Whatcom County seeks community input on homeless housing plan, WWU student invention wins grand prize at Chicago design competition, WA lawmakers to host town hall in Mount Vernon this weekend, WA Attorney General joins coalition against two Trump executive orders, Governor Commits to Emergency Powers Limits in Absence of Legislative Action, Lummi Nation Blackhawks take home state basketball trophy, Blood moon tonight
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KMRE brings you local news for Thursday, March 13th. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: Whatcom County seeks community input on homeless housing plan
Whatcom County wants community feedback on its next five-year homelessness housing plan.
In the first phase, residents can help prioritize key objectives, such as balancing short-term emergency shelters with long-term affordable housing and ensuring equity in resource distribution. The county aims to shape the plan based on public input to maximize its impact.
According to a recent release, the plan is being developed by the Housing Advisory Committee with support from the Health and Community Services Department. Opportunities to participate include public comment at Housing Advisory Committee meetings and in-person community events. Updates and event details are available through the county’s homelessness resources newsletter and plan website.
The final plan will guide funding allocation from 2026 to 2030, and is expected to be implemented next year.
STORY: WWU student invention wins grand prize at Chicago design competition
For the second consecutive year, a WWU student has claimed top honors in the International Housewares Association’s Student Design Competition.
Junior industrial design student David Griffin won the competition with his invention, Helios (HEE-lee-ohs)—a food-storage and heating system that uses induction heating to quickly warm meals in the same container they were stored in.
According to the Association’s website, Griffin’s design was selected from 368 entries nationwide, and earned him the grand prize of $3,500. Judges praised Helios for its market potential and energy efficiency, and noted that it uses less energy than conventional microwaves or stovetops. Griffin presented his invention at The Inspired Home Show in Chicago last week.
Griffin’s roommate, Alex Orelind (OH-reh-lin), won last year’s competition with an ultrasonic meat-thawing device, SONA.
STORY: WA lawmakers to host town hall in Mount Vernon this weekend
Local residents will have a chance to engage with their lawmakers at a community town hall this Saturday in Mount Vernon.
Washington state Senator Liz Lovelett and 40th District Representatives Debra Lekanoff (luh-KAN-off) and Alex Ramel (RAM-ull) will provide updates on their work in Olympia and take questions from attendees.
Among the key topics is a recently passed House bill that would cap rent increases at 7% over 12 months. The legislators have been active in a range of policy areas as the state’s legislative session heads toward its conclusion on April 27th.
The town hall will be held from 11 a.m. to noon at the Mount Vernon Library Community Room.
STORY: WA Attorney General joins coalition against two Trump executive orders
Washington Attorney General Nick Brown is leading a coalition of 21 attorneys general in filing an amicus brief against President Trump’s executive order from last Thursday, which they argue seeks to silence certain lawyers and viewpoints. The order specifically targets Seattle-based law firm Perkins Coie (CO-ee) for representing clients and positions the president doesn’t like.
Filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, the brief warns that targeting a law firm for its legal work could discourage lawyers from representing certain clients due to fear of retaliation.
Attorneys general from 20 other states and the District of Columbia joined Brown in the filing.
In addition, Washington has joined 20 other states in a lawsuit opposing the Trump administration’s plan to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education.
The administration announced plans on Tuesday to fire approximately half of the department’s workforce as part of a broader effort to shut it down. Attorney General Brown argued that the cuts would hit students from low-income families and those with disabilities the hardest, and would strip funding for special education, financial aid, and rural school support.
The lawsuit, filed in Massachusetts, claims the firings lack justification and are part of a broader ideological push to eliminate the department. The coalition of states says it will seek a court order to halt the administration’s actions, and assert that dismantling the agency requires congressional approval.
STORY: Governor Commits to Emergency Powers Limits in Absence of Legislative Action
Governor Ferguson has committed to imposing limits on emergency powers during future crises.
Ferguson announced Tuesday that if a state of emergency lasts more than 60 days, it could be terminated if three of the four legislative caucus leaders formally request it. Additionally, if an emergency extends beyond 120 days and the legislature is not in session, he will call a special session to allow lawmakers to decide whether to end the declaration.
The governor affirmed that this policy will remain in place unless the Legislature enacts bipartisan reforms to the state’s emergency powers laws.
STORY: Lummi Nation Blackhawks take home state basketball trophy
The Lummi Nation School had a parade to celebrate its State Champion basketball team.
Class 1B boys’ basketball state champions, the Blackhawks secured their second-ever state title— and first in a decade— with a 53-50 victory over top-seeded Almira (all-MY-rah)-Coulee-Hartline last Saturday. The Lady Blackhawks also had a strong tournament run, reaching the round of 12.
Congratulations, Blackhawks!
STORY: Blood moon tonight
Skywatchers across the U.S. will have the chance to witness a total lunar eclipse tonight– the first visible nationwide since 2022.
The moon will take on a striking red-orange hue, known as a Blood Moon, as it passes through Earth’s shadow. For the best chance to see the eclipse, viewers should seek areas with minimal light pollution—though potentially cloudy skies tonight could make viewing difficult.
A total lunar eclipse occurs when the sun, Earth, and moon align, casting the moon into the darkest part of Earth’s shadow. Unlike a solar eclipse, lunar eclipses last for several hours and occur more frequently.
WX: Gray-dy Jane
And now for your Whatcom County weather:
Winter continues to close with an overcast whimper, as today should be consistently cloudy and gray, with a slight chance of intermittent showers with possible snow in places. Daytime highs are looking to remain in the mid-to-high 40s, with some moderate wind gusts here and there. Evening temperatures are projected to be in the high 30s.
Friday looks like it will be dry with another system moving in by evening.
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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