High temperatures and wildfire smoke expected to hit Whatcom County, Whatcom County drug task force makes major drug bust, Lynden man pleads guilty to numerous charges in narcotics and weapons possession case, NWS to update weather reporting zones in western WA, anticipates greater accuracy in forecasts, South Whatcom Fire Authority seeking additional compensation for covering calls outside of jurisdiction Independent, nonprofit community radio. KMRE brings you local news for Thursday, August 8th. Good afternoon, I’m _David Korb_____. STORY: High temperatures and wildfire smoke expected to hit Whatcom County The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a heat advisory for Whatcom County beginning today. Whatcom’s heat advisory will last at least until 9pm tomorrow with temperatures reaching as high as the low 90s, and lingering through Saturday. Temperatures are expected to cool down next week. Wildfire smoke from British Columbia and eastern Washington is also expected to impact temperatures and air quality this week. Haze should help lower daytime highs, but may cause a small increase after dark. The Northwest Clean Air Agency says air quality levels are expected to remain moderate and most of the haze will sit in high-altitude areas making ground-level air safe for most groups. The Weather Service reminds everyone to drink plenty of fluids, seek air conditioning, avoid physical exertion, and do not leave young children or pets unattended in cars. The smoke should begin to clear after the weekend. STORY: Whatcom County drug task force makes major drug bust The Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office announced five arrests yesterday as part of a Whatcom Gang and Drug Task Force investigation. The investigation centered on a gang suspected of distributing controlled substances within Whatcom County for several years. Mikel Leando Escandon-Tibillin (MEE-kell lee-AHN-do ess-can-DOAN TEE-buh-leen), 37, who authorities suspect led the gang, was arrested on Tuesday more than four months after the investigation began. Task force investigators were monitoring a suspected drug and firearm trafficker, 34-year-old Austin Grimme (GRIM) of Bellingham back in May, when he met with individuals linked to Escandon-Tibillin, according to a news release by the Sheriff’s Office. On May 17th, Grimme was arrested after authorities found 3 ounces of suspected fentanyl-laced powder in his vehicle during a traffic stop. Investigators also learned Grimme was in possession of ghost guns – or firearms without serial numbers – as well as a 3D printer which he used to manufacture automatic firearms. 22-year-old Washington Mishael Ruiz Bomboza (MEE-shay-el roo-EEZ bahm-BO-suh), 26-year-old Edwin Lenny Vite Delgado (VEE-tay del-GAH-do), and 26-year-old Katerin Arangure-Arangure (ah-RANG-yur-a ah-RANG-yur-a) were also arrested this week for suspected involvement in the gang. According to the press release, the drug distribution network functioned like a dispatch service, with orders taken over the phone and filled by courier. Investigators used the service twice to order drugs which confirmed Escandon-Tibillin, Bomboza, and Delgado’s involvement. Ruiz Bomboza and Escandon-Tibillin were arrested after meeting in a Bellingham Parking lot on Tuesday; a search warrant issued on their vehicle resulted in the discovery of fentanyl-laced powder, methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin. Escandon-Tibillin was arrested on suspicion of delivery of a controlled substance, leading organized crime, and money laundering. The investigation also led to the search of two apartments where they found some 70 pounds of suspected drugs, as well as drug proceeds. All four suspects are currently in custody at the Whatcom County Jail. Other agencies involved in the investigation include the BPD, Snohomish Regional Drug Task Force, Washington State Patrol, DEA, Homeland Security, Bureau of Indian Affairs, ATF, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine. STORY: Lynden man pleads guilty to numerous charges in narcotics and weapons possession case A Lynden man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison and 18 months of community custody after pleading guilty to several felony charges. On August 1st, 46-year-old Benjamin Vallejo (vay-YAY-ho) was sentenced in Whatcom County Superior Court for unlawful delivery and possession of methamphetamine, unlawful possession of firearms, residential burglary, second-degree assault, and witness tampering. Vallejo was initially arrested on April 25th and released on bail, only to be re-arrested two days later for additional crimes. He has a criminal record in Whatcom County dating back to 2008 that includes convictions for theft, burglary, assault, and other