Western student sexually harassed in Sehome Arboretum, I-5 landslide caused by blocked culvert, Multiple incidents of arson destroy ballot boxes across Washington and Oregon, Bellingham residents voice opposition to city council decision delaying replacement of Chuckanut Creek bridge, Bellingham to develop new public beach in early 2025, Whatcom County to hire full-time archaeologist following costly mishandling of indigenous cultural materials, Washington tops list of most energy-efficient states
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KMRE brings you local news for Tuesday, October 29th. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: Western student sexually harassed in Sehome Arboretum A Western student was sexually harassed in the Sehome Arboretum during the weekend.
A campus advisory released by WWU says that the student was walking in the Arboretum around 5:45 p.m. on Saturday, when he was approached by an older man. According to the student, the man grabbed his arm and tried to fondle him before running off towards the top of the hill.
The suspect is believed to be between 50-to-70 years old with a dark complexion and a thin, average build. The man was wearing blue sweatpants and a baseball cap during the incident.
Bellingham Police have not yet confirmed whether they’re still investigating the incident.
STORY: I-5 landslide caused by blocked culvert
According to the Department of Transportation and City of Bellingham officials, the Sunday morning landslide that covered the northbound lanes of I-5 was triggered by a blocked culvert at Maryland Street.
A piece of wind-blown carpet padding caused water to build up and saturate the soil during heavy rainfall, which led to the slide. An estimated 2,000 cubic yards of debris covered the road and a semi-truck was temporarily stranded. No injuries were reported.
According to the National Weather Service, record rainfall in Bellingham on Sunday morning likely contributed to the slide. City engineers have assessed the area and say there is no immediate risk to surrounding infrastructure. While this specific slope is not classified as unstable, landslides are a common hazard in western Washington, especially during heavy rain and snow-melt cycles. Community members are encouraged to clear or report clogged drains to help prevent future incidents.
Repair efforts are still underway, and are being monitored by the city and WSDOT.
STORY: Multiple incidents of arson destroy ballot boxes across Washington and Oregon
Authorities are investigating after fires were set in ballot drop boxes early yesterday in Portland and Vancouver, Washington.
In Portland, an incendiary device placed in the drop box damaged three ballots, with nearly all other ballots protected by a fire suppressant. Affected voters will be contacted for replacement ballots.
In Vancouver, a fire on the Fisher’s Landing Transit Center drop box destroyed hundreds of ballots despite a fire suppression system, which
failed to activate. Surveillance cameras were present, and officials are increasing ballot collection frequency and shifting collection to the evening to reduce overnight risk. A similar attempt earlier this month in Vancouver did not damage any ballots.
In a conversation with KMRE, County Auditor Stacy Henthorne said that all ballot drop boxes in Whatcom are equipped with fire suppression. Henthorne says the Auditor’s office is not particularly concerned with the anti-voting action in the Portland area because although Whatcom is growing, it is still a smaller, close-knit community. Election workers visit each dropbox once a day. In addition, Henthorne says that, before dropboxes were installed, she sent letters to the mayors of all the small cities, as well as the Whatcom County Sheriff, to ask for additional help in oversight.
In an email to KMRE, Sheriff Donnell (don-ELL) Tanksley said this morning that the Sheriff’s office is committed to protecting the voting rights of everyone in the community, including detainees. Tanksley said, quote: “we’re proud to work closely with the Auditor’s Office to ensure the integrity and accessibility of our local elections.” unquote.
Both Washington and Oregon are primarily vote-by-mail, allowing ballots to be returned by mail or drop box. Ballots returned by mail must be postmarked by election day, or put in a dropbox by 8pm sharp on November 5th, for your ballot to be counted.
STORY: Bellingham residents voice opposition to city council decision delaying replacement of Chuckanut Creek bridge Families who live in Bellingham’s South neighborhood say they face an uncertain future after city officials halted developments on a bridge replacement project.
The community of Chuckanut Village is located south of Historic Fairhaven around Chuckanut Bay’s estuary. The only access to residents’ homes is through a temporary bridge on 19th Street, south of Rainier Avenue. The original bridge was washed out during a storm in November 2021.
According to The Bellingham Herald, residents say they were informed of a recommended solution that involved selling the impacted properties to the city to be converted into conservation land instead of rebuilding the bridge. Homeowner Rebecca Bunn launched an online petition to convince the City Council to reject that recommendation. The city has since decided to delay any decision-making related to the bridge.
According to Public Works spokeswoman Riley Grant, sea-level rise and flooding related to climate change are key factors under consideration. The city’s Public Works Department website says staff is looking for a permanent solution that balances environmental impact, long-term costs, and resident access.
A City Council presentation is expected in the first half of 2025.
STORY: Bellingham to develop new public beach in early 2025 Bellingham’s Boulevard Park will have a new beach early next year to help mitigate storm damage exacerbated by climate change.
Construction is scheduled to begin in the next few months and will restore the shoreline from Woods Coffee to beneath the South Bay Trail trestle. The area was fenced off after severe erosion in the November 2021 storms.
Boulevard Park, which sees over 400,000 visitors annually, is a popular site with amenities connecting downtown Bellingham to Fairhaven and the Interurban Trail.
The project is budgeted at just over $800,000, and funded by a $500,000 state grant as well as Greenways levy funds. According to Parks and Recreation Director Nicole Oliver, the project will create a sloping gravel beach similar to one built in 2013. The design dissipates wave energy and can withstand climate-related impacts, while providing easier water access for kayakers. The project will also include native plants to support local marine life, like surf smelt.
The new beach is expected to be completed by February.
WX: Here comes the copyright strike, do do do doooo And now for the weather:
Today’s forecast calls for mostly sunny skies, with chances of scattered showers throughout the day. Temperatures are expected to remain cool,
with a projected daytime high in the mid-low 50s. Expect calm southern winds, and an overcast evening with lows in the mid-low 40s.
The rain is expected to return in force tomorrow, with the National Weather Service forecasting precipitation of up to a quarter of an inch.
OUTRO:
Today’s newscast was produced by volunteers Carlos Braga (BRA-guh), Connor O’Boyle, Jayne Kuhlman (COOL-mun), 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: Whatcom County to hire full-time archaeologist following costly mishandling of indigenous cultural materials
STORY: Washington tops list of most energy-efficient states A new WalletHub study ranked Washington as the most energy-efficient state in the contiguous U.S..
According to the consumer financial website, the study analyzed factors like low residential energy use and low average miles driven. Washington scored almost 80 out of 100 for energy efficiency, took second place in home efficiency, and eighth in auto efficiency. Key factors include long-standing state investments in energy conservation, robust utility programs, and building and appliance efficiency standards.
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