A wanted man who led authorities on a high-speed chase through Bellingham remains at large, WWU administration sets deadline for anti-war protesters to remove campus encampment, LGBTQ+ resource center opens in Bellingham, Bellingham-based fish processing barge Hannah headed to Alaska, A wanted man who led authorities on a high-speed chase through Bellingham remains at large, Expect delays as work begins on Hannegan-Smith intersection, Washington’s Styrofoam ban goes into effect June 1, Capital gains tax receipts in WA decrease, Kona Bicycles co-founders buy company back from private equity firm
______________________________
Independent, nonprofit community radio.
KMRE brings you local news for Wednesday, May 29th. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: A wanted man who led authorities on a high-speed chase through Bellingham remains at large
A suspect is still at large after a high-speed chase with authorities through Bellingham on Friday.
Joel Pilgrim, 41, is wanted by Alaska State Troopers for escape in the third degree. Local authorities suspect Pilgrim took the ferry to Bellingham, and was spotted getting into a SUV at a grocery store in Fairhaven on Friday morning. Police began a chase, which ended when Pilgrim turned onto I-5 and officers decided not to follow.
According to the Alaska Department of Public Safety, Pilgrim was originally arrested for domestic violence assault and is not currently not in police custody.
STORY: WWU administration sets deadline for anti-war protesters to remove campus encampment
Western Washington University has given the pro-Palestinian encampment on its front lawn a deadline to clear out.
The protesters will have until 5 pm tomorrow to leave its location in front of Old Main. The deadline comes after multiple discussions between student negotiators and school officials. University Communications Director Jonathan Higgins says they are in talks with representatives from the student encampment as of Tuesday.
Organizers have stated they want Western to divest from weapons manufacturers including Boeing, among other demands. University President Sabah Randhawa (sa-BAH ranh-DAHH-wahh) sent an email to students on Friday, May 17 saying the university does not have affiliations with such companies, but they are open to developing a new process for consideration of divestment.
The encampment, which began over 2 weeks ago, has grown to more than 70 tents.
STORY: LGBTQ+ resource center opens in Bellingham
Northwest Youth Services (NWYS) and the Bellingham Queer Collective (BQC) have opened the first LGBTQ+ community and resource center between Seattle and Vancouver.
The new Q Center is located at 1409 Commercial St. and features two gathering spaces: one for queer youth aged 13-25, managed by Youth Services, and an 18-plus intergenerational space leased by the Queer Collective. According to organizers, the initiative aims to address the higher risk of homelessness among queer youth by offering a preventive measure to family conflict and rejection.
STORY: Bellingham-based fish processing barge Hannah headed to Alaska
The Hannah — a 400-foot barge moored off the Fairhaven Shipyard since early 2023 — is on its way to Alaska and will spend the summer processing salmon.
Typically, fishermen bring their fish ashore and sell to buyers, but The Hannah, owned by Northline Seafoods, will freeze and store fish bought directly from fishers in Bristol Bay. It can flash freeze up to a million pounds of salmon in under 2 hours and holds approximately 12 million pounds of fish.
The Hannah will return in August and use the Fairhaven Shipyard as its headquarters for distribution. Fish will be thawed and processed on-demand, then distributed to buyers. This approach to fish processing requires significantly less truck transportation, thereby reducing Northline’s carbon footprint.
The Hannah was funded in 2022 through the Federal “Build Back Better” initiative which provided Northline with a $40 million dollar Food Supply Chain loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
STORY: Expect delays as work begins on Hannegan-Smith intersection
A major construction project at the intersection of Hannegan and E. Smith Roads starts today– and could snarl traffic for at least a month.
According to Public Works, the project features a multi-lane roundabout aimed at enhancing safety and traffic flow. The first phase of construction will last until at least July 4th, and drivers should expect delays. The second phase will close the intersection and last 25 days. The County says they expect the project to be complete before the Northwest Washington Fair.
Specific closure dates will be provided as the project advances.
STORY: Washington’s Styrofoam ban goes into effect June 1
Washington state is phasing out Styrofoam products.
The ban began in 2021 with a prohibition on Styrofoam packing peanuts. Starting June 1st, the ban will now include Styrofoam coolers, plates, bowls, containers, trays, and cups. Exceptions are made for egg cartons and packaging for raw meat or food products, as well as medical devices. While possession of Styrofoam is still permitted, businesses must stop all sale and distribution by Saturday.
The Department of Ecology will provide resources to businesses for alternative materials, and repeat violators may face a $250 fine. The ban attempts to address such environmental concerns with Styrofoam. According to Ecology, it’s hard to recycle, often ends up in landfills, and can break into small, potentially toxic particles. In 2018, the EPA reported that only 6.5% of the 80,000 tons of Styrofoam containers produced in the U.S. were recycled.
STORY: Capital gains tax receipts in WA decrease
The second year of Washington’s capital gains tax collections has seen revenue drop by almost 50%, presenting potential challenges for the state’s budget planning in 2025.
The state says it collected $433 million so far this year, down from $786 million in 2023. Despite a stable number of filings, the revenue from the top 10 taxpayers fell sharply from almost $400 million dollars to $142 million. Lawmakers say they anticipated the volatility of the new tax and now have a clearer understanding of its fluctuations.
Despite the decline, officials emphasize the importance for funding education, attributing the drop to expected economic variability. Additionally, a November ballot initiative could repeal the tax, potentially creating a significant budget gap. The tax, enacted in 2021 and upheld by the state Supreme Court, imposes a 7% levy on capital gains above $262,000, excluding real estate.
WX: Sunny
Your Whatcom County weather today – Expect a mix of clouds and sun throughout the county, with a high of 60 degrees. Tonight will be mostly cloudy and moderately windy, as temperatures drop to a low of 46. More sun should come tomorrow.
OUTRO:
Today’s newscast was produced by volunteers AnThu Nguyen (ANNE-two new-WIN), Carlos Braga, Connor O’Boyle, Jayne Kuhlman, and Kye Salinas (KEY suh-LEE-nus). 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 thanks for listening.
##
STORY: Kona Bicycles co-founders buy company back from private equity firm
