Students protest on Old Main lawn, Bellingham man pleads guilty to vehicular homicide, sentenced to 6.5 years in prison, Birch Bay Waterslides to undergo refurbishment, remain closed for 2024 season; Man who was severely injured at Birch Bay Waterslides last summer sues park’s owners, Samish Park closes until summer of 2025, AltaGas outlines plans for ‘green’ hydrogen plant at former Intalco site near Ferndale, 37 protesters who closed roads near Sea-Tac Airport plead not guilty, Social Security expands rental subsidy, Whatcom County makes code changes following lawsuit over ferry rate increase
______________________________
Independent, nonprofit community radio.
KMRE brings you local news for Tuesday, May 14th. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: Students protest on Old Main lawn
A group of students protesting the humanitarian crisis in Gaza have set up an encampment on the lawn of Old Main at Western Washington University.
As of this morning, 60 individuals in 20 tents set up camp on the lawn of Old Main. In a letter to the University community, WWU President Sabah Randhawa acknowledged the gravity of the situation and announced that classes and services will operate as scheduled. He also said that the university upholds the importance of peaceful protests and demonstrations that comply with university policies.
The university says a response team has been formed to facilitate constructive dialogue, minimize disruption to campus operations, and maintain a safe environment.
Randhawa’s letter also says the university strongly opposes discrimination of any kind, including antisemitism or Islamophobia, and will not tolerate harassing behavior, violence, or property destruction.
Organizing students for the protest declined to be interviewed or comment.
STORY: Bellingham man pleads guilty to vehicular homicide, sentenced to 6.5 years in prison
A Bellingham man has pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide in connection with an accident that left one pedestrian dead on Lakeway Drive.
Jacob Matthew Saville was sentenced to a felony charge of vehicular homicide while under the influence on May 7th. According to Whatcom County Superior Court documents, Saville had no prior convictions. He is sentenced to 6-and-a-half years in prison, will be required to make restitution of more than $24,000 to the City of Bellingham, and will remain in community custody for 18 months after being released from prison.
STORY, STORY: Birch Bay Waterslides to undergo refurbishment, remain closed for 2024 season; Man who was severely injured at Birch Bay Waterslides last summer sues park’s owners
The Birch Bay Waterslides will remain closed until next year.
Changes are coming in response to the park shutting down during last year’s season, after a man was injured when his legs went through the side of the Hairpin slide. The man, 43-year-old Larry Baker, filed a civil tort lawsuit in Whatcom County Superior Court against park management. The incident caused severe lacerations in both of Baker’s legs, and according to the lawsuit, has left him with a permanent injury.
In an interview with The Northern Light about the upgrades that are needed at the facility, water park manager Iain (EE-un) Buchanan stated that quote “it became too difficult, if not impossible, to get everything done in a timely manner and it’s not something we wanted to rush” end quote. Buchanan added that park management are looking to fully refurbish the park, and that season ticket holders will be notified about refunds by email soon.
STORY: Samish Park closes until summer of 2025
A restoration project has closed Samish Park until the summer of 2025.
An inspection of the Samish bridge found increased rot in the wood of its superstructure which made it dangerous for heavy traffic like first responders and school buses. The fishing dock and lakeside trail near the park are still accessible by following the service road and accessing the fishing bridge from the west.
The replacement project is scheduled to begin on May 28th.
STORY: AltaGas outlines plans for ‘green’ hydrogen plant at former Intalco site near Ferndale
AltaGas Ltd., a Canadian energy company, unveiled plans for a green hydrogen manufacturing and storage facility at the former Intalco aluminum smelter site in the Cherry Point industrial area near Ferndale.
AltaGas says the project, estimated to cost between $850- to- $1 billion dollars, will create hundreds of jobs during construction and employ around 30 to 40 workers once operational. Andrea Doyle, Altagas’ manager, detailed the project at a Bellingham Regional Chamber Commerce meeting last week, highlighting its reliance on federal funding, local political support, and public opinion.
When complete, the facility aims to produce 100 metric tons of hydrogen using wind and solar power, potentially replacing 100,000 gallons of diesel fuel and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 400,000 tons.
Whatcom County Executive Satpal Sidhu welcomed the new proposal, and says he sees it as an opportunity for clean energy innovation and economic revitalization.
STORY: 37 protesters who closed roads near Sea-Tac Airport plead not guilty
Over three dozen people accused of blocking traffic at Sea-Tac Airport in April pleaded ‘not guilty’ to charges of disorderly conduct and failure to disperse.
Protesters blocked traffic into the airport for 3 hours, protesting Alaska Airlines’ partnership with Boeing, which supplies planes and other military equipment to the Israel Defense Forces. SeaTac Municipal Court Judge Pauline Freund (FROIND) released the 37 people arraigned Monday on the conditions that they not break the law, not return to the airport without a valid travel purpose, and appear at their pretrial hearings June 11. Outside the SeaTac City Hall after the arraignment, several people declined to speak about their cases except to say, “Free Palestine.”
The protesters are being charged with disorderly conduct and failure to disperse.
STORY: Social Security expands rental subsidy
The Social Security Administration announced they will expand the rental subsidy policy for those on Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
SSI provides monthly payments to individuals with disabilities, blindness, or those aged 65 and older with limited income and resources to cover basic needs like rent, food, and medicine. The department says the rule aims to simplify and broaden rental subsidy policies nationwide, improve program equality and reduce administrative burden. The expanded policy will apply nationwide starting September 30th, and will potentially increase payment amounts and eligibility for many.
For more details on SSI eligibility and applications, visit the SSA website.
WX: Sunny
Your Whatcom County weather today – Expect sun and light winds all day, with a high of 66 degrees. Skies will be clear as temperatures will drop to a low of 49 tonight. Tomorrow’s weather is expected to bring much of the same.
OUTRO:
Today’s newscast was produced by volunteers AnThu Nguyen (ANNE-two new-WIN), Carlos Braga, Connor O’Boyle, Jayne Kuhlman, and Kye Salinas (KEY suh-LEE-nus). 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. Check out our Patreon page or go to kmre.org and click on the banner. I’m ________________, and thanks for listening.
##
STORY: Whatcom County makes code changes following lawsuit over ferry rate increase
Whatcom County Council has adopted changes to the county code to allow increases to the Lummi Island ferry ticket costs.
Last month, a private citizen filed a complaint in Whatcom County Superior Court claiming a proposed fare increase violated the current code. It noted that, according to ordinance, ferry rates are supposed to be set at levels that covered operating expenses, and asserted that the County, by including expansion and construction costs, violated that rule.
A week after the complaint, in a 7-1 vote, the Whatcom County Council adopted changes in the Code that updated and modified the language associated with fare increases to allow the proposed fare increase to move forward. Last week, in an official response, the County pointed out that while the complaint cites correct language in the Code at the time of the filing, because the language is now different the complaint is not valid.
The complaint remains active in the court and a preliminary injunction hearing is scheduled for May 22nd.
The rate for a single roundtrip increased by $1 and the cost for 10 multi-ride tickets rose $10. The new rates become effective June 1st.
