Bear encounter near Bellingham leaves two victims hospitalized, Bellingham to move forward with partial ban on kratom sales, Whatcom County executive Sidhu announces he will not seek re-election in 2027, Nooksack Tribe and Whatcom Land Trust awarded over three-quarters of a million dollars for river restoration projects, Cherry Point Refinery to undergo regular maintenance, may produce visible flares, Northwest Licensing moving to Cordata, Bellingham author among Book Awards winners, WA job market and unemployment rate both continue to decline, Water Resources Development Act passes House by crushing margin, New Federal Law Gives Victims a Way to Fight Back Against Nonconsensual Intimate Images, Students encounter difficulties when transferring from community college to 4-year schools (undated), Community Conversations District 2 (run at end of Sept), Recycling Event (run between 9/28 – Oct 1), Ferndale Coffee with a Cop (run between 9/28 and 9/2), Friends of the Bellingham Public Library September Book Sale
Independent, nonprofit community radio. KMRE brings you local news for Thursday, September, 17. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: Bear encounter near Bellingham leaves two victims hospitalized
A man and a child were injured in a black bear attack in Whatcom County.
This happened Sunday evening on a residential property north of Lake Whatcom. Both the man and the child were treated at a hospital and then released.
The Department of Fish and Wildlife has not indicated the exact location of the attack, but said they are trying to trap the bear.
UPDATE: Bellingham to move forward with partial ban on kratom sales
Bellingham will move ahead with a partial ban on kratom—a controversial over-the-counter drug.
At Monday’s meeting, the City Council voted unanimously to prohibit the sale, distribution and preparation of kratom products. Violations will now be considered gross misdemeanors, punishable by up to a year in prison or a five-thousand-dollar fine. The ordinance would not prohibit people from possessing or purchasing kratom.
During public comment, community members urged the council to distinguish between traditional, whole-leaf kratom and more potent forms of the drug, including a concentrated compound known as 7-O-H.
Councilmember Michael Lilliquist criticized the lack of state and federal regulation, calling the city’s ordinance a “band-aid.” as there’s currently no reliable system for determining whether a product contains natural or synthetic kratom.
The ordinance will return to the council for final approval at a future meeting.
Bellingham’s action follows similar restrictions adopted by Mount Vernon and other Washington cities.
STORY: Whatcom County executive Sidhu announces he will not seek re-election in 2027
Whatcom County will be looking for a new county executive in 2027.
At the Council meeting Tuesday night, Executive Satpal Sidhu (SAT-paul si-DOO) announced that he will not seek reelection.
Sidhu did not give a reason for his decision. In remarks before presenting his proposed two-year budget, he reflected on challenges during his tenure, including the COVID-19 pandemic, two major floods, the opioid crisis and cross-border tensions.
Sidhu also pointed to the county’s financial position, saying the general fund’s year-end balance has grown by at least 15 percent in each of the past six years.
Satpal Sidhu was first elected county executive in 2019 and re-elected in 2022. During that time, he also faced some notable challenges.
In 2024, Whatcom Democrats called for his resignation after he wrote a letter of introduction for a former public works director had been accused of sexual harassment by several female employees. In 2025, the county’s former health department director filed a tort claim against Sidhu for sexual harassment and creating a toxic workplace.
Sidhu said he’ll save a more detailed reflection on his time in office for another day.
STORY: Nooksack Tribe and Whatcom Land Trust awarded over three-quarters of a million dollars for river restoration projects
Whatcom County will get more than three-quarters of a million dollars in Salmon Recovery Grants.
The Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office will grant the Nooksack Tribe just over $470,000. The money will be used to restore habitat for Chinook salmon as well as steelhead and bull trout in the North Fork of the Nooksack River.
Whatcom Land Trust will get about $300,000 which they will use for similar work on the South Fork Nooksack River and Racehorse Creek.
The money will come from state bonds, the federal National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Washington’s Climate Commitment Act.
