Blaine neighbor murder case dismissed, Lynden couple injured in fatal I-5 wrong-way crash near Arlington, City of Bellingham Annual water main flushing, Lynden couple injured in fatal I-5 wrong-way crash near Arlington, Plover repairs on track to finish by summer, Lake Samish bridge and park to close for 15 months as delayed project is scheduled to begin, New count of gray whales along West Coast suggests rebound, WA announces Priority Climate Action Plan
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KMRE brings you local news for Tuesday, April 2nd. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: Blaine neighbor murder case dismissed
The case against a Blaine man accused of the shooting death of his neighbor has been dismissed.
77 year old Wayne Mahar was accused of killing 67 year old Vincent Reames in October of last year. Mahar allegedly shot the man in self-defense when, according to Mahar, Reames threatened to kill him. However, when questioned by detectives after the shooting, Mahar was unable to elaborate on those threats or other times he felt he was in fear for his life. The latest court records state that 77-year-old Wayne Mahar has been found incompetent to stand trial by doctors at Western State Hospital.
Mahar’s case has been dismissed and doctors determined that it is unlikely his condition will improve with treatment.
STORY: Lynden couple injured in fatal I-5 wrong-way crash near Arlington
Yesterday, a wrong-way driver caused a 3-vehicle pileup in the northbound lanes of I-5 south near Arlington causing one fatality and injuring several people, including a couple from Lynden.
According to the Washington State Patrol, a man driving a Chevrolet pickup truck was going south in the northbound lanes of I-5 at 1:15 pm when he crashed into a Subaru Outback. The truck then spun on impact and hit a Honda Odyssey. The wrong-way driver was pronounced dead after being taken to the hospital, and several others were injured, including a couple from lynden.
It is unclear if the wrong-way driver was under the influence of drugs. According to the state patrol, the cause of the crash is still being investigated.
STORY: City of Bellingham Annual water main flushing
The City of Bellingham will be flushing its water system until May.
Water main flushing is an essential process that removes naturally occurring mineral deposits in pipes. The water is safe to drink during this time, but may have some temporary discoloration or reduced pressure. The city says if your water is cloudy, run the cold tap for a few minutes to clear it out.
Flushing will take place every weekday between 7 am and 5 pm, and will start from the northwest corner of Bellingham in the Birchwood neighborhood, and finish in the southeast around Lake Padden.
STORY: Plover repairs on track to finish by summer
The City of Blaine announced that the Plover will resume summer service in June after a year-long hiatus for repairs.
Originally built in 1944 as a cannery boat, the Plover underwent a 7-year restoration effort in 1996 to convert it into a passenger ferry. It’s the second oldest ferry operating in Washington State.
Repairs on the 32-foot historical vessel include replacing damaged frames and replanking the bow section, which required sourcing clear vertical grain Douglas fir, a scarce resource.
During yesterday’s Blaine City Council meeting, an agreement with Drayton Harbor Maritime to continue to maintain and operate the Plover was approved.
According to the City of Blaine website, the MV Plover recorded its highest number of passengers in its history in 2022, with almost 8,000 one-way passengers.
STORY: Lake Samish bridge and park to close for 15 months as delayed project is scheduled to begin
Replacement of the Lake Samish bridge is scheduled to begin on May 28th. The bridge will be closed to all traffic for 15-months and will cost nearly $10 million dollars.
Construction will involve intermittent closures to boat traffic underneath the bridge. Samish Park, situated at the north end of the bridge, will also be closed to the public during construction as it will serve as a staging area for materials and equipment.
Originally planned for 2022, construction was delayed due to right-of-way negotiations and environmental permits. The project was awarded to Cascade Bridge LLC last November. The new bridge is projected to open to traffic around late August next year.
STORY: New count of gray whales along West Coast suggests rebound
Federal researchers at NOAA (Noah) say the gray whale population along the West Coast is showing signs of recovery five years after a major mortality event.
Beginning in 2019, hundreds of the whales washed up dead on the coasts of Washington, Oregon, California, Alaska, Canada and Mexico. NOAA researchers say the mortality event was due to ecosystem changes that affected the whales’ diet in the seas off northern Alaska.
NOAA has now estimated the total number of eastern north Pacific Gray whales to be between about 17 and 21,000. That’s an increase of 4 to 5,000 whales over their low point during the die-off.
STORY: WA announces Priority Climate Action Plan
Washington has announced its Priority Climate Action Plan, laying the groundwork for a more collaborative approach to reducing pollution.
Announced on Thursday, the plan consolidates the state’s many priorities into a list of 12 key actions, ready to be implemented in the near future. The measures will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and harmful air pollution across the state in different ways, from improving energy systems on college campuses to preventing food waste. Many of the priority measures contained in this plan are based on existing state, local and tribal climate and clean energy plans and programs, and aims to maximize the benefits of climate action in overburdened communities.
With the plan complete, Washington can now apply for additional Climate Pollution Reduction Grants funds. The grants total $4.6 billion and are up for grabs by the state, tribal governments, and other partnerships across the country.
WX: Rain
Your Whatcom County weather – expect occasional clouds and light rain today after 5pm, with a high of 59 degrees and moderate winds. More precipitation will come later tonight, as temperatures are projected to drop to a low of 40. The rain will continue into tomorrow.
OUTRO:
Today’s newscast was produced by volunteers AnThu Nguyen (ANNE-two new-WIN), Carlos Braga, Connor O’Boyle, Jayne Kuhlman 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. If you would like to help keep local news accessible, check out our new Patreon page at patreon.com/kmrenews or go to kmre.org and click on the banner. I’m ________________, and thanks for listening.
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