Rollover crash sends Bellingham man to hospital, Bellingham woman pursuing no-contact order assaulted at work, Whatcom County votes to take action to improve homeless shelter capacity, WA Dept. of Health launches online platform for filing food safety complaints, Film on Lynden’s history of racial division to debut later this month
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KMRE brings you local news for Thursday, July 25th. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: Rollover crash sends Bellingham man to hospital
A Bellingham man was hospitalized after a rollover crash on Tuesday evening.
29-year-old Jose Zamora was heading northbound on I-5 near the Nulle Road (NEW-lee) interchange when his car drifted to the left and entered the median. Zamora overcorrected, and the car rolled multiple times across both lanes.
Zamora was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. The cause of the crash remains unknown, but police reports indicate drugs or alcohol were involved.
STORY: Bellingham woman pursuing no-contact order assaulted at work
Also on Tuesday, Bellingham Police subdued a man trying to assault a woman with a crowbar at her workplace.
35-year-old Jeff Enriquez broke into the woman’s office and swung a crowbar at her head. The victim was able to pull the crowbar away from Enriquez, however, he refused to allow her to leave, and when he did not respond to Police commands, he was tased.
The woman told officers that Enriquez was a former coworker who had left the company a month earlier. Since then, he had been sending her unwanted texts, phone calls and emails, as well as following her during her work rounds. The woman was in the process of applying for a court-issued no-contact order, and had already blocked him on all devices.
Enriquez was arrested on suspicion of a variety of charges, including stalking, second-degree assault, and unlawful imprisonment. He remains in custody at Whatcom County Jail.
STORY: Whatcom County votes to take action to improve homeless shelter capacity
On Tuesday, Whatcom County Council passed a resolution that directs the county executive’s office to research and propose solutions to homelessness, including the expansion of shelter capacity.
The resolution mandates the executive present a proposal for the coming winter season, that includes budget impacts, by September 30th. The requested proposal would also outline a long-term research plan for potential shelter options, evaluation of the county’s Coordinated Entry System, a 10-year roadmap to functional zero homelessness, and a training and employment program for homeless individuals.
Council member Kaylee Galloway, who co-sponsored the motion with Jon Scanlon and Barry Buchanan, emphasized the need for proactive measures on homelessness.
PLAY COUNTY COUNCIL HOMELESS SOLUTION AUDIO CLIP 3
However, Deputy Executive Kayla Schott-Bresler expressed concerns about meeting the September deadline due to existing commitments. County Executive Satpal Sidhu supported the concept but noted the current focus on budget discussions, and suggested a 2025 timeline for developing a long-term plan.
The resolution passed narrowly, 4-3, with dissenting votes from council members Mark Stremler, Ben Elenbaas, and Tyler Byrd. Elenbaas preferred focusing on treatment and rehabilitation, while Stremler expressed mixed feelings from constituents and concerns about the resolution’s scope.
The resolution evolved from its initial introduction on June 4, which focused on a low-barrier, year-round homeless shelter. Subsequent meetings with various stakeholders led to the expanded final resolution. Despite the ambitious plan, Schott-Bresler noted potential impacts on the county’s core functions and the current hiring freeze due to a budget deficit.
STORY: WA Dept. of Health launches online platform for filing food safety complaints
The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) has launched the Foodborne Illness Notification System, or FINS.
The system aims to streamline reporting of suspected food poisoning and other food safety concerns to local health departments, and improve outbreak source identification across counties.
Foodborne illness affects one in six Americans every year, with young children, elderly people, pregnant individuals, and those with compromised immune systems being most at risk. Symptoms of foodborne illness include high fever, frequent vomiting, bloody diarrhea, and dehydration. According to Alyssa Pilot, a public health advisor for the DOH’s food safety program, proper food handling can prevent these illnesses.
The FINS survey is available in English and Spanish, with more languages to be added.
STORY: Film on Lynden’s history of racial division to debut later this month
A new film that explores racial division in Lynden is premiering in Bellingham soon.
“Lynden”’s narrative follows Asma Burke, a woman who spent her early years in Ethiopia before being adopted and raised in Lynden. In July of 2020, she led a rally for racial justice in Lynden dubbed “The March for Black Lives.” The film explores the protest, its counterprotest, and the general racial division in Whatcom County.
In an interview with the Bellingham Herald, filmmakers Chris Baron and Bryan Tucker said that they wanted to capture how the entire Lynden community felt about the day’s protests; including perspectives from both sides, such as extensive interviews with vocal conservative Wylin Tjoelker.
The Pickford Film Center has sold out three of the five upcoming showings of the film. Tickets for the remaining September 7th and 8th showings are on sale now.
WX: Sun
And now for your Whatcom County weather:
More cool weather is in store for us today, with highs in the upper 60s and lower 70s. Expect mild south-southwestern winds throughout the day. Nighttime lows are projected to be in the low 50s. Temperatures are expected to remain mild until the start of August.
OUTRO:
Today’s newscast was produced by volunteers Carlos Braga (BRA-guh), Connor O’Boyle, Jayne Kuhlman (COOL-mun), Carlee Schram (CAR-lee SHRAM), Tristan Trudell, Kyler Cantrell, Ikumi Mashiko (ih-KOO-me muh-SHE-ko), Anna Vickers, and Theron (THAIR-in) Danielson. 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 thank you for listening.
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