Bellingham man pleads guilty to charges related to forming online relationship with minor, Bellingham man sentenced in connection with 2022 Halloween murder, Charges dismissed for two men involved in Bellingham drive-by shooting last year, Bellingham dog-friendly bar burglarized a second time in two months, Eamonn Collins assumes role as chair of Whatcom Democrats, Expansion plans for port entry will require Sumas, Lynden landowners to sell property, Healthy Children’s Fund distributes over $5 million to Whatcom contracts, Gov. Ferguson calls for bipartisanship in inaugural address
Independent, nonprofit community radio.
KMRE brings you local news for Thursday, January 16th. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: Bellingham man pleads guilty to charges related to forming online relationship with minor
A Bellingham man pleaded guilty on Monday to charges related to the exchange of explicit content with a 15-year-old Mississippi girl he knew was a minor.
According to court records, 46-year-old Daniel Koval (co-VALL) faces up to 15 years in prison for felony charges of possession of depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct, as well as communication with a minor for immoral purposes.
Police say they found 18 images that depict the sexual exploitation of children after they executed a search warrant on Koval’s electronic devices. He turned himself in to Bellingham Police one year after the investigation began. A sentencing date has not been set yet.
STORY: Bellingham man sentenced in connection with 2022 Halloween murder
A man has been sentenced to over 21 years in prison for murder at a Bellingham Halloween party in 2022.
24-year-old Brian Pantoja (pun-TOH-ha) murdered 21-year-old Xyrone (ZY-rone) March-Walker of Ferndale after they got into a fight at a Halloween party on East Myrtle Street. During the altercation, Pantoja fatally shot March-Walker in the chest.
This was not Pantoja’s first brush with the law; he was found guilty in two separate cases of vehicle theft and robbery in 2020.
STORY: Charges dismissed for two men involved in Bellingham drive-by shooting last year
Charges against two Seattle men accused of a drive-by shooting on East Bakerview Road last year have been dismissed.
42-year-old Michael Raymond King and 41-year-old Chomreun Sok (CHUM-roone SOH) were arrested for the incident last February; however, charges against King were dismissed without prejudice last June. Charges against Sok were also dismissed without prejudice on December 19th, after a jury had initially found him guilty in July. A new trial was ordered after the defense claimed that misleading statements during the state’s rebuttal closing prejudiced the jury. Prosecutors eventually dismissed Sok’s case due to insufficient evidence.
Both men may face these charges again in the future.
STORY: Bellingham dog-friendly bar burglarized a second time in two months
Paws For A Beer, a Bellingham beer garden on Harris Avenue, has been targeted by the same burglar twice in two months.
The most recent break-in occurred early Sunday, when the suspect stole cash, destroyed merchandise, and smashed a window. Co-owner Amy Schoen says she believes the suspect, described as a 6-foot-tall man weighing about 200 pounds and dressed in all black, is the same person who broke into the business on Thanksgiving and stole all the cash.
STORY: Eamonn Collins assumes role as chair of Whatcom Democrats
The Whatcom Democrats have a new chair.
Eamonn (A-mun) Collins, a former federal policymaker and current science teacher at Lummi Nation School, will take the reins of the local Democratic Party after former chair Andrew Reding (RED-ing) withdrew his nomination. Reding, who was originally set to run unopposed for the position, said in an online announcement last week that two hallmarks of good stewardship are quote “preparing others for leadership, and passing on the top office from a position of strength and solvency” unquote.
In a unanimous decision last Saturday, elected precinct committee officers chose Collins to take over the chair position. Collins, who has experience on the Whatcom Democrats executive board and campaign experience, says he would like to grow and engage the party membership.
STORY: Expansion plans for port entry will require Sumas, Lynden landowners to sell property
The Lynden and Sumas ports of entry are expandeding.
The U.S. General Services Administration selected the north-south-oriented expansion for the Lynden port, and the multi-story construction expansion option for Sumas. The projects aim to reduce traffic at both ports and expand processing areas, especially for commercial vehicles.
Both projects require the federal government to acquire land. In Lynden, that land includes farmland commercial facilities, a business and a residence; in Sumas, several businesses along Cherry Street would have to be sold to the government. Sumas residents have expressed concerns about the project’s potential impact on the town’s tax base, economy and community.
Christi Votisek (vo-TEE-shek), a public affairs officer for the GSA, said the federal government expects to begin the real estate acquisition process in the first half of next year, with construction slated to begin in September 2026.
STORY: Healthy Children’s Fund distributes over $5 million to Whatcom contracts
The Healthy Children’s Fund distributed over $5 million to child-centered organizations throughout Whatcom County, according to the county’s Health and Community Services.
The fund’s two main goals are to increase kindergarten readiness and reduce child abuse; Whatcom County currently has the highest rate of child abuse in Washington.
A recent report on last year’s Children’s Fund investments includes expanded child care capacity in the county’s facilities, an increased amount of infant care supplies at the food bank, therapy services for individuals with developmental delays, as well as increased access to doula (DOO-la) services for low-income residents. Doula care — which provides support to women throughout pregnancy and the early months of childhood — has been shown to increase early childhood health and wellness, as well as reducing the risk of low birth weight and preterm babies.
This year, county officials say they plan to create a childcare subsidy program to help stabilize the childcare market.
STORY: Gov. Ferguson calls for bipartisanship in inaugural address
After 12 years as attorney general, Bob Ferguson was sworn in yesterday as Washington’s 24th governor.
In his inaugural address, Ferguson outlined priorities that include the expansion of housing, increased police funding, the protection of abortion rights, and free meals for public school students. He emphasized bipartisanship, and pledged to work with Republicans on shared goals and government policy reform.
Ferguson also committed a hundred million dollars for police recruitment and streamlined housing regulations. He also advocated for budget cuts over new taxes, in contrast to his Democratic colleagues.
However, despite earlier campaign promises, Ferguson avoided topics like climate, transportation, and taxes.
WX: Decided by dartboard
And now for your Whatcom County weather,
Today will be a grab bag of PNW weather favorites, that started with showers in the morning, followed by gradually lessening clouds, and eventually should give way to partial sunshine in the afternoon. Daytime highs are projected to be in the mid-40s, nighttime lows in the low 30s and high 20s.
The trend of partial sunshine is expected to carry on tomorrow.
OUTRO:
Today’s newscast was produced by volunteers Carlos Braga (BRA-guh), Connor O’Boyle, Kyler Cantrell, Theron (THAIR-in) Danielson, Paloma Ortiz, Stevie Sjogren (SHOW-gren), 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.
##
Leave a Reply