Bomb cyclone update, Bellingham crews begin cleanup of Bakerview encampment, Port of Bellingham passes 2025 budget without property tax increase, Whatcom County Council votes to adopt biennial budget, Ferndale chief of police to resign, Sal Mungia wins election to state Supreme Court, Bellingham to construct roundabout connecting James St. and Bakerview Road, New health care backfill plan now available for someNew health care backfill plan now available for some, Bellingham resident sets world record for women’s ultramarathon, WA state courts’ network back online following “unauthorized activity”
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KMRE brings you local news for Wednesday, November 20th. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: Bomb cyclone update
A powerful bomb cyclone struck the Pacific Northwest yesterday, which brought blizzard conditions to the Cascades, widespread power outages, and dangerous winds.
About 800 people lost power here in Whatcom County, as gusts exceeded 40 mph locally, and over half a million customers across Western Washington experienced power outages.
The storm, classified as a bomb cyclone due to its rapid pressure drop of 60 millibars in 24 hours, generated erratic winds and mountain waves, causing turbulence and blizzard warnings. Though the cyclone remained 300 miles offshore, the Seattle area received the worst of the impacts. However, it funneled strong winds across the region, with coastal gusts reaching 69 mph and inland gusts hitting 66 mph. Ocean swells, called mountain waves, grew up to 20 feet.
The storm is expected to weaken today, but meteorologists have warned of a second low-pressure system forming later in the week.
STORY: Bellingham crews begin cleanup of Bakerview encampment
The City of Bellingham began cleaning up a large homeless encampment behind Walmart on East Stuart Road yesterday.
According to the City, crews focused on clearing trash and debris along the property boundary, with plans to install fences afterward to prevent re-encampment. Cleanup efforts will occur in phases due to the significant waste, potentially taking months or years to complete.
The city declared the encampment a public nuisance and issued vacate notices last Thursday. By the time cleanup began, all residents had vacated. The city acknowledged the challenges faced by people experiencing housing insecurity, but emphasized that encampments on public or private property are prohibited due to health and safety concerns.
The notice also provided information on local shelters, mental health resources, and other support services for displaced individuals.
STORY: Port of Bellingham passes 2025 budget without property tax increase
Property owners in Whatcom County will likely see higher property taxes overall, but not from the Port of Bellingham.
The port commissioners unanimously approved the 2025 budget yesterday, but excluded a proposed 1% property tax increase. Commissioners rejected the increase due to rising property values and taxes county-wide.
Instead, property owners will pay 12 cents per $1,000 of property valuation, generating an estimated $7.9 million for the port next year. With more residents contributing to the tax base, individual property tax amounts could decrease slightly. Most of the port’s revenue comes from non-tax sources.
The port says it anticipates a drop in operational revenue in 2025, mainly due to Southwest Airlines’ departure from Bellingham Airport in August, which will reduce aviation revenue by 35%. Additionally, ongoing shipping terminal improvements will continue into 2025. Despite these challenges, commissioners are confident in finding alternative revenue streams without increasing taxes.
Historically, the port’s property tax accounts for just 2% of a homeowner’s total tax bill, with schools and city costs making up the majority.
STORY: Whatcom County Council votes to adopt biennial budget
In a 4-to-3 vote, the Whatcom County Council voted to adopt the 2025-26 biennial budget last night, which totals over $280 million—a $42 million dollar increase from the previous budget.
Councilmembers Kaylee Galloway, Todd Donovan, Barry Buchanan and Jon Scanlon voted in favor of the budget, while Tyler Byrd, Mark Stremler and Ben Elenbaas (ellen-BAHS) voted against it.
County Executive Satpal Sidhu described the plan as fiscally tight, and says the County aims to maintain current services despite financial challenges. Earlier this year, the Whatcom faced a $15 million deficit due to reduced revenue, increased hiring for criminal justice roles, and the expiration of some funding sources, which prompted a temporary hiring freeze. The proposed budget relies heavily on property and retail sales taxes.
STORY: Ferndale chief of police to resign
Ferndale Chief of Police Kevin Turner is set to end his tenure with the city’s police department at the end of this month.
According to Ferndale Police’s website, Turner was Chief of Police in Grantsville, Utah before he began his service in Ferndale. Retired Lieutenant Matt Huffman will act as interim chief starting on December 9th until the role is filled. A recent announcement by the city of Ferndale indicates it has entered into a contract with the Washington Association of Sheriffs & Police Chiefs to find a new chief. The timeline for that new hire is unclear.
According to the Association, Ferndale’s crime rate last year was down almost 40% with 174 total arrests.
STORY: Sal Mungia wins election to state Supreme Court
Sal Mungia, a Tacoma trial attorney, has narrowly defeated Dave Larson, a Federal Way Municipal Court judge, in the race for an open Washington State Supreme Court seat.
Mungia secured just over 50% of the vote, leading Larson by approximately 21,000 votes out of more than 3.2 million counted. With only about 24,000 ballots remaining, the Seattle Times has called the race.
The contest was Washington’s first for an open Supreme Court seat since 2012. Mungia will replace Justice Susan Owens, who is retiring after 25 years due to her reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75. Mungia had broad Democratic support and endorsements from eight of the nine current justices, including Chief Justice Steven González, who encouraged him to run. Larson, endorsed by the state Republican Party, has run for the Supreme Court unsuccessfully in prior years.
Mungia, a graduate of Pacific Lutheran University and Georgetown Law School, has spent most of his 40-year career in private practice, focusing on civil litigation and personal injury. He is a former president of the Washington State Bar Association, and has argued cases in both the state and U.S. Supreme Courts.
Larson, a judge since 2008, previously worked in private practice representing insurance companies. He expressed some reservations about the Supreme Court’s recent activism on addressing systemic racism, a stance Mungia strongly supports. The issue has been central to the court’s direction in recent years.
WX: They Might Be Giants’ best album
And now for your Whatcom County weather:
Strong southeastern winds of up to 30 miles per hour and intermittent rain are in the forecast today. Daytime highs will be in the low 50s, evening lows in the upper 30s and low 40s.
Tomorrow, expect more rain as the winds continue to die down.
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, Riley Weeks, Brodey O’Brien, Paloma Ortiz, Anna Hedrick, Miguel Garduño (MEE-gel gar-DOO-ño), and Riley Weeks. 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: Bellingham to construct roundabout connecting James St. and Bakerview Road
By this time next year, Bellingham will have a new roundabout.
The Bellingham City Council’s Public Works committee voted unanimously to approve a contract bid to install a roundabout at the intersection of James Street and Bakerview Road, with the full council approving the bid on Monday. The contract was awarded by the City Council to Faber Construction for nearly $4.3 million.
Officials expect the project to last about 50 days beginning next April. Roads in and near the intersection will be partially and fully closed during that time.
STORY: New health care backfill plan now available for some
People who are eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid can sign up for Dual Special Needs Plans (D-SNPs) to get more comprehensive health coverage. The deadline to enroll is December 7th. With more on this, we go to Eric Tegethoff.
DSNP AUDIO
STORY: Bellingham resident sets world record for women’s ultramarathon
STORY: WA state courts’ network back online following “unauthorized activity”
Washington state courts began restoring online systems on Monday after a two-week shutdown caused by unauthorized activity.
The Administrative Office of the Courts initially took the network offline on November 4th to secure it. Officials reported no data breach or ransomware attack, attributing this to swift action to secure the network. Municipal courts, including the King County District Court, were partially affected but used emergency measures to continue operations.
Courts remain under emergency orders extending rules until the state systems are fully functional.
