Rising mountain biking star Chloe Bear refuses to slow down

Ankle sprain on the eve of Italy event is tough blow, but she views it as just another lesson Last month, Bellingham resident Chloe Bear, 19, reached Finale Ligure, Italy, to compete in the 2026 mountain bike enduro world championships. She had spent months preparing for what would be a challenging competition. However, her hopes of racing were cut short when she suffered an ankle sprain on one of her training days.

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Islands’ Oil Spill Association’s eyes in the sky

New drone technology enhances Salish Sea oil response 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. Wednesday morning, Sept. 16, was glorious in Deer Harbor: bright sunshine glinting on the water, color from early-turning leaves, light breeze out of the north, pleasant temperatures.

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As wolf populations grow, state expects a Western Washington increase

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s 2025 report on gray wolf populations marks a new high since conservation efforts began in the ‘80s.  Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s 2026 Gray Wolf Conservation and Management Annual Report is expected to be released in April of 2027, which will likely show an increase of wolves migrating into Western Washington. The report comes on the heels of a 17.4% statewide population increase in 2025, with a record 270 individuals counted, including 49 different packs and 23 breeding pairs.

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What happens in Florida doesn’t stay in Florida

Why Florida's race for governor matters to Washington's coastlines, homeowners and environmental future. 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. Florida's gubernatorial election pits Democrat David Jolly, a former Republican congressman, against Republican Byron Donalds, a congressman endorsed by President Donald Trump.

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WWU grad student goes off the beaten path to classify Whatcom County’s legacy forests

Take a walk in the woods with environmental studies grad student Finley Bell to ground-truth DNR forest data First appeared in WWU News Oct. 13, 2026. It’s one of those exquisite Pacific Northwest July mornings when the sky is clear, and the promise of ripening berries lightly scents the crisp air. Western Washington University students Finley Bell and Aaron Dubbels hike a narrowing trail into Olsen Creek State Forest, east of Lake Whatcom, accompanied by a soundtrack of birdsong and bootfall.

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Our Cascades: Forged by fire and ice

Author of new natural history book recounts early experiences on the mountain range that inspired his writings The Cascades are unique: No other mountain range in the contiguous 48 states has active volcanoes. Nor are any others so dominated by glaciers. Fire and ice — these elemental forces are what define the Cascades. They shaped and continue to shape them and have affected every aspect of the mountains, from their singular ecology to their more than ten thousand years of human history to their inspiring beauty.

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Agroforestry practices spread in NW Washington 

Agroforestry Northwest receives federal funding for agroforestry expansion in Western Washington Raising Cane Ranch, at 5719 Riverview Road in Snohomish, was originally a hay and cattle operation. It’s hard to tell today, looking at the jungle of trees and plants that weaves across the 38-acre property, but just years earlier stood nothing here except cows. Its transformation to an agroforestry site was largely made possible by Agroforestry Northwest, a nonprofit organization that now uses the ranch as a home base for its northern expansion.

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Tax fraud conviction shadows Skagit County treasurer candidate Garrison

Garrison faces incumbent Brunson on Nov. 3 Timothy Garrison said if he's elected Skagit County treasurer he would not allow “improper or unlawful transactions under his watch” and would bring a “careful, professional approach to safeguarding public funds and strengthening public trust.” Timothy Garrison. (Courtesy photo) He comes prepared for the job, he said, with degrees in business administration and finance and some 50 years of experience as a tax accountant.

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Samish Crest fires raise concerns about prevention in urban-adjacent woods

A resident’s discovery of a still-burning campfire highlights confusing rules amid rising risk Samish neighborhood resident Betsy Gross was on her near-daily walk through the Samish Crest Open Space in Whatcom County last month when she reached the overlook and found a campfire that had not been fully extinguished. Flames still flickered underneath some half-burned logs. A pair of plastic Adirondack chairs sat nearby. 

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Inside the obsessive, beautiful world of Bellingham’s fungi experts

Wild Mushroom Show set for Sunday in Bellingham Buck McAdoo hunched over his microscope at the PNW Mushroom Lab and Herbarium, aka his shed in the backyard of his home in Bellingham. He was looking at the tiny spores bursting from the tubes of a mushroom he collected, apprehensive whether there would be enough specimens for the upcoming annual Wild Mushroom Show.

