Part of Bellingham’s South Bay Trail set to close for 18 months of construction, Upgrades coming for Downtown Blaine, La Conner becomes first local school district to enact major cuts to budget following federal funding crisis, Whatcom County veteran’s program receives national award, Trump executive order striking down birthright citizenship blocked, Spike in critical injuries among Washington children in welfare system, PSE reports over 2,000 customers lose power in Ferndale
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KMRE brings you local news for Wednesday, July 24rd. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: Part of Bellingham’s South Bay Trail set to close for 18 months of construction
Heads up, trail users: a popular south-side waterfront trail in Fairhaven is closing for nearly 18 months.
The South Bay Trail between Taylor Dock and the Fairhaven Village Green will shut down this summer as construction begins on the Fairhaven Center development. The project includes housing, retail space, and public parking — and the trail runs straight through the construction zone.
During the closure, trail users will be detoured around the site using nearby sidewalks along 11th Street and Finnegan Way. Signs and maps will be posted to guide pedestrians and cyclists through the temporary route.
The city plans to restore the trail with a permanent public easement through the new development, along with a future public overlook of Bellingham Bay.
Expect changes to street parking near Mill Avenue and 11th as work gets underway.
More information is available on the City’s website.
STORY: Upgrades coming for Downtown Blaine
Big upgrades are coming to downtown Blaine — and it starts with a half-million dollar state grant.
The City of Blaine has received funding from the Washington State Department of Commerce to begin revitalizing its downtown core. The first step: a detailed evaluation of Peace Portal Drive and the Martin Street parklet, led by the Cascade Engineering Group.
Planned improvements include repairing and replacing sidewalks, removing damaged street trees, upgrading landscaping, and enhancing the Martin Street parklet — all aimed at improving safety, accessibility, and appearance.
The project will create a design template for future phases as funding becomes available. The city says the goal is a more inviting, walkable downtown that supports both the community and local economy.
Concept drawings and updates are available on the city’s website.
STORY: La Conner becomes first local school district to enact major cuts to budget following federal funding crisis
The La Conner School District is the first in either Skagit or Whatcom County to make substantial budget cuts in response to the ongoing uncertainty over federal education funding.
The Trump administration announced on June 30th that it would withhold $6 billion in school funding while it reviewed allocations for alignment with the President’s priorities. No timeline for the process has been offered.
According to the LaConner Community News, the withheld funds affect most of the La Conner district’s consolidated grants. As a result, Superintendent Dave Cram announced in a letter to the community last Friday that the district will close its Braves’ Hub afterschool program, cancel the new Braves Beginnings preschool meant to start this fall, and cut programming and staff aimed at assisting multilingual and migrant students.
Cram held out the possibility that funding might be restored, and pledged that district officials would make any adjustments possible if and when that happens. In the meantime, however, he said the district was, quote, “incredibly sorry to lose so many of our staff who have provided incredible support and services for our students and the school community,” unquote.
STORY: Whatcom County veteran’s program receives national award Whatcom County Health and Community Services’ Veterans Program earned an Achievement Award from the National Association of Counties.
The association said that the veterans’ program strives to improve health and wellness for veterans by providing access to benefits, along with medical, mental health and employment resources.
The National Association of Counties looks for innovative policy, improved resources and services, and public understanding of county government.
STORY: Former Whatcom health official takes on state administrative role
And in more news related to Health and Community Services, a former Whatcom County health official has landed a new role at the state level.
According to a recent release, Erika Lautenbach — who led Health and Community Services through the COVID-19 pandemic — is now chief administrative officer at Washington’s Department of Children, Youth and Families.
Lautenbach will oversee operations for the 6,000-person agency — from finances and contracts to HR and data systems. She was fired by Whatcom County in March over what officials called a pattern of leadership concerns. Lautenbach has disputed the claims, and filed a wrongful termination demand. The county says it has had no further contact with her or her attorneys.
Lautenbach says she’s now focused on supporting frontline staff working with vulnerable children and families. In the release, the state agency’s secretary praised her experience managing large organizations and tackling complex public health issues.
No word yet on who will replace her in Whatcom County.
STORY: Trump executive order striking down birthright citizenship blocked
A federal appeals court has upheld a Seattle judge’s nationwide block on President Trump’s attempt to restrict birthright citizenship.
In a 2-to-1 decision Wednesday, the 9th Circuit ruled Trump’s 2021 executive order violated the 14th Amendment, which guarantees citizenship to anyone born in the U.S.
Writing for the majority, Judge Ronald Gould said the President was not granted the power to make any changes to the United States Constitution, be it by Article Two of the Constitution or, quote, “by any other source” unquote. The ruling comes despite a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision narrowing when nationwide injunctions can be issued.
The lawsuit was brought by several states — including Washington — along with two pregnant noncitizen women. Washington Attorney General Nick Brown called the ruling a win for constitutional rights. However, the appeals court said a full block is necessary to prevent sweeping impacts on state-run services like Medicaid.
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. However, 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; officials, however, warn that 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.
WX: The Bright Side of the Moon
And now for the weather:
Expect another round of warm sunshine today, with a max U.V. index rating of 8 and highs in the mid-70s. There should be some mild cloud
cover throughout the day, which could increase later on in the evening. Nighttime lows will be in the mid-to-high-50s.
Tomorrow should be largely similar to the last few days, though some clouds could cool daytime temperatures down ever so slightly.
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, 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: Free or Cheap
https://www.whatcomcd.org/run-with-the-chums — Sat, Sept. 17
STORY: PSE reports over 2,000 customers lose power in Ferndale
