Bellingham PD says stalking suspect arrested last month was in violation of no-contact order, One dead, another arrested following altercation in Custer over the weekend, Blaine woman arrested on suspicion of exploiting minors, String of cannabis store robberies continues at Birch Bay Budz, Whatcom County severe weather shelter will open this week, : South Whatcom Fire Authority threatens to end EMS calls in several rec areas if additional funding is not levied, Bellingham dog-friendly bar burglarized a second time in two months
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KMRE brings you local news for Tuesday, January 14th. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: Bellingham PD says stalking suspect arrested last month was in violation of no-contact order
A Blaine man was arrested by Bellingham Police after being found near a woman’s home with two loaded guns and a tactical vest.
Bellingham Police Lieutenant Claudia Murphy said the woman summoned authorities to an apartment building on Northwest Avenue on the night of December 29th. The woman said that months earlier she had ended a relationship with the suspect, 57-year-old Thomas Franklin Lingle, and that he was trying to enter her building.
Lingle was found driving around the front of the complex; police determined he was likely intoxicated. In his car, officers found a loaded rifle, handgun and tactical vest. According to the woman, Lingle had called and texted her approximately 18 times in a space of nearly six hours, and he had threatened to use the guns on her.
Lingle was arrested on two felony charges of stalking with a previous conviction modifier and violation of protective order with a deadly weapon. He has since been bonded out of custody.
STORY: One dead, another arrested following altercation in Custer over the weekend
Whatcom County authorities arrested a 43-year-old man in Custer on Saturday in connection with a homicide.
Deputies responded to a domestic violence report on Valley View Road around 10:30 p.m., where they discovered 52-year-old Angel Rodriguez dead from multiple gunshot wounds. The suspect allegedly shot Rodriguez during a drunken argument after trying to prevent him from driving while intoxicated. Two other people were also assaulted, one of whom was hospitalized.
Rodriguez was arrested on suspicion of second-degree murder and domestic violence charges and is being held in Whatcom County Jail.
STORY: Blaine woman arrested on suspicion of exploiting minors
A Canadian woman living in Blaine is facing five felony charges in Whatcom County Superior Court for the sexual exploitation of children and possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Each charge carries a potential sentence of up to 10 years in prison or a $20,000 fine.
29-year-old Rachel Openshaw-Tapia was arrested after a months-long investigation involving the Bellingham Police Department and the national Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. The investigation began when the messaging app Kik reported last November that a user shared CSAM in a private group chat, advertising the sale of illegal material across multiple platforms. A second report from Kik in December linked another account, registered to Openshaw-Tapia’s email, to sharing additional CSAM files.
Court records indicate that Openshaw-Tapia admitted to sharing the material with a quote-unquote “online paramour” to maintain his sexual interest. After Kik banned her initial account, she created a second account, which was also banned.
Openshaw-Tapia appeared in court on Sunday and remains in custody on a million-dollar bail. Her next court appearance is scheduled for Friday.
STORY: String of cannabis store robberies continues at Birch Bay Budz
The recent string of dispensary robberies in Whatcom County continues.
In the early hours of January 3rd, burglars used a stolen SUV to break into Between the Ferns in Deming. This is the third dispensary robbery in the last few weeks, and police suspect the same group has been behind all three cannabis dispensary burglaries in Whatcom County this last month. The previous burglary, which took place at Birch Bay Budz in Blaine, led to a high-speed chase across four counties.
The burglars are described as a group of up to six people who use the same method of breaking in each time by using stolen cars to smash through the front door and then taking merchandise from the dispensaries, mostly in the form of vape cartridges. The suspects have not been caught.
STORY: Whatcom County severe weather shelter will open this week
Whatcom County’s severe weather shelter at Forest Street in Bellingham will open this Friday.
The opening will coincide with the clearing of a homeless encampment on Northwest Avenue and Bakerview Road. The encampment currently has up to 70 residents and has drawn community complaints; these residents will be formally notified of the clearing on Thursday.
A news release by the health department says that their staff will provide support to people from the encampment, as well as other homeless community members, during the extended shelter opening. The shelter, currently slated to be open for 5 days, may be open for additional days depending on weather, staffing and supplies. While the shelter typically has a capacity of 70 people, the health department says it is preparing to surge and expand the number of beds available if needed.
STORY: South Whatcom Fire Authority threatens to end EMS calls in several rec areas if additional funding is not levied
The South Whatcom Fire Authority says it may stop responding to emergencies in recreation areas like Galbraith Mountain unless it gets reimbursed for calls outside its jurisdiction.
Since summer of 2023, the Fire Authority has tracked out-of-jurisdiction calls, logging over 80 hours on 54 incidents by last November. These recreation areas are considered “no man’s land,” falling under the county’s jurisdiction but not within any fire district. South Whatcom Chief Mitch Nolze (KNOWLES) says taxpayers within the Fire Authority’s coverage area carry the financial responsibility, and as emergency calls to recreation spots increase, SWFA’s resources are showing the strain. During an interview with KMRE last summer, Nolze said emergency response could default to volunteer search-and-rescue teams under the sheriff’s office.
Nolze sent a letter last December notifying Whatcom County and City of Bellingham officials that South Whatcom would stop providing out-of-jurisdiction emergency services without a reimbursement agreement.
The Fire Authority has expressed a willingness to continue service if an agreement is reached, but makes it clear that negotiations between local governments are not its responsibility. Both parties say they agree that emergency response must continue, particularly with the busy summer season approaching, but despite ongoing discussion no agreement has yet been reached.
WX: Partial Groudon
And now for your Whatcom County weather,
More partial sunshine today, with highs projected in the mid-40s. This morning’s fog is expected to return in the evening, alongside chilly lows of around 30 degrees. Winds will remain calm throughout the day.
Tomorrow is looking very similar to today in regards to weather, though there’ll be a slight chance of nighttime rain.
OUTRO:
Today’s newscast was produced by volunteers Carlos Braga (BRA-guh), Connor O’Boyle, Kyler Cantrell, Theron (THAIR-in) Danielson, Riley Weeks, Brodey O’Brien, Paloma Ortiz, Stevie Sjogren (SHOW-gren), Anna Hedrick and Miguel Garduño (MEE-gel gar-DOO-ño). Our news director is Staci Baird. 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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STORY: Bellingham dog-friendly bar burglarized a second time in two months
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