WWU president outlines future plans in staff address, including establishment of new college, Bellingham man arrested after calling 911 during own pursuit, Environmental nonprofit issues water quality warning after finding large algae blooms in Lake Padden, Emergency drill at BIA, Amtrak announces Airo trainsets to begin service on Cascades route by end of month, Let’s Go Washington-backed natural gas bill struck down by Supreme Court, WA DOH releases childhood and adult vaccine schedule for 2026-27, Free and Cheap!, New Law Gives Victims 48 Hours to Get Nonconsensual Intimate Content Removed, 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), Friends of the Bellingham Public Library September Book Sale, Ferndale Coffee with a Cop (run between 9/28 and 9/2)
Independent, nonprofit community radio. KMRE brings you local news for Friday, September 18th. Good afternoon, I’m _David Korb_____.
STORY: WWU president outlines future plans in staff address, including establishment of new college
Western Washington University announced some ambitious goals for the next few years.
President Sabah Randhawa outlined those plans Thursday during his annual state of the university address. They include increasing enrollment to 16,000 students by 2030, creating a new College of Health Sciences, and developing university-wide guidelines for artificial intelligence.
Currently at around 14,500 students, Randhawa says enrollment is trending in the right direction, particularly among transfer students.
The new College of Health Sciences will be developed by a task force this fall, with the goal of responding to regional workforce needs through partnerships with community health organizations.
Western also plans to move its technology systems to the cloud-based Workday platform, launch a major fundraising campaign within the next 18 months, and will be considering a switch from the quarter to the semester system.
Randhawa acknowledged that Western has faced enrollment challenges, state funding cuts, and layoffs in recent years, but he remains optimistic about the university’s future.
STORY: Bellingham man arrested after calling 911 during own pursuit
A 35-year-old man is in custody after leading police on a pursuit along I-5 and calling 911 during the chase.
Washington State Patrol says BPD tried stopping him near Bakerview Road Tuesday morning, but he fled south on I-5. Troopers later found him near Ohio Street and the pursuit continued northbound.
The man told dispatchers there was a child in the car and said he wasn’t going to stop.
Later on, his vehicle was disabled by spike strips near the Main Street exit in Ferndale. He tried running and was arrested with help of a K-9 unit. No child was found.
He now faces several charges, including DUI and false reporting.
STORY: Environmental nonprofit issues water quality warning after finding large algae blooms in Lake Padden
Algal blooms are back at Lake Padden.
RE Sources says its monthly monitoring on Tuesday found large, paint-like green blooms near the boat launch and on the northwest end of the lake. A sample has been sent to King County for testing, and results for cyanotoxins like microcystin or anatoxin-a are expected to be posted on the state’s toxic algae website by Monday.
Health officials say the main risk comes from swallowing. People and pets should steer clear of areas where blooms or algal mats are present.
STORY: Emergency drill at BIA
Bellingham International Airport will run a full-scale emergency drill this weekend.
The Port of Bellingham says its triennial emergency exercise gets underway tomorrow at 10 a.m. The drill will simulate an aircraft incident and give crews a chance to test emergency communication, medical response, and coordination among local, county, and regional partners.
The FAA requires airports to run these exercises every three years to maintain compliance with federal aviation safety rules.
STORY: Amtrak announces Airo trainsets to begin service on Cascades route by end of month
New trainsets are coming to the Amtrak Cascades line.
Amtrak says two new Airo trainsets will enter service September 30th, with six more replacing the existing fleet over the next several months.
The Cascades route runs between Vancouver, B.C. and Eugene, Oregon, with four daily stops in Bellingham.
The new trains have over 300 seats, improved Wi-Fi, power and USB ports, digital displays, six touchless restrooms, food, and beverage service.
STORY: Let’s Go Washington-backed natural gas bill struck down by Supreme Court
The Washington State Supreme Court has struck down Initiative 2066, a voter-approved measure dealing with natural gas.
I-2066 passed with 52 percent of the vote in 2024. It would have limited state efforts to discourage natural gas use and rolled back some incentives for alternative energy.
The court ruled 6-to-3 on Thursday that the initiative was unconstitutional because it covered multiple subjects that could not be combined under the state Constitution’s single-subject requirement.
The ruling means the initiative will not take effect. A dissenting justice argued the measure could have been preserved by removing some provisions.
STORY: WA DOH releases childhood and adult vaccine schedule for 2026-27
The state Department of Health has released new vaccine schedules.
The updated guidance outlines recommended immunizations for children, teens, and adults. These include flu, RSV, and COVID-19 shots for the upcoming respiratory season. The DOH also updated its COVID-19 standing order, allowing everyone six months and older to receive vaccinations and urging people to stay up to date to reduce the risk of severe illness.
All recommended vaccines remain free for kids under 19 through Washington’s Childhood Vaccine Program, and uninsured adults can get recommended vaccines at no cost through the Adult Vaccine Program.
The Department of Health says its website remains the best place to find reliable updates and information.
STORY: WA and FTC reach $225 million settlement with multi-level marketing corporation
Amway will pay $225 million to settle allegations of unfair and deceptive business practices.
Washington Attorney General Nick Brown says thousands of Washington residents could be eligible for compensation.
The company and two of its affiliates were accused of misleading people about potential earnings and pressuring participants to buy large amounts of Amway products that they often couldn not resell.
The settlement requires Amway to change its business practices and report customer sales accurately.
The Federal Trade Commission says this settlement is the largest monetary recovery it has ever obtained in an action against a multi-level marketing company.
STORY: Free and Cheap!
If you’re looking for something free or cheap to do this weekend, here’s a bit of what’s going on around the county.
Tonight at 7:30pm, head to the very first Firehouse Comedy Hour – Laughing Hamster Comedy Festival Edition! 1314 Harris Ave. in Bellingham $15 at the door.
Bellingham Dockside Market runs Saturday from 10 to 2 at Squalicum Harbor’s Gate 5, that’s 2599 S. Harbor Loop Dr., Bellingham. Where local fishers sell their bounty directly to you. The pop-up market operates year-round, but this weekend’s event highlights the connection between clean water and healthy fisheries.
RE Sources is hosting a beach cleanup for International Coastal Cleanup Day — this Saturday from 11 to 1pm at Gulf Road Beach, 4601 Gulf Rd, Ferndale – bags and other supplies provided.
Head over to the all-vegan festival at Barkley Square Sunday from 11 to 3pm! Whether you’re vegan, veg-curious, or just love great food. Bring non-perishable plant-based food items to donate to the Birchwood Food Desert Fighters. And, there will be a swap table full of Vegan Cookbooks & T-shirts! 2219 Rimland Dr., Bellingham
WX: Sunshein, sunzwei, sundrei
And now weather…
Expect a lovely day with a mild breeze and highs in the low 70s. Some light cloud cover will arrive this evening. Temps tonight should hover where they’ve been recently in the low 50s.
Saturday, look for the clouds to burn off, leaving us with sunny, clear skies and highs near 70 all weekend.
OUTRO:
Today’s newscast was produced by volunteers Carlos Braga, Kyler Cantrell, Glen Hirshberg, Kathi O’Shea, Kai Blais-Schmolke, Jenny Lam, Doug Langstrom, and Cheri Cloninger. 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 _David Korb________… thanks for listening!
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STORY: New Law Gives Victims 48 Hours to Get Nonconsensual Intimate Content Removed
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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