County employee accused of misconduct, San Juan keeps 32 hour work week, Carly James installed at Port, Local restaurant to host Boundary Bay tasting room, PeaceHealth pauses patient feedback, ICE searched through Washington drivers license data, US Senate advances war powers act, Free or cheap
Independent, nonprofit community radio.
KMRE brings you local news for Friday, January 9th. Good afternoon, I’m _David Korb_____.
STORY: County employee accused of misconduct
A former Whatcom County employee was arrested yesterday and accused of official misconduct.
Whatcom County Sheriff’s spokesperson Deb Slater says an investigation began during an unrelated drug investigation last fall. Messages found on a phone in the suspect’s vehicle showed they had been communicating with another county employee, who is related. The suspect asked their relative to be “on the lookout” for certain individuals.
The suspect then made unauthorized searches on people within a restricted system, leading to the suspicion of criminal trespass and official misconduct.
STORY: San Juan keeps 32 hour work week
San Juan County says its 32-hour workweek has delivered clear results.
A new report shows the curtailed schedule, adopted in 2023 as a cost-saving measure, helped the county stay within its budget for the last two years without raising taxes or cutting core services. By moving away from a traditional 40-hour model, the county avoided nearly $2 million in projected cost-of-living expenses. County Manager Jessica Hudson says those savings have helped soften rising financial pressures, and that preserving the gains from the 32-hour week will be critical as the county heads into a tighter fiscal future.
The report also highlights County improvements in recruitment and retention. Applications for county jobs have jumped more than 200 percent, open positions are being filled more quickly, and sick-leave use is down 18 percent. Officials say those trends point to a stronger, more stable workforce.
With consistent results across the pilot period, San Juan County says it will keep the 32-hour week as its standard for the foreseeable future.
STORY: Carly James installed at Port
The Port of Bellingham’s newest commissioner has been sworn in.
Carly James took the oath at the Port’s first meeting of the year, and was greeted with applause as Commissioner Michael Shepard noted that Ginny Benton was the first woman elected to the Commission. Benton served from 1996 to 2004. James is now the second woman to hold the position in the Port’s history.
James is a small business owner who won the District 2 seat in November, after she unseated two-term commissioner Ken Bell. Whatcom County Auditor Stacy Henthorn handled the swearing in for both James and Shepard, who ran unopposed for his seat.
Bell attended the swearing-in and used the public comment period to welcome James to the job and thank her for stepping into the role. Commissioners and staff also took a moment to reflect on the milestone, and noted how uncommon it has been for a woman to serve on the Port Commission.
STORY: Local restaurant to host Boundary Bay tasting room
A new tasting room is opening on Bellingham’s waterfront.
Boundary Bay Brewing and Mercato delle Bontà have announced they will partner on the Boundary Bay Tasting Room at Mercato. The collaboration brings the brewery’s flagship and seasonal beers into Mercato’s larger space. The site will also serve as a pickup point for keg orders.
According to a Facebook post, the tasting room officially opens tomorrow. Attendees will get a chance to meet members of the Boundary Bay team, and sample suggested pairings that feature Mercato menu items. Organizers say the space is designed to host small gatherings as the two businesses build out their shared programming.
The tasting room is inside the Granary Building on the downtown waterfront and is open tomorrow from 2 to 5:30 p.m.
STORY: PeaceHealth pauses patient feedback
PeaceHealth has quietly paused a key patient-feedback council.
Cascadia Daily News reports the Patient and Family Advisory Council at PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center hasn’t met since October, after systemwide layoffs eliminated local staff who helped run the volunteer group. The hospital also deleted the council’s webpage.
According to current and former volunteers, the advisory council once had about 20 members but is now down to six. They say the group no longer has an internal liaison to organize meetings or push patient concerns forward. However, the hospital’s website still lists 11 members and directs visitors to contact a terminated employee.
PeaceHealth cut two-and-a-half percent of its workforce across three states in October, including multiple positions on St. Joseph’s “human experience” team. Those staff had overseen the council and served as its link to hospital leadership.
Former members say the loss of local staff and the shift of responsibilities to PeaceHealth’s Vancouver headquarters have made it harder for patient voices to be heard.
PeaceHealth declined to comment about the future of the council.
STORY: ICE searched through Washington drivers license data
A new report from the University of Washington Center for Human Rights found federal immigration agents searched Department of Licensing records at least nine times between August and November — including before traffic stops that led to arrests.
State officials say ICE access was shut off in mid-November, but researchers say Customs and Border Protection still has access through a multi-state law-enforcement data system.
Governor Bob Ferguson says Washington is a national leader in protection of personal data, but immigration advocates argue there are open cracks that allow state information to be used for civil immigration enforcement, which state law prohibits.
STORY: US Senate advances war powers act
Senate Republicans broke ranks with President Donald Trump, and joined Democrats in support of a ‘war powers resolution’ that would stop U.S. military action in Venezuela without congressional authorization.
The vote comes after the U.S. military’s surprise attack on Venezuela’s capital of Caracas, which captured President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. Maduro is now in New York facing federal drug and conspiracy charges.
The bill was discharged from committee, but still needs more Senate debate and votes before it moves on to the House. Trump has said he would likely veto the bill if it comes to his desk.
STORY: Free or cheap
It’s Friday, and here are some things happening around town that you might want to check out.
It’s Free Second Friday at the Lightcatcher Museum all day today, until 9pm. Drop in to experience glow-in-the-dark art projects, shadow puppets, vision boards, fire pit storytelling, and more. All ages welcome.
If music is more your style, why not check out the Hindsight Festival at 2626 Meridian Street to see a variety of local bands perform covers and originals to benefit music education scholarships. The cover charge is $5 or pay what you can. Happening all day Saturday until 9pm.
Also on Saturday, there’s an affordable homeownership drop-in at the library. Kulshan Community Land Trust will answer questions about the shared equity homeownership program, including: how it works, who is eligible, and how to apply. From 2 to 4pm at the downtown branch at 210 Central Ave.
WX: Elvis time, baby
And now weather,
We close the week out with, you guessed it – clouds! High temperatures may reach the low 50s. With little-to-no wind in the forecast, it may actually feel warmer than recent days. This evening should also be cloudy, with temperatures falling to the upper 30s to low 40s.
Prepare for more clouds this weekend, with consistent light rain.
OUTRO:
Today’s newscast was produced by volunteers Carlos Braga, Connor O’Boyle, Kyler Cantrell, Glen Hirshberg, Kathi O’Shea, Austin Wright, and Kai Blais-Schmolke. 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 what we do, check out our Patreon or Substack or visit kmre.org and click on the banner. I’m _David Korb________… thanks for listening!
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