Whatcom County special election ballots due Feb. 13, Bellingham man injured during snowball drive-by, Everson family fight involving two people, a dog and a shovel lands one in jail, Rollover crash in Blaine on I-5 sends 1 to hospital, Whatcom County to receive kiosk that provides free COVID, flu tests, WNS – Election disinformation, State Patrol seeks to charge 6 in Gaza war protest that shut I-5 in Seattle, Thousands of Chinook wasted as bycatch in B.C. fishery, new report finds, WWU extends commitment deadline to June 1 due to FAFSA delays
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STORY: Whatcom County special election ballots due Feb. 13
Ballots are due by 8pm tomorrow for the upcoming Whatcom County special election.
Voters will be deciding on resolutions related to school funding and funding for park and fire districts. School levies are aimed at supplementing state funding for facilities, technology, and staffing needs and are renewal or replacement levies—measures which do not increase the school portion of local property taxes.
Proposed bonds on the ballot would cover the construction or renovation of facilities, including a $70 million bond for updating elementary and middle school facilities in Blaine and a $157 million bond for the construction of a new high school in Lynden.
Residents of Marietta and Gooseberry Point will vote on a four-year maintenance and operation tax levy to support fire and emergency services provided by Whatcom County Fire District 8.
According to the Whatcom County Auditor, as of February 6th about 21% of eligible ballots have been returned. Ballots can be submitted via drop box or by mail, with a postmark no later than Election Day. Track the status of your ballot by visiting VoteWA.gov.
STORY: Bellingham man injured during snowball drive-by
Earlier last month, a 66-year-old man was injured after getting hit in the face by a snowball.
Dan Crouch was walking near Old Fairhaven Parkway on January 17th when a red truck drove by filled with teens and young-adults and threw a snowball at him. The snowball struck Crouch in the eye, leaving him bleeding with a bruise and cuts. According to Crouch, those in the trucks laughed and yelled when they realized he was hit. Crouch and a nearby resident called 911, but police could not locate the truck.
The vehicle was described by Crouch as a red pickup truck towing a blue kayak tied to the hitch. He reported to the Bellingham Police Department that there were about six or seven people in the back of the truck and one in the kayak. Users online reported seeing them driving through Fairhaven, Sehome, and around Western, throwing snowballs at people as they drove past.
The Bellingham Police Department is currently investigating and is seeking any additional information on the suspects.
STORY: Everson family fight involving two people, a dog and a shovel lands one in jail
An Everson man was arrested last week on charges of assault and animal abuse.
The County Sheriff’s Office reports that 36-year-old Simon Desteffany became angry after being refused food by a relative of his, on the evening of February 6th. Desteffany started to yell at the relative, when the victim’s dog tried to protect its owner. Desteffany attempted to hit the dog with a shovel, missed and hit the relative instead. He then proceeded to hit both with the shovel about 20 more times.
Authorities were called to the scene by Desteffany, who claimed the victim’s wounds were caused by dog bites.
Desteffany was released from the Whatcom County Jail on Friday afternoon after posting a $30,000 bail.
STORY: Rollover crash in Blaine on I-5 sends 1 to hospital
First responders were dispatched late Saturday night after a single vehicle was found rolled over in the Median of I-5 in Blaine.
North Whatcom Fire and Rescue found one occupant in the vehicle after first responders blocked the inside lines in both directions on 1-5 south of the Peace Portal drive overpass. At least one patient was taken from the crash site by ambulance, according to the Pulsepoint EMS dispatch log service.
Washington State Patrol subsequently took the driver into custody for suspicion of driving under the influence.
STORY: Whatcom County to receive kiosk that provides free COVID, flu tests
The Department of Health has approved Whatcom County to receive a kiosk that will offer free COVID-19 and flu tests.
The new kiosk is part of the State’s ‘Test-and-go’ program, which aims to address health inequities and targets underserved communities by providing free tests, particularly to the uninsured. The Department of Health will cover the cost of the tests.
Whatcom County Health and Community Services is currently scouting potential locations.
STORY: WNS – Election disinformation
As the use of artificial intelligence becomes more prevalent, experts are becoming increasingly worried about its effects on elections. Reporter Eric Tegethoff has more.
ELECTION AUDIO
WX: Rain
Today will be partly sunny with a high of 50 degrees and light winds. Expect clouds tonight, as temperatures drop to a low of 36. Tomorrow is projected to bring more sun, with rain returning Wednesday night.
OUTRO:
Today’s newscast was produced by volunteers AnThu Nguyen (ANNE-two new-WIN), Carlos Braga, Connor O’Boyle, and Tristan Trudell. 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. If you would like to help keep local news accessible, check out our new Patreon page at patreon.com/kmrenews or go to kmre.org and click on the banner. I’m ________________, and thanks for listening.
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STORY: State Patrol seeks to charge 6 in Gaza war protest that shut I-5 in Seattle
The Washington State Patrol will recommend charging at least 6 people in relation to the Israel-Hamas war protest that shut down I-5 in Seattle for nearly five hours in January.
The protest, which took place on January 6th, shut down I-5 with a blockade of cars and people. No arrests were made at the time as the State Patrol said it was caught off guard by the scale and tactics of the protest. According to Chris Loftis, a State Patrol spokesperson, the most likely charges would be disorderly conduct, which is a misdemeanor.
Ultimately, the decision on whether to charge protesters will be made by King County prosecutors, after they review documentation and recommendations from the State Patrol. An additional 10 people involved with the protest are being investigated.
STORY: Thousands of Chinook wasted as bycatch in B.C. fishery, new report finds
A new report from Canadian fisheries officials reveals that nearly 30,000 Chinook salmon were unintentionally caught as bycatch in the Canadian trawl fishery, primarily targeting hake and walleye pollock.
This bycatch, the highest on record during the 2022-23 groundfish fishing season, constitutes a significant waste of Chinook, which are crucial food sources for endangered southern resident orcas in both Canada and the U.S. The report highlights the urgency of addressing bycatch issues, especially as it pertains to protecting vulnerable species like Chinook salmon and orcas.
Additionally, it coincides with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s efforts to increase Chinook production in hatcheries to support orca populations, with a focus on public review and input on the proposed program.
STORY: WWU extends commitment deadline to June 1 due to FAFSA delays
WWU is extending its commitment deadline to June 1st.
The move is in response to the university having to wait until the first half of March to receive FAFSA information on students. The U.S. Department of Education had introduced a new FAFSA application this year, which didn’t open until New Year’s Eve and experienced major issues. WWU agreed to push back their deadline, which was originally May 1st, to allow more time for students to make their college decisions. Similar actions have been taken by other universities around the country.
