Daughter of Ferndale woman who died in 2021 heat dome suing 7 oil companies, Bee swarms on Badger Road, PeaceHealth announces 1% cut to workforce, potential effects on St. Joe’s unclear, Significant traffic slowdowns expected on Everson Goshen Road across 5 weeks of re-paving, Rep. Larsen asking for $36 million for the region, Free and Cheap, Lynden Fair announces remaining music lineup
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KMRE brings you local news for Friday, May 30th. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: Daughter of Ferndale woman who died in 2021 heat dome suing 7 oil companies
A Ferndale woman’s death during the 2021 heat dome has sparked a groundbreaking lawsuit.
Misti Leon, daughter of the late Juliana Leon, is suing seven major oil companies –– including Exxon Mobil and Shell –– alleging they knew fossil fuels were driving climate change, but hid that knowledge from the public.
Juliana Leon died of hyperthermia in Seattle on the hottest day ever recorded there, when temperatures reached 102 degrees. Her daughter’s wrongful death lawsuit, filed in King County, claims Big Oil misled the public about climate risks for decades.
This marks a rare legal effort to hold fossil fuel companies financially and publicly accountable for climate-related deaths. Back in 2020, 16 Montana youth filed a lawsuit against the state, alleging it was violating residents’ constitutional right to “a clean environment” by allowing oil, gas and coal projects. Remarkably, the teens won in a widely publicized 2023 trial. The Montana Supreme Court upheld the decision last December after the state appealed the ruling.
If a judge finds the companies liable for Leon’s death, her daughter is requesting financial damages, as well as a public education campaign to rectify Big Oil’s years of misinformation.
According to the New York Times, oil and gas companies in the past have said they cannot be held liable for financial damages caused by global warming.
STORY: Bee swarms on Badger Road
The Sheriff’s Office says Weidkamp (WEED-camp) Road was closed early this morning from West Badger to Loomis Trail after a commercial vehicle carrying pollinating bees rolled over.
No injuries reported, but officials are warning the public to avoid the area due to the risk of bee swarms.
Crews are working to safely manage the hive-filled truck.
STORY: PeaceHealth announces 1% cut to workforce, potential effects on St. Joe’s unclear
PeaceHealth says it will reduce its 16,000-person workforce by 1%.
The not-for-profit health system told staff it will eliminate positions and freeze most hiring through 2025, citing rising daily expenses that outpace revenue growth. The majority of cuts are expected at medical centers in Vancouver, Washington, and Springfield, Oregon. PeaceHealth declined to say how Bellingham’s St. Joseph Medical Center will be affected.
Two unions at St. Joe’s recently went on strike over contract negotiations, while nurses ratified a new three-year deal last Friday.
Despite rising revenues—$3.63 billion in 2024—PeaceHealth says it must make “disciplined” cuts while still investing in key leadership roles and operational priorities.
STORY: Significant traffic slowdowns expected on Everson Goshen Road across 5 weeks of re-paving
A four-mile section of Everson Goshen Road will undergo a scheduled paving project beginning on Monday.
Whatcom County Public Works expects lane closures and travel delays on Everson Goshen between East Pole and East Smith roads. They encourage motorists to take alternate routes. No detour route has been posted.
The project, which should take approximately five weeks, includes grinding and repaving of the roadway surface, as well as repainting of lane lines.
STORY: Rep. Larsen asking for $36 million for the region
Congressman Rick Larsen says he aims to bring over $36 million in federal funding to Northwest Washington — including key projects in Whatcom County.
Larsen submitted the request to the House Appropriations Committee for the federal Fiscal Year 2026 spending bill. In Bellingham, $2 million is earmarked to renovate the Central Library, making it more welcoming and accessible for families and children. Lynden could see over $2.4 million for the Pepin (PEH-pin) FASST project — an effort to improve flood control, transportation and housing. Whatcom County is also in line for support, with $1.5 million proposed to preserve the DVSAS (dee-vee-SASS) Douglas Building in Bellingham, which provides critical services for survivors of violence, and $600,000 for updated radios for sheriff’s deputies to improve emergency communication across the region — including Ferndale and Blaine.
The remaining funding will be invested in communities throughout Skagit, Snohomish, San Juan, and Island counties. Larsen says his focus is on “jobs, infrastructure, and vital services” across Northwest Washington.
Committee mark-ups of the spending bill are expected throughout June and July. No date has been set for a vote.
STORY: Free and cheap
It’s Friday – if you’re looking for something free or cheap to do this weekend, here’s a little of what’s going on around the county.
The Whatcom Youth Pride parade, one of America’s only youth-centric pride events, is set to take place in downtown Bellingham tomorrow at 11 a.m. The parade will start and end at Bellingham High School, with a route that wraps around downtown and culminates at a street festival and resource fair; attractions include food trucks, a youth maker’s market, and plenty of tables for local nonprofits and organizations. More information is available at the Whatcom Youth Pride’s website.
Tomorrow will also see the Pickford Film Center host a one-day-only screening of Caught by the Tides at 1:30 p.m. The movie, assembled from footage shot over a period of 23 years, follows its heroine, Qiaoqiao (CH-ow CH-ow), as she wanders in search of long-lost lover Bin (BEAN). In the process, Qiaoqiao bears witnesses to the profound social transformation and turbulent changes of contemporary China. Tickets for the movie – acclaimed by publications such as The New York Times and Rolling Stone – are available on the Pickford’s website for $11.
Finally, three local bands – Card Games, Star Seeker and Bellflower – will take to the stage at The Blue Room on East Holly Street this Sunday at 6 p.m. as part of a benefit show for Planned Parenthood. Tickets can be purchased at The Blue Room’s website for $10 (plus fees).
WX: Thousand Sunny
And now for the weather:
Our early summer remains in fine form today, with consistent bright sunshine and daytime highs projected in the low 70s. Expect some light cloud cover throughout today, which will grow as the afternoon wears on. A partly overcast evening awaits, with temperatures in the low 50s.
This weekend should be fairly warm and sunny as well, with a light chance of scattered showers on Saturday.
OUTRO:
Today’s newscast was produced by volunteers Carlos Braga (BRA-guh), Connor O’Boyle, Kyler Cantrell, Theron (THAIR-in) Danielson, Cody Mills, Aidan Larson, Glen Hirshberg (HERSH-berg), Kathi O’Shea (o-SHAY), and Kai Blais-Schmolke (KAI BLAZE-SHMOLE-kee). 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: Lynden Fair announces remaining music lineup
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