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Whatcom County’s Kidney Moonshot: A goal within reach

Whatcom County nephrologist pushes for 'Apollo Mission' of eliminating the kidney transplant waiting list 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. As a nephrologist, I have watched patients organize their entire lives around dialysis.

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A protest in pictures: Whatcom County says ‘No Kings’

Northwest Washington joined all 50 states Saturday for the fourth installment of 'No Kings' — this time, to defend the vote Just over two weeks from the midterm election, the fourth round of "No Kings" rallies emerged in communities across the country. On Saturday, Northwest Washingtonians marched to vote early, encouraging others to vote and stand up to injustice. Here are a handful of faces and statements gathered across Whatcom County.

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Campus food pantries see increased demand as students struggle with basic needs  

Rising rents and grocery prices are pushing more students to seek help  As costs continue to rise, students returning to school this fall have felt the burden. Grocery prices in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue area were 5.3% higher in August than they were a year earlier, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.  A 2025 statewide survey by the Washington Student Achievement Council and Western Washington University found that more than half of college students in Washington had experienced some form of basic needs insecurity.   

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Facing multimillion-dollar shortfalls, county candidates pitch efficiencies and alternatives

Winners will take office with leaner budgets, fewer employees Elaina Thompson of the Islands Oil Spill Association saw what was coming and planned accordingly — and did so just in time. San Juan County residents voted overwhelmingly in April to turn down a property tax increase that would have, in part, helped support discretionary services that are not required by law.

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San Juan County council candidate’s approach to the budget

San Juan County council candidate Katherine Bryant Ingman offers steps for balancing the 2027 budget shortfall 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. San Juan County is set to spend more than it takes in for 2027.

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Bellingham innovators build ‘Telehamster’ network for vintage phones

It’s a project aimed at limiting screen time and increasing focused communication In Bellingham, two founders are bringing back a retro technology most people stopped using years ago: the landline. Telehamster cofounder Simon Graves demonstrates the use of his new landline service. (Courtesy Telehamster) Simon Graves and Casey Connor created Telehamster, a private network that lets members use analog telephones to call one another without screens.

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Southern resident killer whales out, Bigg’s in, according to new data 

Recently compiled data from the Whale Museum in Friday Harbor shows a shift in the presence of two ecotypes of killer whales in the Puget Sound. Sitting on a bench at Marine Park along Bellingham Bay, local photographer Nate Bolton photographed one of his most memorable encounters with an orca. Jack, one of the most famous Bigg's killer whales in the Salish Sea, dove underneath a boat and emerged on the other side.

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Katherine Bryant Ingman is a leader who has lived it

To the Editor: I believe elected officials should understand what it means to walk in the shoes of the people they represent. That means knowing what it's like to work multiple jobs to pay the bills and to worry about affording health care and keeping a roof over their heads. For many people in this county, a steady paycheck, affordable healthcare and a secure home are not givens.

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Cascadia Works anthology: A lesson in literary citizenship, community

New anthology features poetry and prose by more than 120 contributors who work the land and sea of the Cascadia bioregion I remember the first day co-editor Tele Aadsen and I met. I had just given a talk at a Sustainable Connections event in Bellingham. She came up to me with my memoir, “A Little Bit of Land,” in hand. I told her I had a copy of her recent memoir, “What Water Holds,” on my shelf at home.

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Washington needs this aging state ferry to keep running and running

At 67, the Tillikum keeps plugging away in the San Juan Islands. The ferry system hopes it can serve until 2033 when new boats will clear the way for overdue retirement. Originally published by Washington State Standard on Oct. 5, 2026 When the Washington state ferry Tillikum entered service in 1959, Albert Rosellini was in his first term as governor and Dwight Eisenhower was in his second as president.

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Bellingham superhero scene rises overnight

A cast of crimefighters in Bellingham inspire similar ‘superheroes’ across the state Just three weeks ago, a local “superhero” first put on the mask to patrol Western Washington University’s campus. Now, he has over 11,000 followers on Instagram, dozens of “spinoff” characters popping up locally and across the state, fan art, theme music and a parody news organization covering the rising scene.

