Manslaughter charges dropped against Bellingham man involved in fatal overdose, other charge stands, Assault charge dismissed against Lynden Chamber Exec and City Councilor Gary Alan Vis, Two Whatcom County health care providers’ licenses suspended, Joann Fabrics now to close all locations in WA, including Bellingham, Report indicates Bellingham Intl Airport above national average for flight vacancies, State GOP criticizes new signature verification bill as “initiative killer”, Several bills die in House
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KMRE brings you local news for Tuesday, February 25th. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: Manslaughter charges dropped against Bellingham man involved in fatal overdose, other charge stands
55-year-old Brian Tolstrip Christensen will spend 20 months in prison after pleading guilty to unlawful delivery of controlled substances.
The charge stemmed from a fentanyl overdose death in March of 2023, which was linked to drugs he reportedly provided. Manslaughter and other drug charges were dismissed as part of a plea deal.
Christensen was initially arrested in September 2023, and later released on bond. He was returned to custody last February after violating release conditions. He also pled guilty to felony witness tampering in January, receiving an additional four-month sentence.
Christensen was transferred to the Department of Corrections last Tuesday to serve the remainder of his sentence, which will be followed by 12 months of community custody.
STORY: Assault charge dismissed against Lynden Chamber Exec and City Councilor Gary Alan Vis
A second-degree assault charge against 57-year-old Gary Alan Vis was dismissed with prejudice on February 12th, after he was found to have complied with court requirements.
The charge stemmed from a domestic incident on January 21st of last year, when Vis allegedly placed a family member in a chokehold. Whatcom County prosecutors initially charged Vis — a longtime executive of the Lynden Chamber of Commerce and a recently elected Lynden City Council member — in the County Superior Court. Court records from August indicate ongoing negotiations before the case was ultimately dismissed.
STORY: Two Whatcom County health care providers’ licenses suspended
The state Department of Health announced today that the licenses of two healthcare providers from Whatcom County have been suspended.
Corey Len Campbell’s EMT license was suspended indefinitely in January. He was found to have consumed alcohol at his workplace in November of 2023, and failed to respond to a letter of cooperation from April and a statement of charges from October. Campbell must enroll in a recovery and monitoring program and respond to a letter of cooperation before petitioning for reinstatement.
The other provider is Amber Joan Valdez (vahl-DIS), whose CNA license was suspended in December. Valdez was found under the influence by law enforcement in April of 2023; additionally, fentanyl was found during a search of a residence where she worked. Valdez failed to respond to a statement of charges from August; the DOH says she must enroll in a recovery and monitoring program before petitioning for reinstatement.
STORY: Joann Fabrics now to close all locations in WA, including Bellingham
National craft and fabric retailer Joann announced it will close all its store locations, including those in Bellingham and Olympia.
Going-out-of-business sales are now underway.
Joann had previously announced plans to close 21 stores in Washington while keeping nine, including Bellingham and Olympia, open. However, the company confirmed it was officially acquired and the remaining locations will be shut down permanently.
Financial services firm GA Group, along with Joann’s lenders, acquired the company’s assets. Store closure dates will be announced online, and customer gift cards remain valid through Friday. Discounts on fabrics, yarns, and other craft supplies are already available.
STORY: Report indicates Bellingham Intl Airport above national average for flight vacancies
A recent report found that Bellingham Airport had a higher-than-average vacancy rate, with 19.2% of seats empty on flights in and out of the airport—compared to the national average of 18.9%.
The study, conducted by Luxury Link, used data from the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics from November 2023 through October of last year. Bellingham was ranked 87th out of 192 U.S. airports for empty seats.
The report noted that shorter flights and budget airlines had more vacancies, while major carriers like Delta, American, and United saw fuller flights. Bellingham averaged 99 flights per week, with around 25 empty seats per flight. Southwest Airlines, which ceased service to Bellingham in August, previously cited financial losses, travel pattern shifts, and aircraft delivery delays as reasons for its exit.
Officials from the Port of Bellingham declined to verify the data or comment on the report.
STORY: State GOP criticizes new signature verification bill as “initiative killer”
A proposed Senate bill that would add new requirements to Washington’s initiative process is facing heated opposition.
The bill, backed by Democrats, would require the Secretary of State’s Office to verify addresses during signature checks; it would also require signature gatherers to sign declarations on each petition sheet. Supporters argue it increases accountability, while critics — including Republicans, former Secretary of State Sam Reed, and current Secretary of State Steve Hobbs — call it an unnecessary barrier to direct democracy. They say the bill could discourage volunteer participation and make the initiative process more difficult.
The legislation follows a year where six Republican-backed initiatives reached the Legislature, with three passing and three failing at the ballot box.
A hearing on the bill is scheduled for Monday.
STORY: Several bills die in House
Several proposed bills in Washington state failed to meet the legislative deadline on Friday, meaning they will not advance this session. Among them are bills on firearm safety, the minimum wage, and a redesign of the state flag.
Two firearm safety bills that would have required gun owners to carry liability insurance and another that eased restrictions on restoring firearm rights for certain individuals both stalled in committee.
The minimum wage proposal would incrementally raise the state’s minimum wage to $25 per hour by 2031—- it did not progress past a public hearing.
House Bill 1630, a bill that would have required dairy farmers to measure and report methane released by their cows, also did not move forward.
Lastly, House Bill 1938 – a proposal to start the process of redesigning Washington’s state flag – did not advance after it faced opposition from Republicans.
The next legislative deadline is this Friday for budget-related bills, with the session set to conclude on April 27th.
WX: My sun is very shy.
And now for your Whatcom County weather:
Mostly cloudy weather is in the forecast today, with highs right around 50 degrees. High winds of up to 38 miles per hour are expected early in the day, and should peter out as the afternoon wears on. Evening lows will be in the low-40s.
We’re expecting a bit more sunshine tomorrow, alongside a rise in temperatures up to nearly 60 degrees.
OUTRO:
Today’s newscast was produced by volunteers Carlos Braga (BRA-guh), Connor O’Boyle, Kyler Cantrell, Theron (THAIR-in) Danielson, Paloma Ortiz, and Stevie Sjogren (SHOW-gren). 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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