Nooksack Tribe rejects housing agreement, moves to evict disenrolled families, Multi-agency operation yields 14 arrest across Skagit County in relation to child exploitation ring, Bellingham motorists and cyclists alike express concern over new downtown bike lanes, Bellingham motorists and cyclists alike express concern over new downtown bike lanes, Proposed 2025 Port of Bellingham budget includes property tax increase, Ferndale to construct first “fully inclusive,” playground in 2025, Correction, State court management system to remain down for remainder of week, Boeing to announce sweeping layoffs today
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KMRE brings you local news for Wednesday, November 13th. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: Nooksack Tribe rejects housing agreement, moves to evict disenrolled families
A nearly decade-long dispute over Nooksack Tribal housing may end soon, after a recent court ruling allowed the Nooksack Tribe to proceed with the eviction of seven Indigenous families in Deming.
The families, who have rented their homes since the late 1990s under a program aimed at eventual tenant ownership, were disenrolled from the Tribe in 2016 due to disputed lineage issues. The Tribe argues they were incorrectly enrolled and now seeks to evict them to make space for other Tribal members on their low-income housing waitlist.
In October, the Tribe offered the families an option to stay in their homes until December 31st, but the families countered, and requested the ability to remain indefinitely until they either pass away or voluntarily move. In a recent announcement, the Tribe rejected the counteroffer, insisting it must uphold its constitution and laws, and says it plans to move forward with evictions.
A court hearing is set for Friday, where the families’ say they expect eviction notices that could mandate them to leave by Thanksgiving. While some families say they may consider relocating to the nearby Shxwha (sh-WHY) Band land in British Columbia, this is not guaranteed due to limited housing availability.
The Tribe says it intends to allocate the vacated homes to other Nooksack members, citing a long waitlist that includes over 200 people, among them unhoused individuals and elders.
STORY: Multi-agency operation yields 14 arrest across Skagit County in relation to child exploitation ring
Last weekend, law enforcement from multiple agencies arrested 14 individuals in Skagit County for alleged child sexual abuse and exploitation.
Among those arrested were two Whatcom County residents. The operation was led by the State Patrol’s Missing and Exploited Children Task Force, in collaboration with local Skagit County agencies and federal partners, including the FBI and Homeland Security.
The Skagit County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office is reviewing the cases to determine potential charges, which could include attempted child rape, communication with a minor for immoral purposes, and sexual exploitation of a minor. Ages of the suspects range from 25 to 62, and arrests include individuals from several cities across the region.
Skagit County Prosecutor Rich Weyrich (WHY-rich) praised the collaborative effort and expressed a commitment to prosecuting those involved to protect vulnerable children.
STORY: Bellingham motorists and cyclists alike express concern over new downtown bike lanes
Bellingham residents have raised concerns about the new bike lanes on Holly Street.
According to a draft report from the Public Works Department, the project, which began in May to strengthen downtown bike infrastructure, is viewed by many as unnecessary and a poor use of taxpayer funds, despite a 33% increase in bike ridership. The pilot includes two types of bike lanes: a buffered section and a parking-protected section.
Included in the draft report are concerns from drivers and cyclists who say they feel “definitely” or “somewhat” unsafe due to visibility issues from parked cars and challenges with left turns.
The Transportation Commission will review the findings before a final report is presented to the city council this winter.
STORY: Proposed 2025 Port of Bellingham budget includes property tax increase
The Port of Bellingham is proposing a 1% property tax increase in its 2025 budget to offset revenue losses from Southwest Airlines’ departure from Bellingham and the decreased marine terminal revenue due to ongoing construction.
The tax, if approved, would generate an estimated $8.2 million, with $5 million allocated for operating costs, capital spending, and debt, and $3.2 million for waterfront district development. The airport’s revenue is expected to drop by 35% in 2025, largely due to Southwest’s exit, which accounted for 40% of its total income. The port’s marine terminal revenue will also decline as the pier undergoes rehabilitation.
According to the Port, the current proposed budget includes funding for various projects, such as stormwater upgrades, and the design of a new international arrivals building. It also includes updates at the Marine Life Center, which will be partially funded by federal and state grants. Additional federal funding is expected next year for runway rehabilitation and further stormwater improvements.
The port will accept written comments through Monday. The public is invited to comment in person on Tuesday, when commissioners will adopt the budget.
STORY: Ferndale to construct first “fully inclusive,” playground in 2025
Ferndale will get its first inclusive playground next year.
Cascadia Daily News reports that Whatcom County has awarded Ferndale School District $700,000 to build the playground at Mountain View Learning Center on Hendrickson Avenue.
Construction of the playground, which will be accessible to all children, is slated to begin next summer. According to Tracy Diehl, a grant writer at the Ferndale School District, the new playground will be built for children ages 3-to-5, and will have a pour-in-place base and ramps for children in wheelchairs.
The playground’s design, drawn up from feedback from parents, teachers and community members, still needs to be approved by the health department.
STORY: Correction
And finally, we have a correction to a story we reported on November 8th. We reported that 24 arrests were made for drug trafficking across Whatcom. There were four arrests that resulted in 24 charges. We apologize for the error.
WX: Wind will this end?
And here’s your Whatcom County weather:
The gale warning may be over, but significant amounts of wind and rain are still likely today, with gusts reaching up to 30-40 mph. Daytime highs will peak around the mid-50s, with evening lows currently expected in the mid-40s.
The wind is expected to die down significantly by tomorrow, and it should still be as rainy as ever.
OUTRO:
Today’s newscast was produced by volunteers Carlos Braga (BRA-guh), Connor O’Boyle, Jayne Kuhlman (COOL-mun), Kyler Cantrell, Theron (THAIR-in) Danielson, Brodey O’Brien, Paloma Ortiz, Anna Hedrick, and Miguel Garduño (MEE-gel gar-DOO-ño). 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 thank you for listening.
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STORY: State court management system to remain down for remainder of week
The Washington State Administrative Office of the Courts says that the statewide court system will remain down for the rest of the week.
The system went down on November 4th after quote-unquote “unauthorized activity” was detected. AOC stated on a Facebook post Tuesday that no court or personal data had been accessed, altered or removed.
The court system helps organize local case management, calendars and workflows across the 39 counties in the state. Since the shutdown, payments and filings have had to be done in person at county clerk’s offices.
Whatcom County Clerk Raylene King said AOC was hoping it could restore the court system by Monday. In the meantime, physical court records can be accessed in person at the Whatcom Clerk’s Office during regular business hours, and the office continues to process emergency orders and court programs.
STORY: Boeing to announce sweeping layoffs today
Boeing says it plans to layoff about 10% of its workforce in mid-January.
The cuts, initially expected to spare front-line workers, will impact engineers and production staff, with a focus on trimming overhead and “nonessential” roles. However, engineering teams on military programs like the F-15 and P-8 are expected to see reductions.
Additionally, remote white-collar staff are at high risk, with some teams expecting cuts as steep as 30%. Although Boeing needs more machinists to meet its large order backlog, the end of the recent strike has led to discussions about layoffs even among these workers, a move that union president Jon Holden calls “shortsighted.”
The company says it is pushing to increase production rates, especially for the 737 MAX, but it faces delays due to safety oversight from the FAA and lingering effects of a recent strike.
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