I-5 closures set for this week, Whatcom County man arrested for stalking and distributing intimate images, Downtown library to undergo major reno, New affordable housing moves forward, Padden Creek fuel spill cost $150,000, Supporters push back against Birch Bay incorporation report, US 2 re-opens, Blaine senior center votes to keep funds where they are, 19-year-old wins seat on Mt. Vernon school board, Trump administration announces major changes to H-1B visa
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KMRE brings you local news for Monday, December, 29. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: I-5 closures set for this week
Expect delays today on Interstate 5 in Bellingham.
Washington State Department of Transportation crews will reduce northbound I-5 to one lane for two days while they repair damage to guardrails and signs.
Tomorrow, the right lane will close from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. near the Fairhaven Parkway exit.
Nighttime travelers should also plan ahead— the southbound Meridian Street on-ramp to I-5 will be closed overnight from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. through early Wednesday morning.
Drivers should expect delays, and slow down for road crews.
STORY: Whatcom County man arrested for stalking and distributing intimate images
A Whatcom County man faces multiple felony charges in Superior Court.
Twenty-nine-year-old Collin Noah Ruginski (roo-GIN-skee) of Bellingham was arrested in late September on charges that include stalking, disclosing intimate images, and first-degree criminal impersonation.
Court records say Ruginski posted explicit photos of a woman on social media while pretending to be her, with captions that encouraged sexual assault. Investigators say he also shared her vehicle information, license plate, and birthdate—despite a domestic violence protection order already in place. Ruginski pled guilty to stalking the same victim earlier this year.
Authorities say additional victims have been identified and more charges are expected. Ruginski’s massage therapist license was suspended December 22nd. He remains in custody on $300,000 bail, with trial set for February 2nd.
STORY: Downtown library to undergo major reno
Big changes are coming to the Bellingham Public Library’s downtown location.
City officials say the Central Avenue library will close for about a year during a major renovation project expected to begin in late summer or fall of this year. The $8.5-million remodel is the second phase of a modernization plan that started in 2020.
During construction, the library will expand hours at its Fairhaven, Barkley Village, and Bellis Fair branches to maintain access for the public.
The project includes a renovated and expanded children’s area, upgrades to heating and air systems, and improvements to staff spaces. Construction is scheduled to wrap up by summer of next year.
City leaders say the public will have a chance to review and comment on the final design before work begins.
STORY: New affordable housing moves forward
A long-planned apartment project is officially moving forward in Bellingham’s Barkley Village.
Developers broke ground earlier this month on the Manning Apartments, a 142-unit, market-rate complex made possible in part by the city’s expanded Multi-Family Tax Exemption program. The exemption provides building owners with a partial property tax adjustment for between 8-20 years. The goal is to encourage the construction of more housing units, including affordable housing, within urban villages and other targeted areas of the city.
The new project includes studios as well as one- and two-bedroom units in two buildings above an underground parking garage. Residents are expected to move in by mid-2027.
The development had stalled for several years due to high construction and financing costs, but city officials say recent changes to housing incentives helped make the project financially viable.
City leaders say the project highlights how tax exemptions and streamlined permitting can speed up housing production, as Bellingham works to meet state-mandated housing goals and address ongoing supply shortages.
STORY: Padden Creek fuel spill cost $150,000
According to state officials, cleanup efforts following last summer’s diesel fuel spill in Padden Creek cost more than one-hundred-fifty-thousand dollars.
The spill happened during construction of a culvert and fish passage project meant to improve salmon habitat. An unattended diesel pump leaked hundreds of gallons of fuel on two separate days in August, which contaminated soil along the creek.
The Washington State Department of Ecology led the response and covered the bulk of the cleanup costs, with assistance from the city of Bellingham, the Lummi Nation, and the Nooksack Indian Tribe. Officials confirmed several fish were killed, but say no fuel reached Bellingham Bay.
The incident remains under investigation, and state regulators say decisions on responsibility and possible penalties could take a year or more.
