Bellingham PD seeking public aid in locating man reported as missing and in crisis, Two killed in crash north of Bellingham, Whatcom Middle School student facing felony charge after posting AI-generated gun threat, Training exercise turns into real rescues, Whatcom County Executive urges county council to boost revenue before forecasted financial havoc, Galbraith Mountain to be site of emission-reducing logging experiment, Firewood permits available in Snoqualmie forest, Audit finds state computer system responsible for allocating funding to K-12 schools at high risk for “catastrophic failure”, Five months out, vast majority of Washington’s flood aid remains unspent, Health Department advises caution when swimming
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KMRE brings you local news for Thursday, May, 21. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: Bellingham PD seeking public aid in locating man reported as missing and in crisis
The Bellingham Police Department is asking for the public’s help locating a missing 25-year-old man believed to be in crisis.
Police say Tevis (TEE-viss) Honeycutt was last seen Tuesday near the Sehome Hill Arboretum. He was reportedly wearing blue jeans.
Honeycutt is described as a white male with blond hair and blue eyes, about 5-foot-7 and 140 pounds.
Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to call 911.
STORY: Two killed in crash north of Bellingham
Two people were killed in a head-on crash late Monday night on West Axton Road in Bellingham.
Emergency crews were dispatched around 11:33 p.m. to the 200 block of West Axton Road after reports of a two-vehicle collision, according to the PulsePoint emergency services app.
Officials with the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office said one of the vehicles caught fire following the crash. Both drivers were pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities said neither vehicle had a passenger.
The Whatcom County Medical Examiner’s Office identified one of the victims as 69-year-old Edward Stroud. The identity of the second driver has not yet been released.
STORY: Whatcom Middle School student facing felony charge after posting AI-generated gun threat
Whatcom Middle School staff called the police on Monday after an AI generated image showed a gun on campus, according to Bellingham police spokesperson, Claudia Murphy.
A 12-year-old student later admitted to creating and posting the image on Tik Tok.
The child was referred to juvenile court and may face a felony harassment charge.
STORY: Training exercise turns into real rescues
A routine training day on the Nooksack River turned into two real rescues for the Whatcom County Water Rescue Task Force.
Crews were out Wednesday practicing ahead of this weekend’s Ski to Sea race and saw several racers training on the water. But while heading upstream, they found an unrelated disabled boat drifting downstream. The occupants asked for help, and rescuers towed them about ten miles to the Lynden Boat Launch. No injuries.
Later, on the return trip from Everson, crews spotted people on shore waving them down and pointing toward a large tree in the river. Two people were clinging to the tree with no canoe in sight. Rescuers pulled both safely from the water and got them back to their vehicle in Lynden. Both wore life jackets.
The task force is reminding river users to wear proper flotation devices and be ready for fast‑changing conditions.
STORY: Whatcom County Executive urges county council to boost revenue before forecasted financial havoc
In a letter yesterday, Whatcom County Executive Satpal Sidhu asked council members to stimulate the economy and boost revenue— or else.
In the letter, Sidhu called for what he described as “bold and transformational steps” to grow the county’s economy, and criticized council members for what he called “incremental wordsmithing” of the county’s comprehensive plan instead of working directly with industry leaders.
Sidhu warned the council that simply cutting expenses is not enough and will lead to deterioration of services and employees’ morale. He offered proposals that include modification of wetland mitigation practices, set aside land for industrial zoning, and engage with industry leaders and developers to attract investment.
Last week, the council came up with some austerity measures because of a projected budget multi-million-dollar shortfall in 2027-28. Sidhu says if nothing is done the financial outlook will force the county to consider solutions that might include layoffs and service reductions.
STORY: Galbraith Mountain to be site of emission-reducing logging experiment
A local tree farm and a logging company are trying out a low-cost carbon capture method from wood debris.
