Not many universities can say they have a towering evergreen forest just steps away from campus. The Sehome Hill Arboretum is a major element of what makes Western Washington University’s environment unique.
It was a hot August morning in 2024 when a beef cow, only a few months old, famously escaped her trailer, beginning her two-month-long career as an escape artist wandering the Barkley Village neighborhood.
Western Washington University’s student workers’ union is taking its fight for collective bargaining rights to the state legislature this session. A bill backed by the union shows promise of passing and enabling Western Academic Workers United (WAWU) to protect more student workers following a 2025 strike.
As the sun began to set on Western Washington University on Monday, Jan. 26, countless voices chanted “presente” in response to the reading of 38 names, one for each person whose death was caused by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or other federal immigration officers since the beginning of President Donald Trump’s second term.
Budget cuts have been a part of Western’s academic life recently. Twenty positions were eliminated in June, including the entire administrative division of Student Affairs, with most student services continuing under the Office of the Provost.
Jeff Jewell remembers his first impressions of Bellingham upon moving here in 1982.
For many people, the loss of benefits compounded barriers that were already making food access difficult – like living in a rural area where groceries aren’t as easily accessible, or managing a chronic condition that restricts diet flexibility.
In order to install a public fuel dock, the port must first conduct a cleanup and then determine if installing fuel tanks is feasible, said Mike Hogan, public affairs administrator for the Port of Bellingham.
Now 101, Joanne Rasmussen has lived through more than a century of political change and has taken part in activism at different points in her life. Today, she’s the most senior member of a protest group at The Willows retirement community.
Mobile Medical Units are Federal Drug Enforcement Agency-approved locations for dispensing methadone, vivitrol and suboxone for people interested in medication-assisted treatment services for addiction. The first mobile medical unit in Bellingham started operating in January and is located on Division Street.
One January evening, a group of students gathered at the Underground Coffeehouse looking for a space to belong. They were there for a speed banding event geared toward Western Washington University’s queer and femme-identifying student musicians.
Four folk-filled days and nights with more than 50 music events have made their way to downtown Bellingham Jan. 22-25 as part of the Bellingham Folk Festival.
Western Washington University women’s basketball defeated University of Alaska Fairbanks in a decisive 72-47 victory on Thursday, Jan. 15, 7 p.m. at WECU Court in the Carver Gym.
In 2025, Region O for the Intercollegiate Dressage Association was established, making it possible for Western Washington University to participate in the IDA and begin its dressage team from scratch.
As temperatures drop and rain drizzles, we retreat from leisurely walks through campus and instead briskly dash to class in zipped coats and flipped hoods. The rush for warm, dry shelter, combined with less daylight, all too often robs us of comfortable time together. This becomes a temporary loss of personal spark that is tangible in our energy and visible in our style.
If you search for a pregnancy test or STI testing in Bellingham, you’ll find plenty of options, but not all of them are actually there to help you.
On Oct. 14, the Whatcom Transit Authority purchased the property at 1522 Cornwall Ave. in downtown Bellingham for $6.2 million. They plan to turn the 1.6-acre site into a large transit-oriented development, constructing up to two 8-10 story mixed-use buildings with a new Bellingham Transit Station.
Can-Am Studies has received federal grants for decades, relying on the money to support faculty research, fund cross-border field trips for students and hire additional instructors. Despite these cuts, Christina Keppie is fighting to keep as many programs running as possible.
Solutions by The State News