STORY: Supporters push back against Birch Bay incorporation report
Whatcom County released a draft feasibility study on the incorporation of Birch Bay last week, and now supporters of the plan are pushing back.
The study says Birch Bay has a strong property tax base, but limited sales tax revenue, which would make it difficult to balance a city budget. According to the report, police services would be the largest expense, with a projected nearly-two-million-dollar deficit in the first year, expected to grow over time.
In a December 12th letter to County Executive Satpal Sidhu, the Birch Bay Incorporation Association says the study doesn’t reflect the more barebones ‘contract-based government’ model the community is interested in. They call the projections unrealistic and discouraging. In the letter, Association founder Matt Berry said the community was opposed to an expensive bureaucracy and instead envisioned a city that relied heavily on contracts.
The association requested the final report include four scenarios for the financial model in the final summary instead of only listing the most expensive one, and include a spreadsheet showing a bottom-line budget if all services remained at their current levels.
The group says it plans to hire an independent consultant.
STORY: US 2 re-opens
Drivers heading over Stevens Pass will get limited daytime access starting today.
The Washington State Department of Transportation says U.S. Highway 2 will reopen to pilot-car operations between Coles Corner and Stevens Pass Resort.
Traffic will alternate one direction at a time through an active work zone for about eight miles, with delays of up to an hour or more depending on weather and road conditions. Pilot cars will run 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, then the highway will fully close again overnight.
STORY: Blaine senior center votes to keep funds where they are
Members of the Blaine Senior Center nonprofit have rejected a proposal to move their nearly $300,000 investment fund to the Whatcom Community Foundation.
The vote, held December 15th, also ushered in 11 new board members, which expanded the board from just three. Of 171 votes cast, 115 opposed the transfer while 47 supported it.
The proposal arose after the senior center lost its city contract for the Blaine Community Center, now managed by the Blaine-Birch Bay Park and Recreation District. Board leaders say the decision gives the new board a clear mandate to continue serving Blaine seniors.
The city recognized the center’s decades of service and donation of equipment to remain in the community center, calling it a lasting legacy for Blaine’s senior community.
STORY: 19-year-old wins seat on Mt. Vernon school board
A recent Mount Vernon High School graduate is now making history on the Mount Vernon School Board.
Nineteen-year-old Sammy Solano Rivera was sworn-in earlier this month after he won nearly 60 percent of the vote, and unseated an eight-year incumbent. He’s the youngest school board member in district history.
According to recent reporting by Cascadia Daily, Solano Rivera says he ran because students often felt unheard, especially during budget cuts and labor disputes. His grassroots campaign—run largely by fellow students and recent graduates—focused on advocating for students, teachers, and paraeducators.
Now a student at Skagit Valley College, Solano Rivera says he wants to bring stronger student voices into board decisions and improve representation in a district where more than half of students are Latino.
District leaders say his election reflects growing community interest in new leadership and student-centered perspectives.
STORY: Trump administration announces major changes to H-1B visa
The Trump administration has announced a major change to the H-1B work visa program, and says it’s aimed at protecting American workers.
Under a new rule from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the current random lottery system for H-1B visas will be replaced with a process that prioritizes higher-paid and more highly skilled applicants. The visas are capped at 65,000 per year, with an additional 20,000 reserved for workers with advanced U.S. degrees.
Federal officials say the change is intended to prevent employers from using the program to hire foreign workers at lower wages than U.S. workers.
The rule takes effect February 27th and will apply to visa registrations for the 2027 fiscal year. The move is part of a broader effort by the administration to tighten oversight of work-visa and immigration programs.
WX: And now for something just phenomenally interesting
And now for the weather,
Expect more clouds for the rest of 2025. Today should be mostly overcast, with occasional periodic afternoon sunshine. Highs today will peak around the mid-40s, and evening lows will drop down to the low 30s. Expect more of the same tomorrow.
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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