BPD investigating officer-involved shooting in Maple Falls A Bellingham man wanted in connection with a shooting was himself gunned down on Sunday evening. AG sues Albertson, Safeway and Haggen for bogus BOGO deals, Procession of the Species returns to Bellingham Color and creativity return to downtown Bellingham on Saturday with the annual Procession of the Species parade and festival. Stretch of Guide Meridian reopens after accident closes north and southbound traffic, Revamped Everett bridge opens to public, Judge rules Sedro-Woolley and Stanwood still obligated to turn over Flock Safety camera images, Recall push against Gov. Ferguson ends after fulfillment of two vacancies on campaign finance watchdog panel, WA receives “negative” rating from major credit rating agency, with overspending and overuse of reserves cited as factors Washington’s financial outlook has been downgraded from stable to negative by the credit rating agency Moody’s. Cantwell, colleagues, aim to protect mail-in voting U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell is pushing back against new limits on mail‑in voting.
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STORY: BPD investigating officer-involved shooting in Maple Falls A Bellingham man wanted in connection with a shooting was himself gunned down on Sunday evening.
Luiz E. Fenandez and Kayla James were wanted for a shooting in Ferndale last Saturday that left a man in critical condition. A SWAT team — along with other officers — went to a Maple Falls address on Sunday to arrest both suspects; in the process, shots were fired and Fernandez died at the scene.
James is currently being held in the Whatcom County Jail for attempted homicide, burglary, and robbery. Bellingham Police say they are investigating the Maple Falls shooting.
STORY: AG sues Albertson, Safeway and Haggen for bogus BOGO deals
Attorney General Nick Brown says three major grocery chains have been ripping off shoppers with bogus “buy one, get one” deals.
Brown has filed a lawsuit against Albertsons Companies — one of the nation’s largest grocery chains and the owner of all Safeway, Albertsons, and Haggen stores in Washington. The suit says the chains boosted prices on basics like bread, cereal, and produce before rolling out the deals, then dropped them again once the promotions ended — all while advertising “buy one, get one free.”
Brown wants the stores to provide restitution for customers and pay civil penalties.
STORY: Procession of the Species returns to Bellingham Color and creativity return to downtown Bellingham on Saturday with the annual Procession of the Species parade and festival.
The community event invites participants to create wildlife-inspired costumes and join a lively parade through the city. The celebration runs from 2 to 5 p.m., beginning at Lee Memorial Park near the Central Library and ending at Maritime Heritage Park.
Festivities include live music, interactive performances, face painting, and hands-on art activities for people of all ages.
The parade and festival are supported by downtown activation and beautification grants, as well as Gabriel’s Art Kids.
STORY: County asks for input on hazard plan
Whatcom County is updating its Hazard Mitigation Plan — and officials want your input.
The plan outlines how the county prepares for and reduces the impacts of disasters, from flooding to supply chain disruptions. Community members can review the draft plan and complete an online survey through May 30th on the county’s emergency management website.
County leaders say public feedback will help shape how the region prepares for future emergencies.
STORY: Stretch of Guide Meridian reopens after accident closes north and southbound traffic
A stretch of the Guide Meridian was snarled for almost three hours yesterday.
The situation was first reported north of Kellogg Road just before 7:40 a.m. Traffic was initially blocked in both directions; the southbound lanes reopened about an hour later, and everything was cleared by about 10 a.m.
STORY: Revamped Everett bridge opens to public
Everett’s new Edgewater Bridge will open to all vehicle traffic today.
Community members had the opportunity to attend a ceremony and walk across the bridge yesterday. The new structure replaces the original
Edgewater Bridge, built in 1946. Though still deemed safe right up until its closure, the structure’s engineering deficiencies made it risky in the event of an earthquake.
