Trial of Whatcom man indefinitely detained at McNeil Island pushed back to 2026, Dept. of Ecology issues water contact warning at Bay View State Park, Bellingham City Council to hold hearings on proposed development of Barkley Village, Port of Bellingham seeking community feedback on commission expansion ahead of election, WA joins multistate lawsuit over ACA restrictions, Dirty Dan Harris’ Steakhouse set to reopen this fall, Part of Bellingham’s South Bay Trail set to close for 18 months of construction, Primary election ballots have been mailed, Spike in critical injuries among Washington children in welfare system
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KMRE brings you local news for Tuesday, July 22nd. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: Trial of Whatcom man indefinitely detained at McNeil Island pushed back to 2026
The trial of a Whatcom County man held at a special facility for sex offenders on McNeil Island has been delayed nearly a year.
According to court documents, a Superior Court judge ruled on Thursday that Jake Unick (yoo-NICK) will now face trial next April, as the state seeks to civilly commit him indefinitely as a “sexually violent predator.”
The 39-year-old Unick was convicted in 2014 for kidnapping and harassment charges involving multiple victims, including a 2-year-old girl. Though Unick has completed his prison sentence, the Attorney General’s Office argues he still poses a danger to the public.
The trial, expected to last at least a month, will not re-examine Unick’s past crimes; instead, it will determine whether he meets the legal definition of a sexually violent predator. If the jury agrees, Unick could be committed to the island facility indefinitely.
STORY: Dept. of Ecology issues water contact warning at Bay View State Park
The Washington Department of Ecology has issued a water contact advisory for Bay View State Park in Skagit County, after high levels of fecal bacteria were detected.
Swimming or touching the water is not recommended until further notice. Exposure could cause skin rashes, stomach flu or respiratory infections, with children and immunocompromised individuals especially at risk.
The contaminated beach sits on the shore of Padilla (puh-DILL-uh) Bay. Officials urge all visitors to shower and wash hands after contact with the water or sand.
Ecology’s BEACH program continues to test water at popular swim spots statewide. For the latest advisories, visit the BEACH program website.
STORY: Bellingham City Council to hold hearings on proposed development of Barkley Village
Bellingham’s Barkley neighborhood is set for a major transformation.
The Bellingham City Council held a public hearing last night on a new plan outlining a 20-year vision to turn the 255-acre Barkley Village into a vibrant, mixed-use urban hub. The area — already home to over 2,000 jobs and nearly 500 housing units — will expand with walkable neighborhoods, affordable housing, and green infrastructure.
Led by the Talbot Group in partnership with the city, the plan prioritizes sustainability, transit access and open spaces, while protecting wetlands and wildlife in the area known as the “North 40.”
Key upgrades include bike lanes, trails, and redesigned streets to support buses and safer pedestrian access. The goal is a dense, livable district where people can live, work, and play without relying on a car.
STORY: Port of Bellingham seeking community feedback on commission expansion ahead of election
Whatcom County voters will decide this fall whether to expand the Port of Bellingham’s Board of Commissioners from three members to five.
According to a recent release, the Port is now seeking residents to write the official “For” and “Against” statements for the November voters’ pamphlet. Applications are due by 4 p.m. tomorrow. Committee members are expected to be selected during the Port Commission’s meeting on Thursday morning.
Port commissioners voted 2-to-1 earlier this week to place the proposal on the November general election ballot.
STORY: Blaine City Council confirms new member to short-term sea
The Blaine City Council has appointed Sarbie Bains to fill an interim at-large seat until after the November election.
According to The Northern Light, Bains, who owns Blaine Bouquets, was approved in a 5-to-1 vote earlier this week. She’ll be sworn in at the council’s next meeting on August 11th.
The seat was vacated by Mike Hill, who resigned in June. Both Hill and Bains are listed on the upcoming general election ballot, though Hill has endorsed Bains for the permanent position.
STORY: Data shows WA-BC border crossings continuing to steadily increase across recent months
After months of low border crossings between Canada and the United States, the numbers seem to be steadily improving.
Fewer people began to cross the border after President Trump’s controversial comments about making Canada the 51st state. The Bureau of Transportation Statistics, which tracks border crossings, shows that about 374,000 personal vehicles crossed the Canada-U.S. border this March, compared to about 545,000 in March of 2024. May saw 35% fewer passengers crossing the Blaine border than last year.
