Election Update, Parking ban sought, Local sports wrap, Man accused of killing Montana Sheriff from Bellingham dies, Survey open for reverts and landlord, House relocation on hold, Unofficial Mayor of Conway released from ICE detention, Bird flu detected in Pierce Co, Amazon plans its first large-scale data centers in Wa, WA challenges federal Medicaid barriers, Washington wins $900 million verdict against Albertsons, F&C 11/13, Valley Made Holiday Market, WDFW seeking public comment on plan to establish permanent requirement for fishing endorsements, Community Conversations scheduled for 11/12
Independent, nonprofit community radio. KMRE brings you local news for Monday, November, 9. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: Election Update
The latest election returns show Democrats leading in several key Whatcom and Skagit County races. In the meantime, statewide voters are rejecting two ballot initiatives and approving a third.
In the race for Congress, Democrat Rick Larsen leads Republican Edwin Feller in the second Congressional District, with 75-thousand 245 votes to Feller’s 38-thousand 246.
In the 40th Legislative District’s state House races, Democrat Debra Lekanoff (le-KAN-off) leads Republican Cindy Carter, and Democrat Alex Ramel leads Joseph Segault (SEE-go).
In the 42nd District, Democrat Michael Alvarez Shepard leads Republican Erika Creydt (CRATE) in the state Senate race. Democrats Alicia Rule and Joe Timmons are also leading their Republican opponents in the two House races.
In the Whatcom County prosecutor’s race, Democrat Jesse Corkern leads Ryan Swinburnson, with 64-thousand 319 votes to Swinburnson’s 47-thousand 696.
Statewide, voters are rejecting Initiative 645 by more than 435-thousand votes. Initiative 001 is also failing, with the No vote ahead by more than 118-thousand.
However, Initiative 638, which requires middle and high school girls to prove their sex assigned at birth before participating in sports, is on track to pass. Yes votes leading by more than 367-thousand.
Back in Whatcom County, Bellingham voters are strongly approving measures allowing a salary commission to set the mayor’s pay and streamlining city contract approvals. A city initiative prohibiting algorithmic price-fixing in rental housing is also passing.
Lynden voters are rejecting a levy lid lift for public safety and essential community services by more than 2,200 votes.
STORY: Parking ban sought
Whatcom County is considering new parking rules in Sudden Valley.
An ordinance would create a no‑parking zone on the northeast side of Lake Louise Road near Gate 9 and Western Lane. County engineers say shoulder parking there blocks drivers’ sightlines and creates a safety hazard.
It would ban parking for 250 feet southeast of the intersection and direct the County Engineer to install “No Parking Anytime” signs. The Sheriff’s Office and State Patrol would be notified once the signs are in place.
The measure was introduced October 13th, 2026, and the County Council will hold a public hearing on the ordinance tomorrow at 6 p.m. at the County Courthouse.
Those wishing to comment can sign up in person in Council Chambers, or register for remote participation by 4 p.m. tomorrow.
STORY: Local sports wrap
Whatcom County high school teams are making their way into the state tournaments after a busy weekend of playoff action.
In football, Lynden Christian, Mount Baker, Meridian, Ferndale and Lynden all advanced to state with victories. The Lyncs shut out Annie Wright 42-nothing, Mount Baker blanked Kalama (kuh-LAM-uh) 45-nothing, and Meridian defeated Granite Falls 35-21.
Ferndale rolled past Liberty of Renton 49-6, while Lynden defeated Renton 46-6. Squalicum’s season came to an end with a 44-16 loss to Eatonville.
Bellingham also wrapped up its football season on a high note, defeating Cedar Park Christian 21-14.
In girls soccer, Sehome captured the 2A district championship with a 2-1 win over Bellingham earlier in the week. Sehome and Ferndale both qualified for state, while Lynden Christian claimed the 1A district title with a 2-nothing win over Meridian. Bellingham’s season ended with a 1-nothing loss to Anacortes.
And in volleyball, Meridian and Lynden Christian both punched their tickets to state with straight-set victories. Sehome also advanced, defeating Archbishop Murphy three sets to one, joining district champion Lynden at state.
STORY: Man accused of killing Montana Sheriff from Bellingham dies
The Montana man accused of killing a sheriff’s deputy with ties to Bellingham has died in custody.
Missoula County officials say Matthew Dye suffered a medical emergency at the county detention facility on November 4th. Detention staff called for medical help, and Dye was taken by ambulance, where he later died.
Dye is accused of shooting and killing 28‑year‑old Lincoln County Sheriff’s Deputy Ryan Terpsma during a disturbance call on October 30th. My Bellingham Now reports Terpsma graduated from Squalicum High School in 2017. A 46‑year‑old woman was also killed in the incident, and both a juvenile girl and a Eureka police officer were injured.
The death is under investigation.
