News in Brief is published online every Friday, and updated throughout the week with bite-sized news from across Whatcom and Skagit counties. Read a roundup of the week’s news in print the following Friday.
Thursday, Nov. 9
Missing Lummi woman located by police
A woman reported missing on Nov. 1 to the Bellingham Police Department has been found.
Makalie Peters, a Lummi woman, was reported missing to police last week, after a family member was unable to contact her, according to a Nov. 7 Facebook post.
As of Nov. 9, the Bellingham Police Department said she has been “accounted for and is no longer listed as a missing person.”
The case is non-criminal, according to a Facebook post.
Shower trailer behind City Hall opens Nov. 10
The shower trailer in the back parking lot of City Hall at 210 Lottie St. will open Friday, Nov. 10 at 7 a.m.
Operated by the Opportunity Council’s Homeless Outreach Team, the trailer will be open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. every Friday, Saturday and Sunday until the Way Station opens on North State Street next year. It contains three showers, one ADA-accessible.
Towels and hygiene kits will be provided to users.
Traffic, mountain pass cameras disrupted after cyber attack on WSDOT website
A cyber security incident on Tuesday disrupted traffic and mountain pass camera feeds on the state Department of Transportation’s website. The cameras have been restored on WSDOT’s app, but not yet on the website, the agency posted to X, formerly Twitter, Thursday morning, Nov. 9.
The cause of the incident is under investigation, WSDOT stated, and the agency has relied on its social media platforms to relay traveler information.
Ferry schedules are available on its app, and weather.gov has been updating mountain pass conditions. Commercial vehicle permits are available in handwritten form at 12 locations across the state.
No other systems appear to be affected, WSDOT stated.
Wednesday, Nov. 8
Winter reservations open for Washington State Ferries on Nov. 14
Reservations will open for winter Washington State Ferries sailings at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 14.
The reservations were supposed to open yesterday, Nov. 7, but were postponed a week due to technical issues on the Washington State Department of Transportation website and apps.
Sailings from Dec. 31 to March 23, 2024, on the Port Townsend/Coupeville and Anacortes/San Juan Islands routes are reservable in advance.
Seventy-five