Sumas man sentenced to over five years in prison for child molestation, Body of snowmobiler recovered from accident site off Canyon Creek Road, Ferndale’s Church Road temporarily closed following serious injury accident, Anacortes seafood company issues recall of chowder products following potential bacterial contamination, Whatcom County aids Habitat for Humanity in purchasing land for future low-income housing site, City of Bellingham breaks ground at new affordable housing complex, Strong oil odor reported by Birch Bay residents, Catholics in Whatcom adjust to increasing church consolidation, WA lawmakers seek to relieve strained youth justice system
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KMRE brings you local news for Wednesday, March 19th. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: Sumas man sentenced to over five years in prison for child molestation
69-year-old Henry Paul Ruiz III of Sumas (SOO-mass) was sentenced Tuesday in the Whatcom County Superior Court to five-and-a-half years in prison for sexually abusing a 7-year-old girl.
Ruiz was arrested in July of 2023, after the victim disclosed the abuse to her mother. Court records indicate that he initially denied the accusations, but later pleaded guilty to multiple counts of second-degree child molestation.
During sentencing, the victim’s family expressed frustration over the lengthy legal process, and described the lasting impact of the abuse on the young girl. Prosecutor Caleb Nagel emphasized the severity of the trauma; the family noted Ruiz’s involvement in karate instruction and his church, and called his actions far reaching.
Ruiz’s public defender, Charles Parrish, stated that Ruiz had shown remorse and cooperated with authorities.
In addition to his prison term, Ruiz will serve three years of community custody, and a sexual assault protection order will remain in place for two years following his release.
STORY: Body of snowmobiler recovered from accident site off Canyon Creek Road
The body of a snowmobiler who died after riding into a tree well near Canyon Creek Road, northeast of Glacier, was recovered yesterday.
Recovery efforts were initially hindered by challenging weather and avalanche conditions. The victim, identified as Joe de Boer (duh BORE) by the Northwest Glacier Cruisers snowmobile club, was located by search and rescue teams on the day of the accident, but hazardous conditions delayed the recovery.
The Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office coordinated with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Air and Marine Operations and a helicopter team from the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office to complete the recovery.
STORY: Ferndale’s Church Road temporarily closed following serious injury accident
A three-vehicle crash in Ferndale left one dead and three injured yesterday.
The crash happened on Church Road around 2:11 p.m. A news release by Ferndale Police says that a southbound vehicle crashed into two northbound vehicles. One person was pronounced dead at the scene, while three others were taken to the St. Joseph Medical Center in Bellingham. No minors were involved.
Church Road will be closed while the investigation continues, with traffic being detoured via Lakeridge Drive and Sievers Way.
STORY: Anacortes seafood company issues recall of chowder products following potential bacterial contamination
A seafood company from Anacortes has issued a recall for two of its products.
SeaBear Smokehouse’s Smoked Salmon and Alehouse Clam chowders may have been contaminated with the bacteria that causes botulism. A company announcement released on Saturday says that the chowders were distributed to stores in Washington, Oregon, California, Colorado and Alaska.
Botulism is a form of food poisoning that is potentially fatal, with symptoms including muscle weakness, dizziness, double-vision and trouble speaking or swallowing. No illnesses had been reported as of Saturday.
According to SeaBear, a mechanical issue with several pouches prevented them from being fully sealed; some of them subsequently leaked. The recall is being voluntarily made by SeaBear; full refunds can be provided
to customers who bought either of the products between last October and Friday, March 14th if they contact the company’s service team by phone or email.
STORY: Whatcom County aids Habitat for Humanity in purchasing land for future low-income housing site
Whatcom County will help Habitat for Humanity acquire land to build 40 affordable homes in the King Mountain neighborhood.
The County Council unanimously approved seven-hundred thousand dollars in grants and loans for the nonprofit last Tuesday to purchase two-and-a-half acres at Telegraph Road from Kulshan Community Land Trust.
Deputy Executive Kayla Schott-Bresler (SHOT BRESLER) called the project a “unique opportunity” to address local housing needs. Homes will be available to low-income residents earning thirty-to-eighty percent of the area median income, with a family of four qualifying at seventy-two thousand five-hundred dollars or below.
The funding includes a two-hundred and thirty-one thousand (231,000) dollar grant and a four-hundred and sixty-nine thousand (469,000) dollar loan from the Economic Development Investment fund. Habitat for Humanity follows a ‘sweat equity’ model, where future homeowners contribute to building their homes and those of others.
STORY: City of Bellingham breaks ground at new affordable housing complex
In more affordable housing news, the City of Bellingham has broken ground at a new affordable housing complex in the Old Town district.
Work on the project to bring more housing and commercial space to Old Town began on Friday; about 800 new residential units will be built through eight city blocks over the next decade. The 84-unit apartment building on Astor Street – the first to be built – is expected to be completed by the summer of 2026.
According to Mayor Kim Lund, the project seeks to quote “inject new energy into Old Town, support economic vitality in our city center, and create hundreds of new housing opportunities over the next decade” unquote. The city says that the new complex will also boost the downtown economy, promote walkability and reduce car trips.
In addition to the complex, both the city and Whatcom County are funding quote “streetscape improvements” unquote. In total, $5 million are being invested in infrastructure.
STORY: Strong oil odor reported by Birch Bay residents
Residents across northern Whatcom County reported a strong, unusual odor over the last weekend, with many experiencing headaches and breathing difficulties.
According to the Northwest Clean Air Agency the smell, described as “burning oil,” was traced back to the BP Refinery at Cherry Point.
Clean Air Communications Manager Seth Preston confirmed that the agency received several dozen complaints. Refinery officials stated that the odor resulted from a processing unit shutdown, which overwhelmed the facility’s flaring system.
Flaring, a safety measure used to burn off excess product, can sometimes produce noticeable emissions. Northwest Clean Air officials are investigating the incident and say they have dispatched inspectors to assess the situation.
WX: Killers of the Shower Moon
And now for your Whatcom County weather:
Expect today to be cloudier and slightly rainier than yesterday, with highs in the low-50s and wind gusts of up to 23 mph. We’ll have light rain in areas throughout the county, which will increase in volume later tonight. Overnight lows are projected to drop to the low-40s.
Tomorrow’s weather should be very similar to today’s.
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 Glen Hirshberg (HERSH-berg).
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: Catholics in Whatcom adjust to increasing church consolidation
STORY: WA lawmakers seek to relieve strained youth justice system
