Motorists warned about 1-month intersection closure starting July 8th, Peaceful arrest results from three-hour standoff, Man arrested in connection with alleged hate crime at Cornwall Park, Whatcom County receives EPA grant to fight food insecurity, Whatcom County receives EPA grant to fight food insecurity, Former co-founder and president of Bellingham nonprofit HomesNOW! pleads guilty to first-degree theft, New Italian and Greek restaurant soft opens in Granary Building, WA officials weigh in on Supreme Court ruling allowing criminalization of homeless people sleeping outdoors
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KMRE brings you local news for Monday, July 1st. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: Motorists warned about 1-month intersection closure starting July 8th
Whatcom County Public Works is warning motorists that the intersection of E Smith and Hannegan Roads will be closed to traffic starting next week. Construction of a multi-lane roundabout will continue after the holiday weekend and motorists should expect full traffic closures between July 8th and August 7th.
STORY: Peaceful arrest results from three-hour standoff
An Everson man was arrested Friday after a three-hour standoff with Bellingham police.
The suspect, Richard John Folden, reportedly violated a no-contact order and attempted to break into a Bellingham woman’s home. Shortly before police arrived Folden barricaded himself in a nearby trailer, brandishing what appeared to be a rifle. Police closed 30th Street from Connolly Avenue to South Ave and K-9 units were deployed to the scene. It was later found that the weapon was a “very realistic looking airsoft gun.” Folden eventually surrendered peacefully.
He was taken to a hospital for additional treatment of self-inflicted cuts to his arms, before being booked into Whatcom County Jail on suspicion of attempted residential burglary-domestic violence, violation of a no-contact order, third-degree malicious mischief, and intimidating a public servant.
STORY: Man arrested in connection with alleged hate crime at Cornwall Park
A Bellingham man was assaulted in a possible hate crime at Cornwall Park on Saturday afternoon.
The victim reported he was near the playground when he noticed the suspect, 51-year-old Timothy Franklin, staring at him. Franklin approached the victim, used a racial slur and asked what he was looking at. Franklin then repeatedly punched the victim in the face and pulled out a screwdriver which he used to further assault him.
Franklin, who is black, used racially charged language throughout the attack then fled. The victim followed him as he called the police, and Franklin was arrested. The victim was taken to Peacehealth St. Joseph Medical Center to treat his injuries.
STORY: Whatcom County receives EPA grant to fight food insecurity
The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded over $27,000 to Whatcom County Health and Community Services and their partners to build and operate a community fridge in Kendall.
The community fridge, called the “freedge”, provides free nutritious food from local restaurants, farms and businesses. The goal is to prevent excess food from going to the landfill and feed those in need. According to a recent announcement, local business organization Sustainable Connections currently operates a freedge at the RE Store in Bellingham and also supports a free food pantry at the Upper Skagit Library in Concrete. County Health and Community Services reports that food insecurity in the Kendall area has spiked over the past five years. The freedge, set to be built at the North Fork Library, will be available to anyone and organizers say it will be restocked several times a week by Sustainable Connections volunteers.
To learn more about the program, including how to volunteer or donate food, visit sustainableconnections.org/freedge.
STORY: Former co-founder and president of Bellingham nonprofit HomesNOW! pleads guilty to first-degree theft
James Lee Peterson, 67, co-founder and former president of the Bellingham nonprofit HomesNOW!, has pleaded guilty to embezzling nearly $50,000 from the organization.
Peterson was sentenced to 60 days in jail, which he can serve on work release or work crew. He must also pay $47,000 in restitution, with payments starting at $40 per month. Peterson embezzled over $75,000 from the nonprofit between 2017 and 2019, spending much of it at local casinos and businesses. His arrest in November 2019 followed a month-long investigation, and the case was delayed multiple times due to forensic accounting issues and COVID-19.
HomesNOW!, which operates tiny home communities for the unhoused in Bellingham, discovered the financial crimes during an internal investigation into allegations of Peterson’s sexual harassment and inappropriate conduct. The nonprofit has since implemented stricter financial oversight policies. Despite the setback, HomesNOW! continues to operate two tiny home villages and plans to relocate them to a new site, North Haven, later this year.
The organization says it maintains a 52% success rate in transitioning residents to permanent housing and remains committed to ending homelessness in Whatcom County.
STORY: New Italian and Greek restaurant soft opens in Granary Building
Mercato delle Bonta, an Italian phrase that means “market of goodness”, is a new Italian Cafe and Deli that opened yesterday in the Granary Building.
Launched by husband and wife chefs Francesco (fran-CHESK-o) Di Vito and Julia Tzortzatos (tsor-TZAH-tose) who competed on Food Network’s “Cutthroat Kitchen” together in 2017, the restaurant serves a variety of foods that reflect the duo’s Italian, Greek, and New York City roots. A sit-down restaurant and event space is still under construction next to the deli and is planned to open in September or October.
STORY: WA officials weigh in on Supreme Court ruling allowing criminalization of homeless people sleeping outdoors
A Supreme Court decision on Friday will now permit cities and counties to ban sleeping outdoors in public spaces, and has prompted fears of increased homelessness in Washington.
The ruling challenges a 2018 9th Circuit Court decision which barred punishment for camping if no emergency shelter is available. The recent case, Grants Pass v. Johnson, involved an Oregon city law prohibiting public sleeping due to insufficient shelter capacity.
Several Washington cities have now paused ordinances requiring homeless individuals to accept distant housing pending this ruling. Legislators like Rep. Strom Peterson of Edmonds and Sen. Patty Kuderer (KOO-der-rer) of Bellevue criticized the decision, and advocate instead for affordable housing and rent control measures. Conversely, Rep. Andrew Barkis of Olympia says the ruling restores essential tools for cities to manage homelessness, suggesting a focus on detox programs and mental health services rather than increased funding for homeless programs.
Since 2013, Washington has allocated $5 billion to address housing and homelessness, but challenges persist as Washington residents continue to fall into homelessness.
WX: Sun
And now for your Whatcom County weather:
Today is expected to be partly cloudy, with a high around 70 degrees and humidity sitting at around 75%. Overnight, expect clear to partly-cloudy skies with a low of 50 degrees. Expect cloudy skies early tomorrow, turning to partly cloudy in the afternoon with a high of 66.
OUTRO:
Today’s newscast was produced by volunteers Carlos Braga, Connor O’Boyle, Jayne Kuhlman, Carlee Schram (CAR-lee SHR-am), Kyler Cantrell, and Anna Vickers. 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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