Former Bellingham Public Schools employee arrested on charges of child rape, Skagit County man wanted by Anacortes police found dead, evidently by suicide, Whatcom Chief ferry outage (run Monday), Governor creates fraud prevention officer position, Seattle-based Uwajimaya to expand, WDFW seeking public comment on plan to establish permanent requirement for fishing endorsements
Independent, nonprofit community radio. KMRE brings you local news for Monday, November, 2. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: Former Bellingham Public Schools employee arrested on charges of child rape
A former district employee was arrested and booked into jail on charges he sexually assaulted a former student.
The Bellingham Public Schools says it received a report on October 8 from a former student, now an adult, that alleged Russ Robinson sexually assaulted them in 2013. The former student said the incident had not been reported previously.
BPS says it immediately notified Bellingham Police and cooperated with the investigation. The district also says it had no prior reports or complaints involving alleged sexual assault or sexual misconduct by Robinson.
Robinson left Bellingham Public Schools in June to work for another school district. During his time at BPS, he coached wrestling and football, worked as a campus monitor, and later served as the district’s director of safety and security.
The district says the allegations are deeply concerning and that its focus remains on student safety and supporting the school community.
The allegations have not been established in court.
STORY: Skagit County man wanted by Anacortes police found dead, evidently by suicide
A man wanted by Anacortes police was found dead inside a vehicle following an apparent suicide.
The Skagit County Sheriff’s Office says deputies located the 43-year-old man’s vehicle along State Route 20 near Rockport around 9:30 p.m. Thursday. The police say they had probable cause to arrest him. He was believed to be armed.
As deputies tried to communicate with him, they heard a gunshot coming from inside the vehicle. Additional officers from several area law enforcement agencies responded.
Deputies used a drone to assess the situation and saw the man with what appeared to be a gunshot wound. They then approached the vehicle and found him dead.
The Skagit County Coroner’s Office and Sheriff’s Office investigated the scene. Authorities say there was no danger to the public.
STORY: Whatcom Chief ferry outage (run Monday)
The Whatcom Chief will be offline for several hours this Wednesday for maintenance.
The ferry will be out of service from 10:10 a.m. to 3 p.m. so crews can finish work that couldn’t be completed during dry dock because parts weren’t available. Crews will also make an electrical repair at the Lummi Island terminal during the outage.
The last morning run from Gooseberry Point is 9:50, and the last run from Lummi Island is 10:00. No additional morning trips will follow the 10 a.m. sailing.
The county says the schedule is weather‑dependent and updates will be posted on the ferry webpage.
STORY: Applications open for vacant seat on Bellingham Public Library Board of Trustees
The Bellingham Public Library is looking for a new volunteer to serve on its Board of Trustees.
The board, which oversees library policy and governance, has a vacancy for a five-year term beginning March 14th, 2027, pending City Council approval.
Applicants must have lived within Bellingham city limits for at least one year and have an interest in supporting the public library and its mission.
The library says this is an important time for the organization as it works to renovate its Central Library and expand community services.
Applications must be submitted by 4 p.m. November 30th. The board will begin reviewing applications December 10th, with interviews expected in early January.
The mayor will recommend a candidate to the City Council for final approval.
More information and application instructions are available through the City of Bellingham website.
STORY: Skagit County enters partnership with aim of building affordable senior housing
Skagit County will move forward with affordable housing for seniors.
The county has signed an agreement with the Housing Authority of Skagit County, which will serve as the lead developer of the project at the current Mount Vernon Senior Center site on Cleveland Avenue. Plans call for affordable senior housing along with a small community clubhouse with resident support services.
The state legislature has allocated one-point-five-five million dollars toward feasibility studies and design work. The county says the site is well suited for housing because of its proximity to public transit, jobs and downtown Mount Vernon.
However, the senior center itself will not be part of the new development. Flood-zone restrictions, limited parking and building-height limits make combining the two facilities impractical.
The existing senior center will remain open through the end of 2027. Skagit County, the City of Mount Vernon and the Skagit Council on Aging are working to find a new location, with a goal of opening a relocated center in January 2028.
Officials plan to provide opportunities for public input during 2027. The county also expects to seek additional state funding for construction.
STORY: GM to pay $220M for sharing drivers’ private data
Washington will receive more than $12 million from General Motors to settle allegations the automaker illegally collected and sold drivers’ personal data.
Attorney General Nick Brown helped lead a coalition of 36 states that accused GM of sharing driver behavior and location information with data brokers, who then sold it to insurance companies.
Investigators say GM’s Smart Driver program tracked information such as speeding, hard braking and driving habits from millions of motorists between 2016 and 2024. The states allege drivers were not clearly told their data could be sold and used by insurers when setting rates.
The agreement is part of a $220 million multistate settlement. Under its terms, GM must obtain customers’ explicit consent before collecting or sharing driving and location data. The company also agreed to strengthen its privacy protections and improve oversight to prevent consumers from being enrolled in data collection programs without their knowledge.
WX: Cloudest Mouse
And now for the weather,
Expect some chilly air and increasing clouds heading into this evening, with highs floating around the low 50s. An unsurprisingly overcast night is projected to follow, with low temperatures shifting closer to 40 degrees.
The lingering cloud cover should burn off sometime tomorrow, leaving us with a sunnier afternoon than today.
OUTRO:
Today’s newscast was produced by volunteers Carlos Braga (BRAH-guh), Kyler Cantrell (can-TRELL), Glen Hirshberg (HERSH-berg), Kathi O’Shea (o-SHAY), KAI (eye) Blais-Schmolke (KAI BLAZE-SHMOLE-kee), Jenny Lam, Doug Langworthy, and Cheri Cloninger (SHARE-ee CLAWN-in-ger). 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: Governor creates fraud prevention officer position
Governor Bob Ferguson has signed an executive order creating Washington’s first Chief Fraud Prevention Officer.
The new officer will coordinate fraud‑prevention, detection and recovery work across health and human services agencies, including the Health Care Authority and the departments of Health, Social and Health Services, Labor and Industries, and Children, Youth and Families. The Governor’s Office says the role will use existing resources.
The order also creates a Public Funds Fraud Prevention and Accountability Workgroup to develop a statewide fraud‑prevention framework and recommend changes to statutes, reporting systems, whistleblower protections and contractor oversight. It may also propose a public dashboard tracking fraud‑prevention performance and recoveries.
Ferguson also announced upcoming legislation to expand Washington’s Medicaid False Claims Act to cover all false claims against the state. Whistleblowers would be able to bring civil actions on the state’s behalf, with violators facing triple damages and inflation‑adjusted penalties.
STORY: Seattle-based Uwajimaya to expand
Seattle-based Asian grocery store Uwajimaya will open a new location next spring.
The store will occupy a former Rite Aid space in Town and Country Square in Issaquah and cover about 23-thousand square feet. Uwajimaya CEO Denise Moriguchi says the Eastside’s growing population has increased demand for Asian ingredients and fresh seafood.
The new store will offer everyday groceries, produce, seafood and prepared foods. Uwajimaya is also opening a location in Tacoma, bringing the 98-year-old company to six stores.
STORY: WDFW seeking public comment on plan to establish permanent requirement for fishing endorsements
Should a fee for recreational fishing in the Columbia River be made permanent?
The Department of Fish and Wildlife is inviting public comment on whether the annual fee of $8.75 for anglers should be extended beyond the expiration date in January 2028
The fee applies to anglers over 15 years old who fish for salmon or steelhead.
The comment period ends on November 20 this year.
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