Man arrested for kidnapping in Bellingham, WWU whistleblower awarded nearly $3M for wrongful termination, Police investigating after person found dead at Bellingham encampment, Police investigating after person found dead at Bellingham encampment, Woman pulled from the water a half-mile from Sandy Point shore, Vikings softball win first West Regional title in conference history, head to NCAA Division II Championships, Free and Cheap
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KMRE brings you local news for Friday, May 17th. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: Man arrested for kidnapping in Bellingham
A man is in custody after a kidnapping in south Bellingham earlier this week.
Bellingham Police and Washington State Patrol stopped a vehicle on Tuesday, a kidnapping victim inside managed to contact a friend who then called 911. When troopers stopped the car, they found the victim along with two other women, with the suspect driving. The victim says she was forced into the vehicle in the 100 block of Samish Way before the suspect locked the doors and drove south on I-5. The suspect reportedly told the victim he would shoot her.
State Patrol troopers found the loaded handgun in the glove compartment along with the victim’s ID card. The 25-year-old male suspect was then arrested on kidnapping and felony harassment charges.
He remains at the Whatcom County Jail on $50,000 bail.
STORY: WWU whistleblower awarded nearly $3M for wrongful termination
This week, a Whatcom County jury awarded a former auditor at Western Washington University (WWU) almost $3 million dollars in damages for wrongful termination.
Antonia Allen, who was the director of the Office of Internal Auditor, was fired in November 2019 after reporting to authorities that staff at Western’s Woodring College of Education had issued false academic credentials. This week, the jury found that Allen is considered a whistleblower under the Washington State Employee Whistleblower Protection Act and that her termination was retaliatory.
Allen’s award included over $600,000 in back pay, nearly $900,000 in front pay, and $1.5 million for emotional harm. WWU declined to comment, stating that the defense and damages would be covered by the state’s tort fund. Hired in 2017, Allen’s lawsuit focused on her investigation into classes that grant fraudulent credits for financial aid purposes, also known as “ghost courses”. Despite initial support from WWU leadership, Allen faced resistance during her investigation, particularly after a memo from Assistant Attorney General Melissa Nelson dissuaded her from reporting to federal authorities.
Allen was terminated on November 30, 2019. Western has denied the termination was retaliatory and objected to terms like “ghost courses” as vague. The case follows a similar incident where a previous audit director resigned under threat of termination and settled with Western for $216,000.
STORY: Police investigating after person found dead at Bellingham encampment
The Bellingham Police Department has opened an investigation after finding a deceased person at a Bellingham encampment.
Early morning on Wednesday, officers found a person unconscious at the encampment on West Maplewood Avenue. First responders attempted to revive the person, but they were later pronounced dead.
According to reports, nothing suspicious was found at the scene and the Whatcom County Medical Examiner will investigate the identity and cause of death.
STORY: Woman pulled from the water a half-mile from Sandy Point shore
First responders made a marine rescue on Tuesday after reports of a woman swimming far from shore and in possible distress.
According to Whatcom County Fire District 17 Fire Chief Jim Petrie, they were able to locate and rescue the swimmer about a half-mile from shore at Sandy Point. While Fire District 17 had a boat available for the rescue, it can only get out of the marina at high tide. However, the nearby Phillips 66 Ferndale Refinery keeps a boat at the ready and were able to bring the swimmer out of the water. According to reports, she was not wearing protective gear and was suffering from hypothermia.
Petrie says they do not know how long she had been in the water or where she got into the water. She was transported by ambulance to PeaceHealth Saint Joseph Medical Center.
STORY: Vikings softball win first West Regional title in conference history, head to NCAA Division II Championships
A win against Cal State Dominguez Hills on Wednesday gives the Western Washington University Lady Vikings a ticket to the NCAA Division II Softball Championships.
Freshman Maleah Andrews’ walk-off solo home run in the bottom of the eighth inning capped off a five-run rally, sending Western’s softball to a 7-6 victory over their southern rival. WWU earned its first-ever Elite Eight berth on May 15 at Viking Field. They reign as West Region Champions for the first time in program and conference history.
The Vikings had five members selected to All-West Region 2024 teams: Hailey Rath, Kaiana Kong, Emma Andrewjeski-Ramirez, Maleah Andrews,
and Alli Kimball.
NCAA DII National Championships will be played May 19th – 25th in Longwood, Florida. Go Vikings!
STORY: Free and Cheap
Looking for something to do this weekend? Here are some events happening around the county.
This weekend, Sehome High School is putting on a production of The Wind in the Willows. The musical comedy follows the misadventures of Mole, Rat, Badger, and Mr. Toad. Showings today and tomorrow begin at 7 pm, and Sunday’s performance starts at 2 pm. Tickets are 10 dollars, and are available at Sehome.BellinghamSchools.org.
On Saturday, a community work party is being held to help clean up Memorial Park in preparation for Memorial Day. Tools and equipment will be provided and all ages are welcome. Registration is available at VolunteerBellingham.org.
On Sunday, the Bellis Fair Makerspace is hosting a free repair event from 1 pm to 3:30 pm. Volunteers can help you repair small appliances, tools, toys, and other portable items. Registration is available at BellinghamMakerspace.org.
WX: Sunny
Your Whatcom County weather today – Expect a mix of clouds and sun today, and a high of 62 degrees. Rain will come in late tonight as temperatures drop to a low of 47. This weekend will have a mix of sun, clouds, and rain.
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.
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