Student strike paused at WWU, Suspect in fatal Bellingham shooting pleads not guilty, Numerous beekeepers work to contain escaped swarms near Lynden, Road construction along Squalicum Pkwy to begin today, Mountain crews issue public reminder of safety measures after trio of rescues on Mount Baker, Scheduled burn in Skagit County postponed to this Wednesday, Rising costs and lack of resources contributing to difficult financial and mental circumstances for WA farmers, Lynden Fair announces remaining music lineup
Independent, nonprofit community radio.
KMRE brings you local news for Monday, June 2nd. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: Student strike paused at WWU
The student strike at Western Washington University has been paused as the strikers enter into negotiations with the university.
Around 1,300 operational student employees — including resident advisors, lifeguards and recreation assistants — walked off their jobs on Wednesday to demand both union recognition from WWU and a contract. Those employees voted to join Western Academic Workers United in 2023; however, university officials say they cannot recognize the union until the passage of legislation that extends collective bargaining rights to student workers. The bargaining committee disputes this claim, saying that they are asking for voluntary recognition.
Impacts on campus have varied; some services continued at a limited capacity, while others closed. Recycling and garbage piled up, while WTA buses have traveled on Garden Street since Wednesday instead of traveling through campus.
As of 9 a.m. today, the strikers were back to work. According to Sierra Demerjian (duh-MURR-jee-anne), a member of the bargaining committee, State Representative Joe Timmons reached out to both the committee and the university, asking for the strike to be paused and for negotiations between the two groups to start. Members of the bargaining committee and WWU officials met this morning at 10 a.m.
While Demerjian said OSEs are willing to go back on strike if no progress is made during negotiations, she said that the committee is, quote, “hopeful that these conversations will be fruitful and help us all prevent the strike, especially as we get closer to move out and finals week and to graduation” unquote.
STORY: Suspect in fatal Bellingham shooting pleads not guilty
The 18-year-old suspect in a fatal Bellingham shooting made his first court appearance on Friday.
Cristian Lara Guzman pleaded not guilty to manslaughter and unlawful possession of a firearm. Prosecutors say Lara Guzman and his friend Alejandro Pallares (pie-YAR-riz) were playing with a gun’s laser sight when it went off. Pallares was shot in the head and later died. Lara Guzman told 911 he did not know the gun was loaded. He’s currently being held at the Whatcom County Jail on a one-million-dollar bail.
STORY: Numerous beekeepers work to contain escaped swarms near Lynden
A bee emergency near Lynden on Friday had roads closed and beekeepers scrambling after a flatbed truck hauling hives overturned.
Millions of honey bees swarmed the area when hives broke open as the vehicle was towed from a ditch.
Initial estimates suggested 250 million bees, but officials now say the number was closer to 14 million. The bees were en route to South Dakota after pollinating local blueberry fields.
More than two dozen beekeepers, some from as far as Snohomish County, helped contain the chaos — despite dozens of stings.
Authorities say there’s no public health risk, but Weidkamp (WEED-camp) Road remained closed into Saturday. The goal now is to re-hive the bees and find their queens.
STORY: Road construction along Squalicum Pkwy to begin today
Expect slower traffic along Squalicum Parkway starting today, as crews begin major roadwork near St. Joseph Medical Center.
One lane will stay open through October while sidewalks, bike lanes, lighting, and stormwater systems are added.
The project supports PeaceHealth’s new six-story Peter Paulsen Pavilion, a $400 million expansion that includes a rooftop helipad and modern emergency and maternity services.
Drivers should allow extra time, as flaggers will be directing traffic daily from 8am to 4pm.
STORY: Mountain crews issue public reminder of safety measures after trio of rescues on Mount Baker
Three injury incidents last week have prompted the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office to issue a new advisory alert for backcountry adventurers.
The incidents all occurred in the Mount Baker National Forest.
Members of the Bellingham Mountain Rescue Council participated in packing out two climbers who had sustained serious injuries last Tuesday. In both cases, satellite devices carried by the climbers allowed council members to locate them and facilitate their extraction.
Then, on Wednesday, a skier on Coleman Glacier suffered a knee injury at 8,700 feet. The Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office dispatched a helicopter to perform a winch rescue and transport the patient to care.
In a subsequent Facebook post, the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office suggested that these occurrences should, quote, “serve as a stark reminder of the risks and consequences of wilderness accidents,” unquote. The post stresses the importance of thorough preparation, emergency planning, and the packing of proper gear. Anyone heading into the wilderness is advised to bring an emergency GPS device to aid any potential rescuers.
STORY: Scheduled burn in Skagit County postponed to this Wednesday
Skagit County residents may notice smoky skies next week. A prescribed burn originally set for today has been rescheduled to Wednesday, depending on the weather.
The burn will take place south of Big Lake, between State Route 9 and Lake Cavanaugh Road. Officials warn of temporary smoke and reduced air quality in the area.
STORY: Rising costs and lack of resources contributing to difficult financial and mental circumstances for WA farmers
The CDC says that suicide remains a leading cause of death in the U.S., but farmers are three-and-a-half times more likely to die by suicide than the general population.
In response, the Western Regional Agricultural Stress Assistance Partnership is working to break the silence. Funded through the Farm Bill, the program provides mental health support, training, crisis hotlines, and community outreach to 13 states, including Washington.
Events like Pizza 4 Producers offer stress relief and connection, while hotlines are available in English and Spanish. The goal of “Pizza for Producers” is to create a supportive and welcoming environment where those in the agricultural industry can connect, learn, and address the challenges they face. The message is: help is here, and you are not alone.
If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, or visit farmstress.us for confidential, farm-focused support.
WX: Solar: A Star Wars Story
And now for the weather:
Some early morning clouds will give way to bright, sunny skies around mid-morning today, with a U.V. index of 8–– which means a very high risk of harm from unprotected sun exposure. At a level 8, skin and eyes are at risk of being damaged and can burn quickly, potentially within 15 minutes.
Daytime highs are expected to peak in the upper 60s. The skies should remain mostly clear going into the evening, where we’ll see things cool down to lows in the high 40s.
It looks to be sunny and warm for the foreseeable future, with tomorrow cracking back into the 70s.
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), and Kai Blais-Schmolke (KAI BLAZE-SHMOLE-kee). 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.
##
STORY: Lynden Fair announces remaining music lineup
Leave a Reply