Whatcom Co. man leads police on chase after calling 911 to report shooting a family member, Hammer homicide victim identified as former WWU professor, PeaceHealth hospitalists vote to unionize, Electric Avenue bridge partially reopens, Whatcom burn ban in July, Washington launches mental health, school safety helpline for teens, PNW coast suffers from low oxygen, study finds
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KMRE brings you local news for Wednesday, June 12th. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: Whatcom Co. man leads police on chase after calling 911 to report shooting a family member
Last week, Whatcom County deputies arrested a Ferndale man after he shot a family member and led them on a freeway chase.
At roughly 7:15 pm on Friday, Robert Earl Manly called 911 to report having shot a family member in the leg. The victim later called to corroborate the story, describing Manly as agitated and angry.
Manly had left the scene by the time emergency services arrived to administer medical aid. He was found hours later driving west on Main Street, and fled from the deputies who attempted to pull him over.
The deputies pursued Manly north before immobilizing his vehicle on Grandview Road. The sheriff’s office reports that Manly was driving erratically, and frequently crossed the center dividing line.
Manly was taken to St. Joseph’s Medical Hospital before later being booked into the Whatcom County Jail on counts of first-degree assault, third-degree assault of a police officer, eluding police, and driving under the influence.
STORY: Hammer homicide victim identified as former WWU professor
A man who was killed in his Bellingham home last week has been identified as the founder of Western Washington University’s dance program.
Nolan Dennett, 74, was the “architect” and director of Western’s dance program until he retired in 2021, according to Western’s website. An award-winning choreographer, he was also an author and Fulbright Scholar. Dennett was allegedly murdered on June 6 by roommate James Anthony Singleton. According to court documents, Dennett and Singleton, 36, were in a relationship.
Dennett and Singleton, of Dallas, met online a month earlier and Singleton moved into a bedroom in Dennett’s residence on Old Samish Road. According to the Bellingham Police Department’s affidavit, the two smoked methamphetamine together. Singleton said Dennett became “overly aggressive and dominant” and gave him a deadline to move out of the residence. Singleton told detectives he “feared for his safety” and brought a hammer into his bedroom.
Later, when the two were using meth, Singleton hit Dennett in the head several times with the hammer. He discarded the hammer near Arroyo Park. The hammer was found last week in connection to the murder scene.
Singleton has been charged with first-degree murder and is currently in county jail.
STORY: PeaceHealth hospitalists vote to unionize
30 clinicians from Bellingham and Sedro-Woolley voted to unionize on Tuesday.
The clinicians accepted the proposal to join the Union of American Physicians and Dentists with 76% of the employees voting in favor. While they work at St. Joseph Medical Center and United General Medical Center, they are employed by Sound Physicians, a for-profit national labor management company. They say this arrangement has led to less ability to advocate for patient’s needs and fuels burnout. According to recent reporting by the Cascadia Daily, Meg Lelonek (LEL-lo-neck), one of the unionizing employees, says PeaceHealth had alluded that it plans to challenge the joint employer status. PeaceHealth did not immediately respond to the CDN’s request for further explanation.
The National Labor Relations Board is expected to certify the result in seven days.
STORY: Electric Avenue bridge partially reopens
The bridge on Electric Avenue has partially reopened after closing on June 3rd due to structural repairs.
A city inspection last week revealed that one of the bridge’s timber beams was damaged, and could not hold weight for much longer. One lane of the bridge is now open, with alternating traffic controlled by temporary traffic signals. However, vehicles above 24 tons are not permitted on the bridge. Public works says that people should expect delays, and that starting today, Route 525 will resume regular access with the bridge.
Funding for the bridge’s full rebuild is already in its planning phase, and will be included in the city’s six year Transportation improvement program.
STORY: Whatcom burn ban in July
The Whatcom County Fire Marshal’s office announced a Stage 1 burn ban to take effect in Whatcom starting July 1st.
According to the announcement on Facebook, the ban is expected to last through September 14th – during which time all land clearing and land debris burning will be prohibited. The use of burn permits will also be suspended. The burn ban comes early in part because experts expect a dry spring and summer – contributing towards an active wildfire season.
However, recreational fires will be allowed during this time, but must meet specific requirements. To learn about the requirements of a recreational fire, go to WhatcomCounty.us.
STORY: Washington launches mental health, school safety helpline for teens
The Washington Attorney General’s Office announced it has launched HearMeWA, a statewide hotline for youth under 25 facing food insecurity, social difficulties, suicidal thoughts, or violence.
Operated by nonprofit organization Sandy Hook Promise, the hotline offers 24/7 support and connects users with crisis counselors who can refer them to appropriate services. Funded with nearly $2 million dollars from the state, it costs about $1 million dollars annually to run. HearMeWA differs from similar programs by offering responses outside of school interventions – a crucial option for rural areas. Organizers say feedback from youth advocates and a youth advisory group helped shape the program, and emphasize the importance of young people being heard and supported. It complements but does not replace existing resources like Teen Link.
Attorney General Bob Ferguson sees it as a critical first response to youth stress, noting growing levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms reported among Washington’s 10th graders.
STORY: PNW coast suffers from low oxygen, study finds
A new study reveals that about half of the water near the seafloor off the Pacific Northwest coast experienced low-oxygen conditions in 2021.
The study from Oregon State University used data from 2021 to map out oxygen levels across the bottom 32 feet of the Pacific Northwest continental shelf. The research shows how the planet’s warming is fundamentally changing the ocean’s annual cycles and ecosystems, a shift that endangers culturally and economically valuable species like the Dungeness crab.
Lead scientist Jack Barth says the only way to change this low oxygen condition is to turn around climate change, meaning less CO2 emissions.
Maps produced by the researchers will help guide sustainable fishing and site offshore wind farms away from healthy fisheries.
The study warns that low oxygen in our regional waters is expected to become common as climate change progresses.
WX: Cloudy
Your Whatcom County weather today – Expect clouds and some sun, with a high of 66 degrees. Tonight will be clear, as temperatures drop to a low of 45. Tomorrow is expected to be cloudy all day.
OUTRO:
Today’s newscast was produced by volunteers AnThu Nguyen (ANNE-two new-WIN), Carlos Braga, Connor O’Boyle, Jayne Kuhlman, Kye Salinas (KEY suh-LEE-nus), and Kyler Cantrell. 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 thanks for listening.
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