Protests against ICE draw crowds of hundreds across Whatcom and Skagit counties, Protesters at Portland ICE facility tear gassed, Man arrested on suspicion of harassing Lummi Nation leadership, IED discovered in Mount Vernon church donation bin, Hovander Park reopens following flood closure, Whatcom Health and Community Services issues health advisory following measles outbreak in Snohomish, N. Cascades Bluegrass Festival Closes, WA population one of the fastest growing nationwide, Fed cutbacks affect UW, WSU research, Seattle’s children grow more ethnically diverse, Bham kid demo shrinking, Free or Cheap, Salish Seed swap, Menace Puppy Bowl
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KMRE brings you local news for Monday, February, 2. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: Protests against ICE draw crowds of hundreds across Whatcom and Skagit counties
Hundreds of people across Skagit and Whatcom County, including students, gathered on Friday to protest the actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement around the country.
Last Friday’s protest was part of a nationwide shutdown calling on people to stay home from work, shopping, or school. Students from Burlington-Edison High School and Western Washington University walked out of class and joined the protest.
The demonstrations followed a series of federal immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis, including deadly encounters between agents and civilians that drew national attention.
Western students called on administrators to ensure campus safety by passing additional policies and resolutions that would limit cooperation with federal law enforcement.
STORY: Protesters at Portland ICE facility tear gassed
In other ICE news, federal agents deployed tear gas on protesters outside Portland’s ICE facility this weekend.
Saturday’s protest saw tear gas, pepper balls, rubber bullets, and flash-bangs used on a crowd that included families, while Sunday’s response escalated more gradually. The tactics drew sharp criticism from city leaders.
Tear gas was fired after demonstrators pounded on the facility and rattled its security gate. Protesters said the aggressive response only strengthened their resolve to return and continue to protest federal immigration policy.
STORY: Man arrested on suspicion of harassing Lummi Nation leadership
A man was arrested last Thursday on suspicion of harassing and cyberstalking Lummi Nation leadership.
A statement released by the Lummi Nation on Friday says Bellingham Police apprehended the individual after he was accused of trespassing at the Lummi Nation administrative building, posting what the tribe described as disturbing and threatening videos online, and violating an unrelated no-contact order. In a release issued a day before the arrest, Lummi officials urged the community not to engage with the individual as the situation escalated through social media.
STORY: IED discovered in Mount Vernon church donation bin
A Mount Vernon church discovered what appeared to be a tennis ball explosive in its donation bin.
The Bellingham Police Department’s Hazardous Device Unit was dispatched last Thursday and arrived on scene at around 6 p.m. Bellingham Police Lieutenant Claudia Murphy said the unit was able to confirm the item as an improvised explosive device, and safely disposed of it.
Mount Vernon Police are investigating who might have donated the item.
STORY: Hovander Park reopens following flood closure
Whatcom County Parks announced on their Facebook page that Ferndale’s Hovander Homestead Park reopened on Friday.
The park was severely damaged after the Nooksack River flooded in December. About 3 weeks ago, the parks department announced it had reopened the boat ramp and the off-leash dog area. They could not reopen all of the park, however, because of additional needed repairs – some of which are still ongoing.
The county advises people to be cautious in the designated work areas when they visit the park.
STORY: Whatcom Health and Community Services issues health advisory following measles outbreak in Snohomish
The surge in measles cases in Snohomish County has prompted Whatcom County Health and Community Services to issue an advisory.
Health officials have linked the outbreak in Snohomish — Washington’s first since 2023 — to a larger outbreak in South Carolina. According to the advisory, Whatcom County’s current vaccination rate of 86% is too low, which increases the risk of widespread infection. A 95% vaccination rate would prevent community spreading if measles does arrive in our area.
In its post, Whatcom County Health offers numerous resources, including a map of exposure locations in Washington state and information about the Childhood Vaccine Program. Parents can take children 19 or under to be immunized for free at specific locations. A free vaccination clinic will take place tomorrow at the Chestnut Professional Building in Bellingham.
For full information and appointments, visit the County’s Immunization Clinics webpage.
STORY: Bellingham School Board pushes legislature for change in funding
Leaders of Bellingham Public Schools have called for a change in what they say is Washington’s broken school funding system.
In a recent letter to the press, the school board argues the state is failing its constitutional duty to fully fund basic education when it forces districts to use local levy dollars to cover essentials like utilities, insurance, special education, and staffing. With costs on the rise and state funding formulas lagging behind, the board urged lawmakers to overhaul school funding this session so it reflects the real cost of operating schools — and does not rely on local taxpayers to cover the basics.
STORY: N. Cascades Bluegrass Festival Closes
A popular music festival is calling it quits.
