Armed robbery suspects sought by Ferndale Police, Small fire at Bellingham’s Options High School was intentionally set, Ferndale Community Services Announces Safe Parking Initiative, High Winds leaves thousands without power across Whatcom, 6th candidate entered the race for Washington Commissioner of Public Lands, Washingtonians Out of Prison can Participate in Voter Registration Day, US heading towards government shutdown next week
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KMRE brings you local news for Tuesday, the 26th. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: Armed robbery suspects sought by Ferndale Police
The Ferndale Police Department is asking for the public’s help in identifying three suspects in an armed robbery that occurred last Sunday.
Officers responded to a report of an armed robbery at Starvin’ Sam’s Mini-Mart on Barrett Road around 5pm. An employee reported that three suspects had entered the store and displayed a firearm while demanding money. Despite a search conducted in the area with a drone and K9 unit, and additional assistance provided by the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office and Bellingham PD, the suspects could not be located.
The case remains under investigation. Those with any information are asked to contact the Ferndale Police Department.
STORY: Small fire at Bellingham’s Options High School was intentionally set
A small fire at Options High School in Bellingham is now suspected to be an act of arson and is under investigation.
The fire occurred on Monday, September 18, and was confined to a men’s restroom on the school’s second floor. The estimated damage is approximately $10,000. Bellingham Police Lt. Claudia Murphy says evidence suggests it was purposefully set and investigations are ongoing.
STORY: Ferndale Community Services announce Safe Parking Initiative
Ferndale Community Services announced a new program yesterday that offers a secure place to park and sleep for people living in their vehicles.
Called the Safe Parking Initiative, the program hopes to address the needs of unhoused individuals and families with off-street parking locations in Ferndale and North Whatcom County. The locations will include bathrooms and handwashing stations along with other amenities. The program is still looking for exact sites to host the vehicles as well as volunteers as it continues to work through the early stages of the planning process.
Applications to volunteer are due this Friday, and more information is available on the Ferndale Community Services website.
STORY: High winds leaves thousands without power across Whatcom
The first high wind storm of the Fall hit Whatcom County yesterday.
Strong winds reaching 40 mph were recorded at Bellingham Airport yesterday afternoon, and resulted in 3,000 residents without power in the county.
The most affected area was Wickersham all the way to Everson. There were small outages in the South Hill, Happy Valley, and Fairhaven neighborhoods but power was restored to all areas by about 4 pm yesterday.
STORY: 6th candidate entered the race for Washington Commissioner of Public Lands
There are now six Democratic candidates in the race to manage the state’s public lands and forests.
Current commissioner, Hilary Franz, is not seeking reelection, making the race particularly significant. The lands commissioner oversees Washington’s extensive state land holdings and their associated revenue generation. Additionally, the position plays a crucial role in the state’s response to climate change, particularly in wildfire management and carbon sequestration.
The race now includes Democratic state Sen. Rebecca Saldana of Seattle, Patrick DePoe, a member of the Makah (Mah-Kah) Tribe and director of tribal relations for the Department of Natural Resources. King County Council Member Dave Upthegrove, a former state lawmaker, is also running and says, if elected he would become Washington’s first “out LGBTQ statewide executive officeholder.”
They join state Sen. Kevin Van De Wege (Wedge) of Port Angeles, former state senator Mona Das (Daas) of Kent, and Republican Sue Kuehl (Kool) Pederson in the race.
STORY: Washingtonians Out of Prison Can Participate in Voter Registration Day
With voting rights restored for Washington residents who were in prison, a push comes to get them registered to vote after Voter Registration Day last week. Eric Tegetoff has more.
VOTER AUDIO
STORY: US heading towards government shutdown next week
As the federal government heads towards a possible shutdown next week, Washington State agencies have been asked to identify programs that could be affected if federal funds stop flowing to the state.
While not clear yet what initiatives are at risk, state agencies will have identified the programs by October 2nd, as directed by the Office of Financial Management. The agencies will include information about terminations or reductions in programs for residents, employee layoffs, and any contracts, loans, or grants that may need to be ended. The federal funding accounts for around 25% of the state’s current budget, with other states receiving a higher percentage on average.
Some critical services like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, and the postal service will be exempt from the shutdown as their funding comes from outside annual appropriations. Millions of federal employees, including members of the military, won’t receive paychecks. There are roughly 54,000 federal employees in the state of Washington, according to the Congressional Research Service.
Parks maintenance will also be shut down, but many will remain open as long as visitors do not need a guide or administrative support. With no indication how long the shutdown will last, the state is bracing for a stoppage that may last weeks.
WX: Showers and thunderstorms
Today is going to be rainy, with a 90% chance of showers and a high near 65*. Thunderstorms are possible in the afternoon, and south winds as high as 25 mph are also expected. Nighttime will bring showers with it and temperatures are expected to drop to a low near 52, with south-southwest winds turning east after midnight, with gusts as high as 23mph.
OUTRO:
Today’s newscast was produced by volunteers AnThu Nguyen (ANNE-two new-WIN), Emma Toscani and Carlos Braga. 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. I’m ________________ and thanks for listening.
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