Whatcom

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City & County

Hops, community brew Bellingham’s most loved beer spots

By Rowan Westwood | July 9

“It’s like how a hot dog tastes better at a baseball game,” said Schweinhaus Biergarten cook and server David Ritscher when asked if a good atmosphere has the power to make beer taste better. There are many places to grab a beer in Bellingham, from Gruff Brewing to your local gas station. But what makes beer taste great? Sure, the hops and yeast are important, but a big part of getting a beer is the setting. 

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City & County

BRIEF: Meet the candidates running for state senate in the 42nd district

By Finn Kurtz | July 5

In the northwesternmost corner of Washington state, campaigning has begun for the competitive and valuable state senate seat representing the 42nd district.

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City & County

BRIEF: Bans off Bellingham protest

By Jenelle Baumbach | June 24

Alongside parallel demonstrations throughout the United States, over 500 people gathered in Bellingham’s civic center on Friday, June 24, to display their unwavering support for abortion rights.

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City & County

Memorial Day in Whatcom County

By Troy Schulz | June 16

Whatcom County’s annual community Memorial Day parade returned to Bellingham on May 28, with several thousand attendees turning out from as far as the Seattle area.

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City & County

Tears and triumph: an outpouring of love at Whatcom Youth Pride

By Jordan Oliver | June 16

An estimated 1,500 people turned out for the Whatcom Youth Pride parade and festival in Bellingham on June 4.

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City & County

REDress represents centuries of daily violence

By Ani Lowe | June 11

The courtyard of Whatcom Museum’s Lightcatcher Building was home to a number of red dresses for 10 days this past month. Some dresses hung on a tall rack, others lay strewn across a rock; another hung in a tree, and two more were displayed on a fence. 

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City & County

Celebrate the queer community in Whatcom County with Whatcom Youth Pride

By Jordan Oliver | June 11

Whatcom Youth Pride hosted its first in-person pride parade and festival in two years on Saturday, June 4, in Bellingham.

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City & County

BRIEF: Why hasn’t the city council returned in person?

By Jenelle Baumbach | June 11

For over two years, Bellingham City Council meetings have been conducted remotely, following the breakout of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

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City & County

Boobs, butts and balls

By Andrew Ford | June 10

Goosebump-inducing rain pitter-patters on the skin of more than 80 Bellingham cyclists that are about to embark on the first nude bike ride around downtown in two years.

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City & County

Bellingham’s Costco is getting a car wash

By Joshua Solorzano | June 10

If you were wondering what the construction in Bellingham’s Costco parking lot is for, it’s a car wash and is estimated to open this September. 

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City & County

Recreation Northwest to build 'Outdoor Classroom' in Fairhaven Park

By Sam Kristofferson | June 9

Recreation Northwest, the Bellingham-based non-profit organization, has announced its newest project for locals to enjoy.  The Outdoor Classroom, coined by Recreation Northwest founder and executive director Todd Elsworth, will be located in Fairhaven Park. 

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City & County

Avian Flu strikes Washington State

By Troy Schulz | June 8

Some 11 different cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza strains have been reported in Washington state since the beginning of May, and wildlife health officials are quickly responding. 

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City & County

Restoration of a downtown coastal habitat starts this June

By Andrew Ford | June 8

Little Squalicum Park, located next to Bellingham Technical College, a haven for dog walkers, will soon welcome back its native marine ancestors. The lower part of the park will be closed through December 2022 for the construction of an estuary and beach restoration project that will restore 4.85 total acres of “essential” coastal habitat that has been lost to development, according to the project’s summary.

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City & County

Community voices on public safety

By Jenelle Baumbach | June 8

Bellingham City Council opened the floor for a special meeting to allow the general public to discuss their worries about public safety on May 16.

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City & County

Summer is right around the corner, the Bellingham container village is ready for customers

By Emily Paulson | June 8

At a new container village on the Bellingham Waterfront, visitors can drink beer, eat ice cream and rent a bicycle to ride at the nearby pump track. In the next couple of months, they’ll be able to eat hamburgers and drink cocktails at a bar as the first part of a project to turn old shipping containers into new space for businesses nears completion. 

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City & County

Uvalde school massacre leaves nation questioning school safety

By Michaela Camlin | June 5

Uvalde’s school shooting has people across the nation worried for the safety of their schools and their children's lives.

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City & County

After 17 years, Everyday Music will permanently close its doors

By Joshua Solorzano | June 5

A staple of downtown Bellingham for the last 17 years, Everyday Music, a CD, DVD and record store will close its doors to the public sometime in mid-August, according to Rian Zenner, the store’s manager.

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City & County

Everyone has a place outdoors

By Ani Lowe | June 2

Sierra Farrell had never been backpacking when she decided to embark on a three-month-long Outward Bound trip following her senior year of high school, traveling to Patagonia, the Everglades and the Blue Ridge Mountains. 

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City & County

New owners lock in positive changes at The Eureka Room

By Jordan Oliver | May 31

Bellingham’s first escape room business, The Eureka Room, has seen some revamping in the past couple of years during the COVID-19 pandemic – including a change in ownership.

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City & County

After experiencing racism at Western, students of color demand change

By Simone Higashi | May 31

On Feb 1, HSOC released a list of 10 demands to the Honors College. The group also created a petition to bring attention to their demands in response to the racism and neglect the students felt within the honors community.