Man with outstanding arrest warrant booked after threatening BPD officers with knife, Lummi Nation man pleads guilty to assault, Let’s Go Washington financier Brian Heywood to speak at upcoming Bellingham forum, Whatcom among first counties in state to include climate change in comp plan, Bellingham Intl Airport taking steps to remove harmful “forever chemicals,” from operations, Wcomm County Sheriff’s Dept. awarded federal grant, plans to construct Rapid DNA machine, Half of state low-income EV rebates gone, rest expected to run out in October
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KMRE brings you local news for Wednesday, October 9th. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: Man with outstanding arrest warrant booked after threatening BPD officers with knife
A man was arrested Sunday after he threatened Bellingham Police officers with a knife.
According to police spokesperson Megan Peters, when officers were called to a home in the Roosevelt neighborhood, 26-year-old Mikel (MY-kul) Anderson pulled out a knife, made threats to kill the officers, and fled. He was apprehended a few blocks away.
Anderson had an outstanding warrant for failing to register as a sex offender, and will now face additional charges of intimidating a public servant and resisting arrest. He is currently being held at the Whatcom County Jail.
STORY: Lummi Nation man pleads guilty to assault
A 49-year-old member of the Lummi Nation pleaded guilty in Seattle’s U.S. District Court to a charge of assault resulting in serious bodily injury.
The assault occurred in October 2023 when Jason Sieber (SEE-bur) Sr., angry over the time it took for his partner to cook dinner, repeatedly struck her in the face, causing facial fractures and disfigurement. The victim reported the assault to Lummi Nation Police days later, and the case was investigated by both Lummi Police and the FBI.
Sieber, charged in tribal court, was later referred to federal prosecutors and has been in custody since February. He faces up to 10 years in prison, with sentencing scheduled for December 20th.
STORY: Let’s Go Washington financier Brian Heywood to speak at upcoming Bellingham forum
Brian Heywood, a Redmond millionaire who has bankrolled ballot initiatives to roll back social and environmental legislation, will speak at a Bellingham City Club election forum next Wednesday.
In 2022, Heywood tried to organize a volunteer effort to gather signatures to get 11 repeal initiatives on the ballot – however, it failed. Changing tactics by opening his wallet, Heywood spent around $7 million last year to fund the group Let’s Go Washington, which worked with Restore Washington to gather enough signatures to place six initiatives on the ballot. Those repeal initiatives include canceling Washington’s cap-and-trade program, abolishing capital gains taxes, banning income taxes, allowing opt-outs from the state’s long-term care program, easing police pursuit laws, and creating a “parental bill of rights” for schools.
At the forum, State Representative Alex Ramel, Senator Liz Lovelett, as well as representatives of Invest in Washington Now and the AARP will argue against the repeals.
Tickets are available for purchase at the Bellingham City Club website.
STORY: Whatcom among first counties in state to include climate change in comp plan
Skagit and Whatcom counties, along with their cities, will be among the first in Washington state to address climate-related hazards in their comprehensive plans.
Comprehensive plans are written with a 20-year outlook, but cities and counties are required to update them once every 10 years. Whatcom County passed a climate action plan in 2021 and has a climate impact advisory committee, while Skagit County is relying on the expertise of consultants. Both counties have received state funding for these efforts. County officials say that public outreach is key to the process, and have enlisted nonprofit organizations and community surveys to help gather input from underrepresented populations.
The updated comprehensive plans will also address housing, transportation, infrastructure, and economic growth, with a new focus on emissions reduction and climate adaptation. Each jurisdiction is scheduled to hold public hearings next year before adopting their plans, which are due by the end of 2025.
STORY: Bellingham Intl Airport taking steps to remove harmful “forever chemicals,” from operations
The Port of Bellingham announced Monday that Bellingham Airport is removing “forever chemicals” from its fire trucks.
The chemicals in question are P.F.A.S., and they are a large group of long-lasting chemicals that have been linked to serious health issues in humans and animals. P.F.A.S. are used to create products that resist heat, oil, stains, grease and water, such as the firefighting foam at the airport.
Port officials say the P.F.A.S.-free foam will provide the same degree of effectiveness in firefighting. The change comes after the state Department of Ecology proposed new rules last month aimed at limiting PFAS in products.
STORY: Wcomm County Sheriff’s Dept. awarded federal grant, plans to construct Rapid DNA machine
Whatcom County has received a $440,000 federal grant to purchase a Rapid DNA machine for the Sheriff’s Office.
The new equipment will allow local law enforcement to quickly identify suspects and build a DNA database. The machine can provide DNA results in 90 minutes, and officials say it will aid in crime investigations as well as help address rising property crime. Currently, the Sheriff’s office doesn’t have a forensic unit and instead relies on regional law enforcement for assistance in DNA-related cases.
While the new technology promises faster results, Rapid DNA machines have faced criticism for accuracy and privacy concerns. Results from the machines aren’t accepted into the FBI’s DNA database due to differing collection standards. As a result, some local agencies have created their own databases.
It is still unclear how Whatcom County will regulate its DNA collection, though the Sheriff’s Office says it plans to develop a policy in collaboration with other agencies and train deputies on its use.
STORY: Half of state low-income EV rebates gone, rest expected to run out in October
Over 3,000 low-income drivers in Washington have received rebates from the Electric Vehicle Instant Rebate Program, a program launched by the state Department of Commerce.
Funding for the program, which helps low-income drivers lease or buy EVs, is expected to run out this month. Upon the program’s launch on August 1st, it was believed that funding could last until next spring, but participation has exceeded expectations. According to Commerce, this happened due to the level of participation being three times higher than expected, and the $9,000 three-year lease option being more popular than expected. At the current pace, the program is expected to issue about 6,000 rebates.
According to Stephen Hershkowitz, the managing director for Commerce’s Clean Transportation Program, the program is currently on pace to create nearly $3 in benefits within five years for every $1 spent on the program.
Forecast: Cloudy showers
Expect more of yesterday’s cool, drizzly weather today, with some episodes of scattered sunshine. Highs for today are projected in the low 60s, with calm south-southwestern winds. Nighttime temperatures are expected to drop into the mid-low 40s.
Tomorrow ought to bring a touch more sunshine, though temperatures are expected to remain fairly consistent.
OUTRO:
Today’s newscast was produced by volunteers Carlos Braga (BRA-guh), Connor O’Boyle, Jayne Kuhlman (COOL-mun), Tristan Trudell, Kyler Cantrell, Theron (THAIR-in) Danielson, Brodey O’Brien, Paloma Ortiz, Anna Hedrick, and Miguel Garduño (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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