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A letter to all islanders

I am giving my enthusiastic support to our county council candidate Katherine Bryant Ingman.As a 35-year resident of the county and past planning commission chair, councilpersonand mayor for the Town of Friday Harbor, I see a rare opportunity in electing someone who hasshown dedication to issues faced by her community and has worked tirelessly to solve them.

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The secrets of Salish Sea’s sixgill sharks

Northwest Fisheries Science Center biologist Kelly Andrews provides insights on the shark scientists call an 'enigma' Originally published by NOAA Fisheries on Sept. 28, 2026 Bluntnose sixgill sharks are something of an enigma, even to scientists who study them. Using data collected over more than 20 years, scientists have learned that the Salish Sea, including Puget Sound, comprises one of the world’s few known pupping grounds for the species.

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Volunteers work to solve Washington’s kelp mystery

Northwest Straits Commission Marine Resources Committee surveys show bull kelp forests 'extremely healthy' A drysuit, water shoes and a sun hat aren’t the usual garb of a detective, but they’re essential gear for the group of volunteer sleuths paddling out from Washington Park in Anacortes. The three kayakers are looking for clues — water depth, temperature, maybe a crab — to better understand what drives the health and recovery of bull kelp in the Salish Sea.

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How to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month in NW Washington 

Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated nationally from Sept. 15 - Oct. 15 Community leaders say there’s plenty to celebrate this Hispanic Heritage Month but urge people to support the community year around. The annual celebration of Hispanic and Latino culture, heritage and contributions runs Sept. 15 through Oct. 15. “It's also important in this political climate to give our culture and our people a positive spotlight, while so much of our administration is harmfully and wrongfully targeting our families,” said Walter Topete with…

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Laughs are year-round in Bellingham’s stand-up comedy scene

Bellingham's Laughing Hamster comedy festival returns Oct 8-17 In my years of doing stand-up comedy in Bellingham, I’ve performed in some truly ridiculous places. Comedian and freelance journalist Matt Benoit performs at a recent open mic at Beach Cat Brewing in Bellingham. He usually smiles. (Courtesy Jerry Barnett) These include: a now-closed barbershop on Meridian Street, where I told jokes without a microphone next to a bathroom entrance; an illegal cannabis dab bar next to the infamous Aloha Motel, where the microphone stand blocked access to the only ATM of an all-cash business; at Fairhaven’s Paws for a Beer, where dogs kept jumping onto the stage, making the focused performance of material impossible but cute distractions never-ending.

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Endorsement for Katherine Bryant Ingman, San Juan County Council District 3

To the Editor: This is to share how my husband and I know Katherine Bryant Ingman candidate for San Juan County Council District 3 and why she has our full support. We first met Katherine when we began to volunteer at the Lopez Food Share in 2020 during the COVID pandemic. Lopez has a long history of food generosity but as the impact of the pandemic hit the island like a tidal wave, the need to help with food security and to help our farmers and food related businesses stay afloat made it clear that we needed structure and order to make effective, long-term use of our deep wellsprings of good will and good intentions.  

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Author writes first full history of long-lost Mount Baker Marathon

"The Mountain Runners: America's First Adventure Race, 1911-1913" released in August by Washington State University Press The Mount Baker Marathon — the most dangerous, adventure-filled competition in Whatcom County history — has at last received a book-length account, complete with photographs and maps. “The Mountain Runners: America’s First Adventure Race, 1911-1913,” by Bellingham history author and filmmaker Todd Warger, has been published by Washington State University Press.

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Bellingham Herald newsroom staff cut by a third 

Two Bellingham Herald Reporters among nationwide McClatchy layoffs  Bellingham Herald said goodbye to housing and homelessness reporter and editor Rachel Showalter this week, and Jack Belcher — who covered transportation, environment and breaking news — will work his last day on Oct. 11. Bellingham Herald reporter Jack Belcher holds a sign on Holly Street and Lakeway Drive during a one-day strike in May.

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Whatcom Studio Tour: 5 artists share their craft and calling

Whatcom Studio Tour returns Oct. 3-4 and 10-11 across the county  Bellingham artist Christopher Moench had scheduled an open house at his studio in 1994, but it occurred to him that he could include more artists and more studios for the event. Thus, the Whatcom Artist Studio Tour was born. It was originally open to any local artist, but now artists are selected by a juried system, featuring professional or full-time artists.

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