STORY: Survey open for reverts and landlords
If you rent an apartment or manage property in Bellingham, city hall wants five minutes of your time.
The city is launching new online surveys for renters, landlords, and property managers to get a clearer picture of local housing conditions. The questionnaires are open now through December 18th.
Officials say the effort is meant to gauge Bellingham’s overall housing health and see how recent laws are working on the ground. That includes last year’s limits on rental “junk fees.” When a follow‑up survey only targeted landlords, tenants pushed back, saying their experiences were missing. In August, the City Council expanded the program to include a dedicated renter survey.
Residents can take part at EngageBellingham.org through December 18th. Final trend reports are expected in March 2027.
STORY: House relocation on hold
Whatcom County homeowners are still waiting for federal assistance to raise their houses above floodwaters.
The Whatcom Long Term Recovery Group is managing three federal grant programs expected to fund 46 home elevations. So far, just 13 have been completed.
Progress has been slowed by federal paperwork, funding requirements and changes in how the grants are administered. A three-point-seven-million-dollar FEMA contract was finally approved and signed in October.
The first new projects could begin in January, but the county faces an April 2027 deadline and says it will seek an 18-month extension.
STORY: Unofficial Mayor of Conway released from ICE detention
A Skagit County man known as the unofficial mayor of Conway is back home after spending three months in ICE detention.
Forty-six-year-old Juan Gerardo Alatorre (HERR-ar-do ah-lah-TORE-eh) Martinez was detained by federal immigration agents in July. Martinez believes agents mistakenly identified him while looking for the owner of a car he had borrowed from a friend.
He was released Thursday, November fifth, from the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma.
Martinez came to Washington from Mexico as a teenager and has been waiting more than two decades for his green card. He says his application is now approved, and the card is in the mail.
His release was delayed by a paperwork error and problems locating his fingerprints, adding another month to his detention.
Martinez is well known in the small Conway community, where friends say he regularly helps neighbors and looks out for customers at the Red Barn Gas Station.
He plans to take two weeks to replace his driver’s license and Social Security card before returning to work.
Martinez also says the experience has left him concerned about others still in detention. He hopes to find ways to help detainees who cannot afford phone calls or legal assistance.
STORY: Bird flu detected in Pierce Co
Another case of bird flu has been detected in Washington state.
The Washington State Department of Agriculture says the infected flock has been identified at a commercial poultry facility in Pierce County. Health officials are monitoring workers who may have been exposed.
The detection comes amid several other recent cases across the state, including bird flu in a Benton County dairy herd and backyard poultry flocks in Yakima and Kittitas counties.
Meanwhile, a Yakima County resident has died after being hospitalized with severe bird flu complications. The individual had underlying health conditions and was exposed to the virus while working around infected dairy cattle. Two other human infections have also been linked to that herd.
State officials are urging poultry owners to keep their birds away from wild birds and other potential sources of infection.
WX: Water and water and water water
And now for the weather,
Expect more rain today with highs in the mid 50s, alongside some heavy gusts from the south. The wind should pick up later this evening with lows projected in the high-40s.
It should be a wet day tomorrow with up to a half-inch of rain. Expect it to stick around until tomorrow night.
OUTRO:
Today’s newscast was produced by volunteers Carlos Braga (BRAH-guh), 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: Amazon plans its first large-scale data centers in WA
STORY: WA challenges federal Medicaid barriers
Washington is challenging new federal Medicaid rules that could strip health coverage from thousands of residents.
Attorney General Nick Brown has joined a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services over upcoming changes that will require more than 600,000 Apple Health enrollees to regularly prove they’re working, in school, or volunteering to keep their insurance. Washington officials say similar rules in other states have caused people to lose coverage simply because they couldn’t keep up with the paperwork.
Apple Health is Washington’s Medicaid program and covers more than 1.9 million residents. The new requirements, part of the federal budget bill passed in 2025, are set to take effect in 2027. The Health Care Authority estimates at least 120,000 Washingtonians could lose coverage, with rural counties expected to be hit hardest.
The lawsuit argues the federal government exceeded its authority by requiring states to adopt the new rules.
STORY: Washington wins $900 million verdict against Albertsons
STORY: Community Conversations scheduled for 11/12
(basic info: Whatcom County Council Community Conversation
4:30–6:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 12, Stemma Brewing, 2039 Moore St., Bellingham
County council members Kaylee Galloway and Jon Scanlon will hold a Q&A event.) NEEDS TO BE WRITTEN UP 😀
F&C 11/13
Valley Made Holiday Market
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 14 and 15
Hillcrest Lodge, 1717 S. 13th St., Mount Vernon
Info: valleymademarket.com.
Cardstock NW Card Show
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14 @cardstocknw_cardshow on Instagram.
Salvation Army Gym, 2912 Northwest Ave., Bellingham $5 admission, kids 9 & under free, first 60 kids get free Pokemon card pack.
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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