Organizers of the North Cascades Bluegrass Festival say a steep drop in ticket sales — about thirty‑five percent last year — pushed the Labor Day weekend event into the red, and they do not expect the market to bounce back anytime soon.
The festival launched in 2016 at Hovander Homestead Park. It later moved to the Deming Log Show Grounds, and became the main fundraiser for the Whatcom Parks and Recreation Foundation. However, shifting priorities at both the Log Show and the Foundation, along with a downturn in Canadian attendance, led to the decision to shut it down.
Co‑founders Daniel Tepper and David Starr thanked fans, volunteers, and bands, calling the festival a labor of love.
STORY: WA population one of the fastest growing nationwide
Washington is one of the fastest-growing states in the country.
According to new U.S. Census data, the state’s population grew nearly twice as fast as the national average last year — up almost a full percentage point compared to a half percent nationwide. Washington added over 73,000 residents, which pushed the state’s population past 8 million. Much of that growth came from international migration, which accounted for nearly two-thirds of the increase, even as immigration slowed nationwide.
As of now, people are still moving here from overseas; however, federal policy changes could temper future growth.
WX: Jalapeño Droplets
And now for the weather:
Punxsutawney (punk-suh-TAW-nee) Phil saw his shadow this morning, which apparently means six more weeks of winter, but nobody got the message here in Western Washington. Be prepared for a rainy day of mild temperatures and modest winds. Highs today look to hover around 50 degrees once again, with wind speeds peaking at around 20 miles per hour. The evening should feature lows around the mid-to-low 40s, with the wind and rain almost disappearing.
If the midwinter warmup seems strange, it’s no mirage. Temperatures this week are expected to be about 10 degrees above normal, with mostly cloudy skies and highs near 60. A ridge of high pressure is driving the warmth, and comes just days after the anniversary of Seattle’s record low of zero degrees, set in 1950 — a reminder of just how unusual this recent thaw really is.
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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STORY: Fed cutbacks affect UW, WSU research
Federal funding uncertainty is hitting Washington’s research pipeline.
UW President Robert J. Jones says faculty are now wary of recruiting new PhD students because they can’t guarantee support through graduation.
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Jones also says UW and WSU may compete in sports — but collaboration is critical when it comes to research and statewide problem‑solving.
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Jones told TVW’s Inside Olympia that stable funding and stronger partnerships are both essential to keeping Washington at the forefront of innovation.
STORY: Places to free file your taxes
Even though the Trump Administration has ended the IRS Direct File program, many Americans can still file their taxes for free this season.
Taxpayers earning under eighty-nine thousand dollars a year can use IRS Free File software online, while those making about sixty-seven thousand dollars or less may qualify for free, in-person help through Volunteer Income Tax Assistance sites at libraries and community centers. Seniors can get no-cost help through AARP Tax-Aide, and military members can file for free through the Defense Department’s MilTax program.
Anyone can also file at no charge using the IRS’s Free File Fillable Forms on IRS dot gov. The tax filing deadline is April fifteenth.
STORY: Seattle’s children grow more ethnically diverse
New Census Bureau data shows that in 2024, for the first time, Seattle’s under-18 population had no racial or ethnic majority group.
White children remained the largest single group at about 49 percent, but no longer made up a majority — down from nearly 53 percent just a year earlier. By contrast, white residents still accounted for roughly 56 percent of Seattle’s total population.
The city’s youngest residents are also far more multiracial and Hispanic than adults. About 18 percent of Seattle kids identified as multiracial, compared with just 7 percent of adults, and roughly 15 percent are Hispanic, nearly double the adult share. Meanwhile, Asians make up nearly one-fifth of Seattle’s adult population but only about 9 percent of children — a gap likely tied to tech-driven in-migration of young workers rather than families.
STORY: Bham kid demo shrinking
Local school leaders say recent voter-approved levies helped ease budget pressure — but didn’t close the gap. State law caps how much districts can raise locally, while lawmakers in Olympia have yet to fully fund K-12 education. More than two-thirds of district revenue comes from the state, and officials won’t know next year’s funding levels until the legislative session wraps up in mid-March.
Rising costs for utilities and insurance, combined with inflation and flat state funding, are forcing cuts. District leaders have approved a shift from an eight-period to a seven-period high school schedule to save money while preserving course options.
At the same time, declining birth rates are driving lower enrollment projections, even as Bellingham continues to grow — largely due to housing that’s unaffordable for families. District officials say they’re working with a demographer to plan for possible school consolidations or site repurposing and are urging residents to press state lawmakers to fully fund public education.
STORY: Free or Cheap
STORY for 2/6 Free/Cheap: Salish Seed swap
- Menace Brewing Puppy Bowl
