Skagit News Workers settle for deal

AI usage, pay raises included in new contract Skagit County journalists voted unanimously on Sept. 4 to ratify a new two-year contract, with stipulations for increased pay and AI usage. The unionized employees from the Skagit Valley Herald, Anacortes American and Stanwood Camano News went on a three-day strike at the end of July. They were prepared to strike again, indefinitely this time, if the new contract did not meet their demands.

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Understanding and respect to pave the path forward

After burial disturbances at Point Roberts, community member points to collaboration and discussion to tackle region’s biggest issues Ed.: The essays, analyses and opinions presented as Community Voices express the perspectives of their authors on topics of interest and importance to the community and are not intended to reflect perspectives on behalf of Salish Current. What a shock to read about the…

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Despite audit, Fish and Wildlife not budging on spring bear hunt

Petition filed to reinstate spring bear hunt after commission audit  The fall black bear hunting season is well underway in Skagit and Whatcom counties, and a hunter filed two petitions recently with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife to bring back the spring bear hunt, a controversial season that ended in 2022 and resulted in a Fish and Wildlife commission audit…

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Environmental Stewardship among extensive San Juan County cuts 

San Juan County council prepares for 2027 budget approval  At a meeting last week, Councilmember Kari McVeigh said San Juan County is tasked with “making gold out of corn.” In the wake of a failed property tax measure in April and projections of a $3.7 million budget deficit — 12% of the county’s operating revenue — for 2027, the county council spent this summer going department-by-department looking for cuts.

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The battle of Sudden Valley’s invasive waterlilies

Sudden Valley plans herbicide treatment for invasive waterlilies at Lake Louise They are back and spreading! The invasive fragrant waterlilies at Lake Louise in Sudden Valley cover much of the shoreline this time of the year. A bird sanctuary on the southeast end of the lake is so dense with lily pads that waterfowl commonly seen there in the cooler months are now absent.

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Drier summers push Bellingham to rethink Padden Creek water use 

City of Bellingham works to bolster Padden Creek habitat Drier, hotter summers are prompting new ideas for how to balance recreation and wildlife in the Padden Creek watershed. The City of Bellingham is working on a water budget that investigates the feasibility and impacts of using more water from Lake Padden to boost streamflows in the creek, Jason Porter, public works surface water manager, wrote in an email.

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Bellingham residents cut Flock cameras, part of a growing trend

Citizens have taken a ‘vigilante justice’ approach to what many call a growing surveillance threat as automatic license plate cameras continue to appear across Washington Shoppers at Home Depot in Bellingham have recently been greeted with an unexpected sight: Two of four automatic license plate recognition cameras installed on the business’s property were cut down, rendering them inoperable. Earlier this summer, two Flock cameras at the Home Depot in Bellingham were cut down by an anonymous resident.

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On International Day of the Dissapeared

To the Editor: International Day of the Disappeared is observed on August 30 each year to bring awareness and advocate for rights of those who've been subjected to enforced disappearance.  Amnesty International marks this day by bringing attention to a number of cases, including that of 2 Palestinian journalists, Dr. Abu Safiya, a Tibetan religious leader and educator, and several activists from Pakistan and China.  

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Dolly Parton’s country legacy sings on in Northwest Washington

From classic country standards to old-school revivals, musicians across the North Sound region carry Parton’s sound to a new generation of listeners  Ed.: The essays, analyses and opinions presented as Community Voices express the perspectives of their authors on topics of interest and importance to the community and are not intended to reflect perspectives on behalf of Salish Current. Dolly Parton died Aug.

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New shark research launches decade-long data crusade

Increasing sixgill and sevengill sightings provide new research opportunities in the Salish Sea Researchers with the Seattle Aquarium, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Oregon State University Big Fish Lab and Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium have tagged eight bluntnose sixgill sharks this summer with a budget for 12-15 total through September.  Growing up to 14 feet if not bigger, sixgill sharks are some of the…

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We must save our school libraries at all costs

School libraries must be prioritized among budget cuts Ed.: The essays, analyses and opinions presented as Community Voices express the perspectives of their authors on topics of interest and importance to the community and are not intended to reflect perspectives on behalf of Salish Current. For our family, elementary school started online in the fall of 2020. If you lived in the Pacific Northwest at the time, it also happened to be a September covered in orange smoke from nearby forest fires.

