Naval ordnance shoots down drone over Whidbey Island, Sedro-Woolley mayor announces forthcoming resignation, Everson police arrests suspect in hit-and-run, Ferndale police arrests suspect in armed robbery, Whatcom man arrested on suspicion of assault with an axe, AG’s office files lawsuit against multiple companies alleging involvement in unlicensed casino apps, Lawmaker pushes for help for ag families in crisis, Millionaires tax moves forward despite ban on income tax, Accused National Guard shooter pleads not guilty
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KMRE brings you local news for Thursday, February, 5. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: Naval ordnance shoots down drone over Whidbey Island
Naval ordnance shot down a drone on Tuesday at Whidbey Island Naval Air Station.
According to reporting from KIRO News 7, a U.S. Navy spokesman said the drone operator was revealed to be a reservist on temporary duty with his unit conducting training. During a break, he began flying the drone, which allegedly violated base regulations.
After the drone was spotted shortly after 1 p.m., defense systems at the base shot down the drone, and personnel were able to determine that the drone did not pose any immediate threats.
STORY: Sedro-Woolley mayor announces forthcoming resignation
Sedro-Wooley mayor Julia Johnson will resign on April 3rd.
According to Cascadia Daily News says they obtained a copy of an email sent to city officials. The email cites unforeseen family and personal circumstances as reasons for taking the early exit. Her term runs until November 28. Johnson served from 2018 and led the city through COVID-19 and 2 catastrophic floods.
The city council will have 90 days to appoint a new mayor. According to the Skagit Valley Herald, Nick Lavacca is the mayor pro-tem, a position which qualifies him to serve until a replacement is found.
Johnson wrote ‘she was so grateful for this opportunity to serve this wonderful community’.
STORY: Everson police arrests suspect in hit-and-run
An Everson woman remains in jail following a hit-and-run that seriously injured an elderly pedestrian.
Police say an 87-year-old woman was struck by a black SUV in a parking lot on East Main Street just before one o’clock December seventeenth. Witnesses report the driver fled the scene.
Security video helped deputies identify the suspect, forty-year-old Shranden Toquitno-Carpenter (to-KEET-no CAR-pen-ter), who was arrested the next day.
She’s charged with vehicular assault and hit-and-run with injury and is being held on sixty-five-thousand dollars bail.
STORY: Ferndale police arrests suspect in armed robbery
Ferndale Police responded to a reported armed robbery Tuesday night.
Officers quickly set up a perimeter in the 5600 block of Eagle Parkway after reports the suspect was armed with a handgun. A K-9 unit and drone were used to track down the suspect in a multi-agency search that lasted until about 9 p.m. An additional, possibly related incident was reported near Fourth Avenue and Main Street.
An 18-year-old man was later booked into the Whatcom County Jail, and now faces charges which include first-degree robbery, unlawful possession of a firearm, and theft.
STORY: Whatcom man arrested on suspicion of assault with an axe
A Ferndale man is in custody after an early-morning ax attack on a neighbor.
Whatcom County deputies say a forty-six-year-old man broke into a home on Lattimore (LAT-uh-more) Road around three-thirty Tuesday morning and began swinging an ax at the homeowner.
The victim was able to block the attack but suffered a minor cut to his arm. Authorities say the suspect then grabbed a knife and continued threatening the neighbor.
The man was arrested later that morning and booked into Whatcom County Jail on suspicion of first-degree assault and burglary. He’s being held without bail and has not yet been formally charged.
STORY: AG’s office files lawsuit against multiple companies alleging involvement in unlicensed casino apps
Washington Attorney General Nick Brown filed a lawsuit against several companies over their involvement in unlicensed gambling apps.
The lawsuit alleges that the companies have violated the Gambling Act and the Consumer Protection Act over their deceptive practices that reportedly target children, such as associated YouTube channels that produce what resembles children’s television.
According to a press release from the Attorney General’s office, the apps named in the lawsuit have reportedly made 225 million dollars off of Washingtonians since September 2020.
The AG’s office says it hopes the lawsuit will recover all of this money.
STORY: Lawmaker pushes for help for ag families in crisis
A longtime Eastern Washington lawmaker says mental health challenges in agriculture are reaching crisis levels.
SCHMICK AUDIO 1: “Agriculture suicide is three times the rate than it is in the general populace, and with all the stressors right now in agriculture, I am really worried for our ag folks.”
Rep. Joe Schmick, a Republican from Colfax who serves on the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee, says as financial and regulatory pressures mount on farm families, many rural residents personally know someone affected.
He’s working with others on expanding an agriculture-specific mental health hotline staffed by people who understand farm life and its pressures.
SCHMICK AUDIO 2: “We’re talking about saving lives and that’s the important thing here, to help these folks.”
Schmick says making help available around the clock could make the difference for families under extraordinary stress.
STORY: Millionaires tax moves forward despite ban on income tax
Washington state Democrats are moving forward with a proposed tax on millionaires — despite a state ban on income tax.
Lawmakers passed an income tax ban in 2024, but because the Legislature enacted it themselves — instead of it being approved by voters — Democrats can now change or repeal the ban with a simple majority.
This week, Democratic leaders introduced a bill to impose a 9.9 percent tax on income over one million dollars, directly amending that ban.
Republicans argue the move undermines Washington’s initiative process and accuse Democrats of laying the groundwork to expand the tax later.
Democrats say the goal was to preserve flexibility — not to target more taxpayers — and to protect existing taxes from legal challenges.
The proposal is expected to spark a major partisan fight in Olympia this session.
UPDATE: Accused National Guard shooter pleads not guilty
A Bellingham man accused of fatally shooting a National Guard member in Washington, D.C., has pleaded not guilty in federal court.
Rahmanullah Lakanwal (Ra-ma-NOO-lah LOK-an-wall) faces multiple federal and local charges in the November shooting that killed Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom and injured Air Force Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe. Prosecutors say Lakanwal drove from Bellingham to D.C. with a handgun before the attack. While the case has been moved to federal court, prosecutors say they are not currently seeking the death penalty.
Lakanwal is due back in court in May.
WX: Febrûléery
And now for the weather:
We’re in for another day of warm sunshine today, with predominantly clear skies and highs in the mid-upper 50s. This evening we may see a touch more cloud cover, though our nighttime skies should still be mostly clear. Evening lows are projected in the mid-30s.
We’ll close the week out tomorrow with one last day in the sun, before some overnight rain sets a more subdued tone for the weekend.
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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