Bellingham mayor announces drug crackdown, additional services for city center, Arrest made after paramedic was reportedly threatened for treating patient in Bellingham alleyway, Arrest made after paramedic was reportedly threatened for treating patient in Bellingham alleyway, Lummi Island Ferry planned out-of-service March 7, Cordata Park expansion to open end of February, Largest proposed wind farm in WA slashed in half, firefighting issues are part of the problem, A proposed bottle-deposit bill in Washington would help the environment — and low-income communities, WSP refers 7 additional people on charges for blocking I-5
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KMRE brings you local news for Wednesday, February 21st. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: Bellingham mayor announces drug crackdown, additional services for city center
Yesterday, Bellingham Mayor Kim Lund announced an executive order aimed at addressing the fentanyl crisis and enhancing public safety in the downtown area.
The initiative comes in response to a significant surge in overdoses, with the number of 911 calls reporting overdoses doubling in January compared to the previous year. The order includes increasing police patrols downtown, establishing a first-responder office near the Commercial Street Parking Garage to respond to overdose calls, and taking aggressive action against drug dealers in partnership with law enforcement agencies. The executive order also focuses on providing more treatment opportunities and education about substance use disorder.
Lund says she also plans to form a work group to explore long-term solutions for downtown revitalization beyond addressing the fentanyl crisis.
STORY: Arrest made after paramedic was reportedly threatened for treating patient in Bellingham alleyway
A Bellingham man was arrested last Saturday for threatening to kill a paramedic.
The paramedic was tending to a patient in an alleyway off Holly Street when 28-year-old Cody Scott Padgett threatened to kill him and chased him away. The paramedic flagged down a nearby patrol officer, who located and arrested Padgett on suspicion of felony harassment and intimidation of a public servant. Padgett remains in custody at Whatcom County Jail as of today, with bail set at $15,000.
The patient was taken to St. Joseph Medical Center after the incident.
STORY: Lummi Island Ferry planned out-of-service March 7
The Lummi Island Ferry will be out of service on March 7th between 12:30 and 2pm. The one and a half hour service break will allow shipyard planners to prepare for upcoming repairs to the Whatcom Chief. Travelers between Lummi Island and Gooseberry Point are advised to plan for delays.
STORY: Cordata Park expansion to open end of February
A new $4.9 million dollar expansion of Cordata Park is scheduled to be complete by the end of this month.
The City of Bellingham purchased the park’s 25-acre lot in 2015. It initially opened in the fall of 2020 and was the first park in the north end of the city.
Construction for the expansion began last May, with plans for a picnic area, pickleball courts, a basketball court, and a stage to host local events. Plans also include a pavilion which will be used by the Cordata neighborhood association for their monthly meetings. Additionally, community members will be able to rent it for their own use.
As this next phase opens to the public, the City warns that landscaping will be a work in progress while grass is still being established.
STORY: Presidential Primary ballots coming to Whatcom residents
Ballots for Washington state’s presidential primary election are being mailed today.
For the primary, voters must select a party affiliation for this primary, but it won’t affect future elections. Democratic candidates listed on the ballot include President Joe Biden, Dean Phillips, and Marianne Williamson. Republican choices include former President Donald Trump, Nikki Haley, Ron DeSantis, Chris Christie, and Vivek (vi-VAKE) Ramaswamy even though Trump and Haley are the only ones officially still in the race.
Voter pamphlets providing candidate information have been mailed out, and an accessible voting unit is available for those needing assistance. Ballots must be returned or postmarked by 8:00 p.m. on March 12th, preferably through official ballot drop boxes for timely receipt.
STORY: 42nd District Town Hall airs on KMRE
Elected officials from the 42nd Legislative District held a town hall meeting last Saturday.
COVID kept Representative Joe Timmons and Senator Sharon Shewmake (SHOE-make) at home, however Representative Alicia (uh-LEE-shuh) Rule was in attendance and answered all the questions asked by constituents. If you were unable to attend, KMRE will air the event in its entirety this Friday at noon. Or you can also listen on-demand at kmre.org.
STORY: Largest proposed wind farm in WA slashed in half, firefighting issues are part of the problem
A proposal to create the largest wind farm in Washington has been cut in half due to wildlife protection concerns.
The original plan included construction of 244 wind turbines across 24 miles of the Horse Heaven Hills ridgeline. The turbines range from 500 to over 650 feet, making them taller than the Space Needle. With wind turbines killing hundreds of thousands of birds every year, environmentalists objected, saying that the proposed construction would impact the habitat of the endangered ferruginous (fur-ROO-jin-us) hawk. Because of this, the council that licenses and permits energy sites in Washington is considering removing more than half of the proposed turbines. The remaining turbines would be considered far enough from historical ferruginous hawk nest sites.
The potential cuts underscore the difficulties developers face in finding the right location for the kinds of massive renewable energy projects Washington needs to wean its grid off fossil fuels and to meet the ever-increasing demand for the power. Even if halved, the farm would become the second largest in Washington.
The council is expected to vote to finalize the decision in the coming days or weeks. Recommendations will then move on to Governor Inslee.
WX: Rain
Your Whatcom County weather today– expect rain throughout the day with a high near 53 degrees, and moderate winds. Tonight will bring faster winds and a low of around 42. Tomorrow— expect more rain in the morning, with the sun coming out in the afternoon.
OUTRO:
Today’s newscast was produced by volunteers AnThu Nguyen (ANNE-two new-WIN), Carlos Braga, Connor O’Boyle, Jayne Kuhlman 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: A proposed bottle-deposit bill in Washington would help the environment — and low-income communities
The Washington legislature is considering a bill to create a bottle-deposit system.
Washington is the 11th state to consider a bottle bill. House Bill 2144 would not only create a bottle-deposit system, but would also pay a premium for bottles returned by nonprofits that support very low-income individuals who rely on this source of funds. This acknowledges an inherent inequality in this part of the recycling system. The proposed legislation would place a 10-cent deposit on nearly all plastic, metal or glass bottles sized from 4 ounces to a gallon. It would also build in a review process to ensure that collection sites are accessible and convenient across the state.
According to a report from Eunomia Research, among the 10 states with active bottle bills, nine boast the highest recycling rates in the country, recovering roughly 40% to 65% of all recyclable materials produced. According to one of the only quantitative studies on the topic, conducted in Santa Barbara, California in 2011, fewer than 50% of bottles are returned by the household that purchased them. For the low-income households that collect them, though, this can add up to $2,800 dollars of additional income per year. The bill seeks to acknowledge the informal workforce and their contributions.
The bill has just been declared dead in the house.
STORY: WSP refers 7 additional people on charges for blocking I-5
The Washington State Patrol has referred charges for 7 additional protestors involved in blocking I-5 earlier in January, bringing the total to 12.
The protest, which took place on January 6th to denounce the violence in Gaza, shut down I-5 with a blockade of cars and people. No arrests were made at the time as the State Patrol said it was caught off guard by the scale and tactics of the protest. According to Chris Loftis, a State Patrol spokesperson, the most likely charges will be disorderly conduct, which is a misdemeanor.
The decision on whether to charge protesters will be made by King County prosecutors, after they review documentation and recommendations from the State Patrol.