STORY: Cherry Point Refinery to undergo regular maintenance, may produce visible flares
Residents near the Cherry Point refinery may notice more flames in the sky in the coming weeks — but officials say there’s no emergency.
Whatcom County Fire District 7 says BP Cherry Point has begun planned maintenance that could lead to increased flaring.
According to BP, the work is routine and the flaring is part of standard refinery operations. Flaring is used to safely manage and dispose of excess gases during certain maintenance and operational activities.
BP says crews will work to minimize flaring when possible and will continue monitoring emissions throughout the maintenance period.
The company says additional public notifications will be issued if necessary.
Fire District 7 says residents who see increased flare activity should know that visible flames or smoke are expected as part of the planned maintenance.
STORY: Northwest Licensing moving to Cordata
After 26 years, Northwest Licensing is packing up and moving out.
The Bellingham office is leaving its Cedarwood Avenue location and moving to a new office in the Cordata area.
Saturday is the last day at the current location.
The new office opens Tuesday at 4182 Cordata Parkway, next to the Washington State Department of Licensing driver’s license office, between Park Bowl and Dairy Queen.
Northwest Licensing handles vehicle titles, registrations, tab renewals and title transfers, along with other Department of Licensing services.
Customers are encouraged to plan ahead during the transition.
STORY: Bellingham author among Book Awards winners
A Bellingham author is among the winners of this year’s Washington State Book Awards.
Cori Winrock won the creative nonfiction and memoir category for her book, Alterations.
The Washington Center for the Book announced winners in seven categories, recognizing outstanding books published by Washington authors last year.
The awards are marking their 60th year and honor books for literary merit, lasting importance, and overall quality.
Other winners include Spokane author Leyna Krow (LAY-na CROW) for fiction, Seattle author Cat Bohannon for general nonfiction, and Seattle author Esther Lin (ES-tur LIN) for poetry.
Awards also went to authors from Seattle, Poulsbo (POLES-bo), and Olympia for books aimed at children and young adults.
Judges considered more than 300 books for this year’s awards.
STORY: WA job market and unemployment rate both continue to decline
Washington’s labor market showed mixed results in August.
The state Employment Security Department says the unemployment rate fell for the second consecutive month, while the number of jobs declined.
The unemployment rate dropped to 4-point-9 percent, and the state lost an estimated 900 jobs.
Chief labor economist Anneliese Vance-Sherman (ANN-uh-LEE-suh SHER-mun) says the numbers tell different stories. While the job count fell, fewer people were unemployed and looking for work.
STORY: Water Resources Development Act passes House by crushing margin
Northwest Washington environment and water resources will come under protection of a new act.
The Water Development Act passed the House by a margin of 415-to-9.
The passage means more potential funding for ports, harbors, inland waterways and flood management systems across the country
Representative Rick Larsen said there may also be funding opportunities to restore ecosystems on Spencer Island by authorizing a study to mitigate Nooksack River flooding.
WX: Feeeeeeeeel beautiful
And now for the weather…
More sunshine is in store for us today, with expected highs in the mid-low 70s throughout Whatcom. Expect clear skies to stick around well after the sun sets. Nighttime lows should stay at around mid to low 50s.
Expect more of this weather pattern tomorrow, except you, Lynden, you got some early morning clouds coming your way.
OUTRO:
Today’s newscast was produced by volunteers Carlos Braga (BRAH-guh), Kyler Cantrell (can-TRELL), Glen Hirshberg (HERSH-berg), Kathi O’Shea (o-SHAY), Kai Blais-Schmolke (KAI BLAZE-SHMOLE-kee), Jenny Lam, Doug Langstrom, and Cheri Cloninger (SHARE-ee CLAWN-in-jer). 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. To help support our work, check out our Patreon, or Substack, or visit kmre.org and click on the banner. I’m _________ — thanks for listening!
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STORY: New Federal Law Gives Victims a Way to Fight Back Against Nonconsensual Intimate Images
There’s now a way to fight back if intimate photos or videos are posted online without permission.
