Man arrested following reported child sexual assault at PeaceHealth St. Joseph’s, Bellingham Public Schools task force recommends closing two elementary schools, Ron Judd fired at Cascadia Daily News, Man wanted by WSP for vehicular homicide for nearly a decade found dead in Guatemala, BPD wins grant, Stretch of Mount Baker Highway leading to Artist Point reportedly nearly clear, Squalicum plays host to first cross-high school robotics competition since 2019, Judge rules federal government wrongfully withheld $4 million grant under DOGE, Freeman and Cheadle, Community conversation in Van Zandt, Intercultural Dance Day comes to Bellingham, Downtown Sounds releases summer lineup
Independent, nonprofit community radio.
KMRE brings you local news for Friday, May 29. Good afternoon, I’m Tamara.
STORY: Man arrested following reported child sexual assault at PeaceHealth St. Joseph’s
A man was arrested after he allegedly sexually assaulted a child at St. Joseph Medical Center earlier this month.
Court documents say the child, who was a patient at the hospital, was waiting to use a restroom when the 37-year-old suspect allegedly grabbed the victim and assaulted them inside.
Investigators say the child was assaulted a second time after returning to that restroom. Hospital staff intervened after a nurse knocked on the restroom door, and police later took the suspect into custody.
He’s currently being held in the Whatcom County Jail without bail, and has been ordered to undergo a competency evaluation.
STORY: Bellingham Public Schools task force recommends closing two elementary schools
A Bellingham Public Schools task force has recommended the closure of two elementary schools.
The task force yesterday identified Carl Cozier and Columbia elementary schools as candidates for closure beginning in the 2027-2028 school year. School officials say no final decisions have been made, and that all schools will remain open next year.
Enrollment is projected to drop by about one-thousand elementary students over the next decade, largely due to declining birth rates. The task force says consolidating schools could save the district up to one-and-a-half million dollars annually per school, allowing for more resources, specialists, and programs at remaining campuses.
The proposal, however, has sparked opposition from many parents and community members. Critics argue the district should consider other strategies before taking the drastic step of closing schools.
The task force also recommends the district repurpose the buildings rather than selling them, and continue plans to rebuild Roosevelt Elementary using funds from a 2022 voter-approved bond.
The board is expected to consider the recommendations in the months ahead.
STORY: Ron Judd fired at Cascadia Daily News
There’s been a major leadership shake-up at Cascadia Daily News.
CDN reports that executive editor Ron Judd was fired Wednesday after what he called “irreconcilable differences with ownership.” Judd had led the Bellingham-based publication since its launch in 2022.
Publisher Cynthia Pope says the split centered on the future direction of the company, including a new quarterly magazine that ownership sees as key to long-term financial stability. Newsroom leaders described the firing as sudden and shocking.
Judd, a longtime Seattle Times journalist, said he remains proud of the newsroom’s “tough, aggressive, fiercely independent reporting.”
STORY: Man wanted by WSP for vehicular homicide for nearly a decade found dead in Guatemala
A man wanted for years in connection with a deadly Whatcom County crash is now himself dead.
Luciano Ailon-Garcia fled to Guatemala after allegedly causing a 2016 high-speed crash that killed passenger Georgianna James and seriously injured another person. According to a Facebook post by the Washington State Patrol, authorities recently confirmed Ailon-Garcia’s death and notified James’ family.
The State Patrol says they hope the update brings some measure of closure. According to their Facebook post, the case reflects its ongoing commitment to pursuing justice, regardless of how much time has passed.
STORY: BPD wins grant
The Bellingham Police Department will get a major boost in funding.
City officials announced BPD has been awarded 3-point-7 million dollars through Washington state’s Public Safety Funding Program. According to the City, the money will help restore frozen officer positions, expand the Alternative Response Team, and support domestic violence and sexual assault services.
The grant will also fund new dashcams for patrol cars, a “Drone as First Responder” program, and new technology aimed at making pursuits safer. Police leaders say the investment will improve staffing, transparency, and emergency response across the city.
STORY: Stretch of Mount Baker Highway leading to Artist Point reportedly nearly clear
State crews are working to reopen the final stretch of the Mount Baker Highway to Artist Point— almost a week early.
