Bellingham and Ferndale severe weather shelters will be open Christmas Eve and Day, Woburn Drive reopens following floods; updates on Hannegan, Two residential fires in 24 hours destroy two homes in Sumas, Report predicts severe budget deficit should Whatcom County incorporate Birch Bay, Ferguson throws support behind proposed property tax to residents making over $1 million per year, Governor unveils supplemental budget, State AG wins compensation for farmworkers
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KMRE brings you local news for Wednesday, December, 24. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: Bellingham and Ferndale severe weather shelters will be open Christmas Eve and Day
It’s Christmas Eve, and two severe weather shelters will open tonight and tomorrow in Whatcom County as temperatures are set to drop.
According to a Whatcom County emergency alert, the main shelter is located along WTA Route 1 near North Forest and Laurel Streets in Bellingham. It has 60 beds available on a first-come, first-served basis and allows service and support animals. Street parking is available, but there’s no dedicated guest parking.
Meanwhile, the Ferndale Severe Weather Shelter at the United Church of Ferndale will open at 5:30 p.m. December 24th and 25th, and offers 15 overnight beds. Check-in runs until 8 p.m., with checkout at 9 a.m.
Both shelters welcome animals.
Organizers say donations of meals and shelf-stable food are needed.
STORY: Woburn Drive reopens following floods; updates on Hannegan
Woburn Street in Bellingham is back open after nearly two weeks of flood-related closures.
City officials say the stretch north of Lakeway Drive reopened Tuesday after crews repaired damaged underground pipes and resurfaced the roadway after mid-December storms flooded the area.
The closure had cut off a major route to Bayview Cemetery and the Moles Funeral Chapel, and impacted a roadway that typically carries about 13-thousand vehicles a day.
Meanwhile, Hannegan Road will reopen with a gravel surface, barriers, and reduced speeds. The opening is just temporary, as the road will close again Monday for continued storm repairs.
STORY: Two residential fires in 24 hours destroy two homes in Sumas
Two homes in Sumas were destroyed by separate fires within a 24-hour period, just days before the holidays.
Fire officials say a family of seven escaped safely from a house fire early Monday morning, likely caused by a malfunctioning electric space heater. No injuries were reported, but the home is a total loss, and the American Red Cross is assisting the family.
A second fire broke out Saturday afternoon off Reese Hill Road, where a remote two-story home was fully engulfed by the time crews arrived. Difficult access delayed the response, but firefighters brought the blaze under control in about an hour.
No one was hurt in either fire. Fire officials urge residents to use extra caution with heaters and electrical devices during the winter months.
STORY: Report predicts severe budget deficit should Whatcom County incorporate Birch Bay
A new study finds that incorporating Birch Bay as its own city would not be financially feasible.
A consulting firm hired by Whatcom County estimates Birch Bay would face an annual budget deficit of more than two million dollars to maintain current service levels as a city. The largest cost would be the creation of a dedicated police department, projected to reach about three million dollars by 2032. The study also found most residents are generally satisfied with existing services.
With a population of just under 9,000, Birch Bay would be one of the county’s largest cities. The report was exploratory only and makes no recommendations on whether incorporation should move forward.
STORY: State’s Disaster Cash Assistance Program reportedly depleted
Washington’s Disaster Cash Assistance Program for flood victims has run out of funding.
The state Department of Social and Health Services says the program stopped accepting applications Tuesday after distributing one million dollars to more than 2,400 households across 14 counties.
The emergency assistance was created to help people impacted by recent atmospheric rivers and flooding who didn’t qualify for other cash aid.
State officials say anyone still needing help should apply for other benefits through DSHS, including money to replace food that may have been lost due to flooding or power outages.
Applications and claims can be made through local Community Services Offices, by phone, or online at WashingtonConnection dot org.
STORY: Ferguson throws support behind proposed property tax to residents making over $1 million per year
Washington Governor Bob Ferguson has backed a proposed income tax on residents earning more than one million dollars a year.
The so-called “millionaires tax” would apply to less than half a percent of Washingtonians and is projected to raise about three billion dollars annually, starting in 2029.
Ferguson says he would only support the tax if the revenue is used to expand the Working Families Tax Credit, provide relief for small businesses, strengthen K-12 education, and reduce sales taxes.
Republicans oppose the proposal, citing legal precedent and past voter rejections of income taxes, while Democrats say it could ease pressure on lower-income households.
Ferguson acknowledged that both court challenges and a potential vote are likely if the Legislature moves forward with the proposal next year.
STORY: Governor unveils supplemental budget
In more budget-related news, Ferguson also unveiled his supplemental operating budget proposal, aimed at closing a two-point-three-billion-dollar shortfall without raising taxes.
According to a recent release, the plan preserves core services— like K-through-12 education, protects reproductive health care access, and maintains the Working Families Tax Credit— while it eliminates select tax breaks for large corporations. Ferguson says the budget also responds to rising costs and federal impacts, including tariffs and changes to food and health assistance under the Trump Administration.
The proposal uses a mix of agency reductions, unused funds, policy changes, and one billion dollars from the state’s Rainy Day Fund to balance the budget.
Ferguson says the plan keeps Washington moving forward on affordability, housing, transportation, and essential services as lawmakers head into the legislative session.
STORY: State AG wins compensation for farmworkers
Dozens of Washington farmworkers will receive compensation under a one-million-dollar settlement with Toppenish-based Cornerstone Ranches.
The agreement resolves a lawsuit by the state Attorney General’s Office which alleged the farm discriminated against local workers in favor of H-2A employees. According to officials, the farm held local workers, many of whom were women, to stricter productivity standards and gave their hours to the male H-2A workers. Cornerstone denies the allegations.
In addition to compensation payments to more than 50 workers, the consent decree requires changes to hiring and labor practices and bars Cornerstone from applying piece-rate productivity standards to local workers when H-2A employees are also hired.
WX: Eve ‘n Breezin’
And now for the weather,
It looks as if Santa may encounter some turbulence as he makes his way to northwestern WA today. A high wind advisory is in place until 7 tonight, during which time maritime and lowland regions may receive gusts of up to 55 mph. In addition, a gale warning and coastal advisory is in effect for marine waters.
Daytime highs should remain in the high 40s, accompanied by between a quarter and half-inch of rain, so be cautious if you’re planning any last-minute holiday travel. The forecast for evening looks fairly mild, with winds dropping to around 25 mph, and temps in the low 30s.
Christmas Day will see overcast skies and a slight chance of rain. It won’t be a white Christmas, but we at KMRE hope that the holidays remain comfortable and merry for all our listeners and their loved ones. The KMRE News Team will be off tomorrow. From our families, to yours, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.
OUTRO:
Today’s newscast was produced by volunteers Carlos Braga (BRAH-guh), Connor O’Boyle, Kyler Cantrell, Glen Hirshberg (HERSH-berg), Kathi O’Shea (o-SHAY), and Kai Blais-Schmolke (KAI BLAZE-SHMOLE-kee). 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. To help support what we do, check out our Patreon, Substack, or visit kmre.org and click on the banner. I’m _________, and thanks for listening!
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