WWU Dean of Libraries fired, Rite Aid robbery in Blaine leaves employee hospitalized, Bellingham’s final fugitive cow now safely in custody, Two people and their pet rescued from vehicle surrounded by rising water, List of closed roads in Whatcom, WCC debuts new Latine Studies course, Nooksack indigenous families fighting eviction among disenrollment dispute, Ecology fines Whatcom County berry farm for illegal use of water
Independent, nonprofit community radio.
KMRE brings you local news for Monday, October 21st. Good afternoon, I’m Theron Danielson.
STORY: WWU Dean of Libraries fired
In an update sent to the WWU campus community, University Provost Brad Johnson announced that the former Dean of Libraries, John Danneker, is no longer employed at the University.
The announcement comes after Danneker’s arrest last Tuesday on charges of communicating with a minor for immoral purposes. The Bellingham Prosecuting Attorney did not file charges after it was discovered the victim was not a minor.
Johnson’s message acknowledged the difficulty of the situation and encourages faculty, staff, and students to seek support through available resources.
STORY: Rite Aid robbery in Blaine leaves employee hospitalized
A robbery at the Rite Aid in Blaine on Thursday evening resulted in one arrest and a hospitalization.
Blaine Police were alerted of a strong-arm robbery at the pharmacy at around 8pm. The suspect, 53-year-old David Brink, had already left the scene by the time officers arrived but was later identified by Whatcom County Sheriff’s deputies with the help of witnesses. Brink confessed to stealing a bottle of vodka from the store and attacking an employee, who had tried to stop him.
Brink was booked at the Whatcom County Jail on charges of robbery, assault and theft, while the employee was taken to St. Joseph Medical Center to be treated for minor injuries.
STORY: Bellingham’s final fugitive cow now safely in custody
The saga of the fugitive cow is over.
According to the Whatcom Humane Society, Mabel– the brown cow who had been on the run since August 10th– was rescued late Friday night. Mabel had been on the run for over two months, with reported sightings of her throughout the Barkley neighborhood. In a social media post, the Humane society said the rescue was made possible with the help of a quote-unquote “village of people.”
More details on the rescue will be released soon.
STORY: Two people and their pet rescued from vehicle surrounded by rising water
Two people and their pet were rescued from a vehicle surrounded by rising water on Saturday night.
Emergency services were called to the 4600 block of State Route 9 at around 8:00 p.m. In a statement issued by Whatcom County Fire District 1, they noted that, with the assistance of Fire District 16 and mutual aid partners, they responded to the area under a bridge spanning the North Fork of the Nooksack River. Both individuals and the dog were stranded on top of a pickup truck. A rescue from Fire District 1 eventually retrieved both people and their dog.
No injuries were reported.
STORY: List of closed roads in Whatcom
Whatcom County released a list of roads impacted by the weekend rain and wind.
Travelers are warned to avoid:
- Barrett Road at Paradise Road.
- Bylsma (BILL-sma) Road, which is now closed.
- Ferndale Road at Marine Drive and north of Slater Road.
- Gillies (GILL-ees) Road between Elm and Everson city limits, which is now closed.
- H Street at Sage.
- Imhoff Road north of Ulrich (ULL-rich).
- Marine Drive west of Ferndale Road.
- North Pass Road at Nordum Road, now reduced to one lane.
- Pangborn between Assink (AHH-sink) and Bloom, which is now closed.
- Rathbone north of Willeys Lake Rd.
- South Nugent (NOO-jent) Road at Sunrise and Seacrest roads, which is now closed to through traffic, and
- Ulrich Road, east of South Church Road, which is now closed.
For updates, please check the county’s Public Works website.
STORY: WCC debuts new Latine Studies course
A new study area at Whatcom Community College aims to address equity gaps.
According to a news release from last month, the college has introduced a Latine (luh-TEE-nay) Studies area, the first of its kind among two-year colleges in Washington state. Latine Studies aims to quote “bridge lived experiences with interdisciplinary course curricula, and encourages treating students as extended family” unquote, as well as including resources such as professional opportunities and free course materials.
The goals for Latine Studies’ grant team, which will receive $45,000 in funding from a three-year College Spark Washington grant, include having 15-to-25 courses that highlight the Latine Studies area, recruiting 15-to-20 faculty members, and hosting student activities once per academic year.
STORY: Nooksack indigenous families fighting eviction among disenrollment dispute
More than twenty disenrolled Nooksack people are once again facing eviction from their homes on tribal land in Deming.
The eviction notice comes after a long-lasting legal battle regarding the families’ enrollment in the Nooksack Indian Tribe. They had been participating in a federal program that allows tribal renters to purchase their homes after 15 years. However, the disenrollment of over 300 people from the tribe in 2016 now prevents the families from qualifying for the purchase, and Nooksack authorities now say they will evict the families.
Tribal leaders say the families have not provided adequate proof of their lineage, a requirement for families to live in Nooksack tribal housing. However, Michelle Roberts, one of the disenrolled tribal members, told the Bellingham Herald the families have documentation which has been ignored by the Tribal Council. The Tribe says it intends to reallocate the homes to enrolled Tribal families on the waiting list for low-income housing.
The Tribe also said if certain conditions are met and if they agree to leave voluntarily, they will be allowed to stay in their homes through the end of the year.
STORY: Ecology fines Whatcom County berry farm for illegal use of water
The operators of a blueberry farm between Lynden and Sumas were fined $20,000 by the state Department of Ecology for unpermitted water use.
RAN General Partnership and its owner Rick Alamwala (alum-WUH-luh) were fined for irrigating about 40 acres of crops despite having no water rights associated with the property. Ecology spokesman Jimmy Norris told the Bellingham Herald that it’s unclear where the water used by Alamwala originates, and underscored the importance of all users applying for water rights.
It’s the second time in two years that Alamwala has been fined for this violation, including a $12,000 fine from last year.
WX: Hey, ‘least the wind stopped
Scattered sun and showers are expected to continue throughout today, with highs in the mid-50s. Expect calm westward winds, and evening lows in the mid-40s.
Tomorrow, we might see more showers in the morning, eventually giving way to afternoon sunshine.
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 Theron Danielson, and thank you for listening.
