Preliminary Special Election Results, AG’s office reports over 300,000 Washingtonian’s records accessed in January’s Mt. Baker Imaging hack, Oil spill in Padden Creek leads to temporary closure of Interurban Trail, WWU student-run magazine named best in the country by Society of Professional Journalists, Whatcom County’s Snapshot on Homelessness, NW WA Fair announces Community Education Day, plus free admission for certain donors, Federal judge blocks reallocation of disaster relief funds, including those bound for WA, Auditor seeks volunteers for Nov voters pamphlets, $212 million allocated for affordable rental housing, Abbotsford Air Show to return to Whatcom County this weekend, Free or Cheap (Kill 9/12)
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KMRE brings you local news for Wednesday, August 6th. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: Preliminary Special Election Results
The initial results from Whatcom County’s August primary are in.
With about 1,000 ballots left to count, Elizabeth Boyle leads the County Council District 2 race. Maya Morales (mo-RAH-liz) and Mike Cullum are locked in a close battle for second.
In District 3, Jessica Rienstra (reen-STRAH) holds a strong lead with nearly 49% of the vote, followed by Kyle Christensen at just over 23%.
Both local levies are currently passing, and Port Commissioner Ken Bell leads Carly James with 60% of the vote.
Election results will continue to be updated this week.
STORY: Case dismissed for Bellingham resident facing 1st-degree attempted murder charge
A man charged with attempted murder in a Bellingham shooting last year has been released.
Whatcom News reports that the case against 19-year-old Alexis Molina was thrown out yesterday after a judge ruled the search warrant used to gather evidence was invalid. The court found that the warrant lacked probable cause, making all evidence from the apartment search inadmissible.
Molina had been in the Whatcom County Jail since his arrest last November, held on a $3 million bond. The case was officially dismissed without prejudice, meaning prosecutors could refile charges if new evidence emerges.
STORY: AG’s office reports over 300,000 Washingtonian’s records accessed in January’s Mt. Baker Imaging hack
A major data breach at Mount Baker Imaging exposed the personal information of more than 348,000 Washington residents.
According to a July filing with the Washington State Attorney General’s Office, the breach occurred between January 20th-to-the-25th. Exposed information includes names, Social Security numbers, driver’s license or ID numbers, banking details, birthdates, military IDs, health insurance info, and medical records.
Cascadia Daily News reports the company faces a class action lawsuit filed in Whatcom County Superior Court. The lawsuit alleges thousands of patients’ personal data was stolen due to negligence and inadequate security measures.
STORY: Oil spill in Padden Creek leads to temporary closure of Interurban Trail
A diesel spill has shut down part of Bellingham’s Interurban Trail.
Crews were still on scene yesterday at Padden Creek after roughly 344 gallons of diesel spilled from a generator near the 12th Street bridge on Sunday.
The spill stretched about a third of a mile downstream. While a rainbow sheen is still visible, officials say no fuel has reached Puget Sound, and there are no reported impacts to wildlife — though monitoring continues.
The public is urged to stay away from the area while recovery work continues.
STORY: WWU student-run magazine named best in the country by Society of Professional Journalists
The Planet, Western Washington University’s undergraduate-edited and written environmental publication, has earned the Best Ongoing Student Magazine award from the Society of Professional Journalists.
In addition to the award to the entire editorial team headed by Editor-in-Chief Julia Shaw, Managing Editor Tori Lehman, Photo Editor Avery Robertson, and Story Editor Kylie Miller, five magazine staff members won individual recognition as part of the SPJ’s Mark of Excellence Awards: Phoebe Clark for climate reporting, Soren Cooley for General News Photography, Eleanor Geraghty (GARRUH-tee) for Campus Reporting, Josh Maritz (MAH-rits) for General News Reporting, and India Rahmani (ruh-MAH-nee) for narrative podcasting.
Established in 1979, The Planet calls itself America’s first undergraduate environmental publication. On its website, Faculty Advisor Jeff Shaw says the magazine focuses on reporting about environmental justice, and adds, quote, “we know that the need for these stories has never been greater,” end quote.
STORY: Whatcom County’s Snapshot on Homelessness
Whatcom County’s latest homelessness report shows ongoing challenges with housing availability and a troubling rise in youth experiencing unstable housing.
While overall homelessness numbers remain steady, more people are living unsheltered due to fewer shelter beds and rising rents. Housing programs are helping some move into homes, but as many are joining the housing waitlist as are leaving it.