offenses. The most recent charges stem from a lengthy investigation by the Whatcom County Gang & Drug Task Force. His alleged co-conspirator, Ashley M. Andrews, 31, is still awaiting trial. STORY: NWS to update weather reporting zones in western WA, anticipates greater accuracy in forecasts According to the Seattle office of the National Weather Service (NWS), there will soon be a significant improvement on how counties in Western Washington are alerted to upcoming weather hazards. Under the current system, notifications are done by county. According to the Weather Service this can result in over-or-under warning of communities due to their size and climate diversity within each zone. For instance, an entire zone may be alerted when only a small portion of it is having a weather hazard. Alternatively, a decision may be made not to send an alert at all, because it’s only affecting a small area of a county. According to the Weather Service, these changes will be most beneficial in the event of extreme snowfall, coastal flooding, or tsunami. The Seattle office of the National Weather Service plans on implementing the new public zones next month. STORY: South Whatcom Fire Authority seeking additional compensation for covering calls outside of jurisdiction On July 30th, Chief Mitch Nolze of the South Whatcom Fire Authority came to the County Council with a problem. EMS calls to wilderness areas such as Chuckanut, Galbraith, and Lookout Mountains have dramatically increased but those locations are outside of the Fire Authority’s service area. As a result, the cost of emergency response to those areas are not reimbursed. To understand this complex issue better, KMRE sat down with Chief Nolze to dig into the issue. Nolze says, one of the key contributing factors is that the rise in EMS calls was completely unexpected. DIDN’T ANTICIPATE AUDIO …
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September 27, 2023 News Transcript
HEADLINES: Minimum wage hike, renter relocation to be on Bham Ballot, Maple Falls woman arrested for DUI after chase, $5 million in new state Clean Energy Fund investments to rural communities, West Nile virus reported in humans and horses in WA, Food benefits for low income families at risk in gov shutdown, Inmates allege DOC using fault drug tests to levy harsh punishments, WA group brings ‘Alternatives to Violence’ to secondary students ______________________________ Independent, nonprofit community radio. KMRE brings you local news for Wednesday, the 27th. Good afternoon, I’m ______. STORY: Minimum wage hike, renter relocation to be on Bham ballot Bellingham’s ballot on November 7 is due to have two initiatives that would combat the hike in rental housing costs and provide a boost to the city’s minimum wage. Initiative 1 would raise the minimum wage by $1 over the state rate of 15.74 in May of 2024, and by another dollar in May of 2025. Initiative 2 would require landlords to pay tenants three months’ worth of rent to help them relocate if the landlord chooses to raise the tenant’s rent by more than 8%. According to Seth Mangold, the vice chair of Community First Whatcom – the organization responsible for advancing both measures – the initiatives are intended to “address the growing unaffordability of Bellingham, by enabling our community to stay here if they choose.” Mangold added that housing costs are directly correlated with the rising homeless population and that the organization is working to address that as well. STORY: Maple Falls woman arrested for DUI after chase A Maple Falls woman was arrested on Friday afternoon after leading law enforcement on a chase while intoxicated. Everson Police initially tried to pull 33-year-old Tempest Duke over on South Pass Road, who then sped off after nearly hitting the officers’ car. Deputies later found the car in Everson, but the driver took off again, hitting 90 mph and crossing multiple double yellow lines. Duke was taken into custody after she attempted to turn around in a berry field. Duke has at least one prior felony DUI conviction and had a warrant for a separate assault charge at the time of her arrest. She remains at the Whatcom County Jail, with bail set at $150,000. STORY: West Nile virus reported in humans and horses in WA The Washington State Department of Health has reported four cases of West Nile virus in the state. Two of the reported cases are from residents from Walla Walla and Franklin counties, the other two are from horses in Grant and Benton counties. The cases were diagnosed within the past week. West Nile virus is a virus carried by mosquitoes that affects both humans and animals. Disease due to West Nile Virus occurs during mosquito season in Washington state, particularly in areas with hot summer temperatures. Most of