Governor and AG’s offices pledge action should ICE violate WA citizens’ rights, Trial begins for Whatcom woman accused of 2021 murder, PSE reports nearly 2,000 Bellingham homes affected by power outage, Bellingham man arrested for felony DUI following collision, Bellingham Intl to stop providing direct flights to Oakland in May, State bill under consideration that would legalize home-growing of cannabis
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KMRE brings you local news for Monday, Jan, 27. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: Governor and AG’s offices pledge action should ICE violate WA citizens’ rights
Washington leaders are pushing back after a deadly ICE operation in Minnesota.
Governor Bob Ferguson and Attorney General Nick Brown held a press conference yesterday in response to federal escalation in Minnesota.
TVW’s Angela Nalasco reports:
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TAG: The press conference comes two days after ICE agents killed another U.S. citizen, Alex Pretti, who was fatally shot while peacefully exercising his constitutional rights.
STORY: Trial begins for Whatcom woman accused of 2021 murder
A Whatcom County woman is now on trial for a 2021 killing.
According to court records, 67‑year‑old Lynda Clare Mercy is charged with second‑degree murder in the death of Thomas Flood, a transient man from Langley whose body was found near a beach access trail on the Semiahmoo Spit.
Prosecutors say Flood was shot twice, driven to the spit in his van, and left under a mattress and sleeping bag. They told jurors Mercy’s DNA was found in the van and on a mask near his body, and that the bullets match a gun she owned.
Defense attorneys argue the case is entirely circumstantial, and say investigators filled gaps with assumptions and failed to preserve key surveillance footage.
Mercy was arrested in April of 2021 and has been held in the Whatcom County Jail since that time. The trial is expected to last about four weeks.
STORY: PSE reports nearly 2,000 Bellingham homes affected by power outage
Puget Sound Energy reported a power outage yesterday at about 12:18 PM in Bellingham.
1951 customer addresses were without power. PSE applied a standard 2-hour window to restore service. PSE cited the cause as an equipment failure.
STORY: Bellingham man arrested for felony DUI following collision
A 36-year-old Bellingham man faces felony DUI charges after a midnight collision near East Chestnut and North Forest Streets. The driver had a blood alcohol content three times the legal limit and crashed into another car stopped at a red light. He was arrested and taken to jail soon after.
Previous charges were dismissed and upgraded to a felony DUI after it was discovered the man had three previous DUI convictions since 2014.
The suspect appeared in court on January 16th, where his bail bond was set at 100,000 dollars, or 10,000 dollars cash.
STORY: Bellingham Intl to stop providing direct flights to Oakland in May
Bellingham International Airport will suspend its twice-weekly direct flight to Oakland International Airport in California after May 25th.
Bellingham was the last remaining Allegiant Air route at Oakland International Airport. The airline currently connects Bellingham travelers to six airports on the West Coast.
This month, Allegiant announced its intention to acquire Minneapolis-based Sun Country, a small budget airline. It remains unclear how the acquisition will affect Bellingham International, although multiple airlines are discussing service options in and around San Francisco.
STORY: State bill under consideration that would legalize home-growing of cannabis
Home-grown cannabis may soon be legal in Washington state.
Senate Bill 6204 would allow adults 21 and over to grow cannabis in their private residences, with a limit of 15 plants per location. Recreational home growing is currently a Class C felony, though growing medical cannabis is legal. Under the proposal, home-grown cannabis could not be sold, and neighbors could report visible or odor-producing plants to law enforcement. Seattle State Senator Rebecca Saldana starts off this TVW wrap-up of the discussion on the Senate floor yesterday.
CANNABIS AUDIO PX
Supporters say the change would expand access and strengthen the regulated market, while opponents raised concerns about enforcement and youth exposure.
WX: Principal Fluffy
And now for the weather:
Today’s forecast calls for cloudy skies, with occasional sun breaks. Daytime highs should reach into the low 50s today, with the evening dipping into the low 40s and high 30s. Tonight, look for modest winds and light rainfall. Tomorrow, expect the rain and mild temperatures to persist, with showers expected to fall overnight.
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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