Suspect charged in apparent overdose death of Whatcom County Jail inmate, Single-bin recycling poised to spread beyond Bellingham after Whatcom County Council vote, Woman pleads guilty to 2nd-degree murder and receives 10-year sentence, PeaceHealth to open Lynden clinic in April, NW Washington Fair adds acclaimed rapper, actor to entertainment lineup, WA students soon may not have to take the bar exam to become attorneys, Alaska Airlines blames Boeing for blowout, wants out of passenger lawsuit
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KMRE brings you local news for Tuesday, March 19th. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: Suspect charged in apparent overdose death of Whatcom County Jail inmate
A 38-year-old Everett man already incarcerated in the Whatcom County Jail is suspected of providing drugs to two other prisoners, leading to their overdoses.
Last Monday, 28-year-old Andre Haas (ON-dray HOSS) was found dead in his cell and attempts to revive him with Narcan failed. Haas’s cellmate also overdosed but was still alive and taken to St. Joe’s for treatment. Yesterday, the Bellingham Police Department arrested Angel Lewis Leffingwell on suspicion of possession of a controlled substance by a prisoner and controlled substance homicide.
Leffingwell had been incarcerated in the downtown Whatcom County Jail since February 25th and it is unclear how he got access to the drugs. The Law Enforcement Mutual Aid Response Team is currently investigating.
STORY: Single-bin recycling poised to spread beyond Bellingham after Whatcom County Council vote
Whatcom County residents may soon follow Bellingham’s lead and adopt single-bin recycling for curbside pickups.
County Council members unanimously voted to proceed with a public hearing today to implement this practice under the Sanitary Service Company waste contract. The move aims to simplify recycling for customers, save on fuel costs, reduce street litter, and minimize driver injuries. Although single-stream recycling may decrease the actual amount recycled due to increased spoilage, officials highlight its overall benefits.
Currently, Bellingham residents and SSC customers must sort recyclables into separate crates, but the new method consolidates all recycling into a single 96-gallon container. The program, previously trialed in 2022, is now being rolled out in Bellingham, accompanied by a switch from weekly to bi-weekly recycling pickup.
Supporters acknowledge the potential decrease in recycling but emphasize the benefits, advocating for additional measures like bottle and can deposits and the WRAP Act to reduce landfill waste.
The County Council hearing is scheduled for tonight’s meeting, starting at 6pm. Those interested can attend in person, or online.
STORY: Woman pleads guilty to 2nd-degree murder and receives 10-year sentence
A Whatcom woman has been sentenced to 10 years in prison in relation to a fatal hit-and-run incident almost two years ago.
27-year-old Rayven Butler-Washington pleaded guilty to a count of second-degree murder following a hit-and-run incident which resulted in the death of a 38-year-old man from Deming. The man had gotten into an argument with Butler-Washington just before the incident.
The County Sheriff’s Office arrested Butler-Washington a few weeks later, and she remained in custody at Whatcom County Jail with a million-dollar bond requirement until her sentencing on March 11th. In addition to jail time, Butler-Washington will serve 3 years of community custody.
Court documents reveal that charges of vehicular homicide and hit-and-run resulting in death were dropped.
STORY: PeaceHealth to open Lynden clinic in April
PeaceHealth announced they will open a new clinic in Lynden.
The over 22,000-square-foot facility on Benson Road will open on April 15th and offer primary care as well as specialties such as OB/GYN services, cardiology, and orthopedics. Mount Baker Imaging and Quest Diagnostics will provide on-site imaging and lab services.
A community open house is scheduled for May 16th.
STORY: NW Washington Fair adds acclaimed rapper, actor to entertainment lineup
Ludacris is coming to the NW Washington Fair this summer.
The Grammy-award winning rapper and star of the Fast and Furious series will appear on the last day of the fair, which runs from August 8th to the 17th. The fair program has yet to be finalized, and announcements for performances are ongoing.
Tickets for his show go on sale on March 22.
STORY: WA students soon may not have to take the bar exam to become attorneys
On Friday the state supreme court ruled that Washington students no longer need to take the bar exam to become attorneys.
A bar licensure task force seated in 2020 discovered that the test was minimally effective and provided unnecessary barriers for marginalized law students.
State Supreme Court Justice Raquel Montoya-Lewis, who chaired the task force, said that creating alternative requirements would allow for more diversity in the field without decreasing competency.
In place of the exam, law students would submit a portfolio based on their 500 hours of experience as an intern. The specifics and materials are yet to be developed in full.
Washington is the second state to implement this change following Oregon, which started the process at the beginning of the year.
STORY: Alaska Airlines blames Boeing for blowout, wants out of passenger lawsuit
Alaska Airlines is redirecting the blame of the flight 1282 fuselage panel blowout to Boeing.
The accident, which occurred in January, caused the fuselage panel to fall off the plane – leaving a gaping hole on its side. No one was hurt but many claim to have experienced headaches and sensitivity to loud noises following the flight. In court filings this week, Alaska asked U.S. District Judge Ricardo Martinez to dismiss claims regarding the incident against their company.
Alaska’s attorney argues that the alleged damages were caused by, quote, “entities out of the company’s control.” They direct the responsibility toward Boeing as well as its supplier, Spirit Aerosystems, the company who made the malfunctioning fuselage panel.
Lawyer Mark Linquist, who is representing passengers in one lawsuit, argues that both companies are to blame. He says Alaska Airlines allowed the plane to fly despite there being a restriction on the plane, while Boeing failed to properly test the plane for safety.
Both companies claim they are not responsible, and say they are limited on what information they can release due to an ongoing investigation by the national transportation safety board.
WX: Sun
Your Whatcom County weather – today will be sunny, with a high of 60 degrees and calm winds– but don’t get used to it yet. Tonight expect clouds with a low of 43. Tomorrow will be rainy and colder.
OUTRO:
Today’s newscast was produced by volunteers AnThu Nguyen (ANNE-two new-WIN), Carlos Braga, Connor O’Boyle, Jayne Kuhlman and Tristan Trudell. 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. If you would like to help keep local news accessible, check out our new Patreon page at patreon.com/kmrenews or go to kmre.org and click on the banner. I’m ________________, and thanks for listening.
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