Lummi Nation member sentenced to 51 months for strangulation assault, Bellingham man facing 7 felonies in Superior Court for thefts against former employers, WWU announces university money to no longer be directed to companies connected to human rights violations, Whatcom County Library System approves levy lift resolution for August election, North Cascades Hwy expected to open this month, Trackside to reopen in coming weeks
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KMRE brings you local news for Monday, April 14th. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: Lummi Nation member sentenced to 51 months for strangulation assault
A Lummi Nation man was sentenced to 51 months in prison on Thursday.
36-year-old Joseph Michael Quincy Jefferson was found guilty by a jury in January for attacking a woman identified as Jane Doe in April of 2023. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Jefferson punched, pushed, and strangled the victim.
Judge Lauren King ultimately sentenced Jefferson to 51 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. He must also complete a domestic violence treatment program and have no contact with the victim. Restitution will be determined at a later date.
STORY: Bellingham man facing 7 felonies in Superior Court for thefts against former employers
A Bellingham man is facing several felony charges for alleged thefts against former employers.
32-year-old Kintorious (kin-TOH-ree-us) Dwayne London worked as an outside salesperson for a Bellingham construction company during 2024. According to affidavits filed in the Whatcom County Superior Court, London was reported to Bellingham Police last July for cashing fraudulent checks.
An investigation found that at least four customers reported having their prepayment checks cashed by London either without any work being completed or after cancelling work. London’s name was reportedly substituted for the company’s in these checks, with London later endorsing and depositing them into a personal account.
Three other construction companies reported fraud-related thefts to BPD. In two instances, London was accused of depositing company checks into his personal account, and another occurred when he continued to use a company gas card after his employment had been terminated.
London currently faces seven felony charges in the County Superior Court, including two counts of forgery and two counts of first-degree theft exceeding $5,000.
STORY: Work begins on expansion of St. Joseph’s
Whatcom County’s only hospital is set to undergo a major $400 million expansion to address growing patient needs.
PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center has announced plans to build the new six-story, 120,000-square-foot Peter Paulsen Pavilion, which will feature a rooftop helipad, a modernized emergency department, and upgraded childbirth and pediatric facilities.
The expansion, which was outlined during a community meeting on Thursday, is expected to increase inpatient capacity to 322 beds and expand emergency department capacity to 56 private rooms, plus 12 fast-track stations. Nearly 70,000 emergency visits were recorded from July of 2023 to July of 2024.
Peter Paulsen, a prominent local developer who died last year, donated $50 million toward the project. Construction is slated to begin next year and conclude in 2028. Preparatory site work will begin this spring, along with improvements to Squalicum Parkway.
STORY: WWU announces university money to no longer be directed to companies connected to human rights violations
Western Washington University’s Board of Trustees approved a new ethical investment policy on Friday.
The new policy will align university-held funds with Socially Responsible Investing and Environmental, Social and Governance principles. The move comes after years of student and faculty activism, including pro-Palestine protests last spring.
The policy prohibits investments in companies linked to fossil fuels, tobacco, weapons, and human rights violations, and applies to the university’s $78 million in fixed-income investments. It does not extend to the university’s endowment of roughly $144 million, which is managed by the independent Foundation for WWU & Alumni.
However, the foundation says it is reviewing its own investment policy and expects to propose changes by May. In the meantime, Western says it will begin publicly disclosing its investment portfolio online, and allow divestment requests backed by students, faculty, or staff coalitions.
The board also voted to separate and reinvest a $15 million professorship trust fund in line with the new SRI policy. A proposal to remove the foundation’s voting role on the investment committee was tabled for further discussion.
STORY: Nooksack water adjudication seminars to begin April 22nd
Whatcom County Public Works has scheduled a series of eight online seminars to help residents understand the water adjudication (uh-joo-duh-KAY-shn) process.
The webinars will each last an hour, with the first of them planned for next Monday at noon. Each session is limited to 50 households that use residential wells. The webinars will be led by Aspect Consulting, a water rights consultant, and will include demonstrations and detailed information about adjudication.
For those unable to attend virtually, two in-person seminars will be hosted by the Washington State Department of Ecology in Ferndale and Lynden in late May.
More information and resources are available on the Whatcom County website.
STORY: Whatcom County Library System approves levy lift resolution for August election
The Whatcom County Library System is asking voters to approve a levy lid lift in the primary election on August 5th.
The Library Board of Trustees recently passed a resolution to place the measure on the ballot, and proposed an increase to the property tax rate from 26 cents to 42 cents per $1,000 of assessed value.
This would mark the first levy rate increase in 16 years. Library officials say the boost is needed to keep pace with rising costs for materials, staffing, and operations. Without additional funding, WCLS warns it will face staff reductions and shorter open hours.
Only residents living outside Bellingham city limits will vote on the measure, which requires a simple majority to pass.
More information is available at wcls.org.
STORY: North Cascades Hwy expected to open this month
The North Cascades Highway is reopening this month.
Last Thursday, officials with the state Department of Transportation made an announcement over social media that their east and west side clearing crews met at milepost 159.3, west of the summit of Washington Pass.
With the road clear of snow, WSDOT (WASH DOT) will now move on to perform repairs. While there is no specific date set for reopening, the agency says it will likely be sometime this month.
The route has been closed between mileposts 134 and 171 since last November.
WX: The Sunbearable Lightness of Being
And now for the weather:
It looks like we’re in for a warm, sunny week, kicking off today with lots of sunshine and temperatures in the low-60s. Evening clouds will bring nighttime temperatures down to lows in the low-to-mid 40s.
Tomorrow’s weather should be a near-exact repeat of today.
OUTRO:
Today’s newscast was produced by volunteers Carlos Braga (BRA-guh), Connor O’Boyle, Kyler Cantrell, Theron (THAIR-in) Danielson, Stevie Sjogren (SHOW-gren) and Glen Hirshberg (HERSH-berg). 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. Check out our Patreon page or visit kmre.org and click on the banner. I’m _________, and thank you for listening.
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STORY: Trackside to reopen in coming weeks
Kulshan Brewing Company’s Trackside Beer Garden will re-open for its fifth season on May 2nd.
Located on the Bellingham waterfront, Trackside is known for its laid-back vibe, wide beer selection, and strong community atmosphere. The 25,000-square-foot outdoor space features 20 taps of local beer, cider, and nonalcoholic drinks, live music every Friday and Saturday, and is family- and dog-friendly. Guests are welcome to bring their own food or grab a bite from nearby food trucks.
Trackside will be open from Monday through Thursday from 3-to-9 p.m., and on weekends from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
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