Border Protection restricts entry to part of Peace Arch Park, Downtown Sounds, Bellingham’s summer concert series, announces lineup from across the USA, City, county curbside recycling changing to single rolling bin, Downtown Sounds, Bellingham’s summer concert series, announces lineup from across the USA, City, county curbside recycling changing to single rolling bin, Department of Ecology seeks public evaluation of landfill cleanup in Bellingham, Commerce awards nearly $40 million in Climate Commitment Act funds for local electrification programs, 1.3 m to Bham and Whatcom, Health officials warn whooping cough cases rising across Washington, Habitat for Humanity To Host Annual Trashion Show
______________________________
Independent, nonprofit community radio.
KMRE brings you local news for Monday, June 3rd. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: Border Protection restricts entry to part of Peace Arch Park
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has announced they will restrict entry to part of Peace Arch Park.
According to the Border Patrol, park entry through Zero Avenue in British Columbia is no longer permitted, and Canadian citizens will now have to go through a designated border crossing point.
Recent cross-border smuggling, as well as a spike in illegal border crossings, have prompted an increase in patrols, as well as the new rules.
STORY: Downtown Sounds, Bellingham’s summer concert series, announces lineup from across the USA
Downtown Sounds, a series of free, outdoor concerts in downtown Bellingham is back for the summer, with a lineup of headlining artists from across the country.
The 20th Annual Downtown Sounds will run each Wednesday from July 10 through August 7 at the intersection of Bay, Holly, and Prospect streets. There will be live music, food trucks, a beer garden and a family activity zone.
For more information on the bands go to DowntownBellingham.com.
STORY: City, county curbside recycling changing to single rolling bin
Recycling in Whatcom County is about to change.
The Whatcom County Council and Bellingham City Council have both voted to switch from separated to commingled or “single-stream” recycling. The switch will shift collection from 3 separate totes for paper, plastic, and cans, to just one 90-gallon rolling bin that holds all recyclable materials.
Sanitary Service Company, who is working with the councils on the change, says the three-bin recycling system is antiquated and labor-intensive. The switch to single bins means collection frequency will change from once a week to every other week. Bellingham SSC customers who are being changed to single-stream will receive an informational flier along with the delivery of their new recycling toter. Sanitary Service says customers can keep their old recycling bins or return them to the Roeder Drop Box & Recycling Facility at 1001 Roeder Avenue in Bellingham.
In addition, recent state legislation requires municipal solid waste programs to include organic waste collection— such as yard debris, food, and compostable packaging. Last year, Bellingham City Council voted to make organics collection mandatory in Bellingham for single family households, and SSC says it will roll out a city-wide program in 2025.
STORY: Department of Ecology seeks public evaluation of landfill cleanup in Bellingham
The Washington Department of Ecology is seeking public feedback on a cleanup project from 19 years ago.
In 2005, the City of Bellingham finished the cleanup project at the Holly Street Landfill site, now the mouth of Whatcom Creek, removing 12,400 tons of solid waste. The former Holly Street Landfill site is one of 12 Bellingham Bay cleanup sites contaminated with heavy metals from historic industrial activity. The Department of Ecology wants public input 19 years later to know if the cleanup still protects human health and the environment. A local non-profit, RE Sources, is hosting a walking tour of the site open to the public on June 13th.
Bellingham Residents can submit feedback until July 3rd at the Washington Department of Ecology website.
STORY: Commerce awards nearly $40 million in Climate Commitment Act funds for local electrification programs, 1.3 m to Bham and Whatcom
The Washington State Department of Commerce has announced almost $40 million dollars in electrification grants, and more than $1.3 million dollars will be coming to Whatcom County.
Funded by Washington’s Climate Commitment Act, the grants aim to create and enhance local programs offering rebates and incentives for households and small businesses to install high-efficiency electric equipment. Besides Whatcom County, the money will be headed to cities, counties, municipal utilities, and state and federally recognized tribes throughout Washington.
Commerce Director Mike Fong says the investment is connected to the state’s Climate Commitment Act and will help communities reduce fossil fuel use and build healthier, more resilient, and energy-efficient buildings. Some existing local programs will expand with this funding, while new programs will be initiated.
The Commerce Department says an online portal that will help consumers search for rebates and incentives is coming soon.
STORY: Health officials warn whooping cough cases rising across Washington
The Snohomish County Health Department is alerting the public about a rise in whooping cough cases.
There has been a significant increase in cases statewide, with 183 reported in May 2024 compared to just 24 in May last year. A distinguishing feature of the illness is a prolonged cough lasting over two weeks, often with severe fits and a “whooping” sound. Despite vaccination, people can still contract whooping cough, also called pertussis, which is hard to diagnose early because symptoms are nonspecific and can be mild in vaccinated individuals. Infants may have severe respiratory symptoms.
The health department advises testing for respiratory symptoms persisting over two weeks or after contact with an ill person. PCR or culture testing is recommended, and positive cases should be reported to the health department. The CDC recommends vaccination for high-risk groups and provides treatment guidelines, including a quarantine period after starting antibiotics.
WX: Rain
Your Whatcom County weather today – due to a late-season atmospheric river, much of Western Washington is experiencing heavy rain. Expect rain all day, with a high of 60 degrees. There is also a wind advisory until Tuesday, with gusts of wind as fast as 40 mph tonight. Temperatures will drop to a low of 50 later today. The rain will continue into Tuesday night.
OUTRO:
Today’s newscast was produced by volunteers AnThu Nguyen (ANNE-two new-WIN), Carlos Braga, Connor O’Boyle, Jayne Kuhlman, and Kye Salinas (KEY suh-LEE-nus). 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.
##
STORY: Habitat for Humanity To Host Annual Trashion Show
