Haxton Way briefly closed after motorcycle-vehicle crash causes serious injury, Bloodworks Northwest declares “Code Red” emergency shortage, Bellingham activists pressure Hilton Hotels to stop housing ICE agents, Flood repairs begin on SR 20 after nearly a month of closures, Anacortes hospital seeks “critical access” status to avoid federal budget cuts, Community Forum on South Fork Nooksack River Scheduled for January 27, AG’s office says WA SNAP data holder will not turn info over to immigration enforcement, Bipartisan coalition demands action against GROK, Legislature looks to reign in data centers
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KMRE brings you local news for Monday, Jan, 26. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: Haxton Way briefly closed after motorcycle-vehicle crash causes serious injury
First responders were called to a serious motorcycle-versus-vehicle crash on Haxton Way Friday afternoon.
Deputies say the collision happened around 4:45 in the 4800 block. The road was shut down in both directions for several hours while crews worked the scene, with detours in place. Haxton Way reopened around 9 p.m.
No word yet on the drivers, but there was at least one serious injury reported.
STORY: Bloodworks Northwest declares “Code Red” emergency shortage
Washington’s blood supply is running on fumes.
Bloodworks Northwest has declared a Code Red emergency as patient need continues to outpace donations across the state. Hospitals are operating with dangerously low reserves, and officials say they need about a thousand donors every day to keep up with cancer treatments, trauma care, and birth-related transfusions.
The American Red Cross is also urging donors nationwide, warning that winter storms are disrupting blood drives and tightening supplies even further. Healthy donors—especially Type O and platelet donors—are encouraged to book an appointment soon.
You can make an appointment at BloodworksNW.org.
STORY: Bellingham activists pressure Hilton Hotels to stop housing ICE agents
Dozens of protestors gathered at the Hampton Inn Bellingham Airport on Friday, where U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents were believed to be staying.
According to reporting by the Bellingham Herald, protesters delivered a letter to the front desk, demanding that Hilton Hotels “commit to not accommodating any ICE personnel in any of their facilities.”
They were also able to reach Regional Manager Craig Schultz by phone. Schultz told protesters that he would pass on their request to higher management.
The protest against Hampton Inn Bellingham Airport comes amid growing national outcry following the deaths of American citizens Renée Good and Alex Pretti at the hands of federal agents in Minneapolis earlier this month.
STORY: Flood repairs begin on SR 20 after nearly a month of closures
The Washington Department of Transportation has started repairs of State Route 20 east of Marblemount on Friday.
The December 12th flooding left widespread damage to the road, and the damage is not only near Marblemount. WSDOT (WASH-dot) says many parts of the road beyond Marblemount are in disrepair. Winter recreationists use the road for snowmobiling and snowshoeing. However, the Department advises against all access until the road is repaired.
Currently, Highway 20, also known as the North Cascades Highway, is closed because of avalanche danger. Highway 20 serves as the access point to many trails, campgrounds, lakes and climbing areas.
The D.O.T. (DEE OH TEE) plans to spend a month repairing the road, which usually closes in early fall and reopens in early spring. However, they say it will take longer this year, as they will also need to clear snow before they will be able to fully reopen the road.
STORY: Anacortes hospital seeks “critical access” status to avoid federal budget cuts
An Anacortes hospital has asked to be redesignated as a “critical access hospital” in response to financial struggles.
According to Island Health officials who presented at a recent public hearing in the state legislature, the federal critical access hospital program allows rural hospitals to receive cost-based Medicare reimbursements and would move away from the current fixed fee reimbursement schedule.
Island Health leadership wants the exemptions included in the current state and federal legislative sessions so that the hospital can apply for critical access status next year.
If it doesn’t get the designation, leadership says the hospital may have to cut services across its three primary care clinics, a walk-in clinic, and seven specialty clinics.
STORY: Community Forum on South Fork Nooksack River Scheduled for January 27
The Lummi Nation and Nooksack Indian Tribe will hold a community forum focused on the South Fork Nooksack River.
The event will take place tomorrow from 4–7 p.m. at the Rome Grange on Mt. Baker Highway, and local residents, landowners, and partner organizations are invited. Attendees can learn about salmon recovery efforts, flood management strategies, and ongoing river restoration projects.
According to a recent release, the forum offers an opportunity to meet the people leading these initiatives, ask questions, and join discussions about the river’s future. Refreshments and raffle prizes will be available.
STORY: AG’s office says WA SNAP data holder will not turn info over to immigration enforcement
Washington Attorney General Nick Brown has announced an agreement with a key administrative vendor to protect the data of SNAP users.
Last July, Brown filed a lawsuit against Fidelity Information Services, which distributes SNAP benefits in the state, to prevent the disclosure of personal information to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Fidelity had suggested that it might comply with federal government requests for private data for immigration enforcement purposes.
Under the agreement posted this weekend, both Washington’s Department of Health & Services and Fidelity have reaffirmed their contractual obligations not to disclose beneficiaries’ private information.
Brown has pursued a number of actions to limit or block similar Trump administration demands. In October, he was part of a multi-state coalition that won a preliminary injunction which stopped the USDA from accessing private data on SNAP beneficiaries. The coalition filed a new motion this month with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California to seek enforcement of that injunction.
STORY: Bipartisan coalition demands action against GROK
Washington Attorney General Nick Brown has joined a bipartisan coalition of 35 attorneys general demanding action from xAI over its AI chatbot Grok.
The group says the chatbot has been used to generate nonconsensual sexual images and child sexual abuse material, fueling harassment and exploitation. Brown says tech companies cannot be allowed to create tools that enable this kind of harm and illegal activity. The attorneys general say they want safeguards to stop the content, remove material already created, take action against users who generate it, and give people control over whether their images and content can be altered by AI.
STORY: Legislature looks to reign in data centers
Washington lawmakers are moving to rein in the rapidly growing data center industry.
Citing growing strains on the state’s power supply and electric grid, State Senator Sharon Shewmake of Bellingham says the growth is coming and the state needs to be prepared. A new package of bills working their way through the legislature would raise electric rates for data centers, require new reporting on energy and water use, and make them among the first customers cut during power shortages. Opponents warn the regulations could drive jobs and investment out of Washington.
The bills have cleared public hearings but have not yet gone to a vote.
WX: Hi ho, my sun is dead.
And now for the weather:
It looks as if our little oasis of January sunshine may be behind us, as today kicks off a streak of cloudier weather. Expect temperatures to remain somewhat consistent, as today’s highs should hover around the mid-40s. The evening will be slightly warmer but we’ll still see brisk lows right around freezing.
Tomorrow, expect things to warm up a good deal, with temperatures between the low 40s and 50s, alongside a little bit of midnight rain.
OUTRO:
Today’s newscast was produced by volunteers Carlos Braga (BRAH-guh), Connor O’Boyle, Kyler Cantrell, Glen Hirshberg (HERSH-berg), Kathi O’Shea (o-SHAY), Austin Wright, Tyler Warne, 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. To help support our work, check out our Patreon, Substack, or visit kmre.org and click on the banner. I’m _________, and thanks for listening!
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