Man hospitalized after being struck by train in Bellingham, Ferndale apartment fire kills one and hospitalizes another, WTA bus service to expand in June, Repeal of daylight saving among WA articles of legislation drafted for 2025, Court upholds decision against Meta, Free and cheap, Gov. Inslee imposes indefinite state agency spending freeze, Lummi Nation receives nearly $5 million for salmon habitat restoration
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KMRE brings you local news for Friday, December 6th. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: Man hospitalized after being struck by train in Bellingham A man was hit by a train early yesterday morning in Bellingham, near the intersection of Cornwall Avenue and Wharf Street.
The train struck the man while moving at 25 mph due to thick fog; the impact threw him into a ditch. The conductor reported sounding the horn to warn the man and called 911. Police found the pedestrian conscious and alert, and he was treated by the Bellingham Fire Department before being transported to St. Joseph Medical Center.
STORY: Ferndale apartment fire kills one and hospitalizes another Yesterday morning also saw a fire in a Ferndale apartment leave one person dead and another in critical condition.
Firefighters responded to the blaze on the second floor of a building on Eastview Place at around 7 a.m.. The fire was controlled within 30 minutes, with assistance from Ferndale Police and the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
STORY: WTA bus service to expand in June
The WTA board approved expanded bus service in Bellingham starting in June, alongside its 2025 budget.
The changes include increased routes to the hospital, Lummi Nation, Old Town, and a new route to the King Mountain neighborhood. Service to the waterfront will also become permanent.
The budget was adjusted to address concerns about spending amid a structural deficit, and excludes nearly $6.5 million initially allocated to purchase downtown property for a new station. WTA says it plans to amend the budget if the purchase proceeds, pending guidance by the Federal Transit Administration.
The updated budget allocates almost $48 million in operating revenue against about $55 million in expenses, resulting in a $10 million loss, which will be offset by reserves built from COVID-19 relief funds and conservative tax revenue management. Reserves are projected to remain at $36 million by the end of 2025.
Cost-saving measures include using existing buses for expanded waterfront service and delaying vanpool van purchases. WTA says it will also evaluate strategies to address the structural deficit, including exploring revenue growth and expense reductions.
STORY: Repeal of daylight saving among WA articles of legislation drafted for 2025
Washington lawmakers have begun preparing legislation for next year’s session, with pre-filing of bills having started on Monday.
The legislative session starts on January 13th and will last for 105 days, during which lawmakers will work to advance their proposals. Pre-filing allows legislators to highlight their ideas early, though committee chairs ultimately decide which bills move forward.
One notable pre-filed bill is Senate Bill 5001, which aims to end daylight saving time. Sponsored by Senators Jeff Wilson and Manka Dhingra (mun-KAH deen-GRA), the bipartisan bill proposes Washington adopt permanent Pacific Standard Time, which would not require federal approval. Lawmakers have tried to address the clock-switching issue for years, with limited success.
While proponents argue for ending the inconvenience of daylight saving, opponents point out the challenges— including coordination with neighboring states to maintain regional time consistency. Additionally, experts remain divided on the health and safety implications of permanent standard time versus daylight saving time.
STORY: Court upholds decision against Meta
The Washington Court of Appeals upheld a nearly $25 million penalty against Meta, Facebook’s parent company, for intentionally violating Washington’s campaign finance laws 822 times.
The court also tripled Attorney General–and Governor-elect–Bob Ferguson’s legal fees to $10.5 million, citing Meta’s intentional misconduct. These penalties stem from Meta’s failure to comply with state requirements for transparency in campaign advertising, such as disclosing ad costs, sponsors, and targeting details.
Meta had argued that the law was unconstitutional and sought reduced penalties, but the court rejected these claims. The case dates back to 2020, when Ferguson sued Meta for ignoring a 2018 consent decree requiring transparency. This decision reinforces Washington’s stringent campaign finance laws, with penalties directed to the state’s Public Disclosure Transparency Account.
STORY: Free and cheap
It’s Friday – if you’re looking for something free or cheap to do this weekend, here’s a little of what’s going on around the county.
The 45th Annual Allied Arts Holiday Festival of the Arts is in full swing, and is open every day from noon to 6pm until December 24. You can visit the market, with over 100 booths from local artists, on Commercial Street in downtown Bellingham.
The Bellingham Yacht Club’s Lighted Boat Parade starts at 5:30pm this Saturday. Viewers can view the dazzling lights from the Cruise Terminal, Taylor Dock and Boulevard Park. A soup cook off at the Clubhouse will follow the parade.
Bellingham’s Downtown Tree Lighting Ceremony also starts at 5:30 p.m tomorrow. The event will include free hot chocolate, cookies, activities and the tree lighting at 6 p.m. The event will take place at Railroad Avenue.
Fairhaven is also hosting its fair share of holiday fun for their annual Winterfest, with the Fairhaven Firelight Stroll taking place tomorrow. Starting at 5pm, hundreds of luminary candles will light the way from the Padden Creek Trailhead to Stones Throw Brewing.
The Meloy Gallery in downtown Bellingham is hosting their second annual holiday market, “Small is Beautiful”. You can visit the gallery between noon and 5pm on every Friday, Saturday and Sunday through December 22nd.
Finally, Madrona Wear is celebrating their grand opening at East Holly Street tomorrow with the sale of new and used outdoor gear starting at 11am, and a $25 fill-a-bag sale from noon to 4pm. DIY block printing will be available all day, with the help of a local artist from Ponderosa Prints.
WX: The Rains of Castamere
And now for your Whatcom County weather:
A drizzly day and weekend looks to be ahead of us, with consistent rainfall expected throughout today, tomorrow, and possibly Sunday as well.
Today’s highs are projected in the mid-low 50s, with calm daytime winds gradually increasing to gust speeds above 20 mph later tonight. Evening lows are expected in the mid-high 40s.
The rain should stick around through Saturday at the very least, though our patience may be rewarded with some partial sunshine come Sunday.
OUTRO:
Today’s newscast was produced by volunteers Carlos Braga (BRA-guh), Connor O’Boyle, Kyler Cantrell, Theron (THAIR-in) Danielson, Riley Weeks, Brodey O’Brien, Paloma Ortiz, Anna Hedrick and Miguel Garduño (MEE-gel gar-DOO-ño). 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 listener donations. Check out our Patreon page or go to kmre.org and click on the banner. I’m ________________, and thank you for listening.
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STORY: Gov. Inslee imposes indefinite state agency spending freeze Governor Inslee has implemented a spending freeze for state government agencies to help address that projected $12 billion deficit over the next four years.
The freeze applies to nonessential hiring, service contracts, equipment purchases and travel, though there is an exemption for spending on critical services and hiring for essential roles.
The deficit stems from rising costs, increased demand for public services, and lower-than-expected tax revenue. Inslee urged all agencies to adopt similar cost-saving measures, emphasizing the need for immediate savings without compromising public safety or essential health and welfare services.
The directive, issued last month, will remain in effect indefinitely.
STORY: Lummi Nation receives nearly $5 million for salmon habitat restoration
If approved, the phrase would join a host of other official state symbols, like the state folk song (“Roll On, Columbia, Roll On”), dance (square dance) and dinosaur (Suciasaurus rex).
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