Assistant principals trial delayed due to firing of lead detective, Two seal pups taken from Birch Bay, Birch Bay Waterslides closes for season after incident, PSE not allowed to notify after rate hike, Ferndale Sonic Drive-In: the rest of the story, Cal Anderson memorial reinstalled after unannounced removal, North Cascade Highway closed again
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KMRE brings you local news for Monday, 28th. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: Assistant principals trial delayed due to firing of lead detective
The trial of three assistant principals who were cited last December for failing to report a female student’s allegations of sexual assault has been delayed for a second time after all three attorneys requested a delay.
for gross misdemeanor charges
Court documents show the trial is now scheduled for November or December. The delay is also linked to the firing earlier this month of the lead detective on the case.
STORY: Two seal pups taken from Birch Bay
Two seal pups were removed from the beach at Birch Bay recently and the Whatcom Marine Mammal Stranding Network is asking for more information about the incident.
Baby seals require a very specialized diet to survive and if fed baby formula or dairy, they will die. Although according to state and federal law, approaching, touching, and taking seals is illegal, incidents like this have happened before.
Anyone with information on the seal pups are urged to contact the Whatcom Marine Mammal Stranding Network at 360-739-6713.
STORY: Birch Bay Waterslides closes for season after incident
Birch Bay Waterslides is closed for the rest of the season after a park-goer suffered a traumatic injury on Friday.
According to witnesses, the patron was sliding down the Hairpin water slide when two slide segments came apart, injuring the rider. The park was closed for the remainder of the day, and later an announcement was made on the park’s website that operations were to cease for the remainder of the season, which was originally slated to run until September 4th.
According to North Whatcom Fire and Rescue, aid personnel treated the patient, who is currently under medical observation at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.
STORY: PSE not allowed to notify about rate hike
Gas bills for Puget Sound Energy will be going up over the next few months, but the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission has made it illegal for the company to notify its customers.
The rate hike is slated to take place due to the 2021 Climate Commitment Act, which requires the state’s biggest polluters to reduce their carbon emissions or pay to cover them. PSE is now required to pay $16.8 million dollars to help fund climate projects and address issues of environmental justice and health inequity. That expense would be passed on to customers with an average increase of $3.71 per month. The commission argued that explaining the rate hike to customers would result in “lengthy and confusing bills,” and therefore prohibited PSE from informing its customers.
When reached out to comment by KING-5 News, PSE sent back a statement saying it wanted to inform customers of the rate hike, but that the commission, which has the final say on the matter, had ruled against it.
STORY: Ferndale Sonic Drive-In: the rest of the story
In late August 2022, the Ferndale SONIC Drive-In on Main Street in Ferndale unexpectedly closed.
At the same time, several other SONIC locations in Washington and Oregon also closed without warning, with menu boards removed and property access blocked. Recent court filings are shedding light on the story.
According to court records, in November 2021, Sonic Industries LLC terminated the license agreement due to unpaid royalties and fees on the part of franchise operator, Olympic Cascade Drive-Ins LLC (OCDI), which operated ten diners, including the Ferndale location.
In May 2022, Sonic demanded immediate termination of license agreements for all restaurants, citing over $2 million in outstanding payments. It wasn’t until an Oklahoma US District Court ordered OCDI to comply with Sonic’s closure request in August of last year that the drive-in finally shut its doors.
OCDI is counter suing Sonic, alleging improper termination and violations of franchise and consumer protection laws and is seeking $15 million in damages, a number that includes triple damages as per Washington state laws.
Sonic has denied these claims and legal proceedings are still pending.
STORY: Cal Anderson memorial reinstalled after unannounced removal
A memorial honoring Cal Anderson was reinstalled on Friday after it was removed without notice earlier this month.
Cal Anderson was Washington State’s first openly gay legislator and served as a House Representative and Senator in the late 80s and early 90s. After he passed away in 1995 due to AIDS complications, a Japanese maple tree was planted outside the in Olympia in his honor. The tree was later moved outside the legislative building and replaced with a cherry tree.
That tree was cut down and the plaque removed without notification at the beginning of August, along with other nearby trees. There was a notice of tree removal, but never a mention of Cal Anderson’s memorial. The agency in charge of the removal apologized for what they considered an “oversight”.
A new tree has already been planted in its place but will only be temporary; the memorial will be moving within the next few years due to construction. The process of relocation will include public input and approval from multiple capitol committees.
STORY: North Cascade Highway closed again
State Route 20 is closed again to any travel between Newhalem and Silver Gate due to multiple wildfires in the area. Drivers are urged to use Hwy 2 and 12 for east-west travel and Interstate 90 for interstate travel.
WX: Showers likely
Rain is due to make a comeback in Bellingham– the National Weather Service has forecast a 20% chance of showers after 3pm. Expect partial sun during the afternoon, with a high near 75*. The chance of rain overnight will be 70%, with a possible thunderstorm, with a high near 59*. New rainfall is likely to be less than one-tenth of an inch. Rain is expected tomorrow with a high of 62.
OUTRO:
Today’s newscast was produced by volunteers AnThu Nguyen (ANNE-two new-WIN), Susan Lindsey, Emma Toscani and Carlos Braga. 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. I’m ________________ and thanks for listening.
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