Under the federal Take It Down Act, online platforms are required to provide an easy way to request that the content be removed — and they have 48 hours to take it down once a request is made.
The FTC says platforms are also violating the law if they don’t have a working removal process.
If a platform doesn’t take down the content within 48 hours, you can report it to the Federal Trade Commission at TakeItDown dot FTC dot gov.
The FTC says those reports can help the agency investigate platforms that break the law. Civil penalties can be more than 53-thousand dollars for each violation.
STORY: Students encounter difficulties when transferring from community college to 4-year schools (undated)
A new Washington report finds many community college students face a confusing and largely self-directed path when trying to transfer to a four-year school.
Researchers at the University of Washington found students often had to figure out transfer requirements, financial aid and credit-transfer rules on their own. Many said transferred credits didn’t always count toward their intended major, creating delays and added costs.
Community college transfer is a major pathway to a bachelor’s degree for many first-generation and low-income students. Researchers found success often depended on work schedules, childcare, transportation and finances as much as academics.
The report recommends clearer transfer information, dedicated transfer advisors and better coordination between community colleges and universities.
The findings come as Washington works toward a goal of having 70 percent of adults ages 25 to 44 earn a credential beyond high school.
STORY: Community Conversations District 2 (run at end of Sept)
Whatcom County residents will soon have a chance to meet their council members and ask questions.
Three councilmembers — Elizabeth Boyle, Barry Buchanan, and Jon Scanlon — will take part in a community conversation on Thursday, October 1 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Round Table Pizza on East Sunset Drive. It’s part of the council’s Community Conversations series, this time held with the Barkley Neighborhood Association.
The event is free and open to the public, with time for updates and a Q&A.
More information on upcoming Community Conversations events is available on the county’s website.
STORY: Another Community Conversations series meeting (run 9/28 – 10/2)
Whatcom County residents will have a chance to ask county councilmembers questions face-to-face next week.
Councilmembers Elizabeth Boyle, Barry Buchanan, and Jon Scanlon will meet with community members Wednesday as part of the County Council’s Community Conversations series.
The event is being held with members of the King Mountain Neighborhood Association, but it’s free and open to everyone.
Councilmembers will provide updates on county government and take questions from residents.
The meeting runs from 5 to 7 p.m. at Bellingham Covenant Church on East Bakerview Road.
STORY: Recycling Event (run between 9/28 – Oct 1)
Whatcom County residents and businesses can get rid of unwanted paint for free at a recycling event in Bellingham.
The Paint Collection and Recycling Event is Saturday, October 3rd, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Barkley Village, on Rimland Drive.
Accepted items include latex and oil-based paints, acrylics, varnishes, shellacs, lacquers and primers. Paint must be in its original container and in containers of five gallons or less. There’s no need to dry out the paint before bringing it in.
Spray paint, marine and automotive paint, paint thinner and other hazardous materials will not be accepted.
People are asked to stay in their vehicles while staff unload the materials. Pre-registration is encouraged.
F&C 9/24-26
Friends of the Bellingham Public Library September Book Sale
Friday, September 25, 10:00 am – 6:00 pm, half-price
Saturday, September 26, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm, $5/bag
Lecture Room, Central Library
Visit the Lecture Room at the Central Library for the Friends of the Library September Book Sale and browse from a huge selection of books, DVDs, and more. There will be items for all ages and all proceeds benefit your library. Credit card and cash payments will be accepted. Check it out!
STORY: Ferndale Coffee with a Cop (run between 9/28 and 9/2)
Ferndale police are inviting residents to sit down and chat over coffee.
The department is hosting Coffee with a Cop next Wednesday at Woods Coffee on Main Street in Ferndale.
The event runs from 9 to 11 a.m. and is part of National Coffee with a Cop Day, which promotes informal conversations between police and community members.
There’s no agenda or formal presentation. Residents can stop by to meet officers, ask questions, share concerns, or simply have a conversation.
No registration is required.
The event will be held at Woods Coffee on Main Street in Ferndale.
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