Burn ban in effect in the east county, New minimum wage, higher taxes and utility costs, set to hit Bellingham in the new year, Changes in street parking in Fairhaven coming in January, Port contracting questioned, Healthy Children’s fund to potentially be allocated to families with young children impacted by flooding, Trump administration announces major changes to H-1B visa
Independent, nonprofit community radio.
KMRE brings you local news for Tuesday, December 30th. Good afternoon, I’m _David Korb_____.
STORY: Burn ban in effect in the east county
A Stage One burn ban is now in effect for parts of Whatcom County.
The Northwest Clean Air Agency issued the ban yesterday for the Columbia Valley urban growth area, which includes the Peaceful Valley and Paradise Lakes developments. Officials say cold, calm air is expected to trap harmful wood smoke near the ground.
Effective immediately, most indoor and all outdoor wood burning is prohibited. Smoke pollution can worsen asthma, heart and lung conditions, and is especially dangerous for children, older adults, and people with existing health problems.
No timeline has been given for when the burn ban will be lifted.
STORY: New minimum wage, higher taxes and utility costs, set to hit Bellingham in the new year
As the new year begins, the cost of living in Bellingham is rising — along with wages.
Beginning Thursday, Bellingham’s minimum wage will rise to $19.13 an hour, two dollars above the state minimum. That’s higher than most Washington cities, though still below Seattle and Everett.
At the same time, the city approved a one-percent property tax increase, a one-tenth of one percent sales tax to help fund police and public safety, and a rise in water, sewer, and stormwater rates.
The average utility bill is expected to jump by about $17 a month, as the city works to cover rising costs and replace aging infrastructure.
STORY: Changes in street parking in Fairhaven coming in January
Fairhaven will see changes to on-street parking beginning on January 5th. Portions of Larrabee Avenue, Harris Avenue, and 11th through 13th Streets will move from 2-hour limits to paid parking.
The city says the change is meant to improve access to local businesses by encouraging regular turnover of parking spaces. Only areas currently limited to 2-hour parking are affected.
STORY: Port contracting questioned
During a December 16th meeting, Port commissioners approved a $219,000 contract with Anchor QEA through the Port’s legal counsel, with no discussion.
The agreement covers the transfer of institutional knowledge from retiring staff to the new employee. Critics question why the Port isn’t using its own staff to train the successor and note that much of the billed work involves administrative tasks like cost tracking and report generation.
A recent series by Pat Grub, managing editor of the Northern Light newspaper in Blaine, highlighted a longstanding reliance on a sole-source contractor for decades of legal and environmental support, and raises questions about cost, transparency, and internal expertise at the Port.
According to Port Commissioner Michael Shepherd, changes at the Port bring opportunities for improvement.
SHEPHERD AUDIO 1
Shepherd also gave an update on the new Port Commission expansion.
SHEPHERD AUDIO 2
The new Port Commission seats are expected to be on the ballot this November.
STORY: Healthy Children’s fund to potentially be allocated to families with young children impacted by flooding
More funding could soon be on the way for families effected by this month’s flooding in Whatcom County.
The Whatcom County Council is considering a proposal to use money from the Healthy Children’s Fund to help families with young children. Under the resolution, up to $750,000 could be distributed to families with children under the age of five.
Supporters say the fund can be used during natural disasters because it promotes housing stability. The Healthy Children’s Fund, approved by voters in 2022, is expected to generate about $10 million a year over the next eight years.
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, more highly skilled workers. 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: Just two bros with a ‘cast
And now weather,
Clouds and partial sunshine are in the forecast again today. Daytime highs should peak around the mid-40s, with evening lows dropping into the mid to low 30s. Tomorrow should be much the same.
OUTRO:
Today’s newscast was produced by volunteers Carlos Braga, Connor O’Boyle, Kyler Cantrell, Glen Hirshberg, Kathi O’Shea, Austin Wright, and Kai Blais-Schmolke. 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 _David Korb________… thanks for listening!
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