Jury rules in favor of PeaceHealth physician in medical negligence suit, City of Bellingham reaches $150,000 settlement with owners of destroyed motorhome, PSE apologizes for issuing incorrect information regarding last weekend’s power outage, Road to Artist Point to reopen on Friday, Program that gives books to kids reinstated––temporarily, Ferguson’s appeal for FEMA bomb cyclone relief denied once again, Median home prices drop in Bellingham and Washington, rise overall in Whatcom, Blood supplies critically low, Ferndale looking for downtown mural proposals, Federal judge dismisses lawsuit against state housing reparations program, Kroger set to close stores throughout Washington and Oregon
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KMRE brings you local news for Thursday, June 26th. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: Jury rules in favor of PeaceHealth physician in medical negligence suit
A jury has ruled in favor of a PeaceHealth emergency physician and hospital staff in a medical negligence lawsuit brought by a Ferndale couple.
Patricia and Carson Parker sued Dr. Ralph Weiche, Northwest Emergency Physicians, and the PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center Foundation after Patricia suffered permanent vision loss and a major decline in mobility following a 2018 visit to the ER.
The Parkers alleged that Weiche misdiagnosed Patricia with a psychiatric condition, instead of recognizing signs of a stroke. They sought $24 million in damages.
However, after a multi-week trial and just half a day of deliberation, a Whatcom County Superior Court jury found no medical negligence and awarded no damages.
Attorneys for PeaceHealth praised the verdict, saying they stand by the care provided. The Parkers’ legal team says they may appeal, arguing that key evidence wasn’t allowed at trial.
Dr. Weiche, who helped develop PeaceHealth’s stroke protocol, testified that his diagnosis was appropriate based on the information available at the time.
STORY: City of Bellingham reaches $150,000 settlement with owners of destroyed motorhome
The City of Bellingham has agreed to pay $150,000 to settle a lawsuit over the destruction of a motorhome.
The City Council approved the settlement unanimously on Monday night, ending a legal dispute brought by Jerry and Terri-Lynn Land.
The couple sued the city last year, claiming their motorhome was wrongly declared a “junk vehicle” and destroyed without proper notice or a chance to challenge the decision.
As part of the settlement, the lawsuit is dismissed with prejudice — which means the Lands cannot bring the case back to court.
STORY: PSE apologizes for issuing incorrect information regarding last weekend’s power outage
It wasn’t a glitch — it was a squirrel.
Puget Sound Energy now says last Saturday’s power outage in Bellingham’s Sunnyland and Cornwall Park neighborhoods was caused by a squirrel — not a rare equipment failure, as originally reported.
In an email to Cascadia Daily News, PSE admitted there was a miscommunication. Crews later found the squirrel had triggered the outage, cutting power to over 4,600 customers for about three hours.
Sadly, the squirrel didn’t make it.
Industry experts say squirrels are one of the leading causes of power outages nationwide.
STORY: Road to Artist Point to reopen on Friday
State Route 542 to Artist Point is set to reopen tomorrow morning at 8 a.m., after being closed for the winter season since last October.
The Washington State Department of Transportation announced the reopening this week, giving hikers, backpackers, and sightseers access once again to the scenic viewpoint at the end of the Mt. Baker Highway — known for its dramatic views of Mount Shuksan and Mount Baker.
The Heather Meadows Visitor Center will also open for the season on Friday, and the Heather Meadows Café is scheduled to reopen July 4th.
A Northwest Forest Pass is required to park at Artist Point. New this year, most passes must be purchased using QR codes at trailheads, as the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest moves toward cashless transactions.
WSDOT reminds travelers that services at Artist Point are limited, snow still covers trails, and crews may be working along the highway.
STORY: Program that gives books to kids reinstated––temporarily
A popular early learning program that was recently cut from the state budget is getting a temporary lifeline.
The Imagination Library — founded by Dolly Parton to give young children free access to books — lost all of its state funding during this year’s legislative session, despite serving over 120,000 kids across Washington. Lawmakers faced a $12 billion budget shortfall and made deep cuts to early learning programs, including the Imagination Library.
However, the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal announced they will use limited discretionary funds to keep the program going for one more year, while Reykdal pushes lawmakers to restore permanent funding next session.
The program mails a free book to children every month from birth to age five, and remains open for enrollment. It offers an English/Spanish bilingual option as well.
