Bellingham man sentenced to eight years in prison for sexual abuse of child, Shoreline construction project to limit access to Boulevard Park, beginning next month, WWU report calls for cross-border collaboration to protect whales in Salish Sea, Padden Creek fish passage project receives permit to work around the clock to recoup lost time from recent diesel spill, Whatcom health officials hold roundtable to prepare participants and patients for ever-shrinking budgets, Why are gas prices so high?
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KMRE brings you local news for Wednesday, September 17th. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: Bellingham man sentenced to eight years in prison for sexual abuse of child
A 59-year-old Bellingham man will spend the next eight years in prison for child sex crimes.
James Burr was sentenced Tuesday in Whatcom County Superior Court after he pleaded guilty to child molestation and witness tampering.
Because of the nature of the offenses, Burr’s release will eventually be reviewed by the state’s Indeterminate Sentence Review Board, which could keep him behind bars longer. Whenever he is released, he will face lifetime community custody and a permanent sexual assault protection order.
The victim’s family told the court the abuse has caused lasting trauma. Judge Evan Jones said the punishment sends a clear message that these crimes will not be tolerated. Before sentencing, Burr apologized and said he would never reoffend.
STORY: Shoreline construction project to limit access to Boulevard Park, beginning next month
The City of Bellingham says the public will have limited access to Boulevard Park for the next few months.
Two key beach areas will receive improvements and enhancements thanks to the Boulevard Park Shoreline project. According to an announcement posted on the city’s Parks and Recreation department’s webpage, both the eastern and western beach areas will be expanded, and public access to the Bellingham Bay waterfront will be improved. The project also includes measures designed to protect park infrastructure, as well as the fish and marine life that live and spawn close to shore.
Parks and Rec expects construction to begin in October, with major work completed by the end of the year. During that time, parking access may be reduced or completely unavailable, and some of the park, including the areas to the south and west of the Woods Coffee Shop, will be inaccessible. Nearby neighbors can expect periods of construction and truck traffic noise when low-tide periods occur at night.
Other areas, including an alternate trail detour, will remain open during regular park hours.
STORY: WWU report calls for cross-border collaboration to protect whales in Salish Sea
A new report from the Salish Sea Institute highlights how different rules in the U.S. and Canada impact resident whales.
The report details how inconsistent rules designed to safeguard endangered whales — like how close boats can get to orcas and humpbacks — can undermine those efforts.
Researchers say broader cooperation is needed to protect whales and their ecosystem, and Canadian policymakers say they will now consider aligning their boating regulations with Washington state. According to the Institute, conversations are underway about forming a cross-border Salish Sea Council that could oversee protections spanning the U.S., Canada, and Coast Salish nations.
Advocates say the time to act is now, before it’s too late for the whales and the waters they call home.
STORY: Padden Creek fish passage project receives permit to work around the clock to recoup lost time from recent diesel spill
Work on the Padden Creek fish passage project is in a race against time after a diesel spill caused a three-week delay in August.
The state deadline for the construction to be complete is September 30th. To help meet the cutoff, the Bellingham City Council approved a temporary noise variance, which will allow crews to work around the clock if needed. The city also requested a two-week extension.
The project, led by Faber (FAY-burr) Construction, aims to replace old culverts with fish-friendly ones to improve salmon habitat. However, a pump malfunction spilled nearly 700 gallons of fuel into the creek last month. The spill forced cleanup crews to remove more than 300 tons of contaminated soil.
If crews miss the deadline, construction would be delayed until next summer. City officials say completing the work is in the public interest, as leaving the creek mid-construction would continue to block fish passage and keep parts of the Interurban Trail closed.
STORY: Whatcom health officials hold roundtable to prepare participants and patients for ever-shrinking budgets
Millions of Americans could soon lose health insurance under federal cuts — and Whatcom County leaders are preparing for the fallout.
Regional health officials and elected leaders gathered in late August for a roundtable to tackle the looming loss of Medicaid coverage. PeaceHealth estimates about 13,000 Whatcom residents are at risk of losing insurance, out of 200,000 statewide.
Washington is expected to lose 2 billion dollars in federal Medicaid funding over the next four years. Local leaders say they’re working to strengthen the health and social services safety net — and to find new funds for critical programs like housing, transportation, and nutrition support.
PeaceHealth leaders say the effort now is to close service gaps before more people fall through them. Despite the strain, they stress that no one will be turned away from emergency care.
STORY: Why are gas prices so high?
Washington drivers now pay the highest gas prices in the nation.
According to AAA (Triple A), a gallon of gas averages $4.66 — about a dollar fifty more than the national average. The spike has been fueled by a mix of refinery repairs, higher state gas taxes, and the temporary shutdown of the Olympic pipeline. Drivers west of the Cascades pay the most, with King County averaging $4.88 a gallon, compared to $4.60 in Whatcom County.
Analysts say they expect relief soon as stations switch from summer-blend to cheaper winter-blend fuel, which could shave off up to 30 cents a gallon in the weeks ahead.
WX: The ol’ Bad Sun – Good Sun routine
And now for the weather:
We’ll have slightly milder weather, with reduced wind speeds, higher amounts of cloud cover, and daytime highs falling back into the mid-70s. We can still expect the sun to poke through, though, with today’s U.V. index rating maxing out at a reasonable 4. The partial cloud cover looks to roll into the evening and nighttime, and temperatures should drop down to lows in the mid-50s.
The clouds should burn off sometime tomorrow morning, leaving us with a mostly clear view of the glorious sun. Not that you should be looking at it, or anything… we at KMRE News do not endorse that here.
OUTRO:
Today’s newscast was produced by volunteers Carlos Braga (BRA-guh), Connor O’Boyle, Kyler Cantrell, Theron (THARE-un) Danielson, Cody Mills, Aidan Larson, Glen Hirshberg (HERSH-berg), Kathi O’Shea (o-SHAY), Bella Mae, and Kai Blais-Schmolke (KAI BLAZE-SHMOLE-kee). 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 your donations. Check out our Patreon page or visit kmre.org and click on the banner. I’m _________, and thank you for listening!
