Election Day, WCSO Seeking Public’s Help In Locating Suspected Burglar, Search suspended for missing person shortly after it was issued, “Prescribed” burning visible on Sumas, Tanker Truck causes major closure on North Cascades Highway over the weekend, WDFW seeks public comment on proposed land acquisitions in Whatcom, U.S. regulators will review car-tire chemical that kills salmon, upon request from West Coast tribes
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KMRE brings you local news for Tuesday, November 7th. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: Election Day
It’s Election Day and the polls are open until 8pm tonight.
In Whatcom County, ballots can be dropped in any of the 22 locations around the county. You can get a replacement for a lost ballot, register to vote, or update your registration until 8pm at the Whatcom County Courthouse in Bellingham. If you’ve lost your voter pamphlet, an online version can be found at whatcomcounty.us.
Results are expected to be released via the Whatcom County Auditor’s website at about 8:30pm tonight, but races won’t be finalized for a few days.
STORY: WCSO Seeking Public’s Help In Locating Suspected Burglar
The Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s help in locating a suspected burglar.
61-year-old Johnnie Rathjen is wanted in connection with several burglaries in eastern Whatcom County. He is also accused of fleeing from deputies after being caught burglarizing a home.
Rathjen was last seen driving a 2003 Toyota Corolla, license plate #BQP3779. Anyone who sees him or has information on his whereabouts is asked to call the Sheriff’s Office hotline.
STORY: Search suspended for missing person shortly after it was issued
The search for a missing senior from Tsawwassen (suh-WA-sun) was suspended shortly after it was issued in Point Roberts last week.
David Ho, a 89 year-old Canadian citizen, was reported missing after failing to return home from his walk on Wednesday. After relatives notified police, David was spotted on CCTV crossing the border from Canada into Point Roberts around the time of his walk. Delta Police issued a missing person’s alert, with help from the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Department and other agencies. Search efforts began, with hundreds of community members volunteering. Unfortunately, David was found deceased four days later.
STORY: “Prescribed” burning visible on Sumas Mountain
Fires on private property on Sumas (SOO-mass) Mountain are currently burning, and visible throughout western Whatcom County.
Fire Chief Hank Maleng of Fire District 16 stated the fires were lit earlier yesterday and were being done under permits issued by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources. Those seeing the fires from a distance or on a drive past need not be worried, nor call 911.
While permitted, it is not a prescribed burn as defined by DNR. The fires were set and managed by the property owner. DNR was only involved in granting the permits for the fires on private property.
STORY: Tanker truck causes major closure on North Cascades Highway over weekend
A tanker truck crash caused a major closure on the North Cascades Highway over the weekend.
Friday afternoon, the truck went off the road near Rainy Pass where it flipped onto its top down a steep slope with 11,000 gallons of fuel in the tanker. Highway 20 was closed for about 24 hours as three tow trucks carefully hauled the truck back onto the roadway. The recovery was especially difficult as workers had to accommodate for the massive amount of fuel as well as the steep terrain. Additionally, the 40-foot tow trucks had to work on a 35-foot road. A WSDOT (WASH-dot) tow operator said it was the hardest job he’s had in his 30-year career.
No one was seriously injured in the crash.
STORY: WDFW seeks public comment on proposed land acquisitions in Whatcom
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is inviting public comment on 20 proposed public land acquisitions that would help promote fish and wildlife conservation and public access to Washington’s outdoors.
The proposals encompass over 13,000 acres with acquisitions in 11 counties. One of the proposals consists of the acquisition of 117 acres near the town of Lynden, which would be added to the Whatcom Wildlife Area. The property, located near Wiser Lake, would enhance public access to the lake as well improve freshwater wetland habitat for waterfowl and other species.
More information about the proposed land acquisitions is available on WDFW’s land acquisitions webpage.
STORY: U.S. regulators will review car-tire chemical that kills salmon, upon request from West Coast tribes
Last week, the Environmental Protection Agency said they will review the use of a chemical found in almost every tire.
The Yurok tribe in California and the Port Gamble S’Klallam (sKLA-lum) and Puyallup tribes in Washington have petitioned the EPA to ban the rubber preservative 6PPD. The tribes argue that the chemical washes from roadways into rivers and kills salmon as they return from the ocean to their home streams to spawn. Five states, including Washington, also wrote the EPA in support of the petition, citing the chemical’s “unreasonable threat” to their waters and fisheries.
6PPD has been used as a rubber preservative in tires, footwear, and other rubber products for over 60 years. As the tires wear, tiny particles of rubber are left behind on roads and parking lots that break down into 6PPD-quinone (kwih-NOWN)– a byproduct that kills salmon, steelhead, and other wildlife within hours after coming into contact with the substance.
The long regulatory process to review the chemical has just started, and tire manufacturers say they are already looking for an alternative that will meet federal safety requirements.
WX: Rainy
There’s a 80% chance of showers today, with a high near 53° and winds of more than 10 mph. Tonight will have a low of around 47, with the chance of showers decreasing into the night. Tomorrow’s weather should be about the same, with a smaller chance of rain.
OUTRO:
Today’s newscast was produced by volunteers AnThu Nguyen (ANNE-two new-WIN), Carlos Braga, and Connor O’Boyle. 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. I’m ________________ and thanks for listening.
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Run after ruling–
The Washington State Supreme Court is set to hear a significant case involving the rights of people sheltering in their vehicles.
A growing number of homeless individuals in Washington are living in their vehicles, but they face challenges due to local laws, including bans on vehicle habitation, restrictive parking rules, and towing. These laws often force people to leave their communities, even if they have lived there for a long time.
Jack Potter, a longtime resident of Lacey, was forced to live in his travel trailer due to housing market pressures. Lacey passed a law prohibiting vehicles used as shelter from parking in town for more than four hours, essentially forcing Potter and others out of their community.
Tomorrow, Potter’s case will be heard by the Washington Supreme Court.
