High-speed chase leads to DUI arrest, New justice center planning begins, Bellingham and Whatcom County announce hiring freeze among incoming budget restrictions, Bellingham and Whatcom County crime reports declined from 2022 to ‘23, Bellingham and Whatcom County announce hiring freeze among incoming budget restrictions, Mayor Lund announces two new positions, Bellingham considering mandating locked mailboxes for rental units, Whatcom County and state unemployment rates on the rise
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KMRE brings you local news for Tuesday, July 16th. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: High-speed chase leads to DUI arrest
A man was arrested Saturday following a high speed chase for driving with a suspended license, suspicion of driving under the influence, and eluding a police officer.
According to a report from the Whatcom County Sheriff’s office, the incident began when an officer attempted to perform a traffic stop after seeing someone allegedly driving under the influence. The officer chased the suspect as he fled south on I-5 from the Ohio Street interchange, but the chase was terminated after the suspect turned his lights out and reached speeds of over 100 mph.
The officer was able to phone in a description of the car, and law enforcement eventually found the driver in his vehicle crashed at the intersection of Nulle (NEW-lee) Road and E Lake Samish Drive just West of I-5. The driver was identified as 22-year-old Curstin Ampeire Cubria (AHM-pear COO-bree-uh).
As of yesterday, Cubria is still in custody with bail posted at a $20,000 bond or $2,000 cash bail.
STORY: Bellingham and Whatcom County crime reports declined from 2022 to ‘23
According to the annual Washington state crime data report released last Tuesday, crime is down across Whatcom County.
The data is from a snapshot in time taken this past March and compares crime report information from 2022 and 2023. During that time, Whatcom County reports dropped 18% and reports to Bellingham Police dropped 29%. About 73% of reported crime in Bellingham and Whatcom are crimes against property. Around 23% are crimes against people, and 4% are crimes against society, such as animal cruelty, drugs, or pornography.
In Bellingham, rape was down by 50%– from 24 assaults to 12. Motor vehicle thefts dropped by more than half, from 504 to 250. However, drug and narcotics violations rose in both jurisdictions, and DUI arrests jumped for both agencies in a year.
STORY: New justice center planning begins
In more crime-related news, Sheriff Donnell (duh-NELL) “Tank” Tanksley announced that consultants from the National Institute of Corrections (NIC) are in Bellingham this week to provide technical assistance as planning begins for the new jail.
In a recent release, the City of Bellingham said that the consultants are leading a three-day workshop that involves key local officials and covers essential aspects like data-driven planning, site selection, and staffing, all at no cost to the county. Sheriff Tanksley, County Executive Satpal Sidhu (SAT-paul sih-DOO), Ferndale Police Chief Kevin Turner, County Councilmember Kaylee Galloway, and Public Defender Starck Follis (FALL-us) are expected to attend. Staff members from Whatcom County Facilities and Finance Departments, the Sheriff’s Office and a representative from the Bellingham Mayor’s Office will also participate.
Sheriff Tanksley and Executive Sidhu highlighted the value of NIC’s expertise in developing a state-of-the-art facility that includes a behavioral health treatment center, medical facilities, and increased detention capacity.
Architect and contractor selection for the new facility is expected to start this fall, with project details available on the county’s website.
STORY: Bellingham and Whatcom County announce hiring freeze among incoming budget restrictions
Whatcom County Executive Satpal Sidhu issued a hiring freeze on Monday for employees of the county.
The freeze, which will last for 90 days, is designed to slow spending as the county faces a $15 million deficit in this year’s budget. An email sent by Sidhu on Monday to county employees detailed a multitude of reasons for the freeze. The County Council also discussed the option in a special meeting that took place on June, 11th when the budget concerns were first raised.
According to the email, hiring and pay increases during the coronavirus pandemic were partially financed by state and federal funds. These COVID-era non-recurring aid packages received from ARPA and the CAREs Act are gone, used to address issues such as child care access, substance abuse, internet access, food insecurity and affordable housing. Without the extra padding in the budget, cutting down on wages – which make up 50% of the county’s budget – may be the only solution.
Brad Bennett, the county finance manager, said at the county council special meeting on June, 11th that another reason for the sudden budget stress is the recent drop-off in county tax revenue. After a few years of rapid sales, new tax revenue growth reports show that consumer spending has plateaued while staffing costs have only risen.
The 90-day freeze serves as a chance for the county to review updated sales tax numbers and determine whether the freeze should be extended, as well as what further steps may need to be taken.
Bellingham, facing similar economic trouble, has not announced a hiring freeze at this time, but city finance director Andy Asbjornsen (as-BEYORN-sun) said at the city council committee meeting yesterday that the city is looking to reduce costs.
STORY: Mayor Lund announces two new positions
Also yesterday, Bellingham Mayor Kim Lund announced the appointment of Forrest Longman and Janice Keller as the City’s deputy administrators.
In an announcement to the public, Mayor Lund emphasized the need for capable leaders to provide strategic direction for City initiatives and said she believes Keller and Longman are strong selections. Longman, who has been with the City since 2017, will focus on operations and sustainable development, while Keller, a 23-year City veteran, will oversee communications, community engagement, and government relations.
The City Council approved the expansion of the deputy administrator role in May 2024 to better manage the increasing complexity of City operations. Lund says the goal of the new deputies is to enhance collaboration and reinforce a unified approach to governance.
Longman and Keller begin their new roles this week.
STORY: Bellingham considering mandating locked mailboxes for rental units
The City of Bellingham may require locked mailboxes for all rental units in order to reduce the risk of theft.
Officials say the ordinance proposed at yesterday’s City Council meeting would, if passed, require a locking mailbox for all rental units in Bellingham– including single family houses– by January 1st 2025. The requirement already exists for new multi-family home developments.
At the meeting, City staff shared a white paper written by former Council Legislative Analyst Mark Gardner in 2022, indicating that mail theft has increased dramatically nationwide – from about 99,000 complaints in 2019 to almost 300,000 complaints in the last two years.
Bellingham Police Public Information Officer Megan Peters says that it’s difficult to track mail theft locally, as most victims can’t prove that their mail was stolen. As of this year, there are only 10 reports of stolen mail that were sent to Bellingham law enforcement. However, city staff argue that locked mail boxes add one more layer of protection for people’s mail and private information.
The ordinance will be voted on at the next council Committee Meeting of The Whole on July 23rd.
STORY: Whatcom County and state unemployment rates on the rise
Whatcom County unemployment rates have been on the rise recently.
According to recent records from the Washington Employment Security Department and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the county’s unemployment rate has increased 1.4% since May 2023, which already had an unemployment rate of 3.1%. Other regions in Washington have also spiked– with Ferry county at the highest with 7.7%, and Asotin (uh-SO-tin) county at the lowest with 3.3%.
Washington State as a whole has seen an almost 19% increase since last May, with an estimated 195,793 people receiving unemployment benefits as of this May.
WX: Sun
And now for your Whatcom County weather:
Temperatures are expected to return to the low 80s today, with accompanying sunny skies. West-southwest winds this afternoon, speeds of around 5 mph. Nighttime temperatures will drop down to around 60, with sparse cloud coverage.
OUTRO:
Today’s newscast was produced by volunteers Carlos Braga (BRA-guh), Connor O’Boyle, Jayne Kuhlman (COOL-mun), Carlee Schram (CAR-lee SHRAM), Tristan Trudell, Kyler Cantrell, Ikumi Mashiko (ih-KOO-me muh-SHE-ko), Anna Vickers, and Theron (THAIR-in) Danielson. 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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