Whatcom crews discover body while responding to house fire north of Bellingham, Ferndale man accused of child molestation removed from Canada and arrested, North Coast Credit Union decides to sell its building, Free COVID tests from the government, Mount Vernon opens new city library, DOJ awards $8 million to WA tribes, nonprofits, and govt programs to provide services for victims of domestic abuse, Whatcom Humane Society takes over hunt for fugitive cow
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KMRE brings you local news for Thursday, October 3rd. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: Whatcom crews discover body while responding to house fire north of Bellingham
Firefighters who responded to a fire at Pole Road on Tuesday discovered the body of 55-year-old Michael Zwieres (z-WEER-us) inside a burned-out detached garage. The fire, initially reported as extinguished, was still active when crews arrived but was quickly controlled.
The cause of both the fire and Zwieres’ death is under investigation by both Whatcom County sheriff and medical examiner’s offices.
STORY: Ferndale man accused of child molestation removed from Canada and arrested
A Ferndale man accused of raping his girlfriend’s daughter over a period of years has been returned to the United States after fleeing to Canada.
The 18-year-old victim reported the abuse, which allegedly began around 10 years ago when the family lived in Las Vegas and escalated after they moved to Bellingham in 2017. The 37-year-old suspect also allegedly gave drugs and alcohol to the victim. He fled to Canada in July before his arrest, but was located by Canadian authorities in August and returned to the U.S. on Tuesday.
He is facing multiple charges and will appear in court today.
STORY: North Coast Credit Union decides to sell its building
North Coast Credit Union has agreed to sell its property at Northwest
Avenue to the City of Bellingham for nearly $1.3 million.
The sale will result in the closure of the credit union’s branch at that location, which is expected to take place in the coming months. The property purchase follows the city’s acquisition of an adjacent parcel for future affordable housing, with its first use being a shelter solution called North Haven, replacing two tiny home villages facing relocation. North Coast Credit Union President A.C. Griffith emphasized the importance of supporting affordable housing while adapting to declining in-branch transactions, with all employees at the Northwest branch offered roles at other locations.
The Bellingham City Council approved the purchase on Monday.
STORY: Free COVID tests from the government
The federal government is once again offering free COVID-19 test kits, with up to four kits per household available through COVIDTests.gov.
Shipping is also free, and only a name and address are required to place an order. The FTC reminds consumers: to avoid test scams, only order through the official website and never share financial or personal information.
STORY: Whatcom County sees drop in fentanyl overdoses over the summer
According to a new report from Whatcom Health and Human Services, Whatcom County has seen a small decline in overdose-related EMS calls and deaths in every month since May.
Officials caution that the trend cannot be directly linked to local initiatives, as similar patterns are occurring in other regions. The county has made progress with actions announced in April to address the fentanyl crisis. These include plans for an $8 million grant to fund rehabilitative housing and the installation of naloxone (nuh-LOCK-sone) vending machines.
Future projects include the opening of The Way Station in Bellingham and a crisis care facility planned for 2025.
STORY: Mount Vernon opens new city library
Mount Vernon has opened its new city library.
The $53 million Library Commons, which is the size of half a city block, is the largest project in Mount Vernon’s history. It features the largest children’s library collection north of Seattle, as well as a community kitchen and a parking garage with 76 public charging spots for electric vehicles.
The garage’s proximity to the Skagit Station will allow people to visit the library between catching a bus or train. In fact, the transit focus of the project allowed for nearly half the funding to come through a loan from the U.S. Department of Transportation. Back in May, the new library was heralded by Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg as a “game changer” for the people of Mt. Vernon.
The Mount Vernon Library Commons will open to the public later this month.
STORY: DOJ awards $8 million to WA tribes, nonprofits, and govt programs to provide services for victims of domestic abuse
The U.S. Department of Justice is awarding nearly $8 million to tribal nations, nonprofits and government programs across Western Washington to provide services for victims of domestic violence.
In a news release from last Thursday, U.S. Attorney Tessa Gorman announced that the grants will be paid out over multi-year periods, and that she is quote “pleased to see the impactful programs our tribal partners are supporting with this funding” unquote.
Those awarded funding include the Snoqualmie Indian and Makah (muh-CAH) tribes, the King County Sexual Assault Resource Center, and the Seattle City Attorney’s Office.
STORY: Whatcom Humane Society takes over hunt for fugitive cow
The hunt for Mabel, the brown cow who has now been on the run for nearly two months, continues.
The Whatcom Humane Society is now in charge of attempting to contain Mabel after last Tuesday evening, when her owner failed to do so successfully. Laura Clark, the shelter’s executive director, said that Mabel’s capture is now a public safety issue, and that the shelter’s staff, volunteer teams and livestock veterinarians are working on a plan to safely contain her.
It all started on the morning of August 10th, when two cows were spotted near the intersection of Sunset and Hannigan after they had gotten loose from a livestock trailer. While one cow was successfully captured, Mabel was nowhere to be seen. Since then, she’s been sighted roaming the area near Barkley Village.
Anyone who sees Mabel roaming on public or private property is encouraged to call the animal control dispatch line and report the time and location.
Forecast: Oh, y’know, the same
A mixture of clouds and sun is in the forecast today. We’re expecting modestly warm daytime highs in the mid-60s, alongside calm north-northwestern winds. Evening temperatures are expected to drop into the upper 40s, with a decent chance of some late-night rain.
We’re looking at high amounts of rain tomorrow, alongside cooler temperatures and increased winds.
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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