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New technology tracks bumblebees across the Nooksack and Bellingham

Researchers use miniature tags to study bee behavior Trail walkers may have noticed new devices lining the Nooksack trails in Bellingham. The devices, which stand on poles and feature solar panels connected to gray power-boxes, are radio nodes that make up a grid system of receivers that obtain data from bumblebees tagged with newly innovated radio tracking technology. A radio node receiver picks up signals from bees along the Nooksack River in Bellingham.

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Creating treasure on Lummi Island

How a local artist creates treasure from scraps "Giraffe Ornate" by Cathie Cousineau Born in the 1950s, a middle child in a middle‐class family, I was taught to “make do with what you have.” Everyday items themselves were made to last in those days, plus the art of repair was a necessary skillset when only a few coins were given for a weekly allowance.

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Bellingham woman whips up confidence

Brittani VanDyken uses the skill of whip handling to challenge herself and lead team-building workshops During warm summer evenings in front of Bellingham’s El Sueñito Brewing Company, it’s common to hear the crispness of a sonic boom. The source of the noise isn’t from a gunshot or jet breaking the sound barrier, however: It’s from the crack of a 10-foot whip held by Brittani VanDyken.

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Ditching the Blue Line: Whatcom Transit launches simpler routes for WWU commuters

WTA service changes have started ahead of September fare increase  This summer, Whatcom Transportation Authority implemented its 2026 service changes, aiming to simplify routes, improve reliability and better match service to actual demand.  The most significant changes center on routes serving Western Washington University. Previously, the Blue Line consisted of six overlapping routes that funneled through campus, often creating confusion and inefficiency.

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Beyond the salmon crisis: Northwest may face broad loss of freshwater species

Using eDNA to map and save lower-profile species crucial to the ecosystem, researchers say According to a recent Convention of Migratory Species Report, migratory freshwater fish populations have dropped 81% worldwide since 1970. While Northwest Washington species face many of the same pressures as other species across the planet, the story here is a bit more nuanced, and researchers point to a unique interagency collaboration in the state as a pathway forward.

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Salish Tribute bike trail weaves through Indigenous art  

Free trail app offers new opportunities in Bellingham Summer in Bellingham means sunlit trails and a steady stream of cyclists cruising through town. For local riders looking to ground their usual weekend ride in something deeper, a new self-guided route offers a journey through the city's Indigenous heritage: the Salish Tribute bicycle ride. The route is the latest creation from Sarah Birch, founder of…

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Whatcom County has a traffic death problem; Public transit is part of the cure

Traffic deaths have seen a stark increase since 2013 Ed.: The essays, analyses and opinions presented as Community Voices express the perspectives of their authors on topics of interest and importance to the community and are not intended to reflect perspectives on behalf of Salish Current. In its 2024 report, the Washington State Traffic Safety Commission lays out a vision for zero roadway deaths, achieved through coordinated safety and transportation planning.

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WWU report rethinks Columbia Basin management

A new report argues cross-border waterways in the Columbia Basin need more coordinated governance; officials believe that work is already being done. The need for careful management of waterways to control pollution and flooding, and to satisfy hydropower needs, doesn’t magically stop at an international border. The Columbia River Basin includes a chunk of British Columbia and territory in seven U.S.

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Proposed logging project near Little Mountain raises alarm

DNR approves permit for forest harvest, but opponents say talks continuing  Though logging could potentially be on the horizon near one of the Skagit Valley’s most iconic landmarks, the way ahead remains unclear. On Aug. 1, the state Department of Natural Resources approved a forest practices application for timber harvest of a 10-acre parcel adjacent to Little Mountain Park. 

