Man sentenced in Bellingham transient camp shooting, Lynden High School sees double-digit jump in freshmen passing classes, No PFAS detected in Bellingham water, WA officials pulls secure laptops from 1,200 incarcerated students, Bill to help more than 35,000 Washington veterans access state benefits passes legislature unanimously, Low wages, high costs: WA prisoners say they’re being exploited, according to report
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KMRE brings you local news for Tuesday, March 5. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: Man sentenced in Bellingham transient camp shooting
The man who pleaded guilty to shooting and killing a 27-year-old man in a homeless tent encampment behind Walmart in 2021 has been sentenced to 6 years in jail.
Travis William Hamilton, aged 40, pleaded guilty last month to second-degree manslaughter, amended down from second-degree murder as part of his plea deal.
The homicide took place in September of 2021 when law enforcement and fire personnel responded to a report of a person with a gunshot wound to the chest located in a tent at one of the encampments behind Walmart. Upon arrival, they found 27-year-old Scott Dobson dead in a tent. Witnesses said they heard a shot and saw Hamilton outside, in front of the tent. Hamilton was taken into custody and booked into jail due to outstanding arrest warrants.
Hamilton will serve his 75 month sentence with credit for time served while awaiting trial.
STORY: Lynden High School sees double-digit jump in freshmen passing classes
Students are doing better in Whatcom County, with 9th grade passing rates jumping as much as 21 percent between 2021 and 2022.
According to a recent report on student success by the Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, significant improvement was shown in Lynden, Mt. Baker, and Meridian High Schools with smaller improvements made in Bellingham, Ferndale, and Nooksack Valley school districts. Blaine was the only district that did not see improvement, but instead saw an almost 9 percent dip in passing rates.
The progress in passing rates is attributed to a state-funded ninth-grade success initiative and the dedicated efforts of teachers and administrators. According to educational experts, passing ninth grade is considered a crucial indicator of high school completion. New programs implemented in some of the schools have contributed to the positive results, including offering direct support to students, an algebra lab class for those struggling with math, and a ‘credit repair’ approach.
Despite the striking improvements, funding to maintain the initiative next year has not yet been included in the budget, however educators say they remain optimistic that the collaborative efforts and strategies developed will continue to benefit students.
STORY: No PFAS detected in Bellingham water
The city of Bellingham announced last week that, according to a recent test, no detectable levels of PFAS are in Bellingham drinking water.
PFAS– often called ‘forever chemicals’– stays in the environment for a long time and may have adverse effects on environmental and human health. Although Bellingham’s water has no detectable PFAS, not all is well across Washington. First identified as a problem by the Department of Health in 2021, the state has now found hundreds of drinking water wells with PFAS contamination.
Private well owners in Whatcom County should be aware of the potential for PFAS in groundwater. The Department of Health recommends owners test their drinking water every year. According to The Groundwater Association, sample kits can be obtained from a PFAS-certified laboratory and can cost up to $400.
The City of Bellingham says this year it will begin sampling for all six chemicals listed by the state using new, stricter standards. The results from their monitoring will be reported in the City’s Consumer Confidence Report, mailed to all Bellingham drinking water customers annually.
STORY: WA officials pulls secure laptops from 1,200 incarcerated students
The Washington Department of Corrections pulled 1,200 secure laptops from incarcerated students statewide, after a Twitter user bought one and its security features were revealed.
Wenting Zhang (WUN-ting JAANG) bought the clear plastic laptop off of eBay, only to find that the computer was secured and he was unable to access it. He posted updates, as he and other users worked to figure out the password to the laptop. On a separate website, users posted about Zhang’s thread, and shared the default password for the underlying operating system. The department then announced Thursday that it would collect all secure laptops from incarcerated students quote “to provide an immediate system update.”
Incarcerated students are able to use the laptops as part of programs with universities and colleges. According to recent reporting by the Seattle Times, students said they were given little information about when and if the devices would be returned, and were concerned about the increased difficulties of completing their work.
Washington corrections officials say they’re working to minimize disruptions for incarcerated learners by expediting delivery of new Securebooks in the next few weeks, backing up student work and increasing lab time on desktop computers.
STORY: Bill to help more than 35,000 Washington veterans access state benefits passes legislature unanimously
The Washington state Legislature has unanimously passed a bill to extend state benefits to over 35,000 Washington veterans.
House Bill 2014 ensures that veterans eligible for federal benefits will now also qualify for state benefits. Additionally, it allows those vets discharged solely because of sexual orientation or gender identity to qualify for state benefits after a review, even if they don’t qualify for federal benefits.
The bill is estimated to affect more than 35,000 veterans in Washington by granting them access to state benefits such as access to nursing homes, gaining veteran preference in state job applications, or down payment assistance for housing.
WX: Rain
Your Whatcom County weather – today will be sunny and clear, with a high of 42 degrees. Expect clouds to roll in tonight, as temperatures drop to a low of 29. The weather is projected to be the same tomorrow.
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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STORY: Low wages, high costs: WA prisoners say they’re being exploited, according to report
A new report characterizes Washington’s incarceration system as akin to modern-day slavery.
The report by advocacy group Columbia Legal Services (CLS), based on surveys and interviews with prisoners, details a system that compels individuals in prison to work for as little as $1 per hour, and at the same time face exorbitant costs to maintain their health and connections to the outside world. Advocates say the inability to save money while in prison also contributes to higher rates of recidivism.
The Department of Corrections disputes some aspects of the report, pointing out that the 13th Amendment’s exception for criminal punishments allows for such labor practices, and highlighting the fact that some prison jobs pay up to $2.85 an hour.
The report calls for legislative action to address these systemic issues and support measures to improve the successful re-entry into society of former-prisoners upon release. Despite recommendations for policy changes, such as higher wages and reduced costs, the state has not addressed these concerns in the current legislative session, which ends tomorrow.