The Washington State Department of Transportation says plow crews have begun clearing the last several miles of roadway, where snow drifts as deep as 20 feet still cover the road and parking lot.
The steep and narrow section beyond Heather Meadows closes each winter for safety, with the final push to Artist Point happening each spring. There’s no official reopening date yet. Last year, crews began clearing the route in early June; the road reopened on June 27th.
Artist Point draws thousands of visitors each summer, with hundreds of vehicles traveling the route daily.
STORY: Squalicum plays host to first cross-high school robotics competition since 2019
Robots were rolling, stacking, and racing Thursday as students from across Bellingham Public Schools competed in the district’s first cross-high school robotics competition since 2019.
Held at Squalicum High School, the VEX IQ Robotics Competition brought together 36 student teams from applied mechanics classes. Students designed and built their own robots, then put them to the test on a game board where teams scored points by stacking and moving pins.
Teachers say the event was designed to give students hands-on engineering experience while encouraging teamwork and creativity.
Bellingham robotics teams have gone on to compete nationally and internationally, including at the recent VEX Robotics World Championship, where a Squalicum student team placed fourth in its division.
STORY: Judge rules federal government wrongfully withheld $4 million grant under DOGE
A federal judge in Seattle has ruled the Trump administration illegally cut four million dollars in migrant aid funding for Washington state.
The FEMA grant was meant to help provide shelter, food, medical care and hygiene services for migrants arriving in places like Seattle and Tukwila. The administration canceled the funding earlier this year, claiming without evidence the money could support illegal activity.
But U.S. District Judge Barbara Rothstein (ROTH-steen) called the move “arbitrary and capricious,” saying the government failed to justify eliminating the congressionally approved program.
The ruling restores Washington’s ability to seek reimbursement for migrant services, though FEMA still has to approve individual requests.
STORY: Freeman and Cheadle
It’s Friday – if you’re looking for something free or cheap to do this weekend, here’s a bit of what’s going on around the county.
The Shoestring Circus opens today under the big top on Bellingham’s waterfront, bringing aerialists, acrobats and comedy acts to town through mid-June.
The Whatcom Youth Pride Parade is back tomorrow at 11 a.m. Families will be cheering on youth along the parade route which starts at Halleck Street and winds through downtown.
Saturday night, the Bellingham Roller Betties host their season championship at Lynden Skateway, with roller derby action, food, drinks and a bake sale on tap.
Then on Sunday, downtown Bellingham hosts the Rad Bites and Block Party, featuring food and drink from more than a dozen local restaurants and breweries along Railroad Avenue, plus live outdoor music.
Baseball fans can also head to Kulshan Brewery’s Trackside location Sunday afternoon for the Bellingham Bells season kickoff fundraiser.
WX: Fridays-appointment
And now for the weather:
We cap off a beautiful, sun-filled week with, what else, a day of clouds. Highs today are projected in the mid 60s. Cloudy skies should stick around this evening with possible gusty winds, with temperatures dropping to the upper 40s.
Your weekend weather looks cloudy until Sunday, when we can expect the sun to make another appearance. Temperatures will be roughly the same over the weekend, but expect a boost in temps starting Monday, with some meteorologists calling for highs in the 80s on Tuesday. But…it’s still spring, so anything could happen.
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 Tamara… thanks for listening!
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STORY: Community conversation in Van Zandt
Whatcom County has announced they will host a community conversation with Council members Jessica Rienstra and Jon Scanlon.
Part of the council’s Community Conversations series, the public meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, June 10th from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Van Zandt Community Hall. County officials say the event is intended to give residents a chance to connect with council members and discuss local issues.
Officials also noted that a quorum of the County Council will not be present and no formal action will be taken during the event.
STORY: Intercultural Dance Day comes to Bellingham
A new cultural celebration is coming to Bellingham.
Intercultural Dance Day will take place June 14th at Fisherman’s Pavilion at Zuanich Point Park, featuring live music and dance performances, cultural booths, local artists, food trucks, and family activities.
The free event is presented by ANJ Dance Project and aims to bring people together through shared cultural experiences.
Organizers say the event is designed to promote connection and belonging in the community while supporting local artists and intercultural programming.
The celebration runs from noon to 3 p.m.
STORY: Downtown Sounds releases summer lineup
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