Lightning causes wildfire in Whatcom, More Dogs Dumped, Removed Seal Pup actually deceased, Vehicle Encampment downtown removed, Mt Vernon teachers striking, New Covid variant could be the best yet at evading immunity,
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STORY: Lightning causes wildfire in Whatcom
A fire broke out Monday night after a lightning bolt struck an area on the southeast bank of Lake Whatcom. It is burning at an estimated 10 acres in steep forest terrain this morning. Lake Whatcom Park and Hertz trail have been closed until further notice.
Fire crews came back to the scene this morning with the Dept of Natural Resources or DNR taking the lead on fire fighting. The area currently burning is in a remote area near the end of Blue Canyon Road, across from an area south of Sudden Valley.
Another fire started in north Whatcom County near Sumas and was also likely caused by lightning. The DNR will divide its resources between the two fires.
Whatcom County and surrounding areas have been on high alert for urban-wildland fires due a few weeks with hot, dry weather. The first rainfall occurred yesterday but brought with it thunderstorms.
STORY: More dogs dumped
Another 5 dogs have shown up at what is apparently a “doodle-dump” site at the end of Aldergrove Rd in Ferndale. Last week, 5 doodle breed dogs were brought into Whatcom Humane Society or WHS in what is potentially a breeder offloading dogs.
WHS has taken the additional dogs in and says that they are not available for adoption at this time. All 10 dogs have not been properly socialized and need additional care to get back to full health.
If you are looking to help these dogs and others at the WHS, the society is taking donations on the WHS website.
STORY: Removed Seal Pup actually deceased
Yesterday, it was reported that two seal pups were stolen from Birch Bay. However, after investigation by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, it appears that there was a high probability that a concerned citizen witnessed a stranded seal network volunteers removing a deceased seal pup from a beach and confused it with the removal of a live animal. No seal pups were truly in danger.
STORY: Vehicle encampment downtown removed
The longstanding vehicle encampment on Cornwall Avenue near the waterfront has been removed. The 20-month long process culminated in cars being towed or driven away by their owners starting last week, with the final vehicles removed yesterday.
Street sweepers have swept the area in preparation to build bike lanes along the stretch of road near the solar panel fabrication plant and Kulshan’s trackside beer garden.
Police Lt. Claudia Murphy denies that cars and other vehicles were removed by the city and police and says that the owners of the vehicles were notified repeatedly about the zoning changes to the area.
Over the course of the last 20 months, the 8-hour parking signs on the sides of the stretch of Cornwall Avenue were systematically changed to no parking signs as a way to discourage long-term parking in the area.
The plan to add bike lanes to this stretch of road is part of a plan to add bike lanes to sections of Eldridge Avenue as well as connect downtown Bellingham to the soon-to-be-constructed park at Cornwall Beach.
The Opportunity Council’s Homeless Outreach Team was not involved in the relocation of the encampment but hopes to reconnect with the former residents in the future.
STORY: Mt Vernon teachers striking
Mount Vernon School District educators came together yesterday to form a picket line around the district offices as contract negotiations continue.
Mount Vernon Education Association President Cheryl Thramer said that issues still being negotiated include recess breaks for students, bathroom breaks for elementary school teachers, preparation limits at the secondary level for a reasonable workload, elementary and middle school enrichment activities, and comparable salaries.
This is not the first time the union went on strike this year. There was a picket line earlier in May in response to the 32 non-renewal letters the district sent out to teachers.
STORY: New COVID variant could be the best yet at evading immunity
A new mutated form of the coronavirus is putting health officials on alert as it threatens to be the most adept variant yet at slipping past the body’s immune defenses.
The variant, BA.2.86, only has a few cases reported worldwide but is garnering extra attention from experts because it has an even greater potential to escape antibodies, despite a recent infection or vaccination. While it doesn’t appear to make people sicker than other variants, it does show a radical mutation in the virus much like what happened with the Omicron variant earlier last year.
The biggest unknown is whether this virus will be transmissible enough to cause a surge. Regardless of how adept the variant is at evading immunity; it still needs to be able to spread efficiently to be of concern. Officials say they should have a clearer understanding of the variant’s transmissibility in the coming weeks as surveillance ramps up in response to the virus.
WX: Overcast with Likely Showers
It is currently overcast in Bellingham, with a high of 66. The overnight low will be 58*. Showers are predicted for today through Thursday night. Much of the smoke has dissipated, with the air quality index back in the “good” range of 40s.
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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