Lake Whatcom vehicle crash sends driver to hospital, Video of hate crime released, accused pleads not guilty, Whatcom K-9 unit assists in Mt. Vernon car theft arrest, WWU to sell six properties as part of strategy to balance books, Whatcom County Health Dept lifts swimming advisory at Taylor Dock, WA plans to use $32 million to help asylum seekers
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STORY: Lake Whatcom vehicle crash sends driver to hospital
A driver was hospitalized Thursday evening after a single vehicle rollover crash in Sudden Valley.
Firefighters were dispatched to the intersection of Lake Whatcom Blvd and Lake Louise Road after reports of the crash around 5 pm. First responders removed the driver and transported them to PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center.
Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office says the extent of the man’s injuries are unknown at this time. According to them, the crash appeared to be the result of a loss of control due to speeding.
The boulevard was closed for two hours after the crash. The Sheriff’s Office’s investigation is ongoing.
STORY: Video of hate crime released, accused pleads not guilty
Security footage of the hate crime that took place earlier this month has been released.
The footage, taken in front of the Bellingham Police Department, shows 42-year-old Paul Bittner assaulting an 11-year-old boy who was walking with his class downtown. Bittner was arrested a few blocks away.
Bittner was charged June 14 in Whatcom County Superior Court with one count of a hate crime and one count of second-degree assault of a child. Bittner’s hate crime charge states that he quote, “maliciously and intentionally” assaulted another person because of the perception of their race, while his assault crime charge states that he intentionally assaulted a child under the age of 13.
Bittner pleaded not guilty to the charges at his standing-room only arraignment hearing Friday morning. His bail remains at half a million dollars.
STORY: Whatcom K-9 unit assists in Mt. Vernon car theft arrest
Last Thursday a K-9 unit from the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office assisted in an arrest in Skagit County.
Mount Vernon police were informed of a vehicle stolen overnight, which contained firearms. The vehicle was found an hour and a half later on Francis Road. When officers approached, the driver tried to escape by crashing through a gate and fleeing into a wooded area. The K-9 unit and tactical officers located the suspect, 35-year-old Chace Tyler Keyes, who was arrested without incident.
Keyes faces charges including motor vehicle theft, attempting to elude police, and unlawful possession of firearms and remains in custody.
STORY: WWU to sell six properties as part of strategy to balance books
Western Washington University’s Board of Trustees approved the sale of six properties as part of a strategy to address next year’s anticipated budget deficit.
WWU is facing a $20.5 million shortfall between its recurring revenues and expenditures. To address this, the university plans to make reductions, sell properties, and use $3.7 million from reserves, as discussed in the June 14 Board of Trustees meeting. Additionally, some one-time funding from the Legislature will help mitigate the deficit. The primary cause of the budgetary challenges is declining enrollment, largely due to the impact of COVID-19, which is expected to take years to recover from.
Three of the six properties approved for sale are residential units located in Bellingham. Also on the sales block is a vacant lot located in the 900 block of 25th Street. The remaining two properties are a small waterfront property on San Juan Island, and the ViQueen Lodge located on Sinclair Island. According to Board documents, proceeds from the sale of the San Juan Island property will help fund the Marine Science Center, and money from the sale of the lodge will go to establish an endowment for student clubs.
Sale of the ViQueen Lodge is controversial and a petition is being organized by students to keep the building that they say is a vital part of Western’s history. The lodge was purchased in 1928 by the Women’s Athletic Association of Bellingham Normal School, which eventually became WWU.
STORY: Whatcom County Health Dept lifts swimming advisory at Taylor Dock
The swimming advisory at the southern end of Boulevard Park at Taylor Dock has been lifted.
The advisory was put in place due to high levels of fecal bacteria along the shoreline and by the dock. New samples have shown lower levels of bacteria and the City says it is now safe to swim near the dock and at the beach. However, the outfall by Bennett Avenue still has unsafe levels– and the Whatcom County Health Department is advising people to avoid the area.
STORY: CoB advice on summer watering
Summer is finally here, and the City of Bellingham is asking everyone to conserve water.
After June 21st, the city’s water demand increases by 5 million gallons daily, with nearly half wasted due to evaporation and runoff. To conserve water, the City is asking residents to let the lawn go dormant, follow a voluntary watering schedule, water in the cooler morning hours, use an irrigation controller, or replace turf with native plants. The voluntary watering schedule in Bellingham is based on street address numbers: even-numbered addresses water on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, while odd-numbered addresses water on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
For more tips, visit CoB.org/conserve.
STORY: WA plans to use $32 million to help asylum seekers
Washington officials are working to distribute around $32 million dollars in state funding to aid asylum seekers.
Funds for The Washington Migrant and Asylum Seeker Support Project were approved by the legislature in March and will be available for use starting July. About $5 million dollars will go to King County and $2.5 million to the city of Tukwila, with an additional $25 million allocated to the Office of Refugee and Immigrant Assistance. The state says it will utilize one office as a hub to connect new arrivals to the specific services they may need. Services include immigration related legal aid, housing, and “culturally responsive case management services.”
About $1 million will go to schools serving asylum seeking students who are homeless. The Shelton, Tukwila and Wapato school districts were chosen based on the reported amount of homeless students who did not speak English as their first language.
According to Sarah Peterson, chief of the state Office of Refugee and Immigrant Assistance, agencies involved will need some time to distribute the funds.
Applications to receive funding through the Office of Refugee and Immigrant Services closed on Thursday, and the office plans to have contracts in place with organizations by the beginning of August.
WX: Cloudy
And now for your Whatcom County weather:
Today is expected to be another day of sun, with highs around the upper 60s. Nighttime will bring lows in the 50s and partly cloudy skies. Tomorrow will be even warmer, with temperatures reaching the mid 70s.
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), Maggie Flowers, 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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