Man accused of raping child at PeaceHealth St. Joe’s to undergo competency restoration before trial, Ferndale PD seeking two suspects in hardware store theft, Mount Vernon School District delays budget vote following outcry from staff and public over proposed cuts, Invasive European green crab discovered on Orcas Island, Some local beaches re-open to shellfish harvest, Naked bike riders hit the Seattle streets, no word yet on Bellingham, Junefreenth, Campground closed due to black bears, WA unemployment rate remains stagnant even amid solid job growth, WA joins multi-state lawsuit against federal government’s addition of contract terms targeting DEI, 4th of July fireworks info, FREE or Cheap for next weekend, Election center tours scheduled
Independent, nonprofit community radio.
KMRE brings you local news for Friday, June 19th. Good afternoon, I’m _David Korb_____.
STORY: Man accused of raping child at PeaceHealth St. Joe’s to undergo competency restoration before trial
A Bellingham man accused of raping a 14-year-old has been found incompetent to stand trial.
Thirty-seven-year-old Alexander Kyle Humphries faces a charge of third-degree rape of a child stemming from an alleged assault inside the St. Joseph Medical Center specialized emergency care unit in May.
A court-ordered evaluation found Humphries lacks the ability to understand the legal proceedings or assist in his defense. He has been ordered to Western State Hospital for competency restoration services.
A status hearing is scheduled for July 30th.
STORY: Ferndale PD seeking two suspects in hardware store theft
Ferndale Police are looking for two suspects in a theft at Ace Hardware earlier this month.
Ferndale Police says the first suspect is a man in his 30’s. He’s bald, thin, and about 6 feet tall. He was wearing a black mask, dark pants, white shoes, and a black hoodie over a white shirt.
The second suspect is a man in his 30’s. He’s bald with a black goatee. He’s about 5’10 with a stockier build. He was wearing a blue mask, dark pants, and a black short sleeve polo over a white t-shirt.
The two were seen heading north after leaving the store.
Anyone with information should contact Lieutenant Travis Card with the Ferndale Police Department.
STORY: Mount Vernon School District delays budget vote following outcry from staff and public over proposed cuts
The Mount Vernon School Board says it will delay voting on its budget after a strong community outcry.
Superintendent Victor Vergara says the district will take the next month to review spending cuts and gather more feedback before he brings the budget back for a vote in July.
The district faces a nearly eight-million-dollar budget shortfall. The deficit is driven by declining enrollment, reduced state and federal funding, rising salaries, and higher insurance premiums. Proposed reductions include the dismissal of more than 17 teachers, migrant liaisons, intervention specialists, and other support staff.
District leaders warn that without additional help from Olympia, deeper cuts may be needed in the years ahead.
STORY: Invasive European green crab discovered on Orcas Island
The invasive European green crab has been discovered on Orcas Island.
A male European green crab was caught at Deer Harbor last week. The Washington Sea Grant Crab Team estimates that, based on its size, it has lived there for over three years.
The state Department of Fish and Wildlife says the digging habits of green crabs are harmful to eelgrass marshes and represent a threat to local shellfish and crab fisheries. One green crab can consume up to 40 half-inch clams per day; it may also prey on native crabs and oysters.
Fish and Wildlife says green crab molts have been found since 2018 across Lummi Bay, Bellingham Bay, Padilla Bay, and the San Juan Islands.
If you encounter a suspected green crab or its molt, take photos and submit your sighting to Fish and Wildlife.
STORY: Some local beaches re-open to shellfish harvest
Good news for local shellfish harvesters: some beaches are open again.
If you are 16 or older and have a license, you can dig for clams from Sandy Point north to the Canadian border, including Birch Bay, Drayton Harbor and Point Roberts.
However, beaches from Sandy Point south to the Skagit County line remain closed. Officials also remind the public that shellfish harvest on tidelands within Lummi Nation remains closed to non-tribal visitors.
Before you dig, always check the latest biotoxin and pollution advisories. Current shellfish safety information is available through the Washington State Department of Health.
STORY: Naked bike riders hit the Seattle streets, no word yet on Bellingham
If you’re in Seattle tomorrow, get ready to slow down for the 27th annual Naked Bike Ride.
Created as part of the two-day Fremont Fair, the celebration is led by the famous Solstice Cyclists— hundreds of body-painted riders who roll through the neighborhood ahead of a parade featuring giant puppets, handmade floats, dancers, and stilt walkers.
As yet, there is no official word from local organizers whether the Bellingham Naked Bike Ride will take place again this year.