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Lack of parking requirements will destroy Bellingham

An ordinance eliminating minimum parking requirements in Bellingham raises questions about the city's future development. Ed.: The essays, analyses and opinions presented as Community Voices express the perspectives of their authors on topics of interest and importance to the community and are not intended to reflect perspectives on behalf of Salish Current. Perhaps someone on the city council or in the mayor’s office can explain how we can encourage the increased housing opportunities in Bellingham — signed in November of 2024 — by utilizing infills, ADUs, townhomes, renting out parts of our houses and more, to handle our growing population, while at the same time eliminating all parking place requirements on new construction?

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Pelican population grows in Padilla Bay 

More American white pelicans are migrating to Padilla Bay each year, but there’s no evidence of successful nesting — birders ask: is a permanent colony possible? To many in Western Washington, the American white pelican is an unusual sighting. Native to inland regions of the United States and Canada, as well as coastal areas of Mexico, these birds generally migrate far south of Washington in the winter, returning to freshwater lakes and marshes to breed in the summer.

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Legacy and Life in Odlin Park

Local poet responds to proposed tree removal for facility expansion at Lopez Island's Odlin County Park Brenda Asterino stands before an old growth tree at Odlin County Park. (Courtesy Brenda Asterino) Whispers of the original Word Found within the depthsOf bark, trunk, of sap and rootsAnd nestled in cone spirals. Word made woodUnique to planet Earth. We have Irrational and…

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Tracing jazz geography in NW Washington

Across Northwest Washington, summer festival season is filling parks, breweries, libraries, hotels and community venues with live music. From Bellingham to the San Juan Islands, audiences can hear jazz almost any night of the week. But while summer performances bring the music into public view, they tell only part of the story. That network stretches well beyond any single venue. …

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The pull of the ancestors

 Intertribal Canoe Journey connects Indigenous people to an ancient lifeway — and calls the diaspora home The Samish Nation canoe Eshas cut through the calm waters of Fidalgo Bay on July 25 en route to the shores of the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community. Emma Kortuem and her fellow pullers made each paddle strokes in time to a travel song sung by the skipper.

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The hidden life of salmon sharks

Researchers anticipate occasional shark strandings, say they’re not the ‘worst thing’ Off the Washington coast and occasionally in the Straits of Juan de Fuca and Georgia lurks a “mini-me” of the great white shark. Though they are less than half the size, salmon sharks don the distinctive countershading of white sharks, and the similarities do not stop there. Salmon sharks, along with whites and makos, belong to the order Lamniformes or mackerel sharks.

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Skagit journalists unable to reach deal

More negotiations with media company to come later this month Skagit County journalists may have ended their strike last week, but the bargaining is far from over. Following a unanimous vote in favor of striking against newspaper management, the eight unionized workers from the Skagit Valley Herald, Anacortes American and Stanwood Camano News left their desks and took to the streets starting on Friday, July 24, and continued into the weekend.

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Activists sound alarm amid wave of ICE detentions

From traffic stops to 'soft raids': How DHS immigration tactics are evolving After at least two Lynden residents were detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement on July 22, activists in Bellingham and Friday Harbor hosted a vigil and a rally to show support for their community. As the Department of Homeland Security continues to carry out immigration enforcement across Whatcom, Skagit and San Juan counties, community members are working to provide those affected with mutual aid.

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Disturbance of Indigenous burial sites is not rare in region

Point Roberts case goes to trial beginning Oct. 4  A jury trial is scheduled to begin on Oct. 4 in federal court in the case of Whidbey Telecom’s disturbance of Lummi ancestral burials in Point Roberts, a peninsula west of Bellingham and within the Lummi Nation’s historical territory. Point Roberts, Washington. Lummi Nation says Whidbey Telecom destroyed ancestral burials while trenching to install broadband fiberoptic cable.

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Volunteers, nonprofits step up as Skagit County restructures senior services

Mount Vernon thrift store opens to raise funds for new senior center Changes to senior services in Skagit County are inevitable due to rising costs of operation and lack of federal funding, and government officials are looking toward partnerships, “outside the box funding” and lasting solutions. Earlier this month, local seniors took a proactive approach through the opening of New2You, a volunteer-run thrift store down the street from the aging Mount Vernon Senior Center with hopes of raising money for a new senior center.

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