Bellingham City Council to hold public hearings on two proposed ballot measures, Bellingham arts nonprofit to assume tenancy of Public Market building, : Bellingham Cider Company announces acquisition of Lost Giants, WSDOT changes refurbishment plan for Mount Vernon bridge in hopes of full reopening by Thanksgiving, Brown among bipartisan coalition of AGs behind letter urging Congress to reign in unchecked A.I. development, SP reports improving situation in continuing backlog of toxicology reports, Free (and cheap) Bird, Report finds state medication return program broadly successful, though hampered by numerous flaws (undated), Whatcom County announces flood preparedness week (run sometime week of Oct. 5th), Community Conversations District 2 (run again as a reminder at end of Sept29,30), Paint recycling event coming to Bellingham OCT 3, Another Community Conversations series meeting (run 9/28 – 10/2… meeting is 10/7), Recycling Event (run between 9/28 – Oct 1), Ferndale Coffee with a Cop (run between 9/28 and 9/2)
Independent, nonprofit community radio. KMRE brings you local news for Friday, September 25th. Good afternoon, I’m _David Korb_____.
STORY: Bellingham City Council to hold public hearings on two proposed ballot measures
Bellingham residents will have a chance Monday night to weigh in on two proposed city charter amendments.
One proposal would eliminate the requirement that the mayor be the highest-paid city employee. Instead, the mayor’s salary would be set by the same commission that determines City Council members’ pay, which takes place every eight years. Mayor Kim Lund currently earns just under $237,000 a year.
The second charter amendment would streamline the city’s contracting process by allowing the mayor to designate someone else to sign contracts and allow the use of electronic signatures.
The City Council will hold public hearings on the measures during its regular meeting at 7pm Monday, September 28 in the City Council chambers. Residents who want to speak should sign up ahead of time, with online sign‑ups open the day of the meeting.
STORY: Bellingham arts nonprofit to assume tenancy of Public Market building
Our downtown’s next creative chapter is about to begin.
Paper Whale has signed a lease with Whatcom Transportation Authority to rent the former Public Market building on Cornwall Avenue. The nonprofit expects to move in October 1st and begin preparing the space for artist studios, creative coworking, and hands‑on workshops.
Executive Director Nick Hartrich says the goal is to transform the building into a “third space” that drives the local creative economy. WTA Board Chair Ali Hawkinson says the partnership brings vibrancy to the site while WTA continues with planning a future transit hub.
Paper Whale will release details on studio opportunities, programming, and opening plans as work progresses.
STORY: Bellingham Cider Company announces acquisition of Lost Giants
A major handoff is reshaping Bellingham’s cider scene.
Bellingham Cider Company is taking over Lost Giants Cider Company. The move comes after Lost Giants founders Brad Wilske (WIL-skee) and Abe Ebert approached Bellingham Cider earlier this year about passing the brand to local stewards.
Bellingham Cider co‑owner Bryce Hamilton says the goal is to preserve what makes Lost Giants special while giving both brands room to grow. Lost Giants’ recipes, branding, distributor relationships, taproom, and staff will remain, and production will eventually consolidate at the Lost Giants facility. Each brand will keep their own identities.
The companies also hopes to reenergize the Lost Giants taproom with expanded events and community programming.
STORY: WSDOT changes refurbishment plan for Mount Vernon bridge in hopes of full reopening by Thanksgiving
A major bridge project in Mount Vernon is now set to finish months ahead of schedule.
WSDOT will fully close the Division Street Bridge for two weeks in early November to speed up the final phase of preservation work. The agency originally expected the project to run into early next year, but a revised plan will allow the bridge to reopen before Thanksgiving.
Crews will complete painting, steel repair, deck work, and remove tarps & rigging. WSDOT says reopening before the holiday season will restore access for businesses on both sides of the Skagit River — a key reason for accelerating the timeline.
STORY: Brown among bipartisan coalition of AGs behind letter urging Congress to reign in unchecked A.I. development
A bipartisan coalition says Congress needs to act quickly to rein in rapidly advancing artificial intelligence systems.
Washington Attorney General Nick Brown joined 25 other attorneys general in urging Congress to set national AI safety standards, citing recent cases where AI agents slipped out of their sand-boxes or behaved unlawfully online.
The coalition wants Congress to require safety testing, create a transparent incident‑reporting system, and establish an international framework to prevent the development of harmful superintelligence. They also warn against any federal law that would block states from enforcing their own AI protections.
