Whatcom County man arrested on charges of assault and no-contact order violation, State patrol seeking location of driver linked to Skagit hit-and-run, Protest emerges at ICE facility in Ferndale after Whatcom County activist is arrested, Family of Options HS student targeted by sexual harassment file federal lawsuit, Construction to begin on Bakerview-James roundabout next week, WCSO warns residents of scam calls, WA AG joins lawsuit to block dismantling of Dept of Ed, City moves forward with Post Point upgrades, Two Skagit school boards approve staff reductions
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KMRE brings you local news for Wednesday, March 26th. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: Whatcom County man arrested on charges of assault and no-contact order violation
A Whatcom County man was arrested after allegedly entering a Lynden home in violation of a no-contact order and assaulting a woman inside.
The incident occurred around 1 a.m. on March 15th along Abbot Road. According to court records, 27-year-old Leodegario (lay-oh-de-GAR-ee-o) Medina Sanchez allegedly prevented the woman from calling authorities, dragged her outside into his truck, and injured her when she tried to escape. She managed to get back inside and called 9-1-1, but Sanchez fled before officers arrived.
Sanchez faces charges of first-degree burglary, unlawful imprisonment, and interfering with domestic violence reporting. He has since bonded out of custody.
STORY: State patrol seeking location of driver linked to Skagit hit-and-run
The Washington State Patrol would also like public assistance in identifying the driver involved in a hit-and-run incident near the Skagit River bridge.
At around 9:20 a.m. on Monday, a Toyota Avalon struck a tow truck driver assisting a semi truck on the right shoulder of I-5 near milepost 228. After the collision, the Avalon continued northbound and exited at George Hopper Road. The Avalon is described as a 2000s gold-colored model with black front wheels and silver wheel covers on the rear wheels.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the State Patrol.
STORY: Protest emerges at ICE facility in Ferndale after Whatcom County activist is arrested
About 150 people gathered at an ICE holding facility in Ferndale yesterday to support the Lelo (LAY-lo) Juarez and several farmworkers who were taken into custody on their way to work. Liz Darrow, Participatory Democracy Coordinator at Community to Community Development and a friend of Lelo, spoke with us about the raid and the confusion surrounding immigration activity in our county.
LIZ DARROW AUDIO
Listen to the entire interview today, after the 5pm news.
STORY: Family of Options HS student targeted by sexual harassment file federal lawsuit
The family of a former Options High School student filed a federal lawsuit against Bellingham Public Schools on Monday, alleging Title IX violations and negligence in handling a sexual harassment complaint.
According to records, the lawsuit stems from a 2022 incident when the student, then 15, reported she had been repeatedly sexually harassed by a peer, both in person and via text messages. The harassment escalated to physical assault in a classroom after she told the student to stop. The accused student allegedly then violated a no-contact order multiple times, including following her off-campus.
According to reporting by the Cascadia Daily, the family claims district administrators, including Principal Katie Jones and former Assistant Principal Kevin Terpstra (turps-TRA), mishandled the complaint, which led to further distress for the student. Within two months of reporting the harassment, she dropped out, citing the district’s failure to protect her.
The lawsuit also highlights systemic issues within Bellingham Public Schools, alleging the district had been out of compliance with state and federal sexual harassment policies for years. The district acknowledged procedural errors, but denied violating the student’s rights.
The family’s complaint also alleges a broader pattern of misclassifying sexual harassment complaints as bullying, bypassing mandatory state oversight. Their concerns were further reinforced by past allegations of mishandling sexual assault cases within the district.
District officials say they have since implemented training and policy revisions as part of a state-mandated resolution agreement. They declined to comment on the pending litigation, but reiterated their commitment to student safety and compliance with Title IX regulations.
STORY: Construction to begin on Bakerview-James roundabout next week
Construction on a new roundabout at the intersection of James Street and Bakerview Road will begin next Monday.
