ICE detains man outside of Bellingham Public Library, Bellingham City Council considers official condemnation of ICE actions, Canadian Border Services Agency seizes record-breaking amount of meth from man attempting to cross near Sumas, Another house fire, this time in Kendall, leaves one injured and six homeless, WCSO investigating student misconduct in Mount Baker School District, Bellingham City Council approves $12.7 million grant for construction of new 911 call center, Bellingham announces World Cup “fan zone,” grants for businesses, New Federal Spending Boosts Projects Across Whatcom County
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KMRE brings you local news for Wednesday, February, 11. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: ICE detains man outside of Bellingham Public Library
Federal immigration officers detained a man outside the Bellingham Public Library on Monday.
According to multiple witnesses and video of the incident, a man was chased near the library’s back entrance and tackled by agents wearing ICE and Department of Homeland Security insignia. Two of the three agents involved wore face masks, and one is heard on video saying they had a warrant. The man was placed into an unmarked vehicle.
The arrest is the second outside the downtown library in two weeks. Immigration agents also detained a man on Jan. 30th near Bakerview Road and Meridian Street, where video shows agents pointing a taser as they made the arrest. ICE has not confirmed the identities of those detained or the reasons for the arrests.
Nationwide, more than 36,000 people were taken into custody by ICE in January.
STORY: Bellingham City Council considers official condemnation of ICE actions
The Bellingham City Council says it will consider an official condemnation of actions taken by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
According to council documents, a proposed resolution was sent to committee for consideration and possible action by the city council at its February 23rd meeting. Councilmembers Skip Williams and Dan Hamill (HAM-ull) introduced the resolution during Monday’s session.
Hamill urged other members to condemn the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement tactics. Hamill noted the deaths of Minneapolis protestors Renée Good and Alex Pretti, and called those incidents murder.
STORY: Canadian Border Services Agency seizes record-breaking amount of meth from man attempting to cross near Sumas
Canada Border Services Agency arrested a man who tried to smuggle nearly 700 pounds of methamphetamine across the border at Sumas (SOO-mass).
According to CBSA, Satnam Singh (SING) tried to enter Canada at the Abbotsford-Huntington port of entry on November 22nd. He was driving a commercial truck with a trailer. A dog detector team found 12 boxes containing 692 pounds of meth.
Singh has been charged by the Canadian police for possession of methamphetamine for the purposes of importation and trafficking. It is the largest seizure of narcotics at the border crossing on record.
STORY: Another house fire, this time in Kendall, leaves one injured and six homeless
Firefighters responded to a house fire in north Whatcom on Monday that left one person injured and six others displaced.
Crews were called to Apache Drive in Kendall, where they found flames and smoke coming from a double-wide modular home. According to Whatcom Fire District 14 Chief Jerry DeBruin (duh-BREW-in), the blaze was extinguished, but the home suffered heavy damage from fire, smoke, and water.
One person was taken to St. Joseph Medical Center for smoke inhalation, and the American Red Cross is assisting those displaced. The cause of the fire, which started in a back bedroom, remains under investigation.
STORY: WCSO investigating student misconduct in Mount Baker School District
The Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office is investigating reports of inappropriate student behavior at Harmony Elementary.
The Mount Baker School District says it began looking into allegations of student misconduct in September and later hired an independent, third-party investigator. Law enforcement then opened an investigation on Jan. 22nd.
Carrie Coppinger-Carter (COP-in-jer CAR-ter), the attorney representing two minor children connected to the case, says there were multiple reports of inappropriate touching while students were under school supervision. Superintendent Jessica Schenck (SHENK) says the investigation centers on student behavior and the district’s response — and does not involve allegations of staff misconduct.
In a step the District calls ‘standard’, Harmony Elementary Principal Todd Matthews has been placed on administrative leave while the investigation is ongoing.
According to district officials, they are cooperating with the Sheriff’s Office and student safety remains its top priority.
STORY: Bellingham City Council approves $12.7 million grant for construction of new 911 call center
The Bellingham City Council has approved a new 12.7 million dollar Communication Center.
The new What-Comm 911 call center will replace an aging, 70-year-old facility in the Sunnyland neighborhood and will be built by the Blaine construction company Colacurcio (ko-lah-CURE-ee-oh) Brothers.
Demand for a new facility was accelerated by complaints of poor heating, electrical, ventilation and air conditioning systems, among other issues.
According to the County, the current call center will remain open until the new building’s construction is completed in the summer of 2027. After that, the Sunnyland facility will be demolished as part of the total construction costs.
STORY: Bellingham announces World Cup “fan zone,” grants for businesses
The City has awarded approximately $200,000 in grants to local organizations to help boost World Cup-related events in Whatcom.
Bellingham is one of nine cities designated by SeattleFWC26 as an ‘official fan zone’ during this summer’s tournament. Originally, larger-scale events were planned. But the city’s $10 million dollar budget deficit prompted a pivot last fall and the city solicited partner proposals for inclusive and affordable celebrations for both visitors and residents. Money for the grants will come from a surcharge on motel and hotel stays, a move Bellingham City Council approved at Monday night’s meeting.
Grant recipients include the Den and the Wild Buffalo, which will co-host a Block Watch Party on Commercial Street. Other groups received funding for an array of tournament- and soccer-themed activities and include the Whatcom Family YMCA, Hammerhead Coffee, Allied Arts, Paws for a Beer, and KMRE 88.3FM.
For a complete list of grant recipients, visit the Downtown Bellingham Partnership’s website.
New Federal Spending Boosts Projects Across Whatcom County
New federal spending bills include several Whatcom County projects.
U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen says the legislation provides nearly $4 million for jobs and infrastructure in the county.
The package includes $600,000 for the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office to replace aging portable radios.
Another $1 million will support Lynden’s Flood, Agriculture, Safety, Salmon, and Transportation — or FASST — project, which will relocate Pepin Creek to prevent winter flooding and protect salmon and other endangered fish.
$850,000 will help renovate Bellingham’s Central Library, including updated windows, upgraded the main and children’s entrances, and a refreshed plaza.
Finally, $1.5 million is going to Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Services of Whatcom County to renovate the Douglas Building downtown, allowing the agency to expand services for survivors.
The projects are part of a broader set of federal investments in jobs, infrastructure, and community services across Northwest Washington.
WX: Star lull, star dull, star I never see in full
And now for the weather:
Another day of sunshine is ahead of us today. Daytime highs should hover right about 50 degrees…again. cloud cover will increase tonight and stick around for tomorrow morning as well. leaving us with a cloudy, chilly night in the mid to upper-30s.
Tomorrow will be mostly cloudy, accompanied by some wind chill to remind us that it’s not quite spring yet.
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), Austin Wright, Tyler Warne, 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 our work, check out our Patreon, Substack, or visit kmre.org and click on the banner. I’m _________, and thanks for listening!
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