Three Whatcom farms apply for preservation easement funding from state RCO, Two Whatcom men charged in unrelated cases of child sexual assault, Small Bellingham business owner seeking support as storefront nears closure, Case potentially informing WA’s future policy concerning transgender prisoners lands before State Supreme Court, AG’s office spearheads brief opposing federal advancement of oil and gas development in Alaska, Sen. Maria Cantwell decries vote-by-mail changes, Team of UW researchers develop system for condensing scientific research papers into short-form video content, Small Bellingham business owner seeking support as storefront nears closure, FREE or Cheap for next weekend, Election center tours scheduled
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KMRE brings you local news for Wednesday, June, 24. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: Three Whatcom farms apply for preservation easement funding from state RCO
Three Whatcom farms are applying for preservation funding to protect their land from development.
Steensma Farm, Jensen Farm and Cloud Mountain Farm Center are seeking grant funding from the state. Whatcom County’s Planning Development Services Conservation Easement Program is applying on behalf of the three farms.
The Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office compensates landowners for limiting development opportunities to protect the livelihoods of working farms or preserve water quality and wildlife.
The RCO grant matches 50% of the funds needed to place preservation easements on the land, and set up farm stewardship plans that fall under 10-thousand dollars.
Cloud Mountain Farm Center has already been placed under a permanent easement through interim ownership from the Whatcom Land Trust. Steensma Farm and Jensen Farm are not currently under any preservation easements.
STORY: Two Whatcom men charged in unrelated cases of child sexual assault
Two men are facing child‑sex charges in separate cases in Whatcom County.
The Bellingham Herald reports Shaun Gordon Conley pleaded not guilty after being extradited from Oregon. A teen in Chelan County told police last fall that Conley sexually assaulted them multiple times about six years ago, when they both lived in Whatcom County. Conley was arrested May 29th and booked into the Whatcom County Jail last week.
In a separate case, 68‑year‑old Antonio Carlos Segar of Bellingham pleaded not guilty to first‑degree child molestation. Deputies interviewed him Sunday and found probable cause to arrest him. A commissioner set his bail at 100-thousand dollars and issued a no‑contact order. Segar remains in custody.
STORY: Small Bellingham business owner seeking support as storefront nears closure
The owner of EverLocal has asked for community support while he closes his store.
According to their website, the store– which sells local products, gifts, and secondhand clothes— has to close before the end of the lease. That leaves the owner responsible for 90-thousand dollars worth of rent and fees. He says he’s worked out an agreement that would allow him to exit the lease and avoid additional penalties if he can pay his rent through July.
He’s asking Bellingham residents to shop, donate, and spread the word about his situation. EverLocal will close at the end of July.
STORY: Case potentially informing WA’s future policy concerning transgender prisoners lands before State Supreme Court
The Washington state Supreme Court will soon decide whether it’s unconstitutional to hold incarcerated transgender women in a men’s facility.
The Court heard oral arguments yesterday for the case of Amber Kim, a transgender woman confined at Monroe Correctional Facility, a men’s prison. She is being represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington.
From 2021 to 2024, Kim was located at the Washington Corrections Center for Women. In March 2024, Kim and her cellmate were found engaging in sexual contact and were both issued an infraction. They were transferred to a heightened security level in the women’s correctional facility. In June, although she hadn’t received any more infractions according to the ACLU, the Department of Corrections decided Kim was a safety risk, and she was transferred to Monroe Correctional Facility. Her cellmate was allowed to stay in the women’s prison.
Kim is the first transgender woman in Washington state to be transferred from a women’s prison to a men’s.
The ACLU argued that transferring Kim to a men’s facility was cruel and unusual punishment, which exposed her to potential violence, sexual assault, and harassment.
The Department of Corrections argued that keeping Kim in the women’s prison was a safety risk, and the transfer was necessary to carry out a reasonable punishment.
It may take months for the Court to release their official ruling on the case.
STORY: AG’s office spearheads brief opposing federal advancement of oil and gas development in Alaska
Washington Attorney General Nick Brown is leading a 13‑state challenge to new oil and gas drilling in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
Most of the new development in the Refuge would take place on the Refuge’s Coastal Plain. The 1.6 million acre area is described by the National Wildlife Federation as the region’s most diverse wildlife habitat, home to polar bears, musk oxen, porcupine caribou and millions of migratory birds.