According to the City of Bellingham, the 4.25 million dollar project is contracted to Faber (fay-BURR) Construction, and will replace the traffic signal with a roundabout and add sidewalks, pedestrian crossings, streetlights, and stormwater facilities. During construction, James Street will experience temporary single-lane closures and a detour onto Deemer Road, while Bakerview Road will remain open. The Bellingham City Council granted a noise variance to allow 24/7 work in April and May.
This project is expected to be done in 50 days and is part of the broader James and Bakerview multimodal (muhl-tie-MOW-dl) corridor plan.
STORY: WCSO warns residents of scam calls
The Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents of a surge in scam calls where individuals impersonate law enforcement officers to extort money.
In an incident last December, a resident was defrauded of $14,000 by a caller who claimed to be a deputy. The scammer falsely informed the victim of a missed jury duty summons and an active arrest warrant, and coerced them to make the payment. Authorities say that legitimate law enforcement agencies will never solicit payments over the phone for warrants or missed jury duties. Residents are advised to hang up immediately if they receive such calls and to contact the agency directly using official contact information.
To verify jury duty obligations, individuals can reach out to the Whatcom County Courthouse by phone.
STORY: WA AG joins lawsuit to block dismantling of Dept of Ed
Washington Attorney General Nick Brown has joined 20 other state attorneys general in an effort to stop the dismantling of the Department of Education.
According to a recent announcement from the AG’s office, the coalition filed a lawsuit on March 13th after the Trump administration announced it would cut half of the Department’s workforce. The attorneys general are now asking the court to block the mass layoffs and service transfers.
The attorneys general argue that Trump’s actions are unconstitutional, as the Department of Education was established by Congress and cannot be dismantled without congressional approval.
WX: Don’t wear metal in Faron
And now for your Whatcom County weather:
We’re looking at a day of cloudy skies and scattered warm showers, with highs in the mid-60s. Chances of thunderstorms will increase as the day transitions into evening, with lows in the high-40s-to-low-50s range, alongside wind gusts of up to 29 mph.
The winds are expected to carry into tomorrow, alongside some consistent drizzles.
OUTRO:
Today’s newscast was produced by volunteers Carlos Braga (BRA-guh), Connor O’Boyle, Kyler Cantrell, Theron (THAIR-in) Danielson, Stevie Sjogren (SHOW-gren) and Glen Hirshberg (HERSH-berg). 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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STORY: City moves forward with Post Point upgrades
The City of Bellingham says it will move forward with a $40 million investment to upgrade the sewage sludge incinerators at the Post Point Wastewater Treatment Plant.
According to a recent announcement, the project is needed to meet air quality regulations and fulfill the City’s commitment to maintaining the incinerators’ long-term operation. The City says it will equip the plant’s two incinerators with upgraded emission control equipment. The investment will specifically address carbon monoxide, oxides of nitrogen, dioxins/furans (FUR-uhns), and cadmium (KAD-mee-uhm) to ensure compliance into the future.
In 2022, the City explored completely replacing the aging wastewater treatment plant, which was originally built in the 1970s. However, the decision was made to shift focus to the repair and upgrade of the existing facility due to concerns about project costs and the introduction of ‘forever chemicals’ like PFAS (PEE-fass) into the environment.
While the upgrade will improve air quality, the City says it recognizes that quote “incineration, like all solids handling processes, has its own risks and tradeoffs” unquote. A project website has been created for the public to learn more about the project and track its progress.
STORY: Two Skagit school boards approve staff reductions
Ongoing budget shortfalls and challenges have driven two more regional school districts to cut teachers.
According to a recent release, the Burlington-Edison School Board approved the elimination of as many as thirteen certified staff members on Monday. The cuts come on the heels of a plan enacted this past December, through which the Board closed one elementary school and consolidated others. Instead of four kindergarten-through-eighth-grade schools, the District will now have three K-through-5 elementary schools, and one middle school serving grades 6 through 8. The Board projects that the consolidations and accompanying staff reduction will save 2.7 million dollars.
Last Thursday, the Anacortes School Board approved eliminating up to six certified staff members.
School districts across Whatcom and Skagit counties have wrestled with significant budget deficits as they prepare for the 2025-to-2026 school year.
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