Major bust from Whatcom County drug task force, Two Bellingham businesses suffer break-ins within minutes of one another, Port of Bellingham considering expanding its commission, Northwest Youth Services leader put on paid administrative leave following submission of resignation, Skagit County Bigfoot Festival this weekend, More on capital gains initiative, Free and cheap
Independent, nonprofit community radio.
KMRE brings you local news for Friday, September 27th. Good afternoon, I’m _David Korb_____.
STORY: Major bust from Whatcom County drug task force
The Whatcom County Sheriff’s Department announced a significant arrest on Wednesday.
Authorities arrested 28-year-old Jamie Lopez Laz Cano (LO-pez LAS KUHN-no) after a search warrant yielded approximately three-and-a-half pounds of fentanyl. According to the Sheriff’s Office, the arrest was the result of an investigation by the county Gang and Drug Task Force and the DEA into a Mexican-based criminal organization operating in Whatcom County.
Lopez Laz Cano was booked into the Whatcom County Jail on a variety of felonies, including delivery of a controlled substance and possession with intent to deliver. He remains in custody as of today.
STORY: Two Bellingham businesses suffer break-ins within minutes of one another
Two businesses in downtown Bellingham were broken into early last Monday.
Mitch Kramer, owner of FixCO, and Nico Sanchez (NEE-ko), owner of Black Noise Records, discovered their front doors had been smashed. While the thief failed to fully break into FixCO, he did make off with a few items from Black Noise Records.
Both owners expressed frustration over the incidents and filed police reports. Repair costs are expected to be substantial, but local support has been strong, with friends starting GoFundMe accounts to help the them recover from their losses.
Bellingham Police say the investigation is ongoing.
STORY: Port of Bellingham considering expanding its commission
The Port of Bellingham commissioners say they will consider an increase in the number of commissioners from three to five.
Commissioner Ken Bell introduced the idea at a meeting on September 17th, proposing an open forum for community input on the pros and cons of a commission expansion. To get the proposal on the ballot, the commision can either adopt it as a resolution or organizers could gather a petition signed by at least 10% of Whatcom voters.
This isn’t the first attempt to expand the commission; a similar effort in 2012 failed at the ballot. However, local advocacy group Save The Waterfront supports the idea, citing the county’s growth and the port’s expanding responsibilities.
The proposal is still under consideration, with no date scheduled for the discussion.
STORY: Northwest Youth Services leader put on paid administrative leave following submission of resignation
The CEO of Northwest Youth Services has been placed on paid leave.
Jason McGill publicly submitted his resignation on September 17th, which was accepted by the board. Yesterday, the Board of Directors announced they were placing McGill on paid leave as they investigate allegations that run contrary to the nonprofit’s core values. No further details were provided about the allegations.
McGill had been working as the CEO of Northwest Youth Services since 2021. The nonprofit serves youth in Whatcom and Skagit counties and has a mission to end youth and young adult homelessness.
An interim CEO will be appointed in the coming days.
STORY: Skagit County Bigfoot Festival this weekend
Looking for Bigfoot? Try the Skagit County Fairgrounds this weekend.
The 3rd Annual Skagit BigFoot Fest runs today through Sunday and features live music, over a hundred local vendors and artists, food trucks, kids activities and a wine and beer garden, as well as over 20 live performances on two stages. The festival will include a Bigfoot research panel with guest speakers, as well as ax throwing, and a rock wall.
On Saturday, you can take part in the BigFoot 5K Fun Run, a family-friendly race which includes themed t-shirts and day passes to the festival for those who register in advance.
The festival runs until 10 p.m. today, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. tomorrow, and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.
STORY: More on capital gains initiative
Due to appear in the November ballot, Initiative 2109 would repeal Washington’s capital gains tax, which supports schools, early learning and childcare. In 2023, the tax brought in nearly $800 million. Eric Tegethoff has more on that story.
CAP GAINS audio
STORY: Free and cheap
It’s Friday, so if you’re looking for something free or cheap to do this weekend, here’s some of what’s going on around the County.
It’s ‘Fish Fry Frydays’ at Boundary Bay Brewery in Bellingham. Free music with local band Cozmic Sauce starts at 6pm. Come for a high-energy band blending funk, soul, and jazz with powerful horns and soulful vocals along with a delicious fish fry menu and craft beer in the beer garden. The event is family friendly.
And tonight from 7-8:30pm discover the spooky side of Fairhaven, Bellingham’s “haunted hot-spot,” on a Gore And Lore guided ghost tour with the GoodTime Girls. The walking tour covers less than a mile and features ghost stories, true crime tales, and eerie local lore. A costumed guide leads the way, but parental discretion is advised due to violent and potentially scary topics. Tickets are $25, and pre-booking via the website is encouraged as the tour sells out.
On Saturday—explore Bellingham’s maritime culture, fishing industry, and business community with a Day On The Bay– a free self-guided event on Saturday, from 10am-4pm. Visitors can stop at over 12 locations along the bay to meet fishers, tour boats, learn crabbing techniques, visit touch tanks, view historical photos, and more.
WX: Rainy ‘n gray
And now weather:
The forecast is looking partly sunny today, with daytime highs in the mid 60s. Expect calm southern winds gusting up to 22 mph going into the evening, where lows are projected in the mid-upper 40s.
Partial sun is expected for most of the weekend, with occasional rain.
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 your listener donations. Check out our Patreon page or visit kmre.org and click on the banner. I’m _David Korb_______________… thanks for listening.
##
