Bystander hospitalized in high-speed chase between drug suspect and Whatcom authorities, Convicted felon arrested following discovering of firearms, Bellingham School District settles lawsuit over failure to report sexual assault of student, Health center for the unhoused to open in downtown Bellingham, Whatcom County Council to vote on affirming food security as an official priority, WA among states suing TikTok over effects on youth mental health, Pepper spray assault leads to arrest in Bellingham
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KMRE brings you local news for Wednesday, October 9th. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: Bystander hospitalized in high-speed chase between drug suspect and Whatcom authorities
A man was arrested on Saturday after leading police deputies in a high-speed chase around Whatcom County.
37-year-old Randy Chandler Jr. was asleep in a pickup truck on Olson Road when sheriff’s deputies arrived to conduct a welfare check on him, at which point he woke up and drove off at 80 mph. While heading south, Chandler crossed the center line and struck an oncoming car, sending the driver to the hospital with a possible neck injury.
A search of Chandler’s car revealed the presence of meth and drug paraphernalia. He was booked into Whatcom County Jail on multiple charges, and remains in custody.
STORY: Convicted felon arrested following discovering of firearms and drugs in car
An elderly man was arrested on Sunday after a traffic stop search revealed guns, ammunition and drugs.
71-year-old Leroy Guillen (gee-YEN) ran a stop sign at the intersection of Northwest Drive and West Axton Road, at which point he was pulled over by a sheriff’s deputy. After the deputy noticed that Guillen had a rifle on the floor of the back seat, he asked to search the vehicle. Multiple items were uncovered, including a 12-gauge shotgun and a 22-caliber rifle–both loaded with a round in the chamber–as well as ammunition and nearly two grams of fentanyl. Guillen is a convicted felon, and is unable to legally possess firearms.
Guillen was booked into Whatcom County Jail on multiple charges, and is also currently in custody.
STORY: Bellingham School District settles lawsuit over failure to report sexual assault of student
Bellingham schools announced they have resolved a lawsuit filed by a former Squalicum High School student who claimed that three district administrators did not protect her from repeated sexual assaults.
Dana Smith, a spokeswoman for Bellingham Public Schools, told the Bellingham Herald via email that BPS and the plaintiff agreed to an amicable settlement that dismisses all claims alleged against the district in the lawsuit.
In 2022, a 16-year old girl who had experienced ongoing sexual harassment from a fellow student brought her complaint to Bellingham Police. In the complaint, the student alleged that she had reported the
harassment multiple times to school administrators, but that they had taken no official action. The complaint resulted in criminal charges against three school administrators for failure to report the alleged crimes.
Jeremy Louzao (loo-ZOW), Maude Hackney, and Meghan Dunham were each criminally cited in December 2022 at the County District Court with one count of failure to report – a gross misdemeanor. The three administrators resolved the criminal charges through an agreed resolution between the prosecution and defense attorneys last year. According to the school district website, all three remain employed by the district.
No details have been released regarding the new settlement.
STORY: Health center for the unhoused to open in downtown Bellingham
Officials from county, state, and federal levels gathered on Tuesday to celebrate the completion of the Way Station.
The new health and hygiene center for homeless people in Whatcom County is located at State Street. It includes a medical respite (REH-spit) facility run by the Opportunity Council, with support from St. Joseph Medical Center, and a health and hygiene center operated by Unity Care NW. The facility also offers showers, laundry services, restrooms, and medical care for unhoused people.
Patients experiencing homelessness will be able to stay at the medical center for around three weeks, with PeaceHealth facilitating direct hospital
discharges to the center. The health and hygiene section will provide services for up to 26 people at a time, including four showers and laundry facilities, open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Medical support, case management, and substance use specialists will also be available.
Funding for the Way Station was secured by State Sen. Sharon Shewmake and Congressman Rick Larsen and came from various sources, including $4 million from the state and $2 million from the federal government. The center aims to bridge a gap for individuals who are not well enough to return to the community but don’t require hospitalization.
County Executive Satpal Sidhu and local health leaders praised the collaborative effort behind the project, and highlighted its potential to bring dignity and essential care to those in need.
STORY: Whatcom County Council to vote on affirming food security as an official priority
Hunger is top of mind at the Whatcom County Council.
The council is set to vote in November on a resolution that would make food security a public health priority. At the same time, the council is being asked to review a $2 million funding request from local food banks.
The resolution urges County Executive Sidhu to address food insecurity and request federal and state support. In an email to County Council members, Sidhu said he supports the resolution’s aims and notes that local
resources alone cannot meet the quote “humongous gap” in basic food needs.
The food bank network, which now serves 9,000 households weekly, previously received $1.5 million in federal pandemic relief, but faces funding shortfalls as demand continues to grow. The food bank also requested $1 million from the City of Bellingham. Mayor Kim Lund has proposed $250,000 for the food bank in the city’s 2025 budget, up from the traditional $30-to-50,000 in pre-COVID years.
The council now seeks community feedback before they officially vote on the resolution in a few weeks.
STORY: WA among states suing TikTok over effects on youth mental health
Washington state has joined 12 other states and Washington, D.C. in suing TikTok, alleging that the platform targets youth, promotes excessive use, and is harmful to mental health.
The lawsuit, filed in King County Superior Court, claims TikTok violates the state’s Consumer Protection Act by deceiving users about its safety measures. TikTok’s endless video feed and inadequate age verification are central to the complaint, with the lawsuit arguing that the platform encourages addiction and enables underage users to bypass restrictions.
TikTok responded by highlighting its existing safety features, which includes screen-time limits and privacy settings, and expressed disappointment that the states opted for litigation over collaboration.
The lawsuit seeks financial penalties for each violation and an injunction to reform TikTok’s practices—but not a ban.
Forecast: Clouds
More clouds are in the forecast today, with daytime highs in the low 60s. Expect calm northwestern winds throughout the day, variable direction in the evening, which will also see temperatures drop into the low 40s.
Tomorrow is expected to be mostly sunny, with slightly warmer temperatures.
OUTRO:
Today’s newscast was produced by volunteers Carlos Braga (BRA-guh), Connor O’Boyle, Jayne Kuhlman (COOL-mun), Tristan Trudell, Kyler Cantrell, Theron (THAIR-in) Danielson, 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 thank you for listening.
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STORY: Pepper spray assault leads to arrest in Bellingham
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