Former Bellingham youth ministry volunteer sentenced for sexually abusing child, Proposed Bellingham ballot measure would protect renters from landlord retaliation, Blaine School District announces new superintendent, Whatcom Public Works Dept petitions council to amend accounting rules, hoping for greater road work financing, Opioid deaths down statewide, Higher fines for littering go into effect in July, Two local educators win awards
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KMRE brings you local news for Tuesday, May 20th. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: Former Bellingham youth ministry volunteer sentenced for sexually abusing child
A former youth ministry volunteer has been sentenced for sexually abusing a young girl.
The Bellingham Herald reports 62-year-old Michael Wayne Breeding was sentenced to 67 months — roughly five-and-a-half years — in prison Monday.
Court records say Breeding met the girl while volunteering at Assumption Church in Bellingham. He later took her for bike rides, where he sexually assaulted her and threatened to harm her and her family if she reported the abuse.
Prosecutors asked for the top standard sentence of 89 months — a roughly seven-and-a-half year sentence — citing Breeding’s lack of accountability. The defense, however, asked for a sentence below the standard range, saying Breeding has accepted his punishment while still maintaining his innocence.
Breeding told the court that he will do everything he can to serve his sentence with dignity, adding that he will return from prison as a better husband and father.
STORY: Proposed Bellingham ballot measure would protect renters from landlord retaliation
In Bellingham, a grassroots group is pushing for new renter protections on the November 4th ballot.
Community First Whatcom says it is gathering signatures for Initiative 25-03 (25-oh-3), a measure that would ban landlord retaliation in key situations, such as when tenants report unsafe conditions or organize with neighbors.
If passed, the initiative would allow tenants to hold meetings, post signs, and distribute information without fear of punishment. It would also outlaw non-disclosure clauses in leases and give tenants the right to take civil action — up to $2,000 in damages and an additional $1,000 in punitive penalties.
Organizers have until June 27th to gather just over 3,100 valid signatures to qualify for the ballot. Petitions can be found around town, including the Bellingham Farmers Market and local grocery stores.
Community First Whatcom has previously championed successful measures on rent control and minimum wage hikes.
STORY: Blaine School District announces new superintendent
The Blaine School District is welcoming a new superintendent — and it’s someone with deep local roots.
The Northern Light reports Dan Chaplik has been selected to take over from outgoing superintendent Christopher Granger. In a unique twist, Granger will move into Chaplik’s current role as superintendent of the Sultan School District, effectively creating a superintendent swap.
Chaplik started his education career at Blaine Elementary and has led the Sultan district since 2007. He was one of seven candidates for the interim position in Blaine and told the school board he’s drawn to smaller districts where he can build strong ties with students, staff, and the community.
The Blaine school board made the appointment earlier this month. Chaplik will begin his new role on the 2025-2026 school year.
STORY: Whatcom Public Works Dept petitions council to amend accounting rules, hoping for greater road work financing
Whatcom County’s Public Works Department is facing a cash flow crunch, and the County Council is being asked to step in to keep road projects moving.
The issue lies in the county’s Road Fund, which pays for road construction, repairs, and snow removal. While the fund has enough money on the books, delays in property tax collections and falling gas tax
revenue leave it short on actual cash during peak construction season. Public Works Director Elizabeth Kosa (coe-SAH) says the rise of labor and material costs, along with long-standing budget challenges, will put key summer projects at risk — including work along Everson-Goshen Road and rock slide removal work on Lummi Island.
To manage the shortfall, Kosa is asking the council to allow short-term interfund loans of up to $4 million. The council agreed to consider the request at its meeting tomorrow.
If approved, the money would likely come from the General Fund or real estate excise taxes, and would eventually be repaid. Officials stress this is about managing timing, not overspending.
To cut costs, Public Works has delayed some projects and frozen 14 job openings. They warn that, without stable cash flow, the county could struggle to respond to emergencies like washouts or landslides.
STORY: Opioid deaths down statewide
There’s a glimmer of hope in Washington state’s battle against the opioid crisis.
