Many PNW train riders to be shuttled by bus instead as Amtrak takes cars out of service, Whatcom County moves forward with temporary director of health and community services, City moves forward with Post Point upgrades, Annual meeting on Lake Whatcom announced, New ownership set to revive shuttered Bellingham restaurant, Nationwide protests scheduled for April 5th, Two Skagit school boards approve staff reductions
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KMRE brings you local news for Thursday, March 27th. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: Many PNW train riders to be shuttled by bus instead as Amtrak takes cars out of service
Amtrak passengers in Bellingham will be riding the bus this week.
Amtrak removed all of its Horizon cars from service yesterday due to concerns about corrosion in the equipment; the cars are all around 35 years old. In total, 70 cars are affected, including 26 on the Cascades route. Only one non-Horizon car remains in service on the route.
According to Amtrak, buses will cover all trips through Sunday. Service will be provided at the same stations where the trains stop, bicycle reservations will be honored, and business-class riders downgraded to coach will be refunded for the price difference.
Amtrak says it plans to eventually replace the Horizon cars with other trainsets from the national fleet.
STORY: Whatcom County moves forward with temporary director of health and community services
Whatcom County has unanimously appointed Charlene Ramont (ruh-MAWNT) as the interim administrative director of health and community services.
Her appointment follows the recent firing of former director Erika Lautenbach (lot-n-BOCK), who called the dismissal a surprise and plans to contest what she describes as a wrongful termination. Meanwhile, the county says it is working to hire a recruitment consultant and gather stakeholder input before launching the search for a permanent director.
Ramont, who has been the department’s assistant director since last September, says she has not yet decided whether she will apply for the permanent role.
STORY: City moves forward with Post Point upgrades
The City of Bellingham says it will move forward with a 40 million dollar 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 maintain 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-slash-furans (FUR-uhns) and cadmium (KAD-mee-uhm) to ensure compliance into the future.
Back 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 website has been created for the public to learn more about the project and track its progress.
STORY: Annual meeting on Lake Whatcom announced
The public is invited to attend the annual Lake Whatcom Joint Councils and Commissioners meeting on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.
The meeting will be held in person at the Bellingham City Council Chambers, and will also be available online via Zoom and livestreamed on BTV. Officials from the Bellingham City and Whatcom County councils, as well as the Lake Whatcom Water and Sewer District Board of Commissioners, will review the progress in protecting Lake Whatcom and discuss future initiatives. Topics will include water quality monitoring, phosphorus (FAA-sfr-uhs) reduction, stormwater management, and aquatic (uh-KWAA-tuhk) invasive species prevention.
Community members can participate during the public comment period at the start of the meeting. Those who wish to speak must register in advance via an online form or in person before 6:30 p.m. Written comments can also be submitted via email or by mail.
More information and meeting details is available at the Lake Whatcom Management Program website.
STORY: New ownership set to revive shuttered Bellingham restaurant
Bayou (BYE-you) on Bay has found new ownership.
The popular Creole (KREE-ol), Cajun (KAY-jn) and Southern restaurant in downtown Bellingham originally announced its closure through a social media post in January. The post listed the end of the restaurant’s lease, the rising costs of sustaining the business and its owner’s wish to retire as the reasons for Bayou’s closure; their last day of business was on Mardi Gras (MAAR-dee GRAA).
However, a Facebook post from yesterday stated that the Painter family had quote “stepped forward to carry the Bayou torch and keep this beloved restaurant alive” unquote, and that they will give the restaurant a refresh before reopening its doors.
No reopening date has been announced.
STORY: Nationwide protests scheduled for April 5th
The progressive group Indivisible and a coalition of liberal organizations have announced nationwide protests on April 5th.
The flagship march is taking place at the Washington Monument in D.C. at noon (Eastern time). Organizers say in social media posts that they aim to build on previous demonstrations opposing federal cuts linked to the Trump administration and Elon Musk’s DOGE (DOWZH) project.
Additional protests will take place across the country and Washington state, including noontime gatherings at the State Capitol building in Olympia and at the Seattle Center. Here in Bellingham, demonstrators will meet at noon at the Federal Building on Magnolia Street. Organizers say they hope for broad participation.
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.
WX: Wind, the bough breaks. Fall, the cradle will.
And now for your Whatcom County weather:
A blustery day of partial sunshine is forecast for today, with highs around 60 degrees, and wind gusts ranging from 20 to 38 miles per hour. We can expect some mild showers later on in the evening, alongside calmer winds and lows in the upper 40s.
The windy showers should stick around throughout tomorrow as well.
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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