Early-morning shooting in Anacortes leaves two dead, Crash on northbound I-5 results in driver being arrested by BPD on outstanding warrants, Bellingham I-5 onramp and northbound lane set to close tonight for maintenance, Deadline to file claims in Nooksack water rights case extended by one month, WTA seeking public input on proposed service upgrades to Go Line buses, Worse season for flu than covid, WA keeps preventive health services, Millionaire’s Tax passes, Wind advisory in effect as Whatcom braces for first in round of atmospheric rivers
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KMRE brings you local news for Wednesday, March, 11th. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: Early-morning shooting in Anacortes leaves two dead
Two people are dead following an early morning shooting in Anacortes.
Police say officers responded to a report of gunfire just before 6:30 yesterday morning in the 1400 block of K Avenue, where they discovered two people dead at the scene.
Investigators are continuing to process evidence, and authorities say more information will be released as it becomes available. Police add there is no ongoing threat to the public.
Meanwhile, K Avenue between 12th and 17th streets remains closed as the investigation continues, and the Anacortes School District is urging drivers to avoid the area and use alternate routes.
STORY: Crash on northbound I-5 results in driver being arrested by BPD on outstanding warrants
Traffic on northbound Interstate 5 in Bellingham was slowed for several hours yesterday after a crash late in the morning.
Authorities say the collision was reported just before 11:30 a.m. between the Northwest Avenue and Meridian Street interchanges. Initial reports indicate a vehicle traveling southbound veered into the median, where a cable barrier stopped it from entering the northbound lanes.
Northbound traffic was reduced to a single lane through the crash scene until about 3:15 p.m.
According to the Washington State Patrol, no one was injured. The driver was arrested on outstanding warrants from the Bellingham Police Department and booked into the Whatcom County Jail.
STORY: Bellingham I-5 onramp and northbound lane set to close tonight for maintenance
And speaking of I-5, expect overnight lane closures in Bellingham tonight.
The Washington State Department of Transportation says the Iowa Street on-ramp to northbound I-5 and one northbound freeway lane near Lakeway Drive will close from 10 p.m. tonight until 4 a.m. Thursday.
Crews will be performing guardrail maintenance and vegetation work during the closure.
STORY: Bellingham’s newest municipal judge sworn in
Bellingham’s newest municipal judge has been sworn in.
Nicholas Henery was sworn in during Monday’s city council meeting. Henery has served as a municipal court commissioner since 2022, and was selected out of four applicants.
As part of its agenda bill for the meeting, the city acknowledged an increased case load and case complexity in recent years and noted that Henery’s appointment will help with that.
Henery’s term will start next Monday and will last until January 1st, 2030. After that, the position will be determined in the November general election.
STORY: Deadline to file claims in Nooksack water rights case extended by one month
A major ecological case in Whatcom County just got more time.
A judge has pushed the deadline to file water-rights claims in the Nooksack River basin to June 1st, 2027.
The lawsuit, filed by the state Department of Ecology, will decide who holds senior water rights, and how much water they can legally use.
The extension gives about 30-thousand farmers and property owners a chance to file claims in a case shaping recovery, rights and future development across the county.
STORY: WTA seeking public input on proposed service upgrades to Go Line buses
WTA is seeking public input on proposed service upgrades to its Go Line buses.
The transit authority released a draft of its long-term plan to make the service of these buses faster, and improve the rider experience.
All Go Line buses currently offer service every 15 minutes along four major corridors in Bellingham. Under WTA’s plan, it hopes these upgrades will cut the wait down to 10 minutes.
Whatcom County residents are encouraged to provide feedback on WTA’s website about its Rapid Transit Plan.
STORY: Worse season for flu than covid
For the second winter in a row, flu cases in the U.S. have surged while COVID cases have declined.
Flu primarily affects the respiratory system, while COVID can impact multiple organs and cause long-term complications known as long COVID. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates 25 million people have caught the flu this season, resulting in 330,000 hospitalizations and 20,000 deaths. By comparison, since October COVID has sickened between 3 and 9 million people, with about half the hospitalizations and the same number of deaths.
Experts say the difference reflects changes in the viruses as well as human immunity. Early in the pandemic, COVID was far more deadly and transmissible than flu, but widespread vaccination and prior infections have now tempered its impact. Meanwhile, the H3N2 flu strain has mutated— leaving vaccines less effective and driving higher flu numbers.
Public health officials caution that both viruses still pose serious risks and vaccination remains the main defense against severe illness for both viruses.
STORY: WA keeps preventive health services
Washington Governor Bob Ferguson has signed a bill preserving no-cost preventive health services for residents who choose to use them.
Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 2242 keeps coverage in place for services like well-child visits and immunizations that Washingtonians have received without cost since 2010. The measure, requested by Ferguson and Insurance Commissioner Patty Kuderer, passed the House 36–12 and took effect immediately after being signed Monday.
STORY: Millionaire’s Tax passes
After a record-setting floor debate, House members in Olympia approved on a long-awaited millionaires tax yesterday evening.
Twenty-four hours and seven minutes after debate opened, the final count was 51 for and 46 against passage of a bill that will impose a tax on Washingtonians earning more than a million dollars a year. Changes made to the bill in committee will lower or eliminate a number of taxes currently paid by low- and middle-income residents, as well as 60,000 small businesses scattered around the state.
Opponents predicted hordes of Washington’s wealthiest citizens will flee to other states, while supporters argued that there are only a handful of states in the U.S. where such a move might actually pencil out. With passion running high on both sides of the question, someone had to win, and the bill now heads to the Senate to smooth out minor differences before hitting the governor’s desk. Representative Joe Fitzgibbon, the Democratic majority leader of the House, had this to say before that final vote.
FITZGIBBONS AUDIO
Beginning January 2028 the new rate of nine-point-nine percent would apply only to those earning more than a million dollars a year—- and that first million would be tax free.
This year’s legislative session, which began in January, is set to adjourn at midnight tomorrow.
STORY: Wind advisory in effect as Whatcom braces for first in round of atmospheric rivers
The National Weather Service has issued a Wind Advisory for large swaths of Western Washington, as a new atmospheric river ushers the first in a series of storms into the region.
The Advisory includes much of the higher elevations of Skagit and Whatcom counties. The brunt of the effect will hit south of us and no snow accumulation is expected in the lowlands, but two to four feet could fall in the Mount Baker wilderness. The Northwest Avalanche Center’s forecast notes exceptionally hazardous conditions, and places avalanche danger as high at middle and upper elevations.
Another storm looks set to hit early next week that experts say could create flood conditions for communities around the Nooksack River.
WX: Blowin’ Wilson
And now for the weather:
Here in the Bellingham area, expect highs around 50 with gusts up to 37 today, with up to a quarter inch of rain. More wind and rain will turn to showers this evening, and temperatures should fall to lows around 40 degrees with gusts up to 50mph.
Tomorrow, expect to see rain, highs in the mid-40s and moderate winds of about 26. The forecast calls for 100% chance of rain until Friday, so get ready for the wet.
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), Austin Wright, Kai Blais-Schmolke (KAI BLAZE-SHMOLE-kee), Kieran (KEAR-un) Dang, and Bella Farris. 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 _________… thanks for listening!
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