STORY: Junefreenth
It’s Friday – if you’re looking for something free or cheap to do this weekend, here’s a bit of what’s going on around the county.
The Lummi Stommish Water Festival is taking place all weekend with canoe races, traditional song and dance, Sla-Hal games, the veteran’s parade, Salmon BBQ, and more. For more details visit lummistommish.com
Saturday, browse the Bellingham Farmers Market downtown, the Bellingham Dockside Market at the waterfront, join Wild Whatcom’s nature meetup at Marine Park, or enjoy free outdoor music during the ‘Cordata Concerts and Crafts’ series.
Any day this weekend, take a self-guided tour of Bellingham’s colorful downtown murals, or visit the Marine Life Center, where admission is free and families can explore touch tanks and learn about local sea life.
WX: Hallelu
And now weather:
It’s a gorgeous Juneteenth today, with bright, sunny skies and highs in the low 80s. We should have clear skies this evening, with lows in the mid-50s.
Tomorrow, we wake up to sunshine and highs close to 80 with a light southwest breeze. Temperatures gradually warm through Tuesday.
OUTRO:
Today’s newscast was produced by volunteers Carlos Braga, Connor O’Boyle, Kyler Cantrell, Glen Hirshberg, Kathi O’Shea, Kai Blais-Schmolke, Bella Farris, Jenny Lam, Natalie Jones, and Noelle Reger. 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. To help support our work, check out our Patreon, or Substack, or visit kmre.org and click on the banner. I’m _David Korb________… thanks for listening!
##
STORY: Campground closed due to black bears
Goodell Creek Campground has been closed due to increased black bear activity.
National Park Service officials say bears have repeatedly entered camping areas and ignored standard deterrents while searching for food, which has prompted an emergency closure of the campground.
Nearby Newhalem Creek Campground remains open, but visitors are being urged to strictly follow food storage rules and use bear boxes or hard-sided vehicles.
STORY: WA unemployment rate remains stagnant even amid solid job growth
As job numbers grow in the state, the unemployment rate remains unchanged.
Over 10,000 new jobs were added in May, making it the highest one-month gain this year. But the unemployment rate stayed at a steady 5.2%.
This boost in job growth follows two months of decline, where a combined loss of almost 9-thousand jobs were recorded in March and April. From May 2025 to May 2026, the number of jobs in the state has decreased by nearly 8-thousand jobs.
Anneliese Vance-Sherman, chief labor economist for the Employment Security Department, says the labor market is becoming increasingly challenging for job seekers. Vance-Sherman theorizes the bump in hiring is due to businesses in the state preparing for hosting the World Cup games this summer.
STORY: WA joins multi-state lawsuit against federal government’s addition of contract terms targeting DEI
Washington Attorney General Nick Brown has sued the federal administration over new contract requirements tied to diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.
The lawsuit challenges a March executive order that directs federal agencies to prohibit what it calls “racially discriminatory DEI activities” in federally funded contracts. Brown says the new rules are vague, confusing, and could jeopardize billions of dollars in federal contracts, including agreements with Washington state agencies.
The coalition argues federal agencies failed to follow required public notice and comment procedures and have asked a federal court to block enforcement of the new contract terms.
STORY: 4th of July fireworks info
If you’re planning to celebrate the Fourth of July with fireworks, make sure you know the rules before you light the fuse.
Fire officials remind residents to celebrate safely and know your local fireworks laws. In unincorporated Whatcom County, consumer fireworks may only be discharged July 3rd and 5th from 6 to 11 p.m., and July 4th from 6 p.m. to midnight. Fireworks cannot be discharged on public property, roads, school grounds, or in parks without permission, and users are responsible for keeping fireworks away from people, buildings, and dry vegetation.
In Bellingham, all consumer fireworks are illegal.
Officials urge residents to check local regulations, use fireworks responsibly, and consider attending a professional fireworks display instead.
FREE or Cheap for next weekend
Anyone interested in helping to look for green crab shells can join in the annual Salish Sea Molt Blitz on Friday, June 26. The event is an annual effort to search as many Washington Salish Sea beaches as possible for evidence of green crabs. A virtual training event will be held on June 24 at noon, and participants can register on the Washington Sea Grant Crab Team website.
STORY: Election center tours scheduled
Whatcom County residents can get a behind-the-scenes look at how local elections are run.
The Auditor’s Office will host public tours of the county Election Center July 28th through the 30th. The tour gives visitors a chance to see how ballots are processed, learn about election security measures, and ask questions about voting procedures.
The Auditor’s office says the tour takes less than an hour and advance reservations are encouraged through the Whatcom County Elections Division.
Leave a Reply