Former Whatcom County firefighter files harassment lawsuit, WCHCS issues health advisory on medetomidine, A powerful veterinary sedative has been detected in the local fentanyl supply, Today marks beginning of closure of Old Samish Road for remainder of the year, New state grant brings proposed housing project in Ferndale closer to fruition, $8.2 million lottery ticket reportedly still unclaimed, FEMA denies WA’s request for flooding preparation funding, AG Brown files lawsuit against three major grocery chains, Amtrak Cascades looks to add more cars per train while keeping same rate of service
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KMRE brings you local news for Monday, April, 27. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: Former Whatcom County firefighter files harassment lawsuit
A former firefighter with Whatcom County Fire District 7 is suing the agency in federal court.
In a complaint filed last Thursday, Sheena Radder claims she endured near-weekly harassment for over a decade, including lewd comments and inappropriate behavior at the Ferndale firehouse where she served for 17 years and rose to acting captain.
The lawsuit alleges that Radder faced retaliation after reporting the behavior — she lost shifts, was reassigned, and was also denied a promotion. An internal investigation later confirmed harassment by two managers, but the complaint says neither faced meaningful consequences.
Fire Chief Ben Boyko says the district takes such claims seriously; however, he disputes the allegations and says the district plans to defend itself in court.
Radder, who resigned in 2024, is seeking damages for lost wages, emotional harm, and legal fees.
STORY: WCHCS issues health advisory on medetomidine
A powerful veterinary sedative has been detected in the local fentanyl supply.
Whatcom County Health and Community Services has issued a public health advisory after it says medetomidine (meh-tuh-TOE-mu-deen) — a non-opioid sedative — recently appeared in illicit drugs in the region. Similar findings have occurred in cities across North America.
Health officials warn the drug may cause extreme sedation, slowed heart rate, and low blood pressure — it is also more potent than xylazine (ZIE-luh-zeen), another substance increasingly found in street drugs.
Because medetomidine is not an opioid, naloxone will not reverse its effects. However, officials still urge its use in suspected overdoses to counteract any opioids present, along with rescue breathing and oxygen when possible.
STORY: Today marks beginning of closure of Old Samish Road for remainder of the year
Drivers in south Bellingham should plan ahead for a major, long-term road closure starting this week.
WSDOT (wash-DOT) says both directions of Old Samish Road near Chuckanut Creek have been closed through the end of the year. The closure will allow crews to build a temporary bypass for Interstate 5 traffic while a fish barrier under the highway is removed. Local access will still be allowed, but through traffic will need to find alternate routes.
Meanwhile, nighttime drivers on I-5 in Bellingham can expect delays today and tomorrow, with lane reductions between Samish Way and Meridian Street from 8 p.m. to 2:30 a.m.
Additional overnight lane closures will continue south of the city for ongoing fish passage work.
STORY: New state grant brings proposed housing project in Ferndale closer to fruition
A new affordable housing development in Whatcom County is moving closer to reality.
Thornton Village, a planned 46-home community in Ferndale, has received 8 million dollars from Washington’s capital budget to support infrastructure and site preparation. The project, led by Kulshan Community Land Trust in partnership with Whatcom County and the city of Ferndale, builds on earlier federal relief funding used to purchase the land.
Organizers say the development is designed to provide long-term affordable homeownership for working families — including teachers, healthcare workers, and tradespeople.
Homes will be income-restricted and remain affordable for future buyers, with construction still dependent on securing additional funding.
STORY: $8.2 million lottery ticket reportedly still unclaimed
Lottery officials say they are still searching for the winner of an 8.2 million dollar ticket sold in Bellingham.
The Washington Lottery says the winning numbers from the January 31st drawing are 3, 4, 6, 35, 41, and 48. The ticket was purchased at an ARCO gas station on Meridian Street.
So far, no one has come forward to claim the prize. The store that sold the ticket will receive an 82-thousand dollar bonus.
The deadline to claim the winnings is July 30th. Officials say the winner will need to contact a lottery office — with the nearest location in Everett — to begin the claims process.
STORY: Gas prices up again in WA
Gas prices are climbing again in Washington.
According to GasBuddy, prices have jumped more than nine cents in the past week, pushing the statewide average to $5.41 a gallon. Prices are up ten cents from a month ago and more than a dollar higher than this time last year.
In Whatcom County, the average is about $5.31 — with prices running from roughly $4.95 to $5.99 per gallon.
Statewide, the cheapest gas yesterday was $4.06 and the highest hit $6.59. Nationally, the average rose to $4.04 a gallon, while diesel dipped slightly to $5.40.
STORY: FEMA denies WA’s request for flooding preparation funding
The Trump administration has denied Washington state’s request for flood preparation funding.
In a letter from FEMA, officials said hazard mitigation grants were “not warranted,” and offered little explanation. The state now has 30 days to appeal the decision.
The denial comes after December’s flooding forced more than 100-thousand people to evacuate and damaged nearly 4-thousand homes statewide.
While the federal government has approved aid for recovery efforts, state leaders say mitigation funding is critical to prevent future disasters.
In an announcement, U.S. Representative Rick Larsen called the decision “unacceptable,” saying the focus should be on helping communities survive the next flood—not just recover from the last one.
The state had been seeking tens of millions of dollars for projects like floodwalls and other protective infrastructure.
STORY: AG Brown files lawsuit against three major grocery chains
Washington’s Attorney General is taking three major grocery chains to court.
The lawsuit, filed today by Attorney General Nick Brown, targets Albertsons Companies — the parent of Safeway, Albertsons, and Haggen. Brown alleges the chains inflated prices on items like bread, cereal, produce, and olive oil in the weeks leading up to “buy one, get one free” promotions, then dropped the prices once the deals ended.
In one example, an Albertsons in Gig Harbor raised a bottle of olive oil from $6.99 to $10.99 for a BOGO sale, then lowered it back afterward.
The Attorney General’s Office says more than 3 million transactions were affected between 2019 and 2024, generating up to $19.7 million in extra revenue. Brown is asking the court to halt the practice, order restitution for shoppers, and impose civil penalties.
STORY: Amtrak Cascades looks to add more cars per train while keeping same rate of service
Regional rail fans have one more reason to be excited— new Amtrak Cascades trains are on the way.
A total of eight new trainsets and two locomotives are on order to serve routes between Seattle, Portland, and Vancouver, B.C. So far, two trainsets and one locomotive have been completed and are now undergoing extensive testing.
The new trains feature a modern Northwest-inspired design, with more than 300 seats, panoramic windows, upgraded Wi-Fi, and improved accessibility.
Testing is taking place both at national facilities and along the East Coast, where tracks allow for faster scheduling. Additional testing will happen in the Northwest before passengers are welcomed onboard.
No official launch date has been announced yet.
WX: Sun Day, part deux
And now for the weather:
Expect today to look a little cloudier than the weekend, but we’ll still see the sun. Highs today should still hover around the mid-60s. Expect the partially overcast skies to linger around throughout the evening, as nighttime temperatures drop to lows in the mid-low 40s.
Tomorrow, expect even more cloud cover— along with a slight chance of some morning 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), Kai Blais-Schmolke (KAI BLAZE-SHMOLE-kee), Kieran (KEAR-un) Dang, Bella Farris, and Jenny Lam. 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, or Substack, or visit kmre.org and click on the banner. I’m _________… thanks for listening!
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UPCOMING FREE/CHEAP:
Residents of Whatcom County can safely and responsibly dispose of old or leftover household paint at a Free Paint Collection & Recycling Event. The event will take place on Saturday, May 2, in Lynden. https://www.whatcomcounty.us//CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=5453
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