Lummi Nation Police searching for missing elder, Whatcom construction worker dies after being struck by crew vehicle, Bellingham makes largest land purchase yet in Lake Whatcom watershed, City of Bellingham forms work group to review enforcement policy on immigration, Puget Sound Bloodworks blood supply at “emergency levels”, Drivers license data indicates migration to WA down from other states, up from other countries
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KMRE brings you local news for Wednesday, January 29th. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: Lummi Nation Police searching for missing elder Lummi Nation Police have issued an alert for a missing elder.
62-year-old Besalynn M. James was last seen near her home on Balch Road on January 21st. She is 5 foot 1 inches tall, weighs 160 pounds, and has brown eyes and black hair. James has a scar on her right arm, as well as a tattoo that reads “BES” – B (as in Bravo), E (as in Echo), S (as in Sierra) – on one of her arms.
Anyone who has seen James or knows of her whereabouts is asked to call 9-1-1.
STORY: Whatcom construction worker dies after being struck by crew vehicle
A Ferndale man died after being struck by a dump truck at a construction site on East Smith Road yesterday.
Washington State Patrol stated that the truck was backing down the right shoulder of Noon Road when it hit 42-year-old Brandon W. Gipson, who
was walking in the same area. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The incident is under investigation.
STORY: Bellingham man arrested on suspicion of DUI A man was arrested on suspicion of DUI after crashing a red Subaru Forester into two parked cars in Bellingham in the early hours of January 11th.
Witnesses saw 34-year-old Vaughn Anton Tufts kick out his windshield, crawl out, and attempt to walk away before being urged to stay until police arrived. He sustained minor injuries and was taken to the hospital for evaluation. Officers found no evidence of alcohol, but noted signs of illegal drug use.
Tufts had been arrested the day before for drug use, but was cited and released. Tufts has at least 77 arrests in Washington since 2009, including violent assaults, theft, and drug-related offenses.
Following the January 11th crash, he was charged with DUI, using a controlled substance in public, and driving without insurance.
STORY: Bellingham makes largest land purchase yet in Lake Whatcom watershed
The City of Bellingham has decided to purchase 754 forested acres on the southeast side of Lake Whatcom.
The addition – the largest single land purchase under the Lake Whatcom Land Acquisition and Preservation Program – brings total watershed
conservation purchases to over 3,500 acres since 2001. The goal of the preservation program is to protect the drinking water source for more than 100,000 local residents from pollution.
The City says the nearly $4 million purchase is funded by watershed fees, and will be managed to enhance wildlife habitat, forest health, and water quality. No trails are planned for the site, and the land will be left to mature to stabilize slopes and filter runoff. Officials including Mayor Kim Lund and council members praised the deal as a cost-effective investment in drinking water quality.
According to the officials, the purchase aligns with the city’s broader conservation goals and the draft Lake Whatcom Management Program 5-Year Work Plan, which is set for adoption in April.
STORY: City of Bellingham forms work group to review enforcement policy on immigration
The City of Bellingham has formed a temporary work group to review police and dispatch policies for compliance with the Keep Washington Working Act.
The act, which became effective in 2019, prevents local law enforcement from acting based solely on immigration status. The city council approved the work group last September as a replacement to the former Immigration Advisory Board, which was disbanded due to conflicts with the city. The group will begin meeting in the first quarter of 2025 to ensure protections for non-citizen residents and compliance with state law.
Mayor Lund appointed eight members with experience in immigration-related issues on Monday, while law enforcement and legal officials will serve as non-voting advisors.
STORY: Changes made to Bellingham’s bike lane project following community feedback
Community feedback has led to updates on Bellingham’s bike lane pilot project on Holly Street.
Councilmember Hannah Stone reported that the project has increased bicycle use and reduced vehicle speeds, but also that initial concerns about congestion and visibility have been addressed. Stone said that adjustments to traffic light cycles and visibility improvements at right turns have helped ease concerns. Additionally, a reduction of “streateries” – the pop out dining spaces implemented to help small restaurants during COVID – has improved bike traffic flow at Bay Street.
The city says it is now working on a final design plan for downtown bike lanes, with potential extensions planned for Broadway in the future.
STORY: Puget Sound Bloodworks blood supply at “emergency levels” Bloodworks Northwest has issued an urgent call for blood and platelet (PLATE-luht) donations, saying local supplies have reached emergency levels.
According to the announcement, blood banks are especially in need of Type O and platelet donors. Donations can be made at the Bloodworks donor center on West Bakerview Road, or scheduled at upcoming mobile drives in Whatcom County. More information and appointments are available at bloodworksnw.org.
STORY: Drivers license data indicates migration to WA down from other states, up from other countries
New driver’s license data shows a shift in migration trends to Washington in 2024.
Data from the Washington Department of Licensing shows that while overall numbers remained similar to 2019, fewer people moved from other U.S. states; however, international migration surged.
Licenses issued to movers from other states dropped by about 10%, with California seeing the largest decline by about 20%. Oregon, Alaska, Illinois, Virginia, and Michigan also saw declines; however, Texas, Florida, and Arizona all saw an increase in migration.
Meanwhile, licenses issued to people from other countries more than doubled— from 10,000 in 2019 to nearly 23,000 in 2024. The trend began in 2022, which aligns with U.S. Census Bureau data showing a decline in domestic migration and rising international migration to Washington.
WX: Butch Cassidy’s lil’ buddy
And now for your Whatcom County weather,
More sunshine is in the forecast today, with daytime highs in the mid-40s. Predominantly clear afternoon skies will give way to a cloudier evening, as temperatures drop to nighttime lows in the mid-30s.
Today may be the final day of sunshine we get for a while–tomorrow is expected to bring some rainfall in advance of possible weekend snow.
OUTRO:
Today’s newscast was produced by volunteers Carlos Braga (BRA-guh), Connor O’Boyle, Kyler Cantrell, Theron (THAIR-in) Danielson, Paloma Ortiz, Stevie Sjogren (SHOW-gren), and Miguel Garduño (MEE-gel gar-DOO-ño). Our news director is Staci Baird. 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. Check out our Patreon page or go to kmre.org and click on the banner. I’m _________, and thank you for listening.
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