Two arrests made in connection with recent Mount Vernon murder, Bellingham man arrested on suspicion of attempting to break into neighbor’s house, Long-standing Everson nursery to shut down, AG’s office warns WIAA that proposed amendment limiting transgender athlete participation would violate state law, Washington sues Trump administration, Free and cheap, Former State Supreme Court Justice passes away, New San Juan Islands ferry schedule to commence in June
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KMRE brings you local news for Friday, April 4th. Good afternoon, I’m _David Korb_____.
STORY: Two arrests made in connection with recent Mount Vernon murder
Mount Vernon Police have arrested two individuals in connection with the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Alan Mora Gomez last March.
According to Lieutenant Dave Shackleton, the suspects — a 17-year-old male and a 21-year-old man — were taken into custody in Oak Harbor on Wednesday. Both are facing charges related to second-degree murder.
Police were called to East College Way on the evening of March 17th after reports of multiple gunshots. Upon arrival, officers found Mora Gomez with a gunshot wound. He was transported to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, where he later died from his injuries.
The suspects fled the scene before law enforcement arrived. Investigators located the suspect’s vehicle in Everett and gathered enough evidence to obtain arrest warrants.
The 17-year-old was booked into Skagit County juvenile detention, while the 21-year-old is being held at Skagit County Jail. The investigation remains ongoing.
STORY: Bellingham man arrested on suspicion of attempting to break into neighbor’s house
A 38-year-old Bellingham man was arrested after allegedly attempting to break into his neighbor’s home in Cordata and threatening to kill him.
Bellingham Police say that Christopher Scott Rogers rang his neighbor’s doorbell on the night of March 26th. Lieutenant Claudia Murphy said Rogers tried to force the door open by kicking it, yelled that he knew who was inside, and threatened to kill them.
By the time officers arrived, Rogers had left the scene. After speaking with the victim, police went to Rogers’ home, where he surrendered without incident.
Rogers has been charged with residential burglary and harassment with threats to cause bodily injury or death — both Class C felonies. He is currently being held at Whatcom County Jail.
STORY: Long-standing Everson nursery to shut down
Cloud Mountain Farm Center’s nursery has announced it will close at the end of June.
In a news release on Wednesday, Sustainable Connections, the nonprofit that took over Cloud Mountain six years ago, cited rising operational costs and the loss of a key annual donation. Despite substantial fundraising efforts, the nonprofit stated it was unable to make up for the funding shortfall.
Nursery Manager Edward Johnson confirmed he and four other staff members are being laid off due to the closure. The center currently lists nine employees on its website. Executive Director Derek Long was unavailable for comment.
The nursery’s closure follows several program setbacks in recent years. Back in November, Sustainable Connections announced the indefinite suspension of the farm’s fruit production, once a model for growing grapes and fruit trees in western Washington. Other recently ended programs include the Incubator Farm Program in 2023 and the internship program in 2020.
Cloud Mountain will now shift to a smaller-scale operation and focus on essential site maintenance and its food distribution services. Workshops will finish by the end of May. Storewide sales will run through April and May, with online orders ending this month. Unsold plant materials will be donated or auctioned off after Memorial Day.
STORY: AG’s office warns WIAA that proposed amendment limiting transgender athlete participation would violate state law
The governing body for high school sports in Washington state says it cannot enforce two proposed amendments that would restrict transgender student participation.
According to The Seattle Times, the Attorney General’s office and other state agencies have informed the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (or WIAA) that such rule changes would violate state law.
Previously reported by MyBellinghamNow, the proposed amendments — submitted by the Lynden, Lynden Christian, and Blaine school districts — include limiting girls’ sports to students assigned female at birth and creating an open athletic division for transgender and nonbinary students.
Current WIAA policy allows students to compete in alignment with their gender identity.
The WIAA board will hold an advisory vote on the proposals beginning on Wednesday.
STORY: Washington sues Trump administration
A federal judge has issued a temporary restraining order restoring $11 billion in public health funding to state and local agencies nationwide, including those in Washington state.
The decision from the U.S. District Court in Rhode Island comes in response to a lawsuit filed earlier this week by a coalition of 23 states and the District of Columbia. The suit challenges the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and its secretary, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., over the abrupt termination of critical public health grants.
The funding, cut off without warning on March 24th, supports efforts to combat infectious diseases, expand access to immunizations, modernize public health infrastructure, and address mental health, and substance abuse.
Washington Attorney General Nick Brown said the ruling offers reassurance to residents that essential services will continue for now, though legal battles over funding are ongoing.
STORY: Free and cheap
It’s Friday – if you’re looking for something free or cheap to do this weekend, here’s a bit of what’s going on around the county.
The Lynden Fairgrounds will host the 44th annual Whatcom County Home and Lifestyle Show today through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The event will feature over 250 exhibitors and is described by the Visit Bellingham website as devoted to “top local businesses, home improvement trends and community living”. Activities will also include a food truck roundup, as well as kids’ activities, speakers, and an appearance from Whatcom County’s own Reptile Man. Attendance is free!
Today also marks the beginning of this year’s Sunnyland Garden Party. All weekend; five breweries will be participating in this spring-themed pub crawl. Each will offer new beers and seasonal specials; for example, El Sueñito Brewing will host a bouquet-market-slash-flower-crown-making event from noon to 3 p.m. tomorrow. Stamps can be collected at each brewery, which can then be entered into a raffle for various prizes. More information can be found at El Sueñito’s website.
Finally, the Pickford Film Center will be working with PBS’s Independent Lens series to host a documentary pop-up screening this weekend. The documentary in question is WE WANT THE FUNK!, a “syncopated voyage through the history of funk music, spanning African, soul, and early jazz”. The screening will take place on Sunday at 10 a.m. and is free.
WX: Zip-a-dee-ay
And now weather:
A lovely day of warm sunshine for the rest of the day, featuring calm breezes and highs in the low-60s. Clouds roll in with the evening, cooling things down to the low-to-mid-40s.
Saturday is also expected to be pleasant and sunny, while Sunday flips the script with up to a quarter inch of rain.
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 _David Korb________, and thank you for listening.
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STORY: Former State Supreme Court Justice passes away
STORY: New San Juan Islands ferry schedule to commence in June
A new summer ferry schedule for the San Juan Islands will take effect on June 15th.
According to Washington State Ferries, this marks the first major update to the sailing timetable in over a decade. The route between Anacortes and the San Juans has evolved significantly in recent years, including the introduction of a vehicle reservation system in 2015 and steadily growing ridership — over 754,000 passengers traveled the route last summer alone.
To address challenges in reliability due to staffing shortages, State Ferries introduced a revised schedule with more realistic crossing and terminal times in December. Following improvements this winter and spring, the updated timetable will now extend into the busy summer season. WSF urges travelers to reserve in advance at WSDOT’s (wash-DOTS) website, especially with 90% of ferry capacity now available for booking leaving fewer spots for drive-up passengers.
Vehicle reservations for summer sailings open at 10 a.m. on April 15th.
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