Fatal crash on Boulevard, Two fugitives accused of evading authorities and vehicular assault arrested and identified, Bellingham man arrested following hit-and-run, Allegiant pilots picket outside BLI amid contract negotiations, Nearly 30 full-time positions set to be eliminated by new Bellingham city budget, most of them vacant, Everett man pleads guilty to assault, sentenced to three years in prison, City announces new Safe Place initiative, Salmon fishing on Skagit River closes for the year
Independent, nonprofit community radio.
KMRE brings you local news for Wednesday, November, 19. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
UPDATE: Fatal crash on Boulevard
Police say they have identified the victim of the fiery car crash on Boulevard last Saturday night.
The Whatcom County Medical Examiner’s Office says the victim is a 17-year-old male and ruled their death accidental. At the family’s request, his name is not being released.
STORY: Two fugitives accused of evading authorities and vehicular assault arrested and identified
A California man faces multiple felony charges after leading Bellingham Police on a high-speed chase earlier this month.
Officers arrested 40-year-old Paul Robert Schonhardt (SHONE-art) on November 6th, along with his girlfriend, 36-year-old Kristina Marie Kenna of Bellingham. Both were wanted on fugitive warrants out of California.
Schonhardt is charged with vehicular assault, hit-and-run with injury and attempting to elude police. His bail is set at $100,000. Kenna remains in custody awaiting extradition to California.
STORY: Bellingham man arrested following hit-and-run
A Bellingham man faces multiple charges after police say he struck a pedestrian in a crosswalk and then fled the scene.
Officers were called to East Holly Street and Railroad Avenue on Friday, where they found a pedestrian injured after being hit by a car. Police say the victim had the right of way, the driver failed to yield, paused briefly, then took off.
About 20 minutes later, officers located the 23-year-old suspect, who admitted he had been driving in the area. Police say he showed signs of impairment, including slurred speech and poor balance. He was arrested for hit-and-run with injury, vehicular assault, and processed for DUI after a court-ordered blood draw.
The driver is being held at the Whatcom County Jail on $25,000 bond. The pedestrian was taken to St. Joseph Medical Center in Bellingham with non-life-threatening injuries.
STORY: Allegiant pilots picket outside BLI amid contract negotiations
About 20 Allegiant Air pilots held an informational picket outside Bellingham International Airport Tuesday.
According to reporting by the Cascadia Daily News, the local effort is part of a nationwide push by their union who are in the middle of contract negotiations. The group included pilots based in Whatcom and Skagit counties, with some commuting from as far as Seattle. Staff from Delta and Alaska Airlines also joined in support.
Allegiant maintains it is negotiating in good faith, saying delays stem in part from turnover and restructuring within the pilots’ union, Teamsters Local 2118.
Allegiant also says it does not expect any service disruptions and that no work stoppage is imminent.
STORY: Nearly 30 full-time positions set to be eliminated by new Bellingham city budget, most of them vacant
The City of Bellingham says it is ready for major staffing cuts, with nearly 30 full-time positions slated for elimination.
Mayor Kim Lund says the reductions are painful but necessary as the city faces a projected $10 million general-fund deficit. Payroll accounts for nearly 70% of the budget, and compensation costs have risen more than 40% since 2022.
According to the City, Lund’s proposal cuts more than 40 positions and freezes eight others. While many are already vacant, about a dozen employees will be laid off, and several roles will disappear through attrition. Eliminated positions range from court and finance staff to library attendants, park ambassadors and IT workers.
Residents will see reduced access to city services — including less frequent park maintenance and Sunday closures at all Bellingham Public Library branches beginning December 14th. The fire department will lose an emergency management planning coordinator, which will leave just one full-time employee dedicated to disaster planning.
Bellingham isn’t alone; other nearby cities are also facing freezes and staff cuts. The City Council has approved initial readings of the budget, which sets 2026 spending at more than $388 million.
A final vote is scheduled for December 8th.
STORY: Everett man pleads guilty to assault, sentenced to three years in prison
An Everett man has been sentenced to three years in prison for stabbing a man during a fight in downtown Bellingham last June.
According to court records, eighteen-year-old Jose Juarez-Montez (HO-say WUAR-ez mon-TEZ) pleaded guilty to assault after he and a second suspect challenged a third person to a fight. The victim was stabbed twice in the back and hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.
At least one suspect was found near the scene with blood on his hands, according to previous reports.
A trial for the second 25-year-old suspect is scheduled for January.
STORY: City announces new Safe Place initiative
Bellingham has launched a new program to make it easier for victims of hate crimes to get help and report incidents.
According to a recent release, The Safe Place program starts today and allows people to enter businesses with a Safe Place™ sticker and ask staff to call 911 while they wait inside. The initiative is designed to help victims report hate crimes quickly so investigations can begin promptly.
Three local businesses are participating in the pilot program, and others are invited to join. Mayor Kim Lund emphasized the city’s commitment to being safe and welcoming for everyone.
The program was adopted from Seattle, where it began in 2015 to support victims of anti-LGBTQ+ crimes and bullying, and has since expanded to all hate crimes.
STORY: Salmon fishing on Skagit River closes for the year
Washington’s Department of Fish and Wildlife has announced the end of the recreational salmon fishing season for 2025 at both the Cascade and Skagit River fisheries, effective today.
According to the DFW website, current estimates suggest that the agency’s limit for harvestable coho salmon will be reached, which triggered the closure.
Fishing is now closed from the Skagit River mouth to the Marblemount Bridge, and from the Cascade River mouth to the Rockport-Cascade Road Bridge. This applies to all species of salmon, and is scheduled to last through January 31st, 2026.
Fishing for other game fish in accordance with current regulations is still allowed.
WX: Ho-hum, ho-hum, it’s back to gray we come
And now for the weather:
Expect partial sunshine today with some clouds. Temperatures will remain around 50 degrees. The evening should be marginally warmer than last night, with lows hovering around the mid-40s.
A chance of showers late at night is expected to give way to 40% chance of rain, with some sun breaks and a high near 54 degrees.
OUTRO:
Today’s newscast was produced by volunteers Carlos Braga (BRA-guh), Connor O’Boyle, Kyler Cantrell, 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!
##
