Bellingham man sentenced to five years in prison for child molestation, Bellingham Woods Coffee suffers break-in, Former Zane Burger building demolished, City of Bellingham considering additional budget cutbacks, Whatcom County hires outside consultant after sexual harassment settlement, Mount Baker School Board narrows superintendent shortlist to three, final interviews to be concluded on Thursday, Government stipends to over 8,000 WA teachers under threat as budgets continue to tighten, Plans moving ahead for new park in Birchwood
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KMRE brings you local news for Wednesday, March 12th. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: Bellingham man sentenced to five years in prison for child molestation
34-year-old Brian Matthew Drake was sentenced Tuesday to five years in prison and three years of community custody for sexually abusing and torturing two young girls in Bellingham about 20 years ago.
According to court records, Brian and his brother, Aaron Joseph Drake, abused the girls, both known to them, over seven years. Brian was arrested in September of 2023 after one of the victims came forward. Initially charged with 22 felonies, some charges were dropped due to statute of limitations concerns. Prosecutors and Drake’s attorney negotiated the sentence, considering his age at the time of the crimes and a desire to avoid a trial.
Judge Lee Grochmal (GROCK-mall) acknowledged Drake’s remorse, but called the crimes “egregious.” He must undergo treatment, register as a sex offender, and abide by a no-contact order. His brother is incarcerated in Montana with no trial date set in Whatcom County.
STORY: Bellingham Woods Coffee suffers break-in
A break-in occurred at Woods’ Coffee’s Boulevard Park location on Sunday night, the latest in a string of burglaries affecting the Fairhaven area in the past few months.
It is not yet clear whether anything was taken, but suspects shattered a window on the patio facing Bellingham Bay, leading the establishment to close temporarily on Monday morning. It has since reopened. Bellingham Police are asking anyone with any information about the break-in to contact them.
STORY: Former Zane Burger building demolished
The Zane Burger building was demolished yesterday.
Better known as the Win’s Drive-In building to long-time Bellinghamsters, the retro-style diner was known for the 1964 Ford Falcon sedan on its roof. According to the Everett-based developer, Dykeman Architecture and Design, the building will be replaced with a 2-story People’s Bank.
STORY: City of Bellingham considering additional budget cutbacks
The Bellingham City Council has reformed its Budget and Finance Committee to address a $1.5 million budget gap identified during last year’s year-end discussions.
Despite already implementing a 6% cut in the 2025 budget to all departments but fire and police, officials remain uncertain about the city’s financial future. Finance Director Andy Asbjornsen (aahs-bee-ORN-sin) described the economic outlook as unpredictable, labeling the situation as quote “very, very cloudy” unquote.
Mayor Kim Lund announced an additional 3% budget reduction exercise, now including police and fire, to prepare for potential shortfalls. Meanwhile, Council Member Michael Lilliquist clarified that the cuts affect only the general fund, not special revenue or utility funds.
The cuts will only take effect if the city determines they are necessary to remain financially stable.
STORY: Whatcom County hires outside consultant after sexual harassment settlement
The fallout from a sexual harassment settlement has prompted Whatcom County to hire an outside consultant to evaluate its HR policies and procedures.
A $76,500 contract with the Matrix Consulting Group was approved by the County Council at a meeting late last month. This comes after a Cascade PBS report from last year revealed that three women reported sexual harassment by Jon Hutchings during his time as the director of the Whatcom County Public Works. The county paid a $225,000 settlement to one of the alleged systems – a fact the council had not been informed of.
The council began an investigation into the handling of the allegations against Hutchings; the findings were presented last fall. Multiple county employees came forward and claimed the HR department was inaccessible and lacked humanity. Some interviewees labeled sexual harassment training as a joke, and said that leadership was not held to the same training standards as employees.
The four-month evaluation by Matrix will include interviews with HR, anonymous feedback from employees and a review of policy, procedure and training. The contract is set to expire on August 31st.
STORY: Mount Baker School Board narrows superintendent shortlist to three, final interviews to be concluded on Thursday
The Mount Baker School Board will interview three finalists for the superintendent position this week.
Tim LaGrange (luh-GRAYNJ), Jessica Schenck (SHANK), and Jeff Hardesty (HAR-dis-tee) are set for interviews on today, tomorrow, and Thursday, respectively, from 6:15-to-7:15 p.m. at the district office in Deming.
LaGrange is the current superintendent of Kittitas (KI-tuh-tass) School District, Schenck serves as assistant superintendent in Othello, and Hardesty has led Oroville School District since 2016.
Community members can attend in person or via Zoom, with recordings available afterward. The board previously interviewed six semi-finalists, including interim superintendent Nick Perigo (PEAR-uh-go).
STORY: Government stipends to over 8,000 WA teachers under threat as budgets continue to tighten
State lawmakers say they will consider legislation that would suspend annual stipends for National Board Certified Teachers for over 8,000 educators.
Certified Teachers currently receive about $6,300 annually, with an additional $5,000 for those who work in high-poverty schools. The proposed suspension, aimed at helping to address a $12 billion budget deficit, would save the state an estimated $239 million over four years.
Opponents argue the cuts could drive experienced teachers away, particularly those who teach in low-income schools. Supporters acknowledge the hardship, but stress the need for difficult budget decisions. Twenty-nine states currently pay stipends to national board certified teachers; Washington and Texas are the only two states currently considering suspending the payments.
A public hearing on the bill is scheduled for Thursday at 4 p.m.
STORY: Plans moving ahead for new park in Birchwood
The Bellingham City Council has approved plans to build a new park in the Birchwood neighborhood.
A contract worth nearly $2 million to begin work on Storybrook Park later this year was approved unanimously by the council. The park will be located in a property at the corner of West Maplewood Avenue and McLeod Road, which is currently in use as an “open space” area.
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The nearly 6-acre park will have a new playground and plaza, as well as water, electric installation and upgrades to existing trails. According to councilmember Edwin “Skip” Williams, nearby sidewalks will be completed at the same time.
Construction is due to begin next month; an opening date has been set for next January.
WX: Rainsley Harriot
And now for your Whatcom County weather:
Our rainy week will continue today— expect up to a quarter of an inch of scattered precipitation. Daytime hours should be mild and blustery, with highs around 50 degrees and gusts of up to 30 miles per hour. The wind will die down a bit as the evening sets in, with temperatures dropping to lows in the upper 30s.
The rain isn’t likely to break anytime soon, with light drizzles expected throughout much of tomorrow.
OUTRO:
Today’s newscast was produced by volunteers Carlos Braga (BRA-guh), Connor O’Boyle, Kyler Cantrell, Theron (THAIR-in) Danielson, Paloma Ortiz, and Stevie Sjogren (SHOW-gren). Our news director is Staci Baird. 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 thank you for listening.
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