The City of Bellingham is considering raising the prices of city-owned electric vehicle charging stations for the first time since 2022. A proposal presented to the city’s transportation commission on April 14 by the city’s climate and energy manager, Seth Vidaña, suggests raising the price of level three fast charging from $0.25 per kilowatt-hour to $0.40.
The case of approximately 25 skinned canine carcasses that recently washed ashore on Guemes Island in Skagit County last week has been uncovered. According to the Skagit County Sheriff’s Office, a veterinary forensics team concluded the dead canines were foxes.
About a hundred students and community members surrounded Fisher Fountain on Thursday, April 16, at 2 p.m. for a protest led by WWU Divest Apartheid Coalition, a student political organization against Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories. The protest was against “Triggered: The Ceaseless Tour,” an event held by Students Supporting Israel that invited Israeli reserve soldiers to speak on campus. Several speakers condemned the university’s compliance with the event despite students' concerns.The event was originally planned to be hosted on campus, but was relocated off campus to the Stateside student housing apartments in downtown Bellingham the day of due to security concerns. Organizers were told by university officials that they could not guarantee the safety of the event.
Bellingham City Council unanimously passed a resolution that called for an end to “lawless” immigration enforcement in a “moment of fear, grief, anger, and uncertainty” on Feb. 23, 2026.
The Whatcom County unemployment rate increased from 4.6% to 5.2% in December 2025, following a broader decline in jobs countywide.According to the Washington State Employment Security Department, employers reported 300 fewer payroll jobs in the county. Sectors such as manual labor and service providing industries have lost jobs.
Housing affordability has been a hotly debated topic among Bellingham residents for years. According to a 2025 study by Construction Coverage, Bellingham had the fourth highest home price-to-income ratio out of 375 observed areas, making it one of the least affordable cities in the nation. One way the city planned to solve the issue is through investing in affordable housing as detailed in 2025’s Bellingham Comprehensive Plan.
Third graders at Happy Valley Elementary School remain quiet, grasping onto every word coming from Jason LaClair. They are enthralled he is here. Allied Arts, a gallery and leader in the Whatcom County art scene, has partnered with LaClair to bring his knowledge to the classroom.
On Sunday, in between spurts of heavy rainfall and patchy blue skies, dozens of people squeezed into the Whatcom Peace and Justice Center in Bellingham with two things on their minds: whistles and resistance.
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.
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.
Whatcom Transit Authority has proposed increasing bus fare prices in response to rising operating costs and will seek board approval later this winter.
The Port of Bellingham approved a lease agreement with Puget Sound Energy on Oct. 21 to install a solar array on the Fisherman’s Pavilion roof at Squalicum Harbor as part of a community solar program.
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