Two-way traffic resumes on Bellingham’s Electric Ave bridge, Bellingham city officials join motion for county Superior, Bellingham city officials join motion for county Superior Court to order homeless encampment cleared, Record sockeye salmon runs, Whatcom County Sheriff’s office awarded funding for rapid DNA testing, State expands shellfish-growing areas for Lummi Nation, Whatcom County Sheriff’s office awarded funding for rapid DNA testing, Let’s Go Washington accused of violating campaign finance law, WA public education ranks among best five states in the nation, Consumer Affairs says
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KMRE brings you local news for Thursday, September 19th. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: Two-way traffic resumes on Bellingham’s Electric Ave bridge Both lanes on the Electric Avenue bridge are now open.
The bridge, closed since June for repair and support work on its pilings, is ready nearly two days ahead of schedule. Riley Grant, a spokesperson for the Public Works Department, said that the city is still working on a long-term solution, and that a multi-year process to design and construct a new bridge will take place once funding is secured.
According to a release from the City of Bellingham, the bridge now has the same weight limits that were in place before its emergency closure in June.
STORY: Bellingham city officials join motion for county Superior Court to order homeless encampment cleared
Bellingham officials say the City will join the owners of an apartment complex in asking the County Superior Court to order the encampment behind Walmart be cleared by New Year’s Day.
City officials say they have asked Li-Ching Fang, the property owner, to have the encampment removed by January 1st. If Fang takes no action, the city will ask the court to allow their officials onto the property to plan for a clean-up themselves.
In June, the owners of the Tullwood Apartments, 52nd & Brooklyn, intervened in a lawsuit against Fang, claiming apartment residents were unsafe and the situation was affecting their economic interests.
The city estimates the encampment property has up to 2,000 tons of solid waste, with more assumed to be buried in the ground.
STORY: Record sockeye salmon runs
In some positive environmental news, Washington is experiencing a record-breaking sockeye salmon run this year, with nearly 756,000 sockeye counted at the Bonneville (BON-uh-vil) Dam.
According to the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife, the number far surpasses the 10-year average of about 330,000. Similar increases were recorded at the Dalles (DALS) and John Day Dams. This surge is largely attributed to a 2014 water management plan as well as ongoing restoration efforts involving tribes, dam operators, and fish managers.
However, Fish and Wildlife officials say that climate change remains a threat to other salmon species across the state– including the Snake River
sockeye populations– as warmer water temperatures hinder their ability to reach spawning grounds.
STORY: Whatcom County Sheriff’s office awarded funding for rapid DNA testing
The County Sheriff’s Office will receive nearly half-a-million dollars from the federal government for a rapid DNA machine.
The purpose of the machine would be to help law enforcement solve crimes faster and avoid delays of up to a year at the state forensics lab. According to Police Chief Rebecca Mertzig, a rapid DNA machine can produce results in 90 minutes to two hours.
The County Sheriff’s Office had applied for the half-million-dollar grant in February. Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Deb Slater told the Bellingham Herald that it’s a quote-unquote “reimbursable grant,” which means the County Council must still approve the funds to buy the DNA machine.
Bellingham Police has applied for a similar grant.
STORY: State expands shellfish-growing areas for Lummi Nation
The Washington State Department of Health says improved water quality has led Washington officials to reopen nearly 400 acres of the Lummi Nation’s shellfish beds in Portage Bay.
The reopening, based on clean water found in routine tests, is seen as a result of local community efforts to keep waterways clean. While the Lummi Natural Resources Department views this as a positive milestone, almost 450 acres of shellfish beds still remain closed to all harvests until Nov. 30th.
The reopened shellfish beds are reserved for Lummi Nation members.
STORY: Let’s Go Washington accused of violating campaign finance law
A 14-month investigation has led to charges against the political action committee Let’s Go Washington, for allegedly violating campaign finance laws.
The group was founded by businessman Brian Heywood in 2022. An alliance of progressive groups filed a complaint in July 2023, alleging that the committee concealed details of its finances and circumvented reporting rules. The state Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) filed charges on Sept. 9th, accusing the group of failing to report spending accurately and on time and not disclosing vendor subcontractor payments. In response to a subpoena, Let’s Go Washington produced 9,000 pages of records. According to a news release, Heywood claims that the issues are technical and that the committee has been transparent.
The PDC will consider the charges on Oct. 3rd.
STORY: WA public education ranks among best five states in the nation, Consumer Affairs says
Washington students have access to some of the best public education in the country, according to a report issued last week.
Market research outlet Consumer Affairs looked at statewide test scores, graduation rates and school funding, among other metrics, to determine which states offer the best public education. Washington took fourth place, far outranking any of its west coast neighbors.
Washington lagged behind Massachusetts, New York and New Jersey, and just ahead of Pennsylvania and Vermont. The next-highest ranking state on the west coast was Oregon at 31st.
According to the report, the main driver was the state’s score in the higher education category, which was the fourth-highest in the country. Washington earned particularly high marks for the amount of grant aid it offers students. In the school funding category, it ranked 11th, largely due to having the fourth-highest teacher salary in the country.
Washington’s lowest scores came in the school safety category, where it ranked 24th, and the K-12 academic performance category, where it ranked 16th.
WX: Sun? Some.
And now for your Whatcom County weather:
Today’s weather is expected to be partly sunny, with highs in the mid-low 60s. Expect calm west-southwest winds, and a nighttime low in the low 50s.
We’re expecting just about the exact same tomorrow, with the exception of a small chance of rain in the morning.
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, 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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