booked on attempted murder, Blaine man booked on attempted murder
State charges Maple Valley women with serial shoplifting, Downtown library starts phase two of upgrades, Rock climber rescued from Larrabee cliffs
Independent, nonprofit community radio.
KMRE brings you local news for Friday, February 16. Good afternoon, I’m __David Korb____.
STORY: Nooksack levy barely in favor by 7 votes
With all valid votes counted, the Nooksack Valley School District levy has passed by just a 48-vote margin.
Overall, Whatcom County saw a ballot return of just over 38%, surpassing the statewide average of 33.6%. Across the state, Columbia County led in turnout with approximately 52% of registered voters returning ballots.
The final vote is set to be certified on February 23rd at 10AM.
STORY: Blaine man booked on attempted murder
A Blaine man was arrested on Wednesday in connection with an attempted murder.
An affidavit from the County Sheriff’s Office states that the man in question, Lane Scott Phipps, was involved in an altercation with an Aldrich Road resident in June of 2022. Surveillance video reportedly showed Phipps stopping in the victim’s driveway and shooting them before leaving. A .45 caliber shell casing was found at the scene.
Phipps has a lengthy criminal history, including convictions for assault, burglary, unlawful possession of a firearm, and possession of stolen property. He faces multiple felony charges in Snohomish County due to a first-degree kidnapping incident that happened a month after the Aldrich Road shooting.
Phipps is currently awaiting trial in Whatcom County Jail, facing the latest attempted murder charge, as well as previous charges of unlawful possession of a firearm and possession of a stolen vehicle.
STORY: State charges Maple Valley women with serial shoplifting
A Maple Valley woman was charged with serial shoplifting due to a string of organized retail thefts in Western Washington.
Shellonda Keychell (kee-SHELL) Daniel, aged 26, was charged with 2 felony counts of first degree organized retail theft.
The charges stem from thefts in 28 Ulta stores in across Western Washington. The thefts total around $200,000. The filed affidavit states that Daniel made verbal threats to workers, and also carried bear spray, which she used to threaten employees.
According to a recent release from the Attorney General’s office, while the thefts occurred in multiple jurisdictions, Washington state’s Organized Retail Theft statute allows the A.G. to charge them all in one county.
If convicted, Daniel faces a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $20,000 penalty on each count.
STORY: Downtown library starts phase two of upgrades
The Bellingham Public Library is preparing for its second phase of renovations to its downtown branch.
Phase 1, completed in 2021, remodeled the first floor. Phase 2 will target the ground floor meeting space, children’s library area, main floor entrance, and upper floor staff areas. Upgrades will include new HVAC units and potential enhancements for after-hours use.
The library is working with consultant architect Miller Hull Partnership– construction is slated to commence next February and conclude by early summer 2026.
STORY: Rock climber rescued from Larrabee cliffs
A rock climber was rescued from the cliffs at Larrabee State park on Tuesday after being stranded on the rock face 60 feet above the beach.
The climber called emergency services at around 5:18 in the evening, and a rescue team arrived about an hour later. The 17-20 person crew responded with technical rope rescue gear and lowered him to the beach with a harness. A fireboat was also called to the scene, but was not needed since the tide was out.
No injuries were reported.
STORY: New state revenue report
The Washington Legislature is midway through its 2024 session, with several bills progressing toward enactment while others have been shelved.
Notable bills moving forward include those addressing behavioral health, housing, police funding, and environmental concerns. Senate Bill 5906, focusing on drug overdose prevention, and Senate Bill 5804, which would distribute Narcan in public schools, have advanced. House Bill 2114, which aims to help stabilize rents, passed the House, while House Bill 1998, concerning co-living housing, is also moving forward. Efforts to boost police training funding (Senate Bill 6242) have gained unanimous Senate support. However, bills like HB 1062 on police accountability and SB 5476 regarding overtime for farm workers have faltered.
In other legislative news, a recent state forecast indicates there will be a bit more money for the legislature to work with. The state’s economy is projected to generate $67 billion for the current two-year budget cycle– a $122 million increase from the previous forecast in November. The additional revenue is expected to provide more opportunity for funding new initiatives.
House Democrats are set to release their operating budget on Monday, and Senate Democrats say they will release their capital and operating budget proposals soon. While details of spending plans are yet to be disclosed, Republican Senator Lynda Wilson urges caution in spending, especially considering potential voter initiatives to repeal taxes. Governor Jay Inslee has proposed additional spending in priority areas such as behavioral health, homelessness reduction, and climate change initiatives.
Once budget proposals are released, the lawmakers will work to reconcile differences and produce a final budget before the session concludes on March 7th.
STORY: Budget request for childcare during non-traditional hours
Child care is hard to find, especially when it’s outside of typical daytime hours. A Washington State Department of Children, Youth and Families budget request would increase incentives for facilities to provide care during non-traditional hours. Reporter Eric Tegethoff has more on this story.
WX: Sun
Your Whatcom County weather today… expect sun throughout the day with a high near 50 degrees, and an overnight low of around 34. Clouds are expected to roll in tonight, bringing overcast skies and eventual rain on Sunday. Weekend highs will be around 50, and lows will hover in the upper 30’s.
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 your 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 __David Korb______________… thanks for listening.
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