those infected develop no symptoms, but risk of severe infection is higher in seniors and those with certain medical conditions such as diabetes and hypertension. The Department of Health cautions the public to avoid mosquito bites, and to contact your healthcare provider if you develop symptoms consistent with West Nile virus. STORY: $5 million in new state Clean Energy Fund investments to rural communities The Washington State Department of Commerce today announced seven grants totaling nearly $5 million from the state’s Clean Energy Fund to enhance dairy digesters and advance clean energy in rural communities. Dairy digesters are how cattle manure and urine is managed, the most common way being pools. These pools can generate a large amount of greenhouse gasses and are thus a large focus when it comes to efforts to fight climate change. The gasses from the digesters can be diverted, stored, and used for energy or fuel. Whatcom will be seeing a large portion of the money. $1 million will go to FPE Renewables in Lynden for more efficient generators and reduced emissions at Vander Haak (HACK) Dairy. The generators will supply power for over 3,000 electric cars annually, all from waste manure and food residuals. Almost half a million will go to Farm Power Lynden in Custer. The facility was originally built in 2010 and the money will go to upgrading the dairy digester’s generator. Each investment will result in improved air and water quality, soil health and reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. The Clean Energy Fund has invested nearly $300 million in clean energy projects since 2013. STORY: Food benefits for low income families at risk in gov shutdown A program that helps millions of low-income families afford healthy food could see substantial cuts as a result of the potential government shutdown. The White House released a state-by-state breakdown, estimating that nearly 7 million people who rely on the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children – also known as the WIC – could be at risk of losing funds and vouchers for food. Of those 7 million people, nearly 131,000 live in Washington state. The WIC program provides financial support for those who are low-income and pregnant or nursing, as well for children up to 5 years old. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said that WIC recipients could feel the impact of a shutdown within days, with the vast majority of participants seeing an immediate reduction and elimination of those benefits. Funding for the WIC program is not mandatory spending, meaning the program would not be automatically funded in the event of a government shutdown. Instead, the program is funded through the Agriculture Appropriations bill, which has not been passed by Congress. STORY: Inmates allege DOC using faulty drug tests to levy harsh punishments According to a recent lawsuit filed by Washington inmates, the Dept of Corrections allegedly used faulty drug tests as a way to award harsh sentences. The tests used by the corrections officers are known to have a 38% false positive rate and are considered presumptive drug tests. The rate of false positive tests is a point of inaccuracy that cannot make …
August 1, 2023 News Transcript
Primary Day is here, Labor unions launch coalition on climate jobs, Guemes Island Ferry Workers still without contract, Single stream recycling starts, Anacortes reduces parking limits for RVs, AG Ferguson argues Idaho Abortion travel ban is illegal, New state housing dollars not enough, 8-year-old attacked by cougar ______________________________ Independent, nonprofit community radio. KMRE brings you local news for [DAY], [MONTH DAY]. Good afternoon, I’m ______. STORY: Primary Day is here Today is Primary Day, which means it’s your last chance to cast your vote in this year’s primary election. Ballot boxes close tonight at 8 p.m. – or you can still vote by mail if your envelope is postmarked no later than August 1st. As of yesterday, election officials have received more than 35,000 ballots from about 22 percent of registered voters. Voter turnout for last year’s primary was around 48 percent. STORY: Labor unions launch coalition for climate jobs On Monday, labor unions in Washington launched a new coalition to address climate change in the workforce. The coalition, Climate Jobs Washington, calls for pro-worker climate action to support job growth and the needs of workers impacted by climate change, especially in communities of color and rural areas. Along with their announcement was a report that listed 20 effective ways to create high-quality climate jobs in Washington. These recommendations include committing to 100% in-state net-zero energy by 2025, reopening the Ferndale Alcoa Intalco aluminum smelter with a