Five arrested in Lululemon robbery, Man sentenced in 2021 street race homicide, Portal Beer Garden reopens, Fire District 17 levy fails by 1 vote, Fire District 17 levy fails by 1 vote, Ecology officially launches water rights adjudication process, WA police academy faces second sexual harassment suit, Free and Cheap, Social Security expands rental subsidy
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Independent, nonprofit community radio.
KMRE brings you local news for Friday, April 3rd. Good afternoon, I’m _David Korb_____.
STORY: Five arrested in Lululemon robbery
Five people have been arrested in a retail theft ring targeting Lululemon stores, including the 12th Street location in Fairhaven.
Court documents from Pierce County say that the suspects – four women and an 11-year-old girl – are accused of stealing at least $330,000 in merchandise from stores in Washington, Oregon and California. The four adult suspects have been identified as Janeice Renee Downs, her mother Janeice Wiley, Reality Leavens and Memory Yearby. Downs and the child were seen on surveillance video at the chain’s Fairhaven store on March 3. They’re accused of taking over $17,000 worth of clothing from that location.
Wiley and Downs were arrested in a SWAT operation in Kent on April 9th. Investigators also recovered three semi-automatic rifles during that operation, noting that the women are convicted felons and cannot own firearms.
During Downs’ initial arraignment, a detective recognized the child sitting in the gallery as one of the theft suspects and arrested her.
STORY: Man sentenced in 2021 street race homicide
A driver who crashed during a 2021 street race in Bellingham, leaving his passenger dead, has been sentenced to prison.
Oscar Bengoa-Alas, 27, plead guilty to vehicular homicide and drinking while under the influence. Bengoa-Alas told investigators that he had been drinking before he got behind the wheel. He was racing another vehicle when he lost control and crashed into a tree at the intersection of Woburn and Yew Streets. His passenger, 28-year-old Addison Parker, died at the scene.
Bengoa-Alas was sentenced to 70 months, in the lower range, at the request of the victim’s family.
STORY: Portal Beer Garden reopens
The Trackside Portal Container Village located by Waypoint Park opens for the season today.
The Village is the summer home to many local food trucks, Kulshan Brewing Trackside, a minigolf course, and will include new containers– Bin 13 Wine bar, Zeek’s Pizza, and a rotating retail storefront.
Kulshan Brewing is offering live music from “Mackinaw Cruiser” this evening starting at 6pm.
STORY: Fire District 17 levy fails by 1 vote
With a new round of ballots, Fire District 17’s proposed levy is failing by just one vote.
Previously failing by 8 votes, the new round of ballots doesn’t seem to be enough to get it passed. The levy was meant to fund a relocation for the district, as the previous station was damaged twice by floods. According to Whatcom News, Fire Chief Jim Petrie does not plan to ask for a recount but instead will attempt to get the levy passed on the August Primary Election ballot.
The election is expected to be certified tomorrow.
STORY: Ecology officially launches water rights adjudication process
With the filing of a lawsuit, the Department of Ecology has begun the water rights adjudication process for the Nooksack Basin.
The litigation process will establish priorities for each water right, including those held by farmers, various government agencies, private well owners, and tribes. This will be done for all in Water Resource Inventory Area 1, which covers the majority of Whatcom County.
Currently, no action is required by stakeholders. In the coming months, people will receive a summons by certified mail with instructions for filing their claims. Water users will then have a year to file their claim with the court and an additional three years to make any necessary amendments.
The process does not apply to those who get their water from a utility, like residents of Bellingham and other cities.
STORY: WA police academy faces second sexual harassment suit
A former Washington police academy cadet has filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against an instructor.
The lawsuit claims that, during training in 2022, Officer Kaitlyn Ricksecker was repeatedly sexually harassed and touched by Richard Klein, a Federal Way police officer. According to the lawsuit, Ricksecker says the cadets feared retaliation if they reported the harassment. This is the second sexual harassment lawsuit filed against the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission by former female cadets.
The previous lawsuit was filed last October by Snohomish County sheriff’s Deputy Haydyn Wagner and Port Orchard Police Officer Aimee Allen. The two officers assert the Academy failed to safeguard them and four other female cadets who endured months of sexual harassment by their instructor, former Port of Seattle Police Officer LeLand Allen.
A decertification hearing is scheduled on Aug. 26th for Klein, and Allen is under investigation.
STORY: Free and Cheap
Here are some cheap events going on around the county this weekend.
On Saturday, Western will be screening two experimental films: Sky Hopinka’s In Dreams and Autumn and Renée Green’s Endless Dreams and Water Between. Focused on ideas and themes around homeland, the films will be screened from noon to 4 pm at the Western Gallery in the Fine Arts Building.
Also on Saturday, the Cornerstone Christian School in Lynden is holding a plant sale from 9 am to 1 pm. The plants are available to view online at CCSPlantSale.com, and purchasable in person.
On Sunday, in celebration of Bike Month, the 3rd annual Bellingham Bike Parade is taking place. To participate, meet at 2 pm on Jersey St, between East Holly and East Chestnut St. All ages welcome.
WX: Sun
Your Whatcom County weather – Today will be cloudy with a high of 68 degrees. Rain will come later tonight as temperatures drop to a low of 51. The rain will continue all weekend and into next week.
OUTRO:
Today’s newscast was produced by volunteers AnThu Nguyen (ANNE-two new-WIN), Carlos Braga, Connor O’Boyle, Jayne Kuhlman, Kye Salinas (KEY suh-LEE-nus) 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. Check out our Patreon page or visit kmre.org and click on the banner. I’m _David Korb_______________… thanks for listening.
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STORY: Social Security expands rental subsidy
The Social Security Administration announced they will expand the rental subsidy policy for those on Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
SSI provides monthly payments to individuals with disabilities, blindness, or those aged 65 and older with limited income and resources to cover basic needs like rent, food, and medicine. The department says the rule aims to simplify and broaden rental subsidy policies nationwide, improve program equality and reduce administrative burden. The expanded policy will apply nationwide starting September 30th, and will potentially increase payment amounts and eligibility for many.
For more details on SSI eligibility and applications, visit the SSA website.
