National Guard shooter formally charged with murder, Too many tipsy turkeys, Custer Sportsmen receives notice of violation, District Brewing reopens in Ferndale, North Cascades Highway closes for the winter, DOJ sues WA Secretary of State over refusal to turn over state’s voter database, New bipartisan bill set to help World Cup cities
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KMRE brings you local news for Wednesday, December 3rd. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: National Guard shooter formally charged with murder
A Bellingham man accused of shooting two National Guard members in Washington, D.C. has been charged with first-degree murder.
Prosecutors say 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal (rah-mah-NOO-lah LAK-un-wahl) opened fire Wednesday while Guard members from West Virginia were on patrol protecting federal property. Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Air Force Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe, 24, were hit. Beckstrom later died from a gunshot wound to the head. A major in the National Guard returned fire and subdued Lakanwal until officers arrived.
Lakanwal pleaded not guilty during his first court appearance and faces additional charges including assault with intent to kill. Once released from the hospital, he will be held without bond. His next court date is January 14th.
STORY: Sedro-Woolley woman sentenced for embezzling
A Sedro-Woolley woman has been sentenced to two years in federal prison for embezzling more than $1.4 million from Hardware Sales.
Forty-six-year-old Amy Danielle Siniscarco (sin-i-SKAR-co) pleaded guilty to wire fraud and filing a false tax return. She’ll also serve three years of supervised release.
Siniscarco is currently in federal custody, but she still faces multiple felony charges in Whatcom County — including 13 counts of forgery, first-degree theft, and identity theft. A Whatcom County judge will decide on December 10th whether her case will move to trial in early January.
The defense says they expect prosecutors to dismiss the remaining charges once her federal conviction is finalized.
STORY: Too many tipsy turkeys
The Washington State Patrol says its “No Tipsy Turkey” emphasis patrol around Western Washington University last week resulted in eight DUI arrests.
According to a recent release, the multi-agency effort also cited 48 speeding drivers, six seatbelt violations, two distracted drivers, and five other arrests — with 118 total traffic stops.
As the holiday season continues, the State Patrol urges drivers to stay sober, alert, and courteous to help keep Washington roads safe.
STORY: Custer Sportsmen receives notice of violation
Whatcom County Health and Community Services has issued a Notice of Violation to the Custer Sportsman’s Club.
According to an announcement made yesterday, investigators documented more than a hundred pieces of lead debris that had landed on a neighbor’s property. Gun ranges are required by law to keep solid waste contained on-site. An administrative hearing was held in October, and the Health Department has now given the club until December 30th to fully comply and submit a plan to prevent stray bullets. If lead continues to escape the property after that date, the club could face fines of up to $125 per day.
Environmental Health Manager Sue Sullivan says the goal is to ensure lead is properly managed so the range can continue to operate safely. Members of the sportsman’s club have stated that the club is working closely with whatcom county to resolve this issue. Public documents on the case are available on the county’s website.
STORY: District Brewing reopens in Ferndale
After being closed for 3 months, locally owned District Brewing will reopen its downtown Ferndale taproom today.
Owner Mark Schintaffer (SHIN-toff-ur) says a new kitchen upgrade now means specialty craft pizzas, wings, appetizers, and salads are on the menu.
AUDIO DISTRICT 1
The taproom also features new booth seating and a theater room with a weekly kids’ movie night. Visitors can expect to find Mount Vernon–crafted beers alongside guest taps, cider, seltzers, kombucha, and non-alcoholic favorites. Schintaffer says, although they’re a brew pup, the vibe is not all about beer.
AUDIO DISTRICT 2
District Brewing hours are noon to nine Sunday through Thursday, and until ten on Fridays and Saturdays.
STORY: North Cascades Highway closes for the winter
The North Cascades Highway is closing for the winter.
The Washington State Department of Transportation says State Route 20 will shut down at 6 p.m. tomorrow, due to heavy snow and rising avalanche danger.
The closure affects the stretch of highway between Ross Dam trailhead at milepost 134 and Silver Star gate at milepost 171. This includes Rainy Pass and Washington Pass. As conditions change, closure points may move to lower elevations near Newhalem (new-HALE-um) and Early Winters.
WSDOT (WASH-dot) says current snow loads— and more snow in the forecast— make the shutdown necessary for public and crew safety.
Historically, the highway has closed as early as October 17th and as late as January 3rd.
STORY: DOJ sues WA Secretary of State over refusal to turn over state’s voter database
The United States Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against the Washington Secretary of State over his refusal to turn over extensive personal information about all of the state’s registered voters.
Earlier this fall, the DOJ requested all Washington voters’ full names, dates of birth, and partial Social Security and drivers’ license numbers. In a letter dated September 23rd, Secretary Steve Hobbs declined—arguing that state law shields much of the requested information. Instead, he instructed his office to provide only data that is publicly disclosable, such as birth years, voting history, and addresses.
Five other states, including Rhode Island, Vermont, and Delaware, were also sued this week for declining to cooperate with similar federal demands. At least eight more, including California, Minnesota, and Oregon, have already been sued.
In a statement announcing the lawsuits, Attorney General Pam Bondi asserted that the Federal government needs to ensure that states are complying with what she calls, quote, “basic voter roll maintenance”, end quote.
Meanwhile, the DOJ continues to hunt for evidence for the President’s never-substantiated claims of massive election fraud, which have been repeatedly rejected by the courts.
STORY: New bipartisan bill set to help World Cup cities
Representatives Rick Larsen and Burgess Owens have introduced a new bipartisan bill to help U.S. cities hosting major international sports events.
The Transportation Assistance for Olympic and World Cup Cities Act would authorize $50 million a year to upgrade transit, roads, sidewalks, and other infrastructure ahead of events like the Olympics and the FIFA (FEE-fuh) World Cup.
Larsen, a Democrat, says world-class games require world-class transportation, highlighting Seattle as one of the 2026 World Cup host cities. Owens, a Republican from Utah, points to that state’s experience with the 2002 Winter Games. He says the bill will give communities dependable federal support as they prepare to welcome global crowds.
Host cities could receive up to $10 million per event per year. The bill mirrors legislation already introduced in the Senate by Maria Cantwell and Jerry Moran (mo-RAN).
The 2026 World Cup will span 78 matches across 11 U.S. cities, with billions of viewers expected worldwide.
WX: Jack be nimbus, Jack be quick
And now for the weather:
It looks like a day of mild clouds here in Whatcom, with highs in the mid-40s. The weather should stay fairly consistent, with the evening’s forecast also calling for overcast skies, and temperatures around 40 degrees.
Some mild rains should start up tonight and stick around throughout most of tomorrow, and should drop about a quarter-inch of precipitation when all’s said and done.
OUTRO:
Today’s newscast was produced by volunteers Carlos Braga (BRA-guh), Connor O’Boyle, Kyler Cantrell, Glen Hirshberg (HERSH-berg), Kathi O’Shea (o-SHAY), Bella Mae, 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. Check out our Patreon page or visit kmre.org and click on the banner. I’m _________, and thanks for listening!
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