Sewage floods Bellingham apartment grounds; tenants take to social media, State DNR Looking To Acquire Ownership of Sehome Haggen in property swap, Authorities arrest two Whatcom County men with more than half a pound of Fentanyl, State DNR Looking to Acquire Ownership of Sehome Haggen in property swap, Coast Guard partners with local agencies with local agencies to respond to sinking vessel, San Juan County, WSDA wraps up another season of northern giant hornet trapping, Requirement to install electric heat pumps in new houses approved by WA regulatory body, WA lawmakers revive call to let cities have elections in even-numbered years, Student designs wanted for invasive species art contest
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KMRE brings you local news for Wednesday, November 29th. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: Sewage floods Bellingham apartment grounds; tenants take to social media
Residents of the Old Mill Village complex on Electric Avenue took to social media to complain about a sewage leak that took place last Friday.
Silver Beach Neighborhood Association president Kerri Burnside, who is also a tenant in the complex, reported that the sewage leaked into a parking lot, the courtyard and at least one apartment unit. Burnside added that the property manager, Peak Management, had failed to protect residents from the spill, which was eventually cleaned up by a plumbing company hired by Peak Management on Saturday.
In an email to the residents, Peak Management said the spill had been caused by “a buildup of grease and baby wipes,” which caused a blockage in the line. This is not the first time tenants have filed complaints against Peak Management; in the past, their complaints ranged from leaking roofs to mold.
Whatcom County Health and Community Services staff had determined that there was no overflow into Lake Whatcom.
STORY: State DNR Looking To Acquire Ownership Of Sehome Haggen in property swap
The Washington Department of Natural Resources is considering a property swap that would see their ownership of a vacant office building in Issaquah exchanged for the parcel of land that houses the Sehome (SEE-home) Village Haggen.
The purpose of the exchange is to provide revenue for the Common School Trust, which helps fund K-12 school construction projects statewide. DNR states that the office building in Issaquah is underproducing funds, whereas the Sehome Haggen would provide more stable long term income. The exchange would be done with RCO Capital, who is currently in the process of acquiring the Sehome Haggen.
The deal is still in the early stages, and a public meeting is set for December 14th at the Four Points Sheraton Hotel in Bellingham. DNR welcomes public comments on the plan, whether in person or through email.
STORY: Authorities arrest two Whatcom County men with more than half a pound of Fentanyl
Two men were arrested in Ferndale last weekend with more than half a pound of fentanyl in their vehicle.
Deputies responded to a welfare check of a man slumped over in the driver’s seat of the vehicle on Slater Road on Sunday. There they found 2 grams of methamphetamine and about 325 grams of fentanyl, as well as a handgun.
The driver, 27-year-old Nicholas Donath, was arrested and booked at Whatcom County Jail on charges related to weapons, obstruction of a law officer and possession with intent to deliver. The passenger, 25-year-old Giovanni Orrantia-Pieper (uh-RAWN-shia PIE-per), was arrested for several outstanding warrants, including second-degree theft, hit and run, and fourth-degree assault.
As of this morning, Donath has been released, and Orrantia-Pieper remains in custody at Whatcom County Jail.
STORY: Coast Guard partners with local agencies to respond to sinking vessel, San Juan County
Earlier this month, a vessel sank off the coast of Orcas Island, causing panic as several groups attempted to aid in the disaster.
The 80 foot long vessel, named El Capitan, was found sinking with an oil sheen at the West Sound Marina on November 18th. Divers found no evidence of oil leaking, however, the Islands’ Oil Spill Association deployed booms and absorbents as a precaution, with help from the Washington Department of Ecology. A shoreline assessment determined there was no impact to the shoreline or wildlife in the area.
The Coast guard and other groups are monitoring the situation closely and the fate of the vessel is still to be determined .
STORY: WSDA wraps up another season of northern giant hornet trapping
This month, the Washington State Department of Agriculture will begin removing about 800 northern giant hornet traps placed around Whatcom County.
Tomorrow is the end of the season for trapping northern giant hornets, or NGH. No confirmed sightings have taken place to date in either Washington or British Columbia. This would make the second year in a row without any confirmed NGH sightings. The large insects were first found in 2019 in Blaine as well as the Canadian city of Nanaimo (nuh-NAI-moe). Federal guidelines say there must be 3 consecutive years with no confirmed NGH sightings before the hornets can be considered eradicated from the area.
STORY: Requirement to install electric heat pumps in new houses approved by WA regulatory body
Controversial regulations mandating the installation of electric heat pumps in newly constructed buildings in Washington have been approved by the State Building Code Council.
The changes, part of the state’s broader effort to reduce carbon emissions and enhance energy efficiency, will take effect on March 15, 2024. The regulations offer builders incentives for choosing electric heat pumps over natural gas furnaces during the permitting process. The council erased language mandating heat pumps for heating water and rooms in homes, and it revised how credits are awarded under the state building code scoring system. The decision follows a pause in May due to legal concerns and a federal appeals court ruling in California.
Supporters praise the move for its climate and health benefits, while opponents argue it will raise costs and violate federal regulations.
STORY: WA lawmakers revive call to let cities have elections in even-numbered years
The November 7 general election saw approximately 64% of eligible voters opt not to vote, continuing a trend of low turnout in odd-year elections.
Preliminary data suggests this election might set a record for low participation across the state, with only about 36% of voters submitting accepted ballots. Just over 51% of Whatcom County voted in November, while the median percentage of voters in even-numbered years is over 77%.
State lawmakers, including Sen. Javier Valdez and Rep. Darya Farivar, plan to reintroduce a bill allowing cities to switch election years. Advocates argue that moving city elections to even years could enhance turnout, making results more representative, as odd-year voters tend to be older and less diverse.
However, Secretary of State Steve Hobbs opposes the move, expressing concerns about drowning out local races and increasing workload for smaller counties with limited budgets.
WX: Fog and Partly Sunny
Expect sun with partly cloudy skies this afternoon and a high of 43 degrees. The winds will be light and variable.This evening, expect cloudy skies with areas of fog developing after midnight, and a low of about 31. Rain is expected to start tomorrow and stay with us for the next ten days.
OUTRO:
Today’s newscast was produced by volunteers AnThu Nguyen (ANNE-two new-WIN), Carlos Braga, Connor O’Boyle, Alex Michael, 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. If you would like to help keep local news accessible, check out our new Patreon page at patreon.com/kmrenews or go to kmre.org and click on the banner. I’m ________________ and thanks for listening.
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And finally, if you’re in the mood for something more active, volunteer work parties are happening every Saturday until December 16th throughout Bellingham’s parks. Volunteers are needed from 9AM-12pm– you can find out which parks are being worked on by visiting volunteerbellingham.org.
STORY: Student designs wanted for invasive species art contest
From now through May 2024, the Washington Invasive Species Council and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife are asking students to help spread awareness about invasive species– through art.
Submissions must represent a type of invasive species, which are plants and animals that do not belong in the Washington ecosystem.
The competition will be separated into elementary, middle, and highschool. Three winners will be chosen from each division and will receive Amazon gift cards.
First place winners will also get a print of their art and have it displayed at various aquatic invasive species check stations.
For more information on how to participate, visit wdfw.wa.gov
NOV 24th FREE
Mark your calendars for the 2024 Discover Pass free days!
It’s never too early to start planning free visits to Washington’s state parks and recreation lands! The Discover Pass free days for 2024 have been announced!
And there’s one free day left this year – Friday, Nov. 24.
(Discover Pass free days do not apply to Sno-Parks, which require separate permits.)
