Murder under investigation in Bellingham, Bellingham school district plans to sell Dupont building, Urban forest plan aims for 45% coverage, Cordata Park expands, City holds public meeting to explore housing affordability H.S. juniors allowed to enroll in college summer courses, Foam containers banned in WA starting June 1, New ballot curing law goes into effect
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KMRE brings you local news for Tuesday, April 16th. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: Murder under investigation in Bellingham
Bellingham Police are investigating a homicide that occurred in the woods near Tull Road off Kellogg Road in north Bellingham early Monday morning.
Multiple 911 calls reported shots heard just after 3 a.m. Officers found a man with gunshot wounds to the upper body upon arrival. Despite aid and hospitalization, he passed away.
Search warrants were obtained for nearby private property, and K9 units and drones were deployed for further investigation. The SWAT team provided security during the process. Currently, the victim’s identity remains unknown.
The incident is being treated as a homicide, with no arrests made yet but the investigation is ongoing. Witnesses are urged to contact the police with any information.
STORY: Bellingham school district plans to sell Dupont building
Bellingham Public Schools announced it plans to sell their historic district office building located on Dupont Street.
The building, originally Roeder Elementary School, has served as administrative offices since the 1970s, but was vacated in January due to flooding. With the district’s recent move to a new office on Barkley Boulevard, the old building lacks ADA accessibility and seismic retrofitting is now only used for storage. Despite initial plans for renovation, the district opted to purchase the Barkley property instead. The Bellingham School District estimates that by purchasing the new property they saved about $1 million dollars.
The school board will vote on the resolution at tomorrow’s meeting.
STORY: Urban forest plan aims for 45% coverage
The City of Bellingham announced the first draft of its first-ever Urban Forest Plan is ready for public review.
Work on the 3-phase plan started in 2022 after a survey of residents indicated that 80% of those responding wanted to see more trees in the City. The plan establishes an overall target of 45% canopy coverage in Bellingham by 2050.
Last Fall, the City Council approved $100,000 dollars for the project, and last night at the Council meeting, Habitat and Restoration Manager Analiese (ann-uh-LEES-uh) Burns presented four initial programs–– neighborhood tree grants, community partnerships, tree giveaways, and a tree coupon program. Burns estimates the first five years of Urban Forest Plan actions will cost the city between $5 and $6 million a year.
To meet the target coverage, an average of 9,000 trees will need to be planted each year. The complete plan is available for review and public comment at cob.org.
STORY: Cordata Park expands
The new Cordata (core-DOT-uh) Park expansion had its grand opening on Friday.
Cordata Park now features amenities such as a covered picnic area, 50 more parking spaces, basketball and pickleball courts, and a community center for Northside neighborhood meetings. “Phase 2” of the park, which started last year, will add a covered stage and new trail connections linking the neighborhoods north and south of the park.
Funding for the facility is expected to be $13 million dollars and came from park fees paid by developers as well as the Greenways 4 tax levy.
STORY: City holds public meeting to explore housing affordability
A meeting scheduled tonight will focus on improving the Bellingham housing market by addressing affordability concerns.
Housing affordability has been identified as a key issue by the community, and the meeting aims to explore both gaps in the market as well as potential solutions such as new housing types and government programs. The event is part of a series of meetings for the Bellingham Plan, a two-year project that will update the city’s long term growth plan.
The meeting is open to the public and will be held at Sehome High School from 5 to 7 p.m.
STORY: H.S. juniors allowed to enroll in college summer courses
Washington state is expanding its Running Start program, allowing high school juniors to earn college credits over the summer.
Incoming 11th graders can now attend college early, and proponents hope early access will help students ease into college and reduce debt at graduation. School districts are required to inform students about summer enrollment opportunities, and tuition is covered by the home school district, although students may incur additional costs.
The expansion builds on a successful pilot program from 2021, which showed high completion and retention rates.
STORY: Foam containers banned in WA starting June 1
Say goodbye to those clamshell take-out boxes– starting June 1st, a state ban on products made from expanded polystyrene goes into effect.
Passed in 2021, the ban aims to address the environmental impact of single-use plastics. The material can take centuries to decompose. Research has also shown that when the foam breaks into small bits, it can harm wildlife and end up in the food chain. Recycling polystyrene is possible, but challenging and costly, and isn’t accepted by most recycling programs. Last year, the state prohibited the sale and distribution of foam packing peanuts under the same law.
Alternatives to foam containers are available, and the government officials say they plan to offer support and resources to businesses transitioning away from foam products.
STORY: New ballot curing law goes into effect
Legislation passed during this year’s session will make it easier for Washingtonians to correct issues with their ballots. The law goes into effect ahead of the November election.
WX: Sun
Your Whatcom County weather – Expect clear skies for the next several days. Sun and clouds mixed today, with a high of 51 degrees. Overnight, skies will clear with the low will be around 36. Tomorrow, we’ll be headed into a sunny stretch, with clear skies and sunshine expected until Friday and a possible high in the mid-60’s.
OUTRO:
Today’s newscast was produced by volunteers AnThu Nguyen (ANNE-two new-WIN), Carlos Braga, Connor O’Boyle, Jayne Kuhlman, Kye (KEY suh-LEE-nus) Salinas and Tristan Trudell. 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 listener donations. Check out our Patreon page or go to kmre.org and click on the banner. I’m ________________, and thanks for listening.
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