Disaster unfolds in Alaska, Whatcom County helps, Governor’s office orders $2.2 million per week to be directed towards food banks as SNAP benefits face termination, Mount Vernon police arrest man on suspicion of murder, Cleanup of Bellingham’s Walmart homeless encampment continues, reimbursement from property owner still unpaid, Residents of Bellingham neighborhood express concerns over planned development project, Environmentalist groups and City of Bellingham clash over means of waste disposal at Post Point water treatment plant, Blaine interim superintendent’s contract extended through 2027-28 school year
Independent, nonprofit community radio.
KMRE brings you local news for Wednesday, October, 30th. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: Disaster unfolds in Alaska, Whatcom County helps
A major disaster is unfolding in western Alaska, where the remnants of a typhoon have left thousands of people without homes.
Back-to-back storms have flattened remote villages, killed at least one person, and forced roughly 2,000 residents into shelters. Nearly 1,700 miles away in Ferndale, volunteer Sky Terry coordinates relief efforts with groups including Operation Airdrop and Mercy Volunteer Air Corps Northwest.
TERRY AUDIO 1
Terry warns the timing is critical, with Alaska’s harsh winter approaching, and FEMA is nowhere in sight.
TERRY AUDIO 2
A group of volunteer aviators called Operation Airdrop have been key to providing relief for the thousands affected in Alaska. The non-profit volunteers all have experience with airlifts of food and supplies after major disasters. And Terry says these relief efforts can also serve as training for potential disasters here in the Pacific Northwest, where residents could one day face similar challenges.
TERRY AUDIO 3
Terry emphasizes the message for western Washington: more help is needed by our neighbors to the north, and communities come together to support those in need, wherever disaster strikes.
TERRY AUDIO 4
STORY: Governor’s office orders $2.2 million per week to be directed towards food banks as SNAP benefits face termination
Governor Bob Ferguson has announced plans to provide over two million dollars of additional state support weekly to Washington’s food banks.
The initial transfer of funds will take place on November 3rd if, as expected, the Trump Administration suspends funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program this weekend.
Over 900,000 low-income residents of Washington—more than a tenth of the state’s population—rely on SNAP benefits to get sufficient food for themselves and their families. Rural regions, in particular, face daunting impacts from any loss of funding. 28 percent of Yakima County’s inhabitants, for example, receive SNAP assistance.
The federal government typically provides about $37 million dollars a week to Washington to support the program. However, SNAP funding is now at risk due to the ongoing government shutdown as well as cuts from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which slashed funding by about $187 billion and imposed new work requirements.
Meanwhile, Washington Attorney General Nick Brown announced Tuesday that he has joined 22 other state attorneys general and three governors in a lawsuit against the United States Department of Agriculture. The suit alleges that suspending the SNAP program is illegal.
In his statement, Ferguson expressed gratitude for the essential work of local food banks and pantries, and encouraged anyone who can to volunteer and donate.
STORY: Mount Vernon police arrest man on suspicion of murder
Mount Vernon police have arrested a 54-year-old man accused of killing another man near the Skagit River Bridge.
Officers responded to reports of a stabbing late Sunday morning on Riverside Drive and found 43-year-old Ryan Windfield with multiple stab wounds. Witnesses helped officers identify the suspect, who was taken into custody without incident. Police say the man claimed self-defense, but investigators recovered a blood-covered knife at the scene.
He was booked into the Skagit County Jail on probable cause of second-degree murder. A judge has set his bail at $1 million, with formal charges expected at his arraignment on Thursday.
STORY: Cleanup of Bellingham’s Walmart homeless encampment continues, reimbursement from property owner still unpaid
Nearly a year after the city of Bellingham began clearing one of Whatcom County’s largest homeless encampments, work still continues and officials say the property owner still hasn’t paid the bill.
The site, behind Walmart off East Stuart and Deemer Roads, had been home to dozens of unhoused people for more than a decade. The city first moved to clean the area in November 2024 after a court declared the property a public nuisance.
