Ferndale father pleads guilty to manslaughter in daughter’s 2023 fentanyl death, Man arrested following road rage episode near Samish Way, Bellingham airport director fired after less than a year, Lake Whatcom Management Program seeks public comment on plan for watershed protection and restoration, WA state legislature forms task force to regulate AI, first meeting today
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KMRE brings you local news for Friday, July 26th. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: Ferndale father pleads guilty to manslaughter in daughter’s 2023 fentanyl death
34-year-old Michael Doane pleaded guilty yesterday to second-degree manslaughter for the fentanyl poisoning death of his 5-year-old daughter in March 2023.
The child’s mother, 36-year-old Melissa Welch, also pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter earlier in July and will be sentenced in mid-August. The child was found dead on March 8, 2023, with an autopsy confirming a high level of fentanyl as the cause. Police discovered drugs, including fentanyl, meth, and methadone, in the house, indicating the children had access to these substances.
Welch’s boyfriend, Cody Craig, is set to appear in court on August 1 for related drug charges. Doane now faces up to 20 years in prison with sentencing scheduled for July 29th.
STORY: Man arrested following road rage episode near Samish Way
A man was arrested and booked into Whatcom County Jail yesterday following an alleged road rage incident.
According to Washington State Patrol, a sedan involved in the incident began weaving back and forth across lanes driving northbound on I-5.
The sedan was seen exiting the freeway, failing to stop for the signed intersection at the bottom of the off-ramp, and reentering via the northbound on-ramp.
A successful PIT maneuver, in which a pursuing vehicle forces another vehicle to turn sideways causing the driver to lose control and stop, was performed by a trooper under the Samish Way overpass.
The driver of the sedan, 32-year-old Arvind Sodhi (AR-vend SEW-dee), was taken into custody and is being charged with suspicion of attempting to elude a police vehicle, reckless driving, and 3rd-degree assault.
STORY: Bellingham airport director fired after less than a year
Kip Turner’s time as the director of aviation at the Bellingham Airport is over.
According to the Cascadia Daily News, Turner confirmed the information in a phone call, and said he had been let go by the Port of Bellingham last Friday due to financial reasons. He added that he had been caught off-guard by the news.
Turner was hired by the Port of Bellingham in October of last year. His tenure was marked by Southwest Airlines’ announcement that it will stop serving Bellingham in early August. Southwest cited financial reasons and the impact of delayed Boeing deliveries as catalysts for their decision. Turner told port commissioners in late June that he had been speaking to three airlines regarding potential service to Bellingham.
The Port of Bellingham’s Executive Director, Rob Fix, will temporarily fill Turner’s position.
STORY: Lake Whatcom Management Program seeks public comment on plan for watershed protection and restoration
The 2025-2029 Draft for the Lake Whatcom Management Program Plan is now available for public review and comment.
Lake Whatcom provides drinking water for more than 100,000 people and serves as a valuable wildlife habitat. The protection, preservation and rehabilitation of the lake and surrounding watershed is guided by a management plan that’s drafted every five years and contains a variety of focused programs.
Program areas include land preservation and acquisition, stormwater management, public education and outreach, land use policies, and protections against aquatic invasive species. The new draft includes two new programs: climate action and forest management.
Comments on the draft can be submitted in writing by August 25th. For information on how to submit comments go to the city of bellingham’s public engagement website, engagebellingham.org.
STORY: WA state legislature forms task force to regulate AI, first meeting today
A Washington task force met for the first time today to discuss regulations amid the growing use of AI.
The task force, which was formed after the Washington state legislature passed a bill in March for its creation, consists of 18 members including a bipartisan set of state lawmakers, tech industry leaders, advocacy group representatives and government officials.
Attorney general Bob Ferguson, who helped put the bill forward, noted that Washington is an especially important state in the development of AI, given its overwhelming presence of tech advancement. According to a news release, the main topics discussed included intellectual property protections, racial bias in AI, and innovation in technology. A recording of the full meeting is available at TVW.org.
The group will meet two times a year for the next two years, and will have a final report by 2026.
STORY: Solar energy project planned for Eastern Washington could be largest in nation’s history
The Department of Energy (DOE) is negotiating a major solar and battery storage project at the Hanford site in Eastern Washington, selecting Hecate (HECK-uh-tay) Energy for a gigawatt-scale project.
This project, part of DOE’s Cleanup to Clean Energy initiative, aims to repurpose former nuclear weapons program land for clean energy, creating jobs and economic opportunities. The solar project would be built on up to 8,000 acres of unused land, and is projected to be operational in five to seven years. Concerns exist about using limited industrial land for the project, as some land is reserved for an advanced clean energy park supported by the Tri-City Development Council of Richland, Kennewick, and Pasco. (KEN-uh-wick)
Hecate says it is committed to partnering with the community to align the project with local plans. The Hanford site, mostly preserved for conservation post-cleanup, still employs about 11,000 people for environmental maintenance. Hecate’s project was one of 11 proposals, and the DOE says it was chosen for its feasibility, experience, and community engagement plan.
Free and cheap:
It’s Friday, and here are some free and cheap activities to enjoy this weekend:
Ferndale’s 128th Picnic at Pioneer Park kicked off this morning. Craft and food vendors will be out until dusk – and then right back again at 11am tomorrow morning. Other festivities tomorrow include the Pioneer Classic Car Show, Pioneer Old Settlers Grand Parade in downtown Ferndale, and a variety of entertainment for all ages. The full schedule of events can be found on the Whatcom Old Settlers website. Gates open at 11am.
The Bellingham Makerspace is holding a free craft event tomorrow from 2-5pm. Instructor Tod Wills will be leading the event, walking participants through each step of the craft. Past projects have included craft flowers, shrinky dinks, acrylic painting, and much more. The event is open to all ages, but those 12 and under must bring an adult assistant.
The Fairhaven Outdoor Cinema will be showing Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark tomorrow night with entertainment by Phil Paige. The event begins 90-min prior to sunset on the Village Green. Tickets are $7.
WX: Sun
And now for your Whatcom County weather:
Today will feature warm temperatures and mostly sunny skies, with a high around the mid-70s. Expect mild west-southwest winds, gusting up to a gentle 15 mph. Nighttime lows will be in the mid-50s. The forecast predicts that this weather pattern will stick with little deviation throughout the weekend and beyond.
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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