July 9, 2026 News Transcript

Both directions of I-5 near Alger to drop down to one lane of traffic beginning tonight, WCSO seeking information on whereabouts of missing hiker, Bellingham rock distributed on Saturday, Over 150 pounds of trash removed from Locust Beach following Fourth of July, Fire in North Cascades swells to over seven acres, County, State Dept. of Financial Institutions names new deputy director, State Superintendent proposes mandatory post-high school preparation courses Wildlife crossing at Snoqualmie sees milestone

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KMRE brings you local news for Thursday, July, 9. Good afternoon, I’m ______.

STORY: Both directions of I-5 near Alger to drop down to one lane of traffic beginning tonight

Starting tonight, both directions of I-5 near Alger (AL-jer) will drop down to one lane of traffic.

North and southbound I-5 will each be reduced to a single lane at 8 p.m. tonight for the next 15 days near the Alger-Lake Samish Road exits.

This closure is part of the long-term construction project aimed at restoring fish passages underneath the freeway. By 2030, WASH-DOT will provide nearly 5 miles of new stream habitat for salmon and other aquatic wildlife.

WASH-DOT says drivers should expect slowdowns as crossover lanes are established for the construction. Commercial trucks can detour to State Route 9, while passenger vehicles can use either State Route 9 or Chuckanut Drive.

The southbound Alger-Lake Samish exit will remain closed until August 3rd. All I-5 lanes are scheduled to reopen by July 25th.

STORY: WCSO seeking information on whereabouts of missing hiker

The Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office is looking for information about an overdue hiker.

Fifty-five-year-old Steven Dorsett was last heard from on June 24th after leaving the Canyon Creek Trailhead. He had planned to be gone for no longer than 10 days.

Specific areas of interest include Hart’s Pass, Pasayten Trail, Big Craggy and portions of the Pacific Crest Trail.

Dorsett is believed to be carrying a green backpack, backpacking tent, and sleeping bag.

Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to call 9-1-1.

STORY: Bellingham rock distributed on Saturday

If you want a piece of Bellingham history, this Saturday is your chance.

WASH-DOT will give away more than 1,000 pieces of the former Bellingham Rock from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Civic Stadium parking lot. Assistant Regional Administrator Melissa Ambler had this to say.

ROCK AUDIO 1 WSHDOT hopes

Ambler says the realities of moving the 100 ton rock made relocation impossible.

ROCK AUDIO 2b Why it broke

One rock per person will be handed out during the first five hours. Those interested must fill out an online waiver before noon Friday to get one. WASH-DOT Communicator David Rasbach (RAZ-bach) explains.

ROCK AUDIO 4 680

With only 400 pieces left, those who want a piece of the rock are encouraged to sign up by Friday. The agency says it hopes the keepsakes will help preserve the community’s connection to the unofficial welcome sign that stood for generations.

STORY: Over 150 pounds of trash removed from Locust Beach following Fourth of July

Volunteers removed over 150 pounds of trash from Locust Beach after the Fourth of July celebrations.

Local nonprofit RE Sources organized the cleanup. Volunteers collected nearly 170 pounds of debris. Community engagement specialist Seth Mangold said that 53 volunteers showed up to Sunday’s beach cleanup – a higher turnout than usual.

The environmental nonprofit Surfrider Foundation says July 5th is the “dirtiest beach day of the year”. This year, the foundation hosted 150 cleanups nationwide and prevented over 150-thousand pounds of garbage from going into the ocean.

RE Sources works with Surfrider Foundation on several Whatcom beach cleanups each year, including the Fourth of July and Valentines Day.

To minimize cleanup, the Surfrider Foundation encourages beachgoers to bring reusable dishes, opt for recyclable materials and pack out their trash after a celebration.

STORY: Fire in North Cascades swells to over seven acres

The largest of three wildfires currently burning in North Cascades National Park continues to spread.

Now covering seven acres, the Luna fire is burning in steep, remote terrain along the Big Beaver Trail west of Ross Lake. The Warm Springs Wildland Fire Module, a team of firefighting specialists, continues to battle the blaze, with support from three helicopters. No injuries have been reported.

The Luna Fire was likely triggered by a lightning storm that hit the Park on June 24^th, though it was only discovered last week. Firefighters fully contained two other North Cascades blazes, the Rigby and Little Beaver Fires, this past weekend.

No new closures or evacuations have been announced, but the Park Service urges visitors to check its Fire Closure page for up-to-date information on trail and camping restrictions.

STORY: Paving work begins on SR 534 in southern Skagit County For the first time in 23 years, State Route 534 will get new paving.

WSDOT says they began work yesterday on the state route connecting Conway with Lake McMurray. The work, which is weather-dependent and may be delayed whenever rain is forecasted, is expected to be finished by late August.

STORY: State Dept. of Financial Institutions names new deputy director

The Washington State Department of Financial Institutions has named Ali (AH-lee) Higgs as its new deputy director.

Higgs has worked with the DFI for more than 20 years, most recently serving as director of the agency’s Consumer Services Division. DFI Director Charlie Clark says Higgs brings extensive knowledge of financial regulation and a commitment to protecting Washington consumers.

Higgs will begin her new role on July 16th.

STORY: State Superintendent proposes mandatory post-high school preparation courses

Washington high schoolers may soon be required to take a post-high school planning course.

The curriculum proposed by state superintendent Chris Reykdal (RIKE-doll) aims to fully prepare graduating seniors for their futures. The course would be one year long, combining the current civics requirement with instruction on financial literacy and career readiness.

Senior students would be required to have a High School and Beyond Plan, which includes making a resume, applying to a job, college or the military and financial literacy. It would also encourage students to register or pre-register to vote.

The State Board of Education will review the proposition. If approved, the course could be seen in a few years as the class of 2031 enters high school.

Superintendent Reykdal will request adoption of the course into graduation requirements during the 2027 legislative session.

WX: May the beam reach you

And now for the weather…

Expect our sunny afternoon to end with a partly cloudy evening. The forecasted highs today are in the low-70s. Look for clouds to come in with overnight sprinkles and lows in the upper-50s.

Tomorrow will be partly cloudy with highs in the low-70s. The cloud cover should continue into Friday night. Early forecasts for the weekend say it should be much the same as this week.

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, Jenny Lam, Natalie Jones, Noelle Reger (REE-ger), and Sean Lynch. 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 _________… thank you for listening!

STORY: Wildlife crossing at Snoqualmie sees milestone There’s been a major milestone for wildlife at Snoqualmie Pass.

The first black bear has been caught on camera using the wildlife bridge over Interstate 90, nearly seven years after the crossing opened. The grass-covered overpass reconnects habitat divided by the freeway, and helps animals cross safely while reducing vehicle collisions. State transportation officials say bears are among the most cautious animals to use wildlife crossings–sometimes taking years to try them.

Since the bridge opened, more than 38,000 animal crossings have been recorded.

F&C – JULY 25 (not June) from FB post:

North Whatcom Fire and Rescue – WCFD 21

13h

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