Details released in weekend murder arrest of Bellingham woman, Sedro-Woolley man arrested in Bellingham on suspicion of hate crime, Fatal Axton Road crash victim identified, Federal judge dismisses request to override previous changes to WA legislative districting maps, Another levy lid lift is on the ballot in north county, I-5 ramp closures this week, Amtrak AIRO trainset begins final phase of testing, service along Cascades route to begin later this year, Theo Angelis formally sworn into WA State Supreme Court, Health officials say risk is low for hantavirus
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KMRE brings you local news for Tuesday, May, 19. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
UPDATE: Details released in weekend murder arrest of Bellingham woman
A Bellingham mother has been charged with domestic violence and the attempted murder of her 4-year-old child.
Records indicate that state officers flocked to Lisa Lane last Saturday afternoon after receiving two 911 calls. One of these calls came from the woman’s older child, who called from a neighbor’s house.
Police found the woman partially clothed, covered in blood, and sitting in a flower bush across the street from her home. The 4-year-old had bruises on his neck and 15 superficial cuts, one of which required stitches. Both children were taken to St. Joseph Medical Center.
While in custody, the woman told police that she wanted to give the child sleeping pills, but was unable to find them. She also said she had taken hallucinogenic mushrooms in the days before the incident.
STORY: Sedro-Woolley man arrested in Bellingham on suspicion of hate crime
Police arrested a 24-year-old man in Bellingham on Sunday on suspicion of hate crime and assault.
Bellingham Police Lieutenant Claudia Murphy said the suspect allegedly used homophobic slurs during an argument with another person on East Chestnut Street early that morning.
UPDATE: Fatal Axton Road crash victim identified
The victim of a fatal crash on Axton Road early Thursday has been identified.
The Whatcom County Medical Examiner’s Office says that 61-year-old Mark Holmquist of Lynden was pronounced dead at the scene. Holmquist’s cause of death is yet to be determined by a forensic pathologist.
The other driver involved in the crash, 28-year-old Dale Alderman Jr., made his first appearance in Whatcom County Superior Court on Friday. He remains in custody at the Whatcom County Jail on a bond of $500,000.
UPDATE: Federal judge dismisses request to override previous changes to WA legislative districting maps
A federal judge dismissed a request yesterday to override changes he himself had approved for Washington’s legislative maps.
The changes, which were approved two years ago, will give a greater voice to Latino voters in Yakima Valley.
Opponents to the changes argue against the consideration of race in drawing up legislative maps. They are waiting to see if the Supreme Court will weigh in.
STORY: Another levy lid lift is on the ballot in north county Voters in northern Whatcom County will decide this August whether to approve a levy lid lift for Whatcom County Fire District One.
The district serves Deming, Everson, Nooksack, and the Nooksack Indian Tribe, responding to about 1,200 emergency calls a year — a 60 percent increase over the past decade.
Commissioners say the measure would restore the fire levy rate from its current one dollar and 12 cents to one dollar and 48 cents per thousand dollars of assessed property value beginning in 2027.
District leaders say the funding would support emergency medical response, firefighter staffing, equipment, training, and station operations.
STORY: I-5 ramp closures this week
Motorists should plan for several overnight ramp closures and daytime delays on Interstate 5 this week.
The Washington State Department of Transportation says the Meridian Street on-ramp to northbound I-5 will close from 9:30 tonight until 5 a.m.
tomorrow morning. The Lakeway Drive on-ramp to southbound I-5 will also close overnight Wednesday into Thursday.
Meanwhile, near Alger and Lake Samish Road, both directions of I-5 are reduced to a single lane for fish passage construction through Friday afternoon. Drivers should expect delays and may want to consider alternate routes like Chuckanut Drive or State Route 9.
Additional shoulder mowing and lane closures are also scheduled this week near Birch Bay, Ferndale, and Samish Way.
STORY: Lummi Island ferry out overnight
The Lummi Island ferry is out of service once again.
Service was suspended yesterday afternoon due to an issue with equipment at the Gooseberry Point dock. County officials provided a limited passenger-only trip for schoolchildren.
By evening, the Whatcom County Public Works Ferry Division said the Whatcom Chief was out of service. There is no estimate for when operations might resume.
Travelers are encouraged to plan ahead and check for service updates before heading to the terminal. County officials were expected to provide an update by 2pm today.
STORY: Amtrak AIRO trainset begins final phase of testing, service along Cascades route to begin later this year
Final testing will begin soon for the brand new Amtrak trains serving the Cascades route.
The first of eight Airo trainsets arrived in Seattle on Sunday. The new trains are scheduled to begin services later this year; according to Amtrak, they will offer improved passenger comfort and fewer emissions.
They will not, however, be running in time for the World Cup, and there is no mention of reduced travel time.
STORY: Theo Angelis formally sworn into WA State Supreme Court Washington’s Supreme Court swore in a new justice yesterday.
Theo Angelis is replacing the retiring Barbara Madsen. He has previously worked in private practice at K&L Gates in Seattle.
STORY: Health officials say risk is low for hantavirus Washington health officials say the public faces a low risk of exposure to the rare Andes strain of hantavirus.
The incident is linked to an outbreak on the Dutch cruise ship MV Hondius in South America. Several passengers became ill during a voyage from Argentina to Spain’s Canary Islands. At least three European passengers died.
Six Washington residents are being monitored for the disease; four of them are from King County. Health officials say all six remained symptom-free as of yesterday; one is quarantined at a federal facility in Nebraska, while three others were exposed to a sick passenger during an international flight. Health officials say symptoms may take up to six weeks to appear.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says 41 people nationwide are being monitored for possible exposure. Officials stress the Andes strain is the only known hantavirus capable of spreading person-to-person, though transmission is considered rare.
WX: A forecaste moste gris-ly
And now for the weather:
Forecasts today are calling for consistently overcast skies and highs in the mid-60s, with little-to-no change across the afternoon. The clouds should carry on throughout the evening as well, while the evening will bring temperatures down to lows in the upper-40s.
Expect tomorrow to be mostly cloudy too, though we may see some partial sunshine as well.
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), 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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