City of Bellingham, school district announce partnership for Civic Athletic Complex, Woman arrested after allegedly smashing out windows with an axe, WTA seeks developer for affordable housing in Lynden, Biden administration cancels $1.2B in student loans with new repayment plan, Mount Vernon School District’s failing safety, technology levy heads back to ballot, Low wages, high costs: WA prisoners say they’re being exploited, according to report
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KMRE brings you local news for Friday, February 23rd. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: City of Bellingham, school district announce partnership for Civic Athletic Complex
Bellingham Public Schools and the City of Bellingham have announced a potential partnership to construct a new school within the Civic Athletic Complex.
The proposal would relocate Carl Cozier Elementary School to city property within the Civic Athletic Complex. This move would allow the school district to address the aging infrastructure of Carl Cozier and potentially repurpose the current site for other community projects. Although details such as the construction timeline, costs, and exact location of the proposed new school are yet to be finalized, Superintendent Greg Baker and Mayor Kim Lund expressed enthusiasm about the potential benefits for both the city and the school district.
A previous memorandum of agreement between Bellingham Public Schools and the Bellingham Public Schools Foundation permits the school district to utilize Carl Cozier as a temporary facility or “swing school” that students from other elementary schools could use during construction.
STORY: Woman arrested after allegedly smashing out windows with an axe
A 43 year old Everson woman was arrested after allegedly smashing windows and setting fire to her home.
The incident began with a family argument, then escalated. Heather Holestine set fire to her trailer on East Pole Road and used an axe to break several car windows. Deputies were then called to the residence, where they found that the fire had been put out by family members.
The suspect was in possession of methamphetamines when she was taken into custody.
STORY: WTA seeks developer for affordable housing in Lynden
The Whatcom Transportation Authority is seeking a developer to build workforce housing next to its transit station in Lynden.
In a call out to developers on Thursday, WTA requested that the final cost for housing be no more than 30% of their monthly income. At least 40% of the units would be for tenants who make no more than 60% of the area median income. The AMI for a family of four in Whatcom County is about $102,600. WTA envisioned the project to include over 100 residential units for farmworkers when completed. A portion of the property would remain in use as a bus station.
WTA board members anticipate selecting a developer in May and finalizing the lease by the end of the year.
STORY: Mount Vernon School District’s failing safety, technology levy heads back to ballot
A Mount Vernon School District funding proposal may go back on the ballot following the likely failure of their original safety and technology levy. The election will be certified by 3pm this afternoon.
The school district is sending an updated version to be placed on the April 23rd ballot that would return the district to a previously approved tax rate of 95 cents per $1,000. There is a small chance that the original levy could succeed, as it is currently failing by just 35 votes with 50 votes left to count.
A possible updated levy measure would result in a reduction in anticipated revenue by about $2.5 million a year, which would result in cutting some audio and visual technology replacements. It would also remove funding for some current staff, and force the district to rely on grants to cover their salaries.
The election will be certified by 3pm this afternoon.
STORY: Biden administration cancels $1.2B in student loans with new repayment plan
President Biden has initiated the cancellation of $1.2 billion in student loan debt for over 150,000 borrowers enrolled in his SAVE repayment plan, aiming to showcase his administration’s success in providing debt relief as the election approaches.
While his targeted approach has garnered praise, there are calls for more action despite a previous defeat of a broader loan forgiveness plan in the Supreme Court. The SAVE plan accelerates forgiveness for borrowers with lower debt amounts, allowing debt clearance after 10 years of payments, compared to the 20-25 years under other repayment plans. The plan aims to ease the burden for those who borrowed for college, with enhancements like increased income protection and reduced monthly payments. The Education Department plans to continue providing relief, targeting borrowers who attended community college or are at risk of defaulting.
Borrowers receiving relief will be notified via email, with loan discharges initiated by student loan servicers.
STORY: Free and Cheap
Looking for something free or cheap to do this weekend? Here are some events happening around the county.
The Inner Child Studio is hosting a family trivia night on Friday. Recommended for ages 8+, the pub-style trivia event will have prizes and concessions available. The doors open at 5:30, and the trivia ends at 7 pm. The adults only event starts at 7:30. More info and registration is available at InnerChildStudio.org.
The City of Bellingham is organizing a community work party to help plant native trees at Lake Padden on Saturday. Open to all ages, the event runs from 9 am to 12 pm. The event is a collaboration with the Washington Native Plant Society, and the Whatcom Million Trees Project. All tools are provided, and sign up is available at VolunteerBellingham.org.
Is your kid interested in hockey? The Whatcom Warriors are hosting a free hockey event at the Bellingham Sportsplex on Saturday. Warriors coaches & players will introduce kids aged 4 to 10 to the basics of hockey. Gear is provided, and registration is available on TryHockeyForFree.com. The event runs from 10:15 to 11:15 am.
WX: Rain
Your Whatcom County weather today– expect clouds today with a high near 51 degrees, and light winds. Rain will come late tonight with lows around 42. Rain is projected all weekend, with gusts of wind as high as 29 miles per hour. Snow showers are possible Sunday night, going into Monday morning.
OUTRO:
Today’s newscast was produced by volunteers AnThu Nguyen (ANNE-two new-WIN), Carlos Braga, Connor O’Boyle, Jayne Kuhlman 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: Low wages, high costs: WA prisoners say they’re being exploited, according to report
A new report characterizes Washington’s incarceration system as akin to modern-day slavery.
The report by advocacy group Columbia Legal Services (CLS), based on surveys and interviews with prisoners, details a system that compels individuals in prison to work for as little as $1 per hour, and at the same time face exorbitant costs to maintain their health and connections to the outside world.
Most incarcerated individuals in Washington prisons hold jobs, with a significant portion involved in correctional industries like food service or furniture construction, which can pay higher wages. However, according to CLS respondents, many are coerced to take those positions as those incarcerated often struggle to afford necessities like food and hygiene products due to inflated prices in prison commissaries. Advocates say the inability to save money while in prison contributes to higher rates of recidivism.
The Department of Corrections disputes some aspects of the report, pointing out that the 13th Amendment’s exception for criminal punishments allows for such labor practices, and highlighting the fact that some prison jobs pay up to $2.85 an hour.
The report calls for legislative action to address these systemic issues and support measures to improve the successful reintegration into society of former-prisoners upon release. Despite recommendations for policy changes, such as higher wages and reduced costs, the state has not addressed these concerns in the current legislative session.