Brown argues the scale of industrial activity will intensify climate impacts and severely harm Washington’s migratory birds, many of which are considered internationally vulnerable. He says they are essential to coalition-state ecosystems and support local economies through birdwatching and hunting.
Brown also claims the Administration broke the law by rushing through incomplete environmental impact studies and disregarding mandatory standards for transparency and public participation.
STORY: Sen. Maria Cantwell decries vote-by-mail changes
U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell is criticizing what she called the Trump administration’s latest effort to restrict voting access.
Cantwell said the new U.S. Postal Service policy, implemented in December, shifts where ballots receive postmarks from local post offices to regional processing centers– which can delay postmarks by several days.
Cantwell pointed to testing conducted during February’s special election in Snohomish County. Election officials mailed sample ballots on several dates and found many were not postmarked until one or more days after they were dropped in the mail.
In one test on Election Day, less than half of ballots mailed that morning received same-day postmarks, meaning several would have missed Washington’s ballot deadline and gone uncounted.
According to Cantwell, late postmarks accounted for roughly 75 percent of all rejected ballots during Washington’s February 2026 special election.
Nearly 48 million Americans voted by mail in the 2024 election, including voters in Washington— one of 12 states that conduct elections entirely by mail.
STORY: Team of UW researchers develop system for condensing scientific research papers into short-form video content
University of Washington researchers have developed an artificial intelligence tool that turns research papers into short videos designed for social media.
The system, called PaperTok, uses Google’s Gemini AI to generate a script and video storyboard, which users can then edit before publishing. The 45-second videos are intended to make research more accessible to the public.
The project grew out of concerns that AI-generated science videos on social media could spread misinformation when created without expertise. PaperTok developers say their tool helps keep scientists involved in communicating their work.
Researchers tested PaperTok with more than 100 participants and found the videos were more engaging than those produced by other systems. However, some participants had concerns that the videos appeared too artificial and could undermine a researcher’s credibility.
The developers plan to continue adding new ways for users to customize each video.
WX: Tempe-rome-tures did not fall in a day…
And now for the weather:
Look for mostly sun today with highs in the mid-80’s and light winds. But expect things to start to cool off into the evening with lows in the upper 50’s. Tomorrow, expect more clouds to roll in and high temperatures in the low 70s, with increasing winds.
Tomorrow night, look for rain after midnight with lows in the mid-50’s and expect the winds to calm down.
The forecast calls for rain and possible thunderstorms on Friday.
OUTRO:
Today’s newscast was produced by volunteers Carlos Braga (BRAH-guh), Connor O’Boyle, Kyler Cantrell, Glen Hirshberg (HERSH-berg), Kathi O’Shea (o-SHAY), Kai Blais-Schmolke (KAI BLAZE-SHMOLE-kee), Bella Farris, Jenny Lam, Natalie Jones, Noelle Reger (REE-ger), and Sean Lynch. 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 _________… thank you for listening!
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STORY: Small Bellingham business owner seeking support as storefront nears closure
The owner of EverLocal has asked for community support while he closes his store.
According to their website, the store– which sells local products, gifts, and secondhand clothes— has to close before the end of the lease. That leaves the owner Rob B., responsible for 90-thousand dollars worth of rent and fees. He says he’s worked out an agreement that would allow him to exit the lease and avoid additional penalties if he can pay his rent through July.
He’s asking Bellingham residents to shop, donate, and spread the word about his situation. EverLocal will close at the end of July.
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
What: Bellingham Holi Festival 2026 — a city-wide celebration of colors, culture, food, and community (NOTE: It’s pronounced just like “holy”)
When: Sunday, June 28 | 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM (Zuanich Point Park)
Expected attendance: 500–1,000 people
The day features Bollywood dance performances (noon and 2:00 PM), a special dhol drumming showcase (1:00 PM), remarks from County Executive Satpal Singh Sidhu, coordinated color tosses with countdowns, a cultural tent with henna and samosa samples, food trucks, a photobooth, and more.
• 1 Ticket ($5) — 3 powder packets OR sunglasses and bandana
• 4 Tickets ($15) — event shirt
• 8 Tickets – Party Pack ($25) includes an event shirt, sunglasses, bandana + 6 powder packets
Sumas Community Days June 26 and 27. With a parade, live music, market vendors, as well as food vendors. Free admission. The first Annual Sumas Glow & Foam Party starts at 8pm at City Park, just before the fireworks. Just head to Sumas– you can’t miss it.
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.
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