Jury finds City of Bellingham responsible for damages in handling of former officer’s abuse, Federal jury finds Deming man guilty of possession of child pornography, PeaceHealth employees say changes to hospital’s health insurance limit access to care, Whatcom businesses suffer from decreased Canadian business, Ballots mailed, Washington becomes first state to recognize Eid, Trackside to reopen in coming weeks, Home prices stabilized in Whatcom over first quarter of 2025
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KMRE brings you local news for Thursday, April 10th. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: Jury finds City of Bellingham responsible for damages in handling of former officer’s abuse
After a two-week trial and one day of jury deliberation, the Bellingham Police Department has been found negligent in failing to prevent domestic abuse committed by one of its former officers.
A Whatcom County jury unanimously ruled that the department did not take necessary action after it received reports in 2017 about suspected abuse by then-Corporal Brooks Owen Laughlin (LOF-lin). The jury awarded a total of nearly $2.3 million in damages to Laughlin’s ex-wife Amanda DeBruin (duh-BREWIN) and his three children. DeBruin, who endured emotional, physical, and sexual abuse during her marriage to Laughlin, was awarded one-and-a-half million dollars. The children, whose experiences included witnessing abuse, were awarded $250,000 each.
The plaintiffs argued that BPD failed to act on a memo from the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office about potential abuse. Despite meetings with DeBruin, the department did not initiate an internal investigation until after Laughlin’s 2018 arrest. He was later convicted on multiple domestic
violence charges and sentenced to eight years in prison, which was later reduced.
City officials responded to the verdict stating it was not the outcome they hoped for, and that they would explore their options. Plaintiffs expressed hope the case would empower other survivors to speak out.
STORY: Federal jury finds Deming man guilty of possession of child pornography
A 47-year-old Deming man has been convicted on two felony charges for possession of more than 90,000 files of child sexual abuse material.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Robert J. Howell Jr. was arrested in July of 2021 after Homeland Security investigators in Blaine traced a tip to an IP address linked to Howell. Authorities say the IP had accessed a website focused on extreme child sexual abuse content, including themes of bondage, sadism, and gore.
Following a two-day trial, jurors deliberated for about an hour before finding Howell guilty. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years, and could serve up to 20 years in prison.
STORY: PeaceHealth employees say changes to hospital’s health insurance limit access to care
As labor negotiations continue and the threat of a strike looms, employees at St. Joseph Medical Center are speaking out about changes to their health insurance that they say limit access to care and drive up costs.
The hospital is the largest employer in Whatcom County, and recently shifted to a self-insured model that employees claim effectively forces them to receive care within PeaceHealth’s own system or face significantly higher out-of-pocket expenses.
Workers allege that the new tiered insurance structure penalizes those seeking care outside of PeaceHealth facilities. While Tier I offers the lowest costs for services within the PeaceHealth network, employees report limited availability of primary care providers and long wait times. Under Tier II, local coverage excludes Family Care Network — the region’s largest primary care provider — which forces many employees to give up longtime doctors.
Union representatives argue their contract requires such changes to be subject to collective bargaining, but PeaceHealth has reportedly claimed the alterations weren’t substantial enough to trigger negotiations. Workers are calling for a return to a more affordable and accessible plan or, at the very least, employer support to offset increased costs.
In a statement, PeaceHealth defended the changes, citing national healthcare cost increases; they also stated that the organization still covers the majority of plan costs for full- and part-time employees.
The issue remains a key point of tension in ongoing labor talks.
STORY: Whatcom businesses suffer from decreased Canadian business
Whatcom County businesses say they are feeling the sting of a sharp decline in Canadian visitors, as new data shows a dramatic drop in cross-border travel from British Columbia.
According to the Whatcom Council of Governments, the number of B.C. residents who crossed into the U.S. fell nearly 43% between March 2024 and last month. Early April figures indicate a decrease of over 50% compared to the same period last year.
The slowdown comes amid growing political tensions, as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently announced plans to quote “drastically reduce” the country’s economic reliance on the U.S. following new tariffs imposed by President Trump on Canadian imports.