Instead of burning the slash, Galbraith Tree Farm and Janicki Logging are burying it in an air-tight vault off Simple Green and Kaiser trails on Galbraith Mountain.
According to a video and press release posted on Janicki’s website, a lot of debris has been sold for firewood and they want to know if the rest of it can be put to better use.
The wood has to stay buried for a hundred years.
STORY: Firewood permits available in Snoqualmie forest
Firewood harvesting permits for the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie (snow-KWAL-mee) National Forest are now available through a new online e-Permit system.
The free permits allow people to harvest firewood in designated areas open for collection across the national forest. Traditional permits will still be available in person during 2026 at Forest Service offices in Sedro-Woolley (SEE-drow), Darrington, Verlot (ver-LOT), Skykomish (sky-KO-mish), North Bend and Enumclaw (E-num-claw).
More information and permits are available through the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest firewood permit page.
STORY: Audit finds state computer system responsible for allocating funding to K-12 schools at high risk for “catastrophic failure”
A computer system that allocates funding for more than a million Washington school children is outdated and at risk of failure.
A state audit report released on Tuesday says the system, which allocates $30 billion dollars to school districts every two years, is 17 years old and relies on a single vendor.
The State Auditor’s Office recommends that the vendor consider replacing the system, update the security requirements and document all of the system’s calculations.
STORY: AG Know Your Rights Hub
Washington’s Attorney General has launched a new online hub to help residents understand their rights.
The Know Your Rights site offers guides on civil rights, workplace protections, tenant rights, and more. Attorney General Nick Brown says the goal is to give Washingtonians clear, accessible information at a time when federal protections are shifting.
The AG’s Office says more guides are coming.
STORY: Five months out, vast majority of Washington’s flood aid remains unspent
Five months after devastating floods hit Washington, officials say most of the emergency aid set aside for victims still hasn’t been distributed.
The state made $3.5 million available after December’s severe flooding, but officials say only about $1.2 million has been paid out so far. Gov. Bob Ferguson says strict eligibility requirements are a major reason why.
To qualify, households had to meet low-income limits, live in one of six eligible counties — including Whatcom— and prove their homes were destroyed or heavily damaged.
State officials say nearly 3,900 homes were damaged statewide, but only about 440 met the threshold for major damage or destruction.
Some forms of state assistance are also paused while recovery efforts move through the Federal Emergency Management Agency process.
Federal disaster aid applications remain open through June 10. So far, FEMA has distributed nearly $7 million to more than 700 households across Washington.
WX: Warmin’ Buffett
And now for the weather:
Today’s forecasts call for a positively gorgeous spring day, with sunshine, a light breeze, and highs in the low 70s. The skies should remain largely clear all day, and eventually leave us with a mostly cloudless night sky. Evening lows are projected in the high 40s.
More gorgeous weather is in store tomorrow.
OUTRO:
Today’s newscast was produced by volunteers Carlos Braga (BRAH-guh), Connor O’Boyle, Kyler Cantrell, Glen Hirshberg (HERSH-berg), Kathi O’Shea (o-SHAY), Kai Blais-Schmolke (KAI BLAZE-SHMOLE-kee), Bella Farris, and Jenny Lam. 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. To help support our work, check out our Patreon, or Substack, or visit kmre.org and click on the banner. I’m _________… thanks for listening!
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STORY: Health Department advises caution when swimming
With warm weather on the way, Whatcom County health officials are warning swimmers to check water conditions before heading out.
The county says heavy rain can wash bacteria like E. coli into lakes and saltwater beaches, and contaminated water can make people and pets sick. They urge swimmers to avoid cloudy water, stay clear of drainage pipes, and follow posted warnings or closures.
Beach conditions are updated on the state’s WA BEACH map, and shellfish harvesters should check the Department of Health website for biotoxin closures. Cooking doesn’t destroy toxins like PSP.
Officials also say to steer clear of any algae blooms — and report suspected waterborne illness through the county’s online complaint form.
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