Ferndale man arrested on suspicion of attempted kidnapping, Pilot program launches with highway speed cameras in Washington, Trump administration revokes visas of at least 15 college students statewide, Nearly 500 multi-family housing units under construction in Bellingham this spring, Reykdal rejects federal recertification attempts on civil rights compliance, Home prices stabilized in Whatcom over first quarter of 2025, Federal jury finds Deming man guilty of possession of child pornography, Ballots mailed
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KMRE brings you local news for Wednesday, April 9th. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: Ferndale man arrested on suspicion of attempted kidnapping
A 28-year-old Ferndale man was arrested early Monday on suspicion of kidnapping a woman.
The Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office says that deputies contacted the man around 1:15 a.m. at the intersection of Grandview and Kickerville roads, where he appeared disoriented and showed signs of having been assaulted.
Authorities say the suspect had convinced a woman he knew to get into his car, then refused to let her leave. He allegedly drove recklessly, made threats, and said he would take her to Canada. The woman later escaped and called her boyfriend, but the suspect reportedly tried to force her back into the car before deputies arrived.
The man was booked into Whatcom County Jail on suspicion of first-degree kidnapping, reckless endangerment, and fourth-degree assault.
STORY: Pilot program launches with highway speed cameras in Washington
A new pilot program launched this week that uses highway speed cameras to detect speeding vehicles launches.
The program is the brainchild of the Washington State Department of Transportation. In a news release from yesterday, WSDOT (WASH DOT) says it is rolling out an initiative—in partnership with the state Traffic Safety Commission and the State Patrol—that seeks to help reduce speed-related crashes across the state.
The program, funded by one million dollars from the state Legislature, will begin tomorrow and operate on southbound I-5 between Cook and Bow Hill roads in Skagit County and on eastbound I-90 near Liberty Lake in Spokane County.
The cameras placed at each site will measure vehicle speed by calculating the time it takes to travel between two points. Registered owners of vehicles observed speeding will receive courtesy notices in the mail—not fines— to encourage them to slow down. Notices will also include the vehicle’s recorded speed and the potential cost of a speeding ticket for that violation.
The cameras will remain in place until late June. Following the pilot, WSDOT will evaluate the data and report back to the Legislature.
STORY: Trump administration revokes visas of at least 15 college students statewide
The Trump administration has revoked the visas of at least fifteen international students at Washington universities, and ordered them to leave the country. Those who do not comply face possible detainment or arrest.
The cancelled visas affect students at institutions all across the state. Five are currently enrolled at the University of Washington, while another four participate in postgraduate training programs there. Three are recent graduates currently completing postgraduate training at Seattle University.
Washington State University, meanwhile, learned on Tuesday that a recent graduate, previously authorized to seek employment in the United States, has also had their visa revoked; however, that student had already left the country this past December. In addition, a recent status review at Gonzaga revealed that two of their international students have had visas revoked and records terminated.
Nationwide, the Department of Homeland Security has stripped hundreds of students of their legal status over the past few weeks. Some have been targeted for previous infractions, or for participating in pro-Palestinian activism. Others say they have not received any indication of why the Trump administration has targeted them.
In a statement, UW (U-DUB) spokesperson Victor Balta (BALL-tah) said, quote “we have no indication these actions are due to activism or other protected free speech” unquote.
The universities have not revealed the identities, home countries, or other personal information about the students due to federal student privacy laws.
STORY: Nearly 500 multi-family housing units under construction in Bellingham this spring
State projections show a need for over 34,000 housing units countywide by 2045, but permits have fallen from nearly 1,300 in 2021 to just 534 in 2024.
According to the City of Bellingham’s development dashboard, there are now roughly 800 housing units under construction — far below the approximately 920 units the city would be responsible for annually. 493 of the developments are multi-family, but currently, only one project — Bellis Fair Family Housing — includes affordable housing, and will offer 65 units for low-income families.
Market-rate projects are underway citywide, and include the 111-unit State Street Creamery building downtown, the 84-unit Old Town Heights, and the 79-unit Skyline at Cordata. Additional projects are progressing in Fairhaven, Sehome, York and Barkley, with more in planning.
According to the City, interest in accessory dwelling units is also rising, with applications expected to triple in 2025 compared to the previous five-year average.
STORY: Reykdal rejects federal recertification attempts on civil rights compliance
Superintendent Chris Reykdal (RAKE-dahl) says he will not recertify Washington state’s compliance with the federal Department of Education’s interpretation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.
An announcement sent by Reykdal today states that the Department of Education sent a letter last week requiring states to say that they agree with both the Department’s interpretation of federal civil rights guidelines, as well as the Department’s interpretation of the Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard decision, or risk losing federal funding. The SFFA v. Harvard case was a decision that held that the use of race-conscious college admissions policies was illegal.
However, according to Reykdal, the Department of Education has stated that they intend to apply the ruling more broadly, which includes evaluating what they think are DEI programs, which they deem quote “insidious” and discriminatory.
According to Reykdal, Washington has already submitted the required assurances under Title VI, and will not sign additional certifications that he says lack legal authority, clarity, and appear to misapply a Supreme Court decision meant for higher education.
The Superintendent emphasized the importance of DEI efforts in the increase of graduation rates and classroom inclusion across the state. He also reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to maintaining its education values despite federal pressure.
WX: Natural Light Orchestra
And now for the weather:
A largely sunny day looks to be in store for us, with calm winds and highs in the upper 50s. Clouds will accumulate as the day wears on, which should lead to a cool, overcast evening with lows in the mid-40s.
Enjoy the sun while you can— tomorrow looks like the rain will be back in force.
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: Home prices stabilized in Whatcom over first quarter of 2025
In more housing news— home prices in Whatcom County stabilized during the first three months of 2025.
Peter Ahn, the co-owner of The Muljat Group in Bellingham, says the median selling price in the county was $625,000, which represents a 3.4% decrease from the same quarter last year. The median price for a house in Bellingham was $770,000, a decrease of over 6% from a year ago. Birch Bay, Blaine and Lynden also saw slight drops in their home prices.
Conversely, Ferndale, Sudden Valley and the Nooksack Valley School District saw modest increases in their home prices. The Mount Baker School District saw a price increase of over 17%, but remains the most affordable area in the county with a median price of $400,000.
Ahn says that home prices should remain mostly steady throughout the year, thanks to relatively stable mortgage rates.
STORY: Federal jury finds Deming man guilty of possession of child pornography
A 47-year-old Deming man has been convicted on two felony charges for possession of more than 90,000 files of child sexual abuse material.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Robert J. Howell Jr. was arrested in July 2021 after Homeland Security investigators in Blaine traced a tip to an IP address linked to Howell. Authorities say the IP had accessed a website focused on extreme child sexual abuse content, including themes of bondage, sadism, and gore.
Following a two-day trial, jurors deliberated for about an hour before finding Howell guilty. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and could serve up to 20 years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for July 15th.
STORY: Ballots mailed
A special election is happening for the Meridian School District and ballots were mailed out last week.
Registered voters who have not received their ballot should contact the Whatcom County Auditor’s Office – Election Division to request a replacement. Whatcom Residents who need to register to vote or update their address can do so online or by mail until next Monday. After that, voter registration and updates must be done in person.
Ballots must be returned by 8:00 PM on Election Day, Tuesday, April 22nd, either in one of the five official ballot drop boxes. Ballots returned by mail must be postmarked no later than April 22nd to be counted.
Find out more at elections@co.whatcom.wa.us.
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