Brown says Congress must move quickly to keep AI systems from evading human control. He notes Washington is already developing policies with the state’s technology policy team.
STORY: WSP reports improving situation in continuing backlog of toxicology reports
Washington State Patrol toxicology labs are working through a backlog of drug tests that could delay some DUI prosecutions.
The backlog peaked at more than 17,000 cases last August. The agency says submissions have increased 59 percent since 2015, while staffing has not kept pace.
Prosecutors say alcohol and THC tests can take about 10 months, and drug tests up to 22 months. That can be a problem because the statute of limitations for a typical gross-misdemeanor DUI is two years.
However, State Patrol officials say the backlog is shrinking and they’re on track to reach a 90-day turnaround by late 2028. Lawmakers have also authorized cities and counties to use private labs for testing.
STORY: Free (and cheap) Bird
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.
Book lovers can stock up at the Friends of the Bellingham Public Library September Book Sale. It’s happening today from 10 to 6pm, with books at half-price. Then on Saturday from 10 to 3, you can fill a bag for five dollars. The sale is in the Lecture Room at the Central Library, with books, DVDs and more for all ages. Proceeds benefit the library.
Check out Bellingham’s annual SeaFeast Friday through Sunday. This event celebrates the region’s maritime culture with seafood, music, demonstrations, boat tours, and other family-friendly activities around the waterfront.
Saturday evening, Fish Tales and Ales brings local and regional commercial fishermen together for an evening of storytelling, songs, and poetry. It starts at 6pm at Beach Cat Brewing: South Paw at 1010 C St, Bellingham . Admission is free.
Also on Saturday, Lydia Place is hosting a Hoedown for Housing at Stemma Brewing West. This free, all-ages fundraiser starts at 4pm, with line dancing, live music, a makers market, and a country icon costume contest. Proceeds support unhoused families. At 500 Carolina St, Bellingham
And Sunday, check out Adaptive Bicycle Day at Hovander Homestead Park in Ferndale, starting at 1pm. This free, kid-friendly event from HeadStrong and Outdoors for All brings people of all abilities together to ride human and battery powered bicycles.
WX: Big Top Drop
And now weather…
Half an inch of rain is expected and a good chance for thunder and lightning today. Temperatures will reach into the 60s, with wind gusts up to 20 miles per hour. Wind and rain should taper off tonight. And evening lows should be around 50 degrees.
The rest of the weekend should be fairly sunny. Clouds should part on Saturday with sun sticking around til Monday. But, to avoid jinxing it, just expect more rain.
OUTRO:
Today’s newscast was produced by volunteers Carlos Braga, Kyler Cantrell, Glen Hirshberg, Kathi O’Shea, Kai Blais-Schmolke, Jenny Lam, Doug Langworthy, and Cheri Cloninger. Tune in to local news on KMRE weekdays at 3, 4 and 5pm 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: Report finds state medication return program broadly successful, though hampered by numerous flaws (undated)
A new state audit says Washington’s medication take-back program has challenges.
The program has collected more than one million pounds of unused drugs since 2020 in more than 400 secure drop-off sites statewide. However, more than 100 communities don’t meet the state’s target for convenient access— and the problem is especially pronounced in rural areas.
The program also lost one of its two collection companies in June, who withdrew citing concerns about the program’s long-term financial sustainability.
Auditors also found that, although the state has limited data on how effective the program is, they recommend continuing it beyond its 2029 sunset date, with changes to improve access, oversight and funding.
STORY: Whatcom County announces flood preparedness week (run sometime week of Oct. 5th)
STORY: Community Conversations District 2 (run again as a reminder at end of Sept29,30)
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 8pm 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: Paint recycling event coming to Bellingham OCT 3
If you’re looking for a way to ditch old paint, take note.
Whatcom County is hosting a free paint‑collection and recycling event on Saturday, October 3 at Barkley Village. Residents can drop off latex and oil‑based paints, acrylics, varnishes, primers, and other coatings in their original containers, five gallons or smaller. Usable paint will be recycled into new latex paint.
Last spring’s Lynden event brought in more than 97,000 pounds of paint. Attendees are asked to stay in their vehicles while staff unload materials. Spray paint, auto and marine paint, electronics, paint thinner, and driveway sealers won’t be accepted.
Pre‑registration is encouraged at circular.eco/event/Bellingham26.
STORY: Another Community Conversations series meeting (run 9/28 – 10/2… meeting is 10/7)
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 7pm 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 3pm 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.
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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