Ferndale man arrested in connection to fatal hit-and-run in Blaine, Over $6 million in grants available for local farmers, WA colleges say Indigenous students need more support post-pandemic, WA maritime leaders eye offshore wind manufacturing jobs, Washington state child care providers are struggling to survive
______________________________
Independent, nonprofit community radio.
KMRE brings you local news for Wednesday, October 11th. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: Ferndale man arrested in connection to fatal hit-and-run in Blaine
A suspect has been arrested in connection with a fatal hit-and-run car crash that occurred on Blaine Road in March.
22-year-old Ferndale resident, Colby Gunderson, was arrested and charged with suspicion of vehicular homicide. The crash involved a motorcycle attempting to pass a Mazda, causing the Mazda to overcorrect and crash into concrete barriers. The driver of the Mazda, 33-year-old Ashleigh Woodward from Blaine, was ejected from the vehicle and later pronounced deceased at Harborview Medical Center.
Forensic evidence, security video from a nearby business, and witness statements led to the arrest of Gunderson, who was identified as the motorcyclist involved in the crash. He claimed not to have made contact with the Mazda and did not believe he was involved in the crash. The investigation is ongoing.
STORY: Over $6 million in grants available for local farmers
The Washington State Department of Agriculture is offering more than $6 million in grants to support local food supply chains and market access for farms, ranches, food processors, and food distributors.
The grants are intended to be used towards planning, equipment, and facilities that support the local food chain through methods such as processing, manufacturing, and distribution. Grant amounts range from $10,000 to $500,000 and are awarded based on how well the project fits the purpose of the grant and its achievability. The grant has two categories: Rapid and Ready, for simple, straightforward purchases or projects that will be expected to finish within 5 months; or Large Projects, that are more complex that may include design and installation. Those projects will be given 17 months to complete.
The grant is available to farmers, ranchers, food businesses, or non-profit, tribal, or government organizations. Applications for the Local Food System Infrastructure grants are due November 15, 2023.
STORY: WA colleges say Indigenous students need more support post-pandemic
A new report by the Washington Student Achievement Council shows American Indian and Alaska Native students experienced the highest college enrollment decline among all racial categories during the pandemic.
The report, which came out in late September, says that Indigenous student numbers declined by 38% at community and technical colleges and 27% at four-year public colleges between 2019 and 2022. In comparison, white student enrollment fell 15%, Hispanic enrollment dropped 6%, and Asian enrollment decreased by 5%. African-American and Pacific Islander student enrollments increased during this period.
The pandemic also had a significant impact on higher education in Washington state, resulting in declining enrollment across the board in four-year universities, colleges, and community and technical colleges. The total number of students in the public higher education system decreased by 48,000 over the three-year time period.
The report emphasizes that enrollment declines were less severe among students who received financial aid, and that the ongoing slump poses a threat to educational attainment in the state, especially for low-income students and students of color.
STORY: WA maritime leaders eye offshore wind manufacturing jobs
On Tuesday, Governor Inslee announced an initiative to support the growing offshore wind industry.
Inslee and Washington maritime leaders hope to make the state a key player in the offshore wind industry by developing turbine manufacturing, research and development, and materials transportation capabilities. In turn Washington, with its active shipping ports and manufacturing workforce, will supply Oregon, California, and potentially Asia with the parts to construct turbines. Until recently, offshore wind turbines were built on top of steel structures that extended 100 to 200 feet into the ocean floor, something not possible on the Pacific Coast due to its steep drop offs of more than 600 feet. Now, new technology has made it possible to install wind turbines taller than the Space Needle on floating platforms tethered to the ocean floor.
The push to develop offshore wind turbines comes partly from the White House, which has set the goal of developing 30 gigawatts of offshore wind power by 2030, enough to power 10 million homes. According to the Department of Energy, achieving that goal will create around 60,000 jobs.
STORY: Washington state child care providers are struggling to survive
U.S. Senator Patty Murray is advocating for the federal government to renew its support for the child care industry.
The Child Care Stabilization Act, which provided $24 billion to child care providers during the early days of the pandemic, expired on September 30. Child care providers in Washington state fear that they won’t be able to sustain their operations without this funding.
According to the Child Care Data Center, many parts of Washington are considered “child care deserts,” with a shortage of child care providers. Even when available, it’s often prohibitively expensive. For example, the average cost of sending a toddler to a child care center in Washington is over $14,000 a year, making it a significant financial burden.
The child care industry faces challenges as well, with labor costs accounting for over 80% of expenses. Additionally, the sector struggles to attract and retain teachers and staff due to low and stagnant wages, with Washington child care workers earning an average of about $17 per hour.
Senator Murray is pushing for $16 billion in emergency funding for child care in the next White House budget to address these issues and support both families and providers.
WX: Possible Storms
We’ll have a 50% chance of showers today, decreasing to 20% by the evening. Highs in the low 60s with lows in the upper 40s. Expect the sunshine to come back tomorrow.
OUTRO:
Today’s newscast was produced by volunteers AnThu Nguyen (ANNE-two new-WIN) and Carlos Braga. 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.
###
