Moratorium on new heavy industry fails, Downtown Bellingham Partnership honored for its City Block Program, City invites nominations for Mayor’s Arts Awards, 3.1 magnitude earthquake hits Gig Harbor, WA, 32 states sue Meta, alleging harm to youth mental health, Democracy Block, PROMO: BEYOND BARS
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Independent, nonprofit community radio.
KMRE brings you local news for Wednesday, October 25th. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: Moratorium on new heavy industry fails
During the Whatcom County Council meeting yesterday, council members voted against a yearlong moratorium on heavy-industry developments near the airport.
The moratorium was prompted over a month ago by ABC Recycling’s proposed metal shredding plant. Residents of the nearby neighborhoods expressed concerns over possible noise from the shredding, and heavy-metal pollution from truck tires.
In response, the County Council called for a vote proposing an emergency moratorium on new heavy industry developments in the Alderwood area, including the ABC Recycling property. The vote failed by one, and ABC Recycling managed to submit an application before the council could reconsider the moratorium yesterday.
During the meeting, much of the testimony focused on a metal shredding facility proposed by ABC Recycling. However, because the application was submitted before the moratorium could be reconsidered, the moratorium likely wouldn’t affect the plant. The vote tied 3 to 3, with one abstention, and the moratorium failed.
ABC Recycling plans to hold community forums about the project in November and December, but no specific dates have been given yet.
STORY: Downtown Bellingham Partnership honored for its City Block Program
Downtown Bellingham’s ‘City Block Program’ has been recognized for innovation and excellence.
The program, organized by the Downtown Bellingham Partnership, received the Organizational Excellence Award from the Washington State Main Street Program. Launched in April 2022 in response to post-pandemic challenges, the Bellingham program divided the downtown into districts and promoted engagement and communication among business owners. The initiative led to an advocacy campaign addressing downtown drug issues, alleyway improvements, and the Commercial Street Block Party series.
STORY: City invites nominations for Mayor’s Arts Awards
Nominations are now open for the Mayor’s Arts Awards.
The awards celebrate the vibrant arts scene in the city and those who contribute to it and recognize individuals, educators, and events that feature various forms of artistic achievements. Community members are encouraged to submit nominations.
The deadline is December 31 and awardees will be announced in early spring 2024.
STORY: 3.1 magnitude earthquake hits Gig Harbor
A 3.1 magnitude earthquake was detected near Gig Harbor on Sunday.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the earthquake was felt across Puget Sound at around 8pm. The Pacific Northwest Seismic Network stated the epicenter of the earthquake was 17 miles northwest of Tacoma.
170 people reported to the USGS that they felt the earthquake.
STORY: WA, 32 other states sue Meta, alleging harm to youth mental health
Washington and 32 other states are suing Meta, alleging it deliberately designed and maintained “addictive” features that harm kids’ mental health.
The lawsuit was filed on Tuesday in federal court in California, saying that Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, “has profoundly altered the psychological and social realities of a generation of young Americans.” The 33-state lawsuit argues Meta’s practices violate state consumer protection laws, and claims Meta routinely collects data on children younger than 13 without their parents’ consent, in violation of federal law.
Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson said in a statement that Meta knew that targeting youth posed risks to their mental health, and exploited that for profit. He added that features such as the like button, endless scrolling, and push notifications were designed to monopolize the time and attention of younger users. These features can lead to addiction, which has been shown to exacerbate mental health issues in teenagers.
Seven other states and the District of Columbia are suing the company in their own courts, and Florida is filing its own federal lawsuit.
STORY: Democracy Block
Election Day is coming up, and to give our listeners more insight into the candidates for office, KMRE will present a series of candidate forums.
We’ll air a new Bellingham-Whatcom League of Women Voters forum every day at 11AM.
Today, tune in to hear the candidates for Whatcom County Sheriff– incumbent Doug Chadwick and challenger, City of Blaine Chief of Police Donnell (daw-NELL) “Tank” Tanksley square off on issues of law and justice. Tomorrow’s Democracy Block will feature a vigorous debate on the most recent Jail funding proposition. On the pro side are Peter Frazier and Stephen Gockley, and on the con side are Josh Ceretti and Jason McGill.
PROMO: BEYOND BARS
Also– coming up after the 5pm news– join community radio KMRE and Cascadia Daily News in a collaborative exploration of the many aspects of the current Whatcom County jail and the controversy around the push to build a new one.
Today’s Beyond Bars interview features Maialisa Vanyo (MY-uh-lisa VAUGHN-yo)— Whatcom County Chief Deputy Defense Attorney. Vanyo has worked as a public defender for over 24 years, 13 of them here in Whatcom County. She has an exhaustive understanding of the nature of crime in our region.
MAIALISA AUDIO
Tune in to hear the whole interview after the 5pm news.
WX: Freeze Watch
Today will be mostly sunny and clear with a high of 52°. Winds will have gusts of up to 20mph. Tonight has lows around 36, winds calming down. There will be frost in some areas overnight, with the temperatures being much of the same tomorrow. There is a freeze watch in place across Whatcom and Skagit as temperatures drop to around freezing later this week.
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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