Small earthquake felt in Puget Sound region, Bellingham Bay pier environmental permits approved, 1 dead, 1 jailed after Nooksack Road crash, New WA agency will review fatal police shooting of Redmond mother, Failure of Single component caused Washington seaplane crash near Whidbey, State task force looking at new agency to oversee jails, Juvenile ‘strike’ can count toward life sentence, Washington Supreme Court rules
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KMRE brings you local news for Monday, October 9th, 2023. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: Small earthquake felt in Puget Sound region
A brief tremor rattled homes in the Puget Sound region last night.
The Pacific Northwest Seismic Network recorded a 4.3 magnitude earthquake shortly after 7pm that originated south of Port Townsend in Scow Bay at a depth of about 35 miles. Although it was detected by the ShakeAlert notification system, its strength was too small to issue a mobile alert. There is no tsunami risk, and no significant reports of damage.
The earthquake was classified as “light shaking” by the U.S. Geological Society and was felt in areas as far north as Victoria, B.C., and as far south as Olympia. This is the first earthquake in Washington state with a magnitude of 4 or higher since 2019.
STORY: 1 dead, 1 jailed after Nooksack Road crash
On Friday night, a man was arrested after they killed their passenger in a car crash in Everson.
According to the Washington State Patrol, 21 year-old Maximo Najera (nah-HAE-ra) was driving a car on Nooksack Road when it hit and broke a power pole, killing the passenger. Investigators say the driver was under the influence of drugs or alcohol during the crash. Around the same time, Puget Sound Energy reported a power outage affecting nearly 250 people in the surrounding area, with the downed power pole cited as the cause of the outage. Najera is being held at the Whatcom County jail and is charged with vehicular homicide.
STORY: Bellingham Bay pier environmental permits approved
Environmental permits have been obtained for the renovation of the pier at Little Squalicum Park, marking a significant milestone for Bellingham.
The permits pave the way for renovations on the over-100-year-old pier. Originally built in 1912 for loading products onto barges, the pier has been inactive since 1987. After renovations, it will provide 1,200 feet of public access into the Bay.
Construction is expected to begin in 2024.
STORY: New WA agency will review fatal police shooting of Redmond mother
The newly established Office of Independent Investigations in Washington state is set to review the 2020 shooting death of Andrea Churna by a Redmond police officer.
This marks the first case to undergo formal review by O.I.I., an agency created to address conflicts of interest when the police investigate other police officers. Andrea Churna, an unarmed 39-year-old mother, was shot and killed by Officer Daniel Mendoza while attempting to surrender to the police. Officer Mendoza, a rookie, had previously been fired by the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office for poor performance.
Mendoza declined to cooperate with the investigation into the shooting and no longer works for the Redmond Police Department. The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office declined to charge Mendoza, citing a belief that he may have reasonably thought Churna was armed and posed a threat. Churna’s family requested O.I.I. reexamine the case.
Independent Investigations Director Roger Rogoff, a former prosecutor and judge, will determine if there is new evidence that warrants reopening the investigation. The agency, still in development, will eventually investigate all law enforcement-caused deaths in the state.
STORY: Failure of single component caused Washington seaplane crash near Whidbey
Investigators have confirmed the cause of the seaplane crash that killed ten people near Whidbey Island last year.
The National Transportation Safety Board found that a single component of a critical flight control system failed, causing the crash into Mutiny Bay. The actuator, which moves the plane’s horizontal tail and controls the airplane’s pitch, had become disconnected. Evidence showed the failure happened before the crash, not as a result of it. The crash occurred in September of last year during a flight towards Renton from Friday Harbor. The pilot and all nine passengers died in the crash.
In its final report, the NTSB recommends that the Federal Aviation Administration and Transport Canada require seaplanes to have a secondary locking feature installed, preventing a failure like this in the future.
Lawsuits have been filed by the family members of the victims against the aircraft’s charter operator–Friday Harbor Seaplanes, the plane’s manufacturer–de Havilland Aircraft of Canada, and the plane’s certificate holder–Viking Air.
STORY: State task force looking at new agency to oversee jails
A Washington state task force is backing the creation of a new agency to set safeguards and conduct inspections of jails throughout the state.
The Joint Legislative Task Force on Jail Standards suggests the formation of an agency that would develop minimum standards for safety and responsibilities such as intake, visitation, discipline, and medical care. It would be able to pursue the closure of facilities where conditions jeopardize the health or safety of workers or incarcerated individuals. The agency would also be able to set minimum staffing levels and maximum capacity for each jail. To ensure compliance, the agency would conduct on-site inspections and produce regular reports on jail conditions. Its oversight powers would only be limited to city, county, and regional jails, not state correctional facilities.
The task force will continue with its bimonthly meetings to refine and vote on recommendations regarding the potential new agency.
WX: Possible Storms
Today will be cloudy with a high chance of rain, and strong winds of up to 30 mph. The high will be 66* during the day. Nighttime will bring more rain and a low near 53*. Expect even more rain in the coming days, with temperatures staying steady. Storms may potentially cause outages in the next few days.
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.
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STORY: Juvenile ‘strike’ can count toward life sentence, Washington Supreme Court rules
Run tomorrow after ruling–
The Washington State Supreme Court is set to hear a significant case involving the rights of people sheltering in their vehicles.
A growing number of homeless individuals in Washington are living in their vehicles, but they face challenges due to local laws, including bans on vehicle habitation, restrictive parking rules, and towing. These laws often force people to leave their communities, even if they have lived there for a long time.
Jack Potter, a longtime resident of Lacey, was forced to live in his travel trailer due to housing market pressures. Lacey passed a law prohibiting vehicles used as shelter from parking in town for more than four hours, essentially forcing Potter and others out of their community.
Tomorrow, Potter’s case will be heard by the Washington Supreme Court.