Preliminary data from the CDC suggests that drug overdose deaths may finally be declining after years of increases. In 2024, an estimated 3,160 people died from opioid overdoses across the state — that’s down about 12% from almost 3,600 deaths in 2023. King County, which includes
Seattle, saw an even sharper drop: a 22% decrease, with deaths falling from 1,340 to 1,040.
Washington state health officer Dr. Tao Sheng Kwan-Gett says it is still too early to declare a sustained trend, but he hopes it’s the beginning of lasting change. Several factors could be driving the shift, including wider access to the life-saving drug naloxone (nuh-LAAK-sown), known commonly as Narcan, which became available over the counter in 2023. It’s now carried by first responders and stocked in public spaces.
John Doyle, with the state Department of Health, also points to expanded access to addiction treatment medications like methadone and buprenorphine (byoo-pruh-NOR-feen). He does, however, also offer a sobering possibility: some of the decline may be due to the loss of the most at-risk individuals, shrinking the population vulnerable to overdose.
The data is provisional and could change — but for now, there’s a cautious sense of progress in the fight against overdose deaths.
STORY: Higher fines for littering go into effect in July
Governor Bob Ferguson signed a new law this weekend that will increase littering fines and delay new plastic bag rules — all in an effort to fight the state’s growing waste problem.
Though citations for littering have dropped in recent years, state data shows the trash problem has not improved — prompting lawmakers to act with tougher enforcement and higher penalties for littering.
Starting in late July, the fine for littering items up to the size of a backpack will jump from $103 to $256. The offense will also be reclassified as a more serious civil infraction. The law also pushes back a requirement for retailers to sell thicker, reusable plastic bags. Originally set to take effect next year, that mandate is now delayed until 2028, in order to give lawmakers more time to review the state’s bag policies.
For now, reusable plastic bags remain at 8 cents each. Plans to raise the price to 12 cents and require bags to be 4 mils thick are on hold. Retailers that start selling the thicker bags early will be fined 4 cents per bag — raising the total price to 16 cents for shoppers.
Paper bag prices will stay at 8 cents.
WX: You’ll never guess what’s behind door number three! And now for the weather:
Following this morning’s showers, the rest of the day will be fairly cloudy and warm, with highs around 60 degrees. We may see some partial sunshine as the afternoon wears on, though there’s a slight chance of thunderstorms throughout the day, so be ready to see that as well. Expect the evening to be cloudy and drizzly, with highs in the upper 40s.
Whatever today brings, tomorrow should be on the sunnier side, after a brief period of morning showers.
OUTRO:
Today’s newscast was produced by volunteers Carlos Braga (BRA-guh), Connor O’Boyle, Kyler Cantrell, Theron (THAIR-in) Danielson, Cody Mills, Aidan Larson, Glen Hirshberg (HERSH-berg), Kathi O’Shea (O-shay), and Kai Blais-Schmolke (KI BLAZE-SHMOLE-kee). 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 your donations. Check out our Patreon page or visit kmre.org and click on the banner. I’m _________, and thank you for listening.
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STORY: Two local educators win awards
Two outstanding educators in Whatcom County are being recognized for their dedication in and out of the classroom — and they’re each taking home a $5,000 prize.
Riley Liddle and Dave Tjoelker (CHOLK-er) have been named Educators of the Year by the Brown & Brown Excellence in Education Award Program.
Liddle, a career and technical education teacher at Squalicum High School in Bellingham, was one of five public-school finalists from Whatcom County. Other finalists included teachers from Blaine, Bellingham, and the
Meridian School District. Liddle received the award during a May 15th ceremony at the Jansen Art Center in Lynden.
On the private-school side, Dave Tjoelker, a longtime teacher at Lynden Christian Schools, was recognized for going beyond academics to connect with students personally. Other finalists in the private-school category also came from Lynden Christian’s elementary and middle school campuses.
Both Liddle and Tjoelker received $5,000 awards for their achievements.
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