Straddling the boundary between Everett and neighboring Mukilteo (muh-kull-TEE-oh), Edgewater Bridge receives daily use from school buses, residents, and ferry traffic, as well as first responders. Officials say the new construction makes the bridge more accessible, and incorporates safety features aimed at limiting damage in case of seismic events.
The bridge also now includes wider sidewalks and bike lanes, and integrated design elements on railings and light poles suggested by community members.
Additional roadway work will continue after the bridge reopens.
STORY: Judge rules Sedro-Woolley and Stanwood still obligated to turn over Flock Safety camera images
Two Washington cities will still have to release controversial surveillance images despite a new state privacy law.
A Skagit County Superior Court judge ruled on April 17th that Sedro-Woolley and Stanwood must comply with a public records request for images captured by automated license plate reader cameras — also known as ALPRs. The Driver Privacy Act, signed by Governor Bob
Ferguson on March 30th, now exempts those images from future public disclosure.
The company, Flock Safety, was the first to popularize low-cost, AI-powered cameras that create “networked” surveillance systems widely used by police. They capture multiple time-stamped images of passing vehicles, including license plates, make, model, and distinguishing features.
Supporters of the new law say restricting access protects sensitive data from misuse. However, transparency advocates argue public access is key to understanding how the technology is used.
The cities now have 30 days to appeal the ruling.
STORY: Recall push against Gov. Ferguson ends after fulfillment of two vacancies on campaign finance watchdog panel
An effort to recall Governor Ferguson is over after the fulfillment of two vacancies on Washington’s campaign‑finance watchdog.
Late Friday, Ferguson appointed Microsoft lawyer Teebah Alsaleh (tee-BAH ah-SAHL-lay) to the state Public Disclosure Commission, which oversees Washington’s campaign‑finance laws. This happened a week after Ferguson named Seattle attorney and former judge Matt Segal to the other seat in the commission.
Ferguson had been under fire for leaving two of the commission’s five seats empty for months. Campaign‑finance activist Conner Edwards launched his recall effort to pressure Ferguson into filling those
vacancies. With the seats now filled, Edwards says the recall effort is over.
STORY: WA receives “negative” rating from major credit rating agency, with overspending and overuse of reserves cited as factors Washington’s financial outlook has been downgraded from stable to negative by the credit rating agency Moody’s.
That’s because the state is spending more than it takes in from taxes, using reserves and one-time measures to make ends meet.
While the overall economy still gets a Triple A rating because of strong bond performance, Moody’s warns that Washington will be less able to absorb unexpected revenue or expenditure shock if the budget continues the way it is.
STORY: Cantwell, colleagues, aim to protect mail-in voting U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell is pushing back against new limits on mail‑in voting.
Cantwell is joining 39 other senators in backing a bill responding to recent moves by President Trump to curb absentee and vote‑by‑mail systems.
Supporters say the Absentee and Mail Voter Protection Act would safeguard states’ authority over elections and prevent federal agencies
from sharing voter data or restricting the delivery of lawful ballots. The proposal would also prohibit federal funding from being used to carry out provisions of the executive order.
Cantwell says vote-by-mail remains a secure and widely trusted system in Washington state.
WX: 28th Day, Later
And now for the weather:
Our streak of mildly cloudy sunshine continues today, with a spot of overcast skies and mild rain in the morning expected to give way to mostly sunny weather by this afternoon. Expect highs to fluctuate around the upper-50s and low-60s, dropping down to around 40 degrees later in the evening — which also looks to keep the skies partly cloudy.
Unambiguous sunshine looks to return to the agenda tomorrow, with significantly less cloud cover expected, alongside highs in the mid-to-high 60s.
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), Kieran (KEAR-un) Dang, 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 _________… thanks for listening!
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UPCOMING FREE/CHEAP:
Residents of Whatcom County can safely and responsibly dispose of old or leftover household paint at a Free Paint Collection & Recycling Event. The event will take place on Saturday, May 2, in Lynden. https://www.whatcomcounty.us//CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=5453
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