Tiny house village opens on Bellingham’s Northwest Avenue, New study ranks Bellingham among least affordable cities in U.S., City Council considers additional sales tax, Three Deep-brand products recalled after salmonella-related illnesses emerge in various states, including WA, Popular Ferndale bakery goes up for sale as owner announces plans to retire, Dept of Natural Resources announces plan to conserve thousands of acres of “legacy forests”, Major Skagit aerospace employer set to expand campus and job opportunities, Former Whatcom Councilmember and state’s first-ever female county executive passes away, Free and Cheap (Kill 9/5), Free or Cheap (Kill 9/12)
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KMRE brings you local news for Wednesday, August 27th. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: Tiny house village opens on Bellingham’s Northwest Avenue
Bellingham’s newest tiny house village is now open on Northwest Avenue.
The village provides emergency shelter to people who would otherwise be homeless. North Haven is the result of months of work by residents themselves, who built many of the 48 colorful homes. At yesterday’s opening, city leaders and staff from organizing group HomesNOW! celebrated what they called a model for future villages. Residents say the community has helped them rebuild their lives, giving them both stability and support.
City Council President Hollie Huthman noted that early skepticism about the concept six years ago has since given way to broad acceptance. HomesNOW! leaders say they hope to see more tiny home villages in Bellingham and beyond, ending homelessness, quote, “one person at a time.”
STORY: New study ranks Bellingham among least affordable cities in U.S.
A new study analyzing the ratio of median income to median home price has ranked Bellingham as the least affordable small city in the United States.
The study, conducted by Construction Coverage — an organization devoted to focused research and guidance for builders and developers —, compared numbers and data from Zillow and the U.S. Census Bureau.
With the exception of Bellingham, every other small city in the Bottom 15 in terms of affordability is in California. Bellevue, Washington, ranks as the 7th least affordable midsize city, and Washington as the 5th least affordable state.
Going purely by ratio of home price to median income, Bellingham rates as the 4th most expensive metropolis in the country, barely more affordable than Los Angeles but much less so than New York, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, or Portland.
STORY: City Council considers additional sales tax
Bellingham City Council is considering a new local sales tax — and they’ve just taken the first step to make it possible.
The Council unanimously passed a resolution on Monday that allows the City to apply for eligibility to impose a one-tenth of one percent sales tax created by the state legislature earlier this year.
If adopted, the tax could help close a projected multi-million-dollar budget gap in 2026. Budget and Finance Committee chair Lisa Anderson says the tax could potentially bring in 4 million dollars to support criminal justice and public safety programs
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First, however, the City needs approval from the state Criminal Justice Training Commission, which will review the Bellingham Police Department’s policies and training records.
Anderson emphasized that taking this step does not guarantee the tax will be implemented.
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A final vote on whether to impose the tax could come as early as September. If approved and adopted, the new sales tax would take effect on January 1st of next year.
STORY: Three Deep-brand products recalled after salmonella-related illnesses emerge in various states, including WA
Just days after the recall of frozen shrimp for possible radioactive contamination, another food item recall is underway in the United States.
Officials with the FDA are asking the public to avoid three frozen products from the Deep brand due to a possible salmonella contamination. Cascadia Daily News reports that eleven illnesses have been linked to the outbreak, including one here in Washington.
According to the FDA, the strain of salmonella yielded in their analysis of the Deep-brand Premium Select Frozen Surti Undhiu (SOOR-tee oohn-DHEE-yoo) Mix product matches the strain responsible for causing illnesses in the outbreak. The agency says the contamination was found after routine testing.
As of now, the recall has been issued for three Deep-brand products — including Sprouted Mat and Sprouted Moong — with the agency currently working to determine if any other products must be recalled and to find the source of the contamination. In the meantime, the public is urged not to eat, sell or serve the recalled products.
Symptoms of a salmonella infection, which usually occur from 12 to 72 hours after the consumption of contaminated food, include diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps.
STORY: Dept of Natural Resources announces plan to conserve thousands of acres of “legacy forests”
Washington is stepping up for its forests.
Public Lands Commissioner Dave Upthegrove announced on Tuesday that the state Department of Natural Resources plans to conserve more than 77,000 acres of mature, legacy forests — generally harvested between the 1920s and the post-World War II period — on state trust lands.
The move is aimed at protecting clean water, habitat, biodiversity, and climate resilience.
STORY: Popular Ferndale bakery goes up for sale as owner announces plans to retire
A favorite Ferndale business is up for sale.
Barb’s Pies and Pastries, known for its made-from-scratch pies, lemon bars, sourdough bread and more, is looking for a new owner.
Founder and namesake Barb O’Brine announced her plans to retire after 25 years of running the downtown bakery. The shop first opened in 1999, and has since become a local staple.
It’s not yet clear if the bakery will keep the same name and recipes under new ownership. For now, Barb’s Pies and Pastries remains open Monday through Saturday on Main Street in Ferndale.
STORY: Former Whatcom Councilmember and state’s first-ever female county executive passes away
A trailblazer in Whatcom County government has passed away.
Shirley Van Zanten (VAHN ZAHN-ten), the first woman in Washington state elected as a county executive, died on August 7th at her Lynden home. She was 89.
Van Zanten served two terms on the Whatcom County Council before becoming county executive in 1983. She went on to serve three consecutive terms, retiring in 1996.
Her obituary notes she was instrumental in the preservation of public lands, including Teddy Bear Cove and Canyon Lake Community Forest. She is survived by her three daughters and several grandchildren.
WX: In which Sun Tzu makes a tactical retreat
And now for the weather:
Despite the abatement of the heat advisory, today is not looking to be much cooler than yesterday, with highs still floating around 80 degrees. The skies are expected to be somewhat more overcast than recent days, however, as forecasts are calling for steadily increasing cloud cover as the day wears on. As a result, this evening should be fairly cloudy and warm, with lows around 60.
Temperatures in the 80s look to play another encore performance tomorrow, so please remember that coffee is not water and to stay hydrated.
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: Major Skagit aerospace employer set to expand campus and job opportunities
STORY: Free and Cheap (Kill 9/5)
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.