A Whatcom County judge later ordered owner Li-Ching Fang (LEE JING FONG) to reimburse the city more than $126,000 for abatement costs — money the city says it has yet to receive.
Deputy City Administrator Janice Keller says the second phase of cleanup began in mid-September. Crews have removed more than 30,000 pounds of waste so far. She says the project could ultimately take several years and cost up to $6 million.
STORY: Residents of Bellingham neighborhood express concerns over planned development project
In Bellingham’s Roosevelt neighborhood, a proposed housing development has stirred debate over growth and neighborhood character.
According to recent reporting by the Bellingham Herald, residents on St. Clair Street, a quiet dead-end off Alabama Street, say plans to add 18 new residential units threaten to upend the area’s peaceful, close-knit feel.
The 1.7-acre infill project would add nine homes, each with an accessory dwelling unit. The proposal is part of the city’s broader push for middle housing— smaller, more affordable homes such as duplexes, cottages, and townhouses — which is a key strategy to address Bellingham’s housing shortage.
The Roosevelt neighborhood already has more middle housing than any other area in Bellingham, accounting for about 42% of its housing stock. While neighbors say they support adding homes, some argue the changes are moving too fast, with little input from long-term homeowners.
City Planning Director Blake Lyon says the project aligns with state and local goals to increase housing options and make better use of existing infrastructure. Lyon also said that Bellingham has limited space to expand outward, so using properties within the city is essential to meeting the community’s increased housing demand.
STORY: Environmentalist groups and City of Bellingham clash over means of waste disposal at Post Point water treatment plant
Environmental groups have called on the City of Bellingham to stop burning waste at the Post Point wastewater treatment plant and consider landfills instead.
However, city officials say incineration remains the safest and most practical option for now. Post Point’s two incinerators, one 50 years old, are undergoing a $65 million emissions control upgrade, part of a decade-long effort to modernize the aging facility. The move follows years of debate over PFAS (P-F-A-S), or “forever chemicals,” which derailed earlier plans to convert biosolids into agricultural fertilizer.
The city recently received a notice of violation from the Northwest Clean Air Agency, but officials say they’re working toward resolution and remain committed to upgrading the plant to meet new environmental standards.
Groups like RE Sources, the Sierra Club, and the Whatcom Environmental Council argue the city is spending too much on outdated technology and should landfill the waste until cleaner solutions emerge. But, according to the Cascadia Daily News, Public Works Deputy Director Mike Olinger says alternatives like landfills could cost up to $70 million over ten years and require hauling waste across the state.
Olinger says the emissions project will move forward as directed by the City Council — while Bellingham continues to explore long-term solutions for its wastewater future.
STORY: Blaine interim superintendent’s contract extended through 2027-28 school year
The Blaine School Board has voted to extend interim superintendent Dan Chaplik’s contract through the 2027–28 school year.
Chaplik took over in July after former superintendent Chris Granger left for the Sultan School District. Within weeks, Chaplik paused a controversial plan to merge Blaine’s primary and elementary schools — a move that won support from many families.
At Monday’s School Board meeting, members praised his leadership, and cited noticeable improvements in district culture. While some raised concerns about the district’s changing budget outlook, the board ultimately voted unanimously to approve the contract extension.
Chaplik says he’s already identified $435,000 in additional revenue and remains focused on strengthening the district’s financial footing.
WX: Kryptonian gas station
And now for the weather:
Partial sunshine is expected to return today, after a brief period of morning showers. Expect daytime highs in the mid-50s, accompanied by winds of up to 27 miles per hour. More clouds will roll in as the day wears on, leaving us with a predominantly cloudy and chilly evening, and temperatures dropping to lows in the upper 30s.
We should get another day of partial sunshine tomorrow before the weekend’s atmospheric river hits. Make it count.
OUTRO:
Today’s newscast was produced by volunteers Carlos Braga (BRA-guh), Connor O’Boyle, Kyler Cantrell, Theron (THARE-un) Danielson, Glen Hirshberg (HERSH-berg), Kathi O’Shea (o-SHAY), Bella Mae, 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!
##
