Bellingham requests mediation in negotiation with city worker union, Lummi Nation seeking federal funding for new detox facility, Gov. Inslee appoints judge to Whatcom County superior court, County Health launches new data dashboard, New population estimates put Bellingham as #12 in state, surpassing Kirkland Declining number of children statewide, City enacts voluntary water conservation
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KMRE brings you local news for Wednesday, July 17th. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: Bellingham requests mediation in negotiation with city worker union
The State of Washington has assigned a mediator after 11 months of stalled negotiations between the City of Bellingham and its largest worker union.
Bargaining with the Guild of Pacific Northwest Employees Local 1937 – which represents more than 400 city workers– began last August and the parties have still not come to an agreement.
A proposed contract in April was overwhelmingly rejected by the union, with six ‘yes’ votes and 297 ‘no’ votes. According to Jael Komac (JAIL KO-mack), president of the union, the primary issue is the pay increase proposed does not keep pace with the city’s own cost of living numbers.
However, at Monday’s City Council meeting, Mayor Kim Lund said that the City’s bargaining position is informed by the expected revenue shortfall this year. In response to the failed negotiations, Lund also said the city has quote “reprioritized resources to put more on the table” unquote. Komac says the union is always ready to come back to the table to talk.
STORY: Lummi Nation seeking federal funding for new detox facility
The Lummi nation is now seeking $10.6 million in federal funding for a Detox Facility following the recent opening of their health center.
The Lummi Nation Health Center opened on June 28th, and serves all ages in search of primary care – including X-rays, bloodwork, physical therapy, behavioral health, and dental care. Now, the Lummi Nation wants to go a step farther in support of their community by opening a detox facility for those fighting substance abuse. Last September, the Nation issued a state of emergency following the death of several tribal members to fentanyl overdoses.
According to recent reporting from Cascadia Daily, if U.S. Senator Patty Murray approves the $10 million request, the tribe says it will create a space for direct response to the ongoing crisis within the community. Plans for the 24/7 rehabilitation center – which will be built across the street from the Health Center – include 16 patient rooms with 32 beds, healing gardens, and a sweat lodge, according to Lummi Health and Human Services CEO Katy Halverson. Halverson also explained that the goal of the new facility is to create a halfway home to heal addictions not only clinically, but also emotionally and psychologically.
If the funding goes through, the center is expected to open by 2025.
STORY: Gov. Inslee appoints judge to Whatcom County superior court
Gov. Jay Inslee announced the appointment of Jennifer E. Slattery to the newly created fifth seat on the Whatcom County Superior Court.
Slattery has a 15-year career in family law and civil litigation, operated her own firm for the past seven years, and served as a pro tem commissioner for the court since 2023. She is also a member and past president of the Bellingham Sunrise Rotary Club and has served as a board director for the Whatcom Community College Foundation.
STORY: County Health launches new data dashboard
Whatcom County Health and Community Services has announced that a new Health Insights data platform is now available, which provides easy access to county-wide public health data.
Topics on the data dashboard include education, housing security, safety, air and water quality, as well as youth and adult quality of life. In addition to the data, the platform features narratives that provide important context, along with links to relevant resources and community partners that address health issues.
The Whatcom County Health department says the goal of providing accessible data in an easy-to-understand way is to help members of the community understand and identify health challenges as well as improve outcomes.
STORY: New population estimates put Bellingham as #12 in state, surpassing Kirkland
Washington’s Office of Financial Management released the annual city-by-city population numbers on June 28th. Bellingham is now the 12th biggest city in the state, bypassing Kirkland and ranking just below Yakima and Federal Way.
Despite more deaths than births for the third year in a row, Whatcom County’s population increased due to a net migration of more than 2,200 people to total 97,270 as of April. This represents a 1.37% increase– higher than the state average of 1.06%, but slower than the 2.18% growth rate seen between 2022-23.
Overall, Whatcom County’s population grew by 2,200 and now totals 238,000– maintaining its position as the ninth most populated county in Washington. The county’s growth rate was 0.93%, down from 1.79% last year.
STORY: Declining number of children statewide
According to recent census data, the number of children across Washington State is declining, while the population over 65 is increasing.
Between 2020 and 2023 the under-18 population fell by 3% statewide. The Puget Sound area saw the sharpest decline, but the numbers mirror a nationwide trend. Factors such as later marriages and more adults choosing not to have children are contributing to an overall decline in the number of children being born across America. In addition, families leaving expensive areas for areas with a lower cost of living is also decreasing the youth population in certain cities.
As the number of children declined, the population of adults aged 65 and older grew by 11% from 2020 to 2023.The primary source of this increase is the aging baby boomer generation moving for retirement.
STORY: City enacts voluntary water conservation
The city of Bellingham’s voluntary water conservation guidelines are now in force until September 30th.
During the dry summer months, outdoor watering increases Bellingham’s average drinking water demand from 10 to 15 million gallons per day. Every summer Bellingham residents are asked to limit watering to reduce stress on the City’s drinking water supply. According to the City of Bellingham, watering lawns and landscapes accounts for 80-90% of the increase, and nearly half of that water is wasted due to evaporation, over-watering and run-off.
Bellingham’s summer watering schedule is based on street address numbers.
- Even-numbs– water only on Tuesdays, Thursday, and Saturdays
- Odd-numbers– water only on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Fridays
And no lawn or landscape watering on Mondays. Better yet, why not embrace the Northwest summer tradition of letting your lawns go dormant in the hot weather. The grass will grow back in fall.
WX: Sun
And now for your Whatcom County weather:
We’ll see more of yesterday’s sun and heat, with highs in the mid-80s. Expect slightly faster winds blowing south-southwest, gusting up to 20 mph. Nighttime lows will be around 60.
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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