Reykdal warns that if funding isn’t renewed, the program’s statewide infrastructure could be lost. But for now, Washington’s youngest readers will keep getting books in the mail.
STORY: Ferguson’s appeal for FEMA bomb cyclone relief denied once again
Federal disaster aid has been denied — again — for last fall’s bomb cyclone in Washington.
My Bellingham Now reports FEMA rejected Governor Bob Ferguson’s appeal for emergency assistance, stating that federal help “is not warranted.” The agency gave no explanation for the denial.
This comes after FEMA first rejected the state’s request for relief in April. Ferguson appealed, citing widespread damage caused by the November 2024 storm.
According to the governor’s office, the bomb cyclone caused an estimated $34 million in damage to public highways, utilities, and electrical grids across Washington. The storm also killed two people in King and Snohomish counties, and damaged over 20 homes in Sudden Valley.
With FEMA’s second denial, the state will now have to rely on its own disaster recovery resources — at least for now.
STORY: Median home prices drop in Bellingham and Washington, rise overall in Whatcom
Home prices are shifting across the region, with Bellingham seeing a drop while Whatcom County as a whole edges upward.
New data show Bellingham’s median home sale price fell to $642,000 in May — a nearly 8% drop from April and down more than 4% from a year ago.
Meanwhile, Whatcom County’s overall median home price rose slightly to $610,000, up 0.8% from April and just above where it stood last May. That’s still well below the county’s all-time high of $682,000 set last July.
Local real estate broker Jason Lee says inventory has doubled since last spring, giving buyers more options — but demand for quality homes remains strong.
Statewide, Washington’s median home price in May was just over $653,000, a slight year-over-year decline in one of the most expensive housing markets in the country.
WX: Damp Mild American Summer
And now for the weather:
A cloudy morning is expected to give way to a drizzly afternoon today, with highs in the low-to-mid 60s. Sunshine is expected to be fairly minimal, with the U.V. index clocking in at a whopping 3. The evening forecast also calls for cloudy skies and showers here and there, with temperatures cooling
down ever so slightly to lows in the mid-50s.
Tomorrow, we should see this cloudy and damp streak continue, with overcast skies and what can technically be referred to as rain.
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.
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STORY: Blood supplies critically low
STORY: Ferndale looking for downtown mural proposals (kill 7/11)
STORY: Federal judge dismisses lawsuit against state housing reparations program
STORY: Kroger set to close stores throughout Washington and Oregon
Kroger — the parent company of Fred Meyer and QFC — is planning to close around 60 stores across the country over the next 18 months.
The grocery giant, which operates more than 2,700 locations nationwide, announced the closures during its first-quarter earnings report Friday. While specific stores haven’t been named, Kroger says affected employees will be offered jobs at nearby locations. Based in Cincinnati,
Kroger operates more than 2,700 stores across 35 states — including 59 QFC locations in Oregon and Washington, and 132 Fred Meyer stores across the Pacific Northwest and Alaska.
Kroger’s net profits reached $866 million for the quarter — slightly down from last year, but still strong enough to send its stock price soaring nearly 10% by the end of trading.
STORY: Annual Bike Swap (Kill 6/29)
Get ready to ride — Bellingham’s 6th Annual Bike Swap is rolling into Boundary Bay Brewery on Sunday, June 29.
Organized by Shifting Gears, the event invites residents to drop off used bikes and gear from 7:30 to 10 a.m. Sellers name their prices, and 25% of each sale helps fund programs that lower barriers for women in outdoor sports. The public can grab gear starting at 1pm — everything from bikes to parts and apparel. Test rides are allowed, and both cash and cards are accepted.
Pre-registration is available for sellers with more than 15 items. More information is available at Lets Shift Gears-dot-org.
STORY: Crab season opens July 17th – YAY! (kill date 7/17!!)
Get your gear ready — Marine Area 7 South, including the San Juans and Bellingham, opens for crabbing July 17th.
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife says pots can be dropped Thursdays through Mondays, with no crabbing allowed on Tuesdays or Wednesdays.
A shellfish license and catch record card are required. The daily limit is five male Dungeness crabs, at least 6-and-a-quarter inches wide, plus six red rock crabs of any sex. Crab must be kept whole so size and sex can be verified.
Area 7 North – from Inati Bay to Point Roberts — remains closed. WDFW expects that season to open in mid-August, once shell condition sampling wraps up.
Always check for emergency closures before heading out. More info at wdfw.wa.gov.
