Hit-and-run on Mt. Baker Highway hospitalizes two; police searching for fleeing driver, Bellingham man arrested for DUI with child in car, assault of police officer, Restraining order lawsuit against Tulip Valley Farms dismissed, WWU to petition state legislature for $21 million grant to increase per-student funding, Cherry Point Refinery awarded nearly $27 million to produce sustainable aviation fuel, Post-Dobbs worst case scenarios hit WA
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KMRE brings you local news for Wednesday, August 21st. Good afternoon,
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STORY: Hit-and-run on Mt. Baker Highway hospitalizes two; police searching for fleeing driver
Here’s an update on that hit-and-run crash on Mt. Baker Highway that sent two people to the hospital last Saturday.
The collision occurred shortly before 4pm, when a white Nissan Murano crossed the centerline while heading east between Kendall and Maple Falls and struck an oncoming motorcycle, injuring both the rider and passenger. The victims, 52-year-old Baldev Mann and 51-year-old Hardip Kaur (COW-er) — both from Surrey, British Columbia — were wearing helmets at the time of the crash. Both were transported to St. Joseph Medical Center in Bellingham. Mann was treated and released, while Kaur’s current condition is unknown.
The driver left the scene without providing any information. Witnesses to the crash are encouraged to email State Patrol Detective Dan Comnick.
STORY: Bellingham man arrested for DUI with child in car, assault of police officer
A man suspected of driving under the influence with a child in his vehicle Saturday night is now also accused of assaulting a police officer.
22-year-old Adrian Valentino Quinn was pulled over by the Washington State Patrol, but after stopping his vehicle, Quinn fled on foot. According to Megan Peters with the Bellingham Police Department, a child was found inside the vehicle, unharmed. After a search, officers found Quinn hiding in an electrical closet at the Cordata Community Food Co-op, and then reportedly body-slammed an officer while being taken into custody.
Quinn was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, reckless endangerment, third-degree assault, and driving with a suspended license.
STORY: Restraining order lawsuit against Tulip Valley Farms dismissed
A lawsuit against Tulip Valley Farms and its founder Andrew Miller was dismissed earlier this month.
The lawsuit was originally filed in March 2023 by Tulip Town, a company run by Miller’s former friends and business colleagues. Tulip Town had sought a temporary restraining order against Miller in an attempt to prevent his new business from opening in time for last year’s Skagit Valley Tulip Festival – an effort that ultimately proved unsuccessful.
Court documents and interviews showed that both parties wanted compensation for quote-unquote “alleged damages.” Tulip Town accused Miller of, amongst many claims, failing to act in good faith. Miller accused Tulip Town of using Tulip Valley Farms-related URLs to redirect internet traffic away from his website and to their own – a practice known as cybersquatting.
On August 12th, the Skagit County Superior Court granted Tulip Town’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit. However, the lawsuit was dismissed without prejudice, meaning it could be refiled.
STORY: WWU to petition state legislature for $21 million grant to increase per-student funding
Western Washington University is requesting $21.4 million dollars from the state Legislature to improve its per-student funding, which they say is currently the lowest of all public four-year colleges in the state.
The money would bring per-student funding at Western from $8,949 up to parity with Central Washington University at $9,847— the second lowest in the state.
According to WWU Director of Government Relations Nora Selander (SEE-lan-dur) who spoke at last week’s Board of Trustees meeting, Western has mostly been at the bottom of per-student funding levels among Washington public universities for decades. Selander also stated reception from most legislators has been positive regarding the additional funding, but noted that strong advocacy will be needed to receive the requested budget increase.
The Legislature’s next session starts in mid January.
STORY: Cherry Point Refinery awarded nearly $27 million to produce sustainable aviation fuel
BP’s Cherry Point Refinery announced they have received nearly $27 million dollars to produce sustainable aviation fuel from renewable biomass.
According to the announcement, the project is expected to create 96 jobs and produce 10 million gallons of fuel annually, which they say will reduce aviation carbon emissions by up to 80% compared to conventional jet fuel. The fuel will be supplied to regional airports via the Olympic Pipeline. The funding is part of over $36 million dollars allocated for sustainable aviation projects in Washington, under a program authored by Senator Maria Cantwell.
In addition to BP, Everett-based ZeroAvia received over $4 million to advance hydrogen-electric engines, which are part of the future of aviation propulsion. ZeroAvia successfully tested a hydrogen-electric engine on a 19-seat aircraft in 2023 and is working towards FAA approval. Seattle-based APiJET (APP-ee-jet) and Boeing also received grants for related sustainable aviation projects.
STORY: Post-Dobbs worst case scenarios hit WA
According to a new report, the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade has caused significant strain on healthcare systems, particularly in states like Washington, Oregon, and California, where abortion remains legal.
The report, “Two Years Post-Dobbs: The Nationwide Impacts of Abortion Bans,” released July 11th, helps provide a clearer picture of the ongoing effects of the bans. The report draws on 80 interviews with abortion providers and advocates across the country, and details the many ways the Supreme Court’s 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health ruling has impacted patients and created legally complex situations for providers.
According to the report, the disparity between states with and without abortion bans is deepening existing health inequities, with far-reaching consequences for the entire healthcare landscape in the Northwest.
Patients are traveling from states with bans to Washington and Oregon for abortion services, which overwhelms local providers and delays care for in-state residents. Increased wait times for abortions leads to more complex and dangerous procedures, and overall worsened health outcomes. In addition, healthcare workers are opting to leave states with restrictive abortion laws which reduce the number of providers.
While physician departures have been well documented, many of the developments captured in “Two Years Post-Dobbs” extend to concerns advocates didn’t anticipate– some women with uncomplicated pregnancies are choosing to receive prenatal care and give birth in states with abortion protections in case of a complication. In addition, medical students are avoiding residencies in those states due to the lack of abortion training. Overall, applications for OB/GYN residents have dropped nationally, especially in states with abortion bans.
The report says that the result is a nationwide healthcare system under severe stress even in places where it is legal. Women’s health advocates say that to counter some of these effects, more efforts need to be made to broaden access to birth control and emergency contraceptives were necessary, especially in states where abortion is no longer legal.
WX: Clouds ‘n showers
And now for your Whatcom County weather:
Expect today’s weather to be consistently overcast with possible intermittent showers and a chance of thunderstorms after 5 P.M. Highs for the day will be around 70 degrees, with calm southwestern winds. Nighttime lows are expected to be in the upper 50s. Tomorrow’s weather will have a 20% chance of showers before 11 A.M., before becoming partly sunny throughout the day.
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, Anna Vickers, Theron (THAIR-in) Danielson, Paloma Ortiz, Anna Hedrick, and Miguel Garduno (MEE-gel gar-DOO-ño). 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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