Data from Canada’s transportation statistics imply that significantly fewer Canadians are coming into the United States than before, as reported by the Bellingham Herald. About half of the British Columbians who crossed into the U.S. in April of 2024 crossed the border this year, compared to a roughly 2% drop in Americans visiting British Columbia.
However, the discrepancy between this year and last is shrinking. The number of personal vehicles crossing the Washington-British Columbia border has increased for the third month in a row. However, though numbers are on the rise, it is unclear when they will return to normal levels.
STORY: WA joins multistate lawsuit over ACA restrictions Washington has joined yet another multi-state lawsuit against the Trump administration — this time over a new rule regarding access to the Affordable Care Act.
In a news release from last Thursday, State Attorney General Nick Brown said the new rule would, by the administration’s own admission, strip health coverage from nearly 2 million Washingtonians. According to Brown, the rule would also result in tens of thousands fewer people using the state’s Health Benefits Exchange, cutting up to $10 million in annual revenue; federal recognition of gender-affirming care would also be eliminated, which would force Washington taxpayers to pay an extra $1 million annually.
Brown claimed that the rule was pushed through with limited public input. He and attorneys-general from 19 other states — including California and Oregon — are asking the court to stop the challenged portions of the rule before its scheduled enactment on August 25th.
STORY: Dirty Dan Harris’ Steakhouse set to reopen this fall Bellingham’s Dirty Dan Harris Steakhouse is set to reopen this fall.
The restaurant has been closed since the historic Terminal building fire in 2023. The steakhouse announced its plans to reopen in a Facebook post on Wednesday; another post stated that applications for staff positions will open in late August. Dirty Dan’s plans to serve brunch, lunch and dinner, as well as hiring bartenders.
No reopening date or hours have yet been announced.
WX: AccuWeather app raves: “Today is ‘delightful!’,” debuts with middling box office and 47% on Rotten Tomatoes.
And now for the weather:
More bright sunshine should dominate the forecast today, with highs in the mid-to-high 70s and a max U.V. index rating of 7. The skies will remain fairly clear throughout the majority of the day and into the evening, with nighttime lows projected in the upper-50s.
More of the same should be in store for us tomorrow.
OUTRO:
Today’s newscast was produced by volunteers Carlos Braga (BRA-guh), Connor O’Boyle, Kyler Cantrell, Theron (THAIR-in) Danielson, Cody Mills,
Aidan Larson, Glen Hirshberg (HERSH-berg), Kathi O’Shea (o-SHAY), Bella Mae (BELL-uh MAY), Kai Blais-Schmolke (KAI
BLAZE-SHMOLE-kee), Nate Landi (LAND-ee) and Hailey LeRoy (luh-ROY). 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. Check out our Patreon page or visit kmre.org and click on the banner. I’m _________, and thank you for listening!
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STORY: Part of Bellingham’s South Bay Trail set to close for 18 months of construction
STORY: Primary election ballots have been mailed
Primary election ballots have been mailed to most registered voters in Whatcom County as of Wednesday, July 16.
If you’re unsure whether a ballot was sent to you, visit VoteWA.gov to check your status. Voters who haven’t received their ballot should contact the Whatcom County Election Division for a replacement.
The deadline to register or update your address online or by mail is Monday, July 28th. After that, you can still register in-person.
Ballots can be returned by mail or placed in any of the 23 official drop boxes across the county. Ballots must be returned by 8:00 p.m. on Election Day, August 5, or postmarked by that date if mailed.
For questions or assistance, call the Election Division at (360) 778-5102 or email elections@co.whatcom.wa.us.
More election info is available at whatcomcounty.us/CurrentElection.
STORY: Spike in critical injuries among Washington children in welfare system
Washington has seen a sharp rise in critical injuries and deaths among children tied to the state’s child welfare system.
At least 92 children died or nearly died in the first half of 2025 — a significant increase from the same time last year. The state ombuds says many of these cases stem from fentanyl exposure, abuse, and neglect. Already this year, 20 cases involving children under age 3 were linked to accidental fentanyl ingestion.
Some lawmakers blame a 2021 law meant to keep families together, saying it’s putting kids at risk. But the ombuds office says there’s no clear link between the law and most of the recent cases. In response, the state has increased oversight of opioid-related cases and strengthened court review rules. But officials warn economic stress and drug use continue to put vulnerable children in danger.
Last year, more than 40% of child fatalities involved families that had recent contact with state child welfare.