In response, local residents have organized a series of Solidarity with Canada rallies at Peace Arch Park. The next event is scheduled for Saturday from noon to 2 p.m. Community members say they hope to show support for their northern neighbors and highlight the economic ties that connect the region.
STORY: Ballots mailed
People who live in the Meridian School District should have received ballots for the upcoming special election.
A nearly $71 million bond measure to replace the aging Meridian Middle School is back on the ballot, after failing to pass with the required margin last fall. Registered voters who have not received their ballot should contact the Election Division of the Whatcom County Auditor’s Office to request a replacement. Whatcom residents who need to register to vote or update their address can do so online or by mail until next Monday. After that, voter registration and updates must be done in person.
Ballots must be returned by 8 p.m. on Election Day -– Tuesday, April 22nd — either in one of the five official ballot drop boxes or by mail.
Find out more at elections@co.whatcom.wa.us.
STORY: Washington becomes first state to recognize Eid
In a historic move, Governor Bob Ferguson has signed a bill that officially recognizes Eid al-Fitr (EED al-FITTER) and Eid al-Adha (EED-uhl AHD-hah) as state holidays in Washington — which makes it the first state in the U.S. to do so.
Senate Bill 5106 was signed during a standing-room-only ceremony at the Islamic Center of Tacoma on Tuesday. Sponsored by State Senator Yasmin Trudeau of Tacoma and State Representative Osman Salahuddin (uhs-MUHN suh-LA-hoo-deen) of Redmond, the law adds the two major Islamic holidays to the state’s list of official observances.
Though the holidays will not be paid days off, they are now formally recognized alongside other state observances like Lunar New Year and Billy Frank Jr. Day.
Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha are celebrated by more than 100,000 Muslims in Washington and millions more around the world.
WX: Galileo Figaro
And now for the weather:
Look for afternoon showers today, featuring hits such as highs in the mid-60s, gusts of up to 33 miles per hour, and up to a quarter inch of rain. We may see some proper thunderstorms later on in the evening, when temperatures will additionally drop to lows in the low-40s.
The rain is expected to carry on into tomorrow morning, after which time the sun looks to make a partial, yet glorious return.
OUTRO:
Today’s newscast was produced by volunteers Carlos Braga (BRA-guh), Connor O’Boyle, Kyler Cantrell, Theron (THAIR-in) Danielson, 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 your donations. Check out
our Patreon page or visit kmre.org and click on the banner. I’m _________, and thank you for listening.
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STORY: Trackside to reopen in coming weeks
Kulshan Brewing Company’s Trackside Beer Garden will re-open for its fifth season on May 2nd.
Located on the Bellingham waterfront on West Laurel Street, next to The Portal Container Village and the waterfront bike pump track, Trackside is known for its laid-back vibe, wide beer selection, and strong community atmosphere.
The 25,000-square-foot outdoor space features 20 taps of local beer, cider, and nonalcoholic drinks, live music every Friday and Saturday, and is family- and dog-friendly. Guests are welcome to bring their own food or grab a bite from nearby food trucks.
Trackside will be open M-Th from 3-9pm, and on the weekend from 11am-10pm.
STORY: Home prices stabilized in Whatcom over first quarter of 2025
In more housing news— home prices in Whatcom County stabilized during the first three months of 2025.
Peter Ahn, the co-owner of The Muljat Group in Bellingham, says the median selling price in the county was $625,000, which represents a 3.4% decrease from the same quarter last year. The median price for a house in Bellingham was $770,000, a decrease of over 6% from a year ago. Birch Bay, Blaine and Lynden also saw slight drops in their home prices.
Conversely, Ferndale, Sudden Valley and the Nooksack Valley School District saw modest increases in their home prices. The Mount Baker School District saw a price increase of over 17%, but remains the most affordable area in the county with a median price of $400,000.
Ahn says that home prices should remain mostly steady throughout the year, thanks to relatively stable mortgage rates.