Youth homelessness is rising, with about one in 24 students in Whatcom County lacking a fixed address during the 2024-2025 school year — higher than the state average. Experts warn that unstable housing can seriously impact children’s health and education.
On a positive note, veteran homelessness continues to decline, supported by strong local and federal programs. Whatcom’s Veterans Program recently earned national recognition for helping vets access housing and resources.
Officials say the data tracks trends rather than exact counts, as many unsheltered people are hard to reach or decline to participate.
Whatcom County is currently drafting its next five-year homelessness plan, set for release this fall.
STORY: NW WA Fair announces Community Education Day, plus free admission for certain donors
It’s fair time! The Northwest Washington Fair gets underway tomorrow with Community Education Day.
All Whatcom County public, private, and tribal school employees receive free admission with valid school ID all day tomorrow at Gates 1 or 5. Others can get in free by donating backpacks or school supplies from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Donations will be distributed by Blue Skies for Children to Whatcom County students.
Six more free or discounted days follow, including Food Drive Friday, free Sunday morning admission, and special days for first responders, military, kids, and Western Washington University students.
The fair runs August 7th-thru-the-16th. Visit the fair’s website for details.
STORY: Federal judge blocks reallocation of disaster relief funds, including those bound for WA
A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from spending disaster mitigation funds tied to a program the president shut down illegally.
The ruling comes as Washington Attorney General Nick Brown and 19 other states challenge the sudden end of FEMA’s Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program, known as BRIC.
The judge barred the government from using the funds for anything other than BRIC projects while the lawsuit moves forward.
Attorney General Brown says the program is crucial as towns face growing climate challenges. In Washington, 27 active projects total $182 million, helping small towns build flood defenses and backup power systems.
The states continue to fight to restore the program.
WX: Pitter patter pancake batter
And now for the weather:
Today’s looking to bring in a healthy helping of summer rain, with expected precipitation of up to half-an-inch. Daytime highs should hover right around 70 degrees, and we may see some occasional thunderstorms as well. The rain should persist well into this evening, with nighttime lows projected around the upper-50s.
Today’s showers should peter out sometime tomorrow morning, replaced by partly sunny skies for the remainder of the day.
OUTRO:
Today’s newscast was produced by volunteers Carlos Braga (BRA-guh), Connor O’Boyle, Kyler Cantrell, Theron (THARE-un) Danielson, Cody Mills, Aidan Larson, Glen Hirshberg (HERSH-berg), Kathi O’Shea (o-SHAY), Bella Mae, Kai Blais-Schmolke (KAI BLAZE-SHMOLE-kee), Nate Landi (LAND-ee) and Hailey LeRoy (luh-ROY). 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: Auditor seeks volunteers for Nov voters pamphlets
The Whatcom County Auditor’s Office is now seeking volunteers to serve on “against” committees for several local ballot measures in the November 4th General and Special Election voters’ pamphlet.
Committees are needed to write statements opposing various county charter amendments, school district levies, and fire district tax measures. Since some districts did not appoint these committee members, state law directs the Auditor to find and appoint up to three people for each committee.
For details and ballot resolutions, visit the Whatcom County Auditor website.
STORY: $212 million allocated for affordable rental housing
Washington State leaders have announced $212 million in affordable rental housing funding.
Governor Bob Ferguson and the Department of Commerce say the money will help close the housing gap across the state by supporting new affordable rental projects.
Funding comes from several programs, including the state Housing Trust Fund and federal sources, aimed at building homes for those earning less than half the area median income.
Department of Commerce research shows that the state needs more than a million new homes in the next 20 years to meet need and anticipated growth, and more than half of those must be affordable to people earning less than 50% of the median family income.
STORY: Abbotsford Air Show to return to Whatcom County this weekend
STORY: Free or Cheap (Kill 9/12)
https://www.whatcomcd.org/run-with-the-chums — Sat, Sept. 13
Mark your calendars for the 13th Annual Run with the Chums on September 13th at BP Highlands in Birch Bay.
This free, family-friendly 5K fun run celebrates salmon, clean water, and community. All ages and paces are welcome, and the scenic course offers stunning views of Whatcom County’s shoreline.
Kids 10 and under can enjoy the Smolt Sprint obstacle course starting at 9:30 a.m., with the 5K kicking off at 10.
Check-in opens at 8:30 a.m.—arrive early for a free T-shirt while supplies last.
