Whatcom County Special election ballots due Feb. 13, Racist speech interrupts Whatcom County Council meeting, Mount Vernon teen dies in car crash, 3 others hospitalized, State awards $85 million for electric vehicle charging stations, Birch Bay and Point Roberts included, WA House votes to allow local even-year elections, Free and Cheap
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Independent, nonprofit community radio.
KMRE brings you local news for Friday, February 9th. Good afternoon, I’m _David Korb_____.
STORY: Whatcom County special election ballots due Feb. 13
Ballots are due by 8pm Tuesday for the upcoming Whatcom County special election.
Voters will decide on funding resolutions for schools, park, and fire districts. School levies are aimed at supplementing state funding for facilities, technology, and staffing needs and are renewal or replacement levies; that is, measures that do not increase local property taxes.
Proposed bonds on the ballot would cover the construction or renovation of facilities, including a $70 million dollar bond for updating elementary and middle school facilities in Blaine and a $157 million dollar 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 levy to support fire and emergency services in 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 mailed in, with a postmark no later than Election Day. Track the status of your ballot by visiting VoteWA.gov.
STORY: Racist speech interrupts Whatcom County Council meeting
Tuesday’s Whatcom County Council meeting was interrupted by racist Zoom attendees.
According to recent reporting from My Bellingham Now, Council Chair Barry Buchanan says the users joined the meeting remotely during the public comment period and eventually launched into extreme antisemitism. He says one attendee provided a name that, when pronounced, was an offensive reference to the Holocaust. The council suspended the meeting and went into executive session to discuss how to proceed, then resumed the meeting and only allowed written comments to be submitted.
A similar incident occurred with the Blaine City Council in October, when a “zoombomber” disrupted a hybrid meeting. The individual said the N-word over 10 times before staff took control of the situation. Blaine has since canceled all remote portions of the meeting.
Buchanan says he will consult with Blaine City Council on how to best manage hybrid meetings.
STORY: Mount Vernon teen dies in car crash, 3 others hospitalized
A 15-year-old Mount Vernon girl was killed and three other teens injured in a car crash Tuesday night on State Route 534 in Skagit County.
A 15-year-old boy was driving a car west on the road at milepost 4 when he missed a turn and struck a power pole shortly before 10 p.m. He was transported to Skagit Valley Hospital. Two of the passengers, a 16-year-old girl and another 15-year-old boy, were transported to Harborview Medical Center, one via air ambulance. The fourth occupant was pronounced dead at the scene.
Two of the teenagers were not wearing seatbelts. The cause of the accident is under investigation.
STORY: State awards $85 million for electric vehicle charging stations, Birch Bay and Point Roberts included
The Washington State Department of Commerce will award over $85 million in grants to expand access to electric vehicle charging stations across the state.
The money will fund nearly 5,000 new charging stations, with locations in Bellingham, Sumas (SOO-mass), Maple Falls, Blaine, and Point Roberts. The bulk of the funding comes from the Washington State Electric Vehicle Charging Program, with remaining funds coming from the 2021 cap-and-invest Climate Commitment Act.
Governor Inslee said the state originally expected 50,000 EVs on the road by 2020. Washington drivers sped past that prediction, purchasing roughly 125,000 EVs, and outpaced the charging infrastructure.
STORY: WA House votes to allow local even-year elections
A bill aimed at increasing voter turnout in local elections has passed the House.
In Washington, elections for city positions and special districts, such as water and sewer districts, are held in odd years. Supporters argue this timing helps stagger elections between races for offices like Congress and the state Legislature. However, it also leads to low voter turnout. House Bill 1932, will allow cities and special districts to hold all their elections in even years instead of odd years.
Proponents argue that moving all local elections to even years, when higher voter turnout is typically observed, will increase participation.
However, opponents, including Secretary of State Steve Hobbs and some Republicans, express concerns about potential voter fatigue, logistical challenges for election officials, and overshadowing of local races by federal and state contests.
The bill would make elimination of odd-year elections optional, and include mechanisms for public input and decision-making.
House Bill 1932 passed 52-45 and will now move to the Senate for consideration.
STORY: Free and Cheap
Here are some cheap or free events happening around the county this weekend.
On Saturday, the Bellingham Central Library will be hosting Cascade STEAM Robotics for a project collaboration meetup. Attendees can bring their own personal projects, collaborate, and meet others interested in robotics and technology. The event runs from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm, and is geared toward adults and teens.
On Sunday, a ‘sensory friendly’ play day will take place at the Bloedel Donovan Park Multi Purpose Room. The event will have different Sensory Stations for kids, as well as sensory gloves, noise reduction headphones, and weighted blankets. The event goes from 1 to 3 pm and is open to kids 18 months to 16 years old.
Also on Sunday is the Valentine’s Experience Market at the Bellingham Studio in Bellingham Towers. The market will have small businesses offering jewelry, flash tattoos, bouquets, food, and more. Entry is free and the market is open from 11 am to 4 pm.
WX: Rain
Today will be partly sunny with a high of 46 degrees and gentle winds. Expect clouds tonight, as temperatures drop to a low of 35. Rain is projected this weekend, and all of next week.
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 your 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 __David Korb______________, and thanks for listening.