clean energy plant, and making public buildings carbon free by 2030. Researchers believe that full implementation of the report could create over eight hundred thousand jobs across the state. STORY: Guemes Island Ferry workers still without contract Guemes (GWAY-muss) Island Ferry workers are still without contract 20 months after their previous contract with Skagit County expired. The previous ferry worker contract had expired at the end of December in 2019, but was extended through a memorandum of agreement until the end of 2021. The workers union began negotiations on a new two year contract at the beginning of 2022. In February, the union rejected a contract that included a two percent wage increase, an offer that was less than the three percent increases other county unions had received. A one day strike was held on May first, and two weeks ago the union sent flyers out informing the public of possible future service disruptions due to crew shortages. Skagit County officials have responded by referencing a state law that forbids public employees from striking. Both parties have attended mediation sessions and negotiations are ongoing. STORY: Single stream recycling starts Residents in Bellingham’s Edgemoor and Birchwood neighborhoods can kick their recycling sorting crates to the curb this month. After last February’s new agreement with the city of Bellingham, Sanitary Services will be providing 90-gallon single source recycling containers for residential customers. All paper, cardboard and bottles will go into one large container to be picked up every two weeks, rather than every week as it is now. A Sanitary Services spokesperson says other Bellingham neighborhoods will be added as the new recycling containers are received. The city had also asked Sanitary Services to make organic recycling a part of basic residential services. Right now, about 40% of customers pay extra for a “Food Plus” collection. Sanitary Services says that service will be added for all customers after rollout of the new recycling collection program is complete. STORY: Anacortes reduces parking limits for RVs Last week, the Anacortes City Council voted unanimously to reduce the parking limit for RVs from 72 to 24 hours. They also voted to raise parking fines to $20 for drivers of oversized vehicles parked beyond the limit, and an additional $10 for any further violations that take place within the year. The new regulations apply to residential zones, but not to RVs parked in front of the RVs’ owners’ properties. The Mayor of Bellingham, Seth Fleetwood, has proposed similar legislation at the Bellingham City Council meeting on July 24th. Fleetwood suggested banning RV parking near school properties and children’s organizations, while simultaneously requesting proposals to find a place where RVs can park with organized supervision. STORY: AG Ferguson argues Idaho abortion travel ban is illegal Washington weighs in again on Idaho’s abortion law after a recent ban makes it a crime for adults to help minors receive abortion care out-of-state. The so-called travel ban comes after a significant increase in Idahoans traveling to Washington for abortions. A challenge to the travel ban was filed in the US District court in July, and Attorney General Bob Ferguson says the ban violates the Constitutional right to free travel between states. In a recent release, Governor Jay Inslee expressed concerned that the ban will lead to a higher mortality rate in women and girls within Idaho. There are also concerns about timely medical care and strains on Washington’s resources with the restrictive laws in place. STORY: New state housing dollars not enough Washington home builders cannot keep up with housing demands. This year, the state Legislature set aside more than one and a half billion dollars to try and increase the supply of housing which includes 400 million over two years for affordable housing projects. To help curb homelessness, the Department of Commerce estimates Washington will need to build one million new homes in the next 20 years. That’s 55,000 homes per year, and half of those need to be affordable housing. However, despite record investments in housing this year, according to Tedd Kelleher, Department of Commerce Housing Division policy director, home building in Washington is not on pace to meet that growth. Additionally, due to pandemic-era assistance and rental protection programs being lifted, homelessness is projected to increase. In recent reporting by the Washington State Standard, Director Kelleher couldn’t offer a figure for exactly how much money would need to be invested in the coming years to meet need-estimates, but did say that in order to do so, lawmakers will have to increase spending on housing as well as change land …
