Man arrested in Bellingham on suspicion of vehicle theft and unlawful imprisonment, Psychology grad students at WWU to offer free counseling in January, Bellingham businesses and municipal services to be affected on Thanksgiving, Two Lummi brothers win Bullitt Prize, plan to use a portion of winnings to restart canoe journey program, State public employee union sues after rejecting new contract, Care providers for persons with disabilities petition state for greater pay, Bellingham man sentenced following guilty plea
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KMRE brings you local news for Wednesday, November 27th. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: Man arrested in Bellingham on suspicion of vehicle theft and unlawful imprisonment
A local man is facing two felony charges after stealing a car in Bellingham and driving it to Ferndale with the owner’s teenage son in the backseat.
It all happened on Saturday. The car’s owner had started the vehicle to warm it up, and left briefly to lock up his business nearby on North Garden Street. His son was sitting in the backseat when the suspect got in and drove off. Bellingham Police Lieutenant Claudia Murphy said that, while the boy was not afraid of being kidnapped, he was unable to leave the moving car.
The suspect drove about 12 miles to Nickles Street in Ferndale, where the boy called his father to share his location. Police moved from the crime scene in Bellingham to Nickles Street, where both the teenager and the suspect were found–as well as the car. The suspect was arrested on suspicion of unlawful imprisonment and taking a motor vehicle without permission.
STORY: Psychology grad students at WWU to offer free counseling in January
Graduate students from WWU’s psychology department will offer free counseling services to the community in January.
According to a recent announcement, in-person counseling for all ages will be available from January to June, as well as telehealth services for individuals 13 and older. The services will be offered under faculty supervision, and cover issues such as depression, anxiety, relationship challenges, grief, and parent-child conflicts.
Community members can call 360-650-3184 to access these services. Western students can seek support through the Counseling and Wellness Center.
STORY: Bellingham businesses and municipal services to be affected on Thanksgiving
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and while people gather across Whatcom to celebrate, many businesses in Bellingham will be closed.
U.S. post offices, WTA bus services, banks, Bellingham Public Library branches, all city services, DOL offices, FedEx and UPS stores, Walgreens, and Rite Aid will all be closed. In addition, major grocery stores like Costco, Walmart, and Trader Joe’s will also be closed.
For those who need to pick up some last-minute items, Whole Foods and Winco will be open until 3 p.m., Fred Meyer will be open until 4 p.m., and Safeway and Haggen will be open normal hours.
Finally, it should be noted that KMRE News staff will also be taking a holiday break, but the staff will be back on Monday.
STORY: Two Lummi brothers win Bullitt Prize, plan to use a portion of winnings to restart canoe journey program
Free and Raven Borsey, two 27-year-old brothers from the Lummi Nation, have won this year’s Bullitt Prize from Washington Conservation Action.
According to the Lummi Nation website, the men say they plan to use a portion of the $100,000 award to revitalize the Lummi Youth Canoe Family, a program that protects, promotes, and preserves schelangen (shuh-LANG-un), or way of life, through youth leadership in culture.
The Bullitt Prize is awarded to changemakers in the Pacific Northwest that work to promote environmental justice and conservation efforts. According to their Bullitt Prize application, the twin brothers were a part of the canoe family in their teens, and found that pulling a canoe taught them to truly believe in themselves.
STORY: State public employee union sues after rejecting new contract
The Washington Public Employees Association has filed a lawsuit accusing the state of Washington, Governor Inslee, and 11 community colleges of bad-faith bargaining after members overwhelmingly rejected a proposed two-year contract in September.
The rejected contract included a 5% pay raise that the union deemed insufficient to address rising costs. The Washington Office of Financial Management contends that, following the rejection, the existing contract terms– with no raises—should remain in effect for one year starting next July, with negotiations focused only on the second year. Union leaders disagree, and assert the state misrepresented the implications of the deadline to pressure acceptance of subpar terms.
According to Michaela (muh-KAY-luh) Dolman, the state’s chief human resources officer, bargaining sessions are planned for December 4th and 17th. However, the union criticizes the limited negotiation timeline and scope.
The WPEA represents 5,000 workers across 13 community colleges and nine state agencies, including the Departments of Natural Resources, Revenue, and Agriculture.
STORY: Care providers for persons with disabilities petition state for greater pay
Providers of supported living services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities are urging Washington lawmakers to increase their wages.
According to a Department of Social and Health Services report from last year, direct support professionals, who provide essential 24/7 care, currently earn an average of $20.12 per hour, which is below living wage benchmarks. Advocates are requesting a 9.5% pay increase in both 2026 and 2027, which would cost the state about $99 million annually. However, the funding push faces challenges, as lawmakers anticipate a $10-to-12 billion budget deficit over the next four years.
Washington employs about 14,000 direct care workers serving 4,600 individuals, but the field’s turnover rate is 37%. Last year, providers secured only a 2.5% wage increase, and funding has historically been inconsistent. Advocates argue that an investment in higher wages now would reduce long-term costs and stabilize the workforce.
Governor Inslee’s December budget proposal will set the stage for legislative budget negotiations this year.
WX: The PNW hat trick
And now for your Whatcom County weather:
Expect a rotating cast of weather patterns today, with intermittent periods of clouds, sun, and showers. The winds are expected to remain calm for the day, with daytime highs forecasted in the upper 40s. Evening lows will hover around the high 30s.
Thanksgiving Day’s forecast is looking almost exactly the same, so hopefully you and yours have more to talk about than the weather. The weather for the weekend should rain turning into partial clouds as the weekend moves on.
OUTRO:
Today’s newscast was produced by volunteers Carlos Braga (BRA-guh), Connor O’Boyle, Kyler Cantrell, Theron (THAIR-in) Danielson, Riley Weeks, 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 have a peaceful holiday– we’ll be back on Monday!
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STORY: Bellingham man sentenced following guilty plea
The prison sentence of a Bellingham man who pled guilty to several felony charges was given earlier this month.
Court documents state that 26-year-old Austin Dean Grimme pled guilty to three felony charges – possession of controlled substance with intent to deliver, second-degree burglary and unlawful possession of a firearm – and received sentences ranging from five to seven-and-a-half years. Prison custody will be followed by a year in community custody. This is not Grimme’s first brush with the law, as he already had multiple felony convictions.
Grimme was arrested in Cornwall Park on May 14th after he admitted to possessing fentanyl baggies during a traffic stop. A search of the vehicle located parts for Glock-style handguns in bags, and a search of Grimme’s residence located a 3D printer which was likely used to manufacture firearms.
