Tennessee murder suspects arrested near Blaine, Motorcyclist hospitalized after crash on N Samish Lake Drive, Crews to begin replacing roundabout at Slater Road / I5 interchange today, Bellingham airport director fired after less than a year, Under-construction Whatcom County “glamping” resort applies for expansion permit, CNBC study reports WA among states with highest quality of life
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KMRE brings you local news for Monday, July 29th. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: Tennessee murder suspects arrested near Blaine
Two suspects wanted in connection with a murder investigation in Hamilton County, Tennessee were arrested near Blaine on Friday.
According to a Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) press release, a collaborative investigation with the Whatcom County Gang and Drug Task Force, Bellingham Police Department, Ferndale Police Department, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, led officers to believe the pair were hiding out in the county. A follow-up investigation narrowed the search to a residence near Delta Line Road and West 95th Terrace, east of Blaine. Sheriff’s office detectives and drone pilots identified the pair, which led to a search warrant and both arrests.
27-year-old Michael Brooks was arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder, and 26-year-old Kayla Brooks was arrested on suspicion of accessory after the fact. Both were booked into Whatcom County Jail and await extradition.
STORY: Motorcyclist hospitalized after crash on N Samish Lake Drive
A Bellingham man was hospitalized yesterday following a traffic incident on N Lake Samish Drive and the southbound I-5 on-ramp.
According to a press release by the Washington State Patrol, a 2013 Triumph Daytona motorcycle was traveling northbound on N Lake Samish Drive when it collided with the passenger side of a 2019 Subaru Forester traveling southbound and turning left.
The motorcyclist, a 24-year-old Bellingham man, was taken by ambulance to PeaceHealth St Joseph Medical Center. The Subaru driver, a 28-year-old Langley BC woman, was uninjured.
The cause of the crash is currently under investigation. It is unknown if any drugs or alcohol was involved.
STORY: Crews to begin replacing roundabout at Slater Road / I5 interchange today
The Slater Road I-5 Interchange near Ferndale will be under construction the next few days.
Starting tonight at 8pm, crews will begin removing the existing roundabout to install a larger, two-lane roundabout on Slater Road between Rural Avenue and I-5. A Washington State Department of Transportation press release also included the following schedule:
The southbound I-5 off-ramp to Slater Road will close from 8pm to 4am today and tomorrow.
The Slater Road on-ramp to southbound I-5 will close from 8pm to 4am on Wednesday.
A continuous two-week closure of the I-5 on- and off- ramps at Slater Road should be expected until Mid-September.
WSDOT (Wash-dot) also announced that drivers should expect nightly single-lane closures on southbound I-5 between 8pm and 6am until construction completes in early 2025. Signed detours will be in place to guide drivers around ramp closures.
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.
Turner confirmed the information in a phone call to the Cascadia Daily News, and said he had been let go by the Port of Bellingham on July 19th 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: Under-construction Whatcom County “glamping” resort applies for expansion permit
A glamping project in Glacier has filed for expansion after almost two years of permitting delays, according to publicly available documents.
The Oculis Lodge, located at the bottom of Mt. Baker, will boast 30 private dome-shaped vacation rentals. The resort is marketed as quote “The Ultimate, Nature-Immersive Lodging Experience in the Cascade Mountains” unquote, –but construction has fallen behind. The project was originally estimated to be completed early this year, but due to permitting delays, only one of the domes has been constructed.
On July 16th, a Site Plan Review Application was submitted to Whatcom County for approval. The application is for the second phase of the project, which includes construction of six more domes. The process for the permit’s approval could take months.
The slow progress has caused frustrations for some of the 1700 supporters of the project who invested nearly $1.2 million through an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign. Backers are guaranteed priority reservations at the lodge, but after delays a few have requested refunds. On June 14th, it was announced that the lodge would be hosting its first guests in the following weeks. The announcement also said options for investor reimbursement were being explored.
STORY: Whatcom County Council weighs plan to cut funding for low-income housing project
Tomorrow, Whatcom County Council will discuss a proposal to withdraw $650,000 in annual funding from the Opportunity Council’s 22 North supportive housing project.
Councilmember Ben Elenbaas (El-un-boss) proposed the measure, citing six deaths in the first half of 2024 and several crime-related incidents, including a 2022 shooting. Elenbaas suggested repurposing the facility as a detox center. Other council members, including Kaylee Galloway, opposed the idea, stressing 22 North’s importance for providing low-barrier housing and support to formerly homeless individuals. Greg Winter, executive director of the Opportunity Council, argued that defunding the facility would be counterproductive and suggested an independent review of policies instead.
The council will further consider and possibly vote on the proposal at tomorrow’s meeting. Community members can attend the meeting in person at the Whatcom County courthouse, or via livestream. Go to the Whatcom County council webpage for more information.
STORY: CNBC study reports WA among states with highest quality of life
Washington is one of the top five states in terms of quality of life according to a new CNBC study.
Washington earned high marks from CNBC in a few key categories to earn its spot at number five, just ahead of Oregon. One particularly great score came from the high minimum wage in Washington at $16.28 an hour– the second-highest minimum wage of any state– falling just behind the District of Columbia at $17 dollars an hour.
Washington also earned high praise for its inclusivity, broad protections of workers and voting rights, and extremely clean air and water. Washington’s lowest marks came from its lack of available and affordable child care. CNBC reported Washington’s population of nearly eight million relies on just 2,000 licensed child-care facilities– which means that a married couple with a median income can expect to pay more than 15% of their wages on child care.
With a score of 230 out of 325, Washington earned CNBC’s top spot of any Western state; and placed it behind Minnesota, New Jersey, Maine and Vermont nationwide.
WX: Sun
And now for your Whatcom County weather:
Rain is in the forecast for most, if not all of today, with a high in the mid-60s. Expect up to half an inch of precipitation, as well as mild south-blowing winds throughout. Temperatures should be fairly consistent all day, with evening lows projected to be around 60. The rain will continue into tomorrow, with cloudy skies and moderate temperatures ranging from mid to high 60s. Winds will be light and variable, with a projected evening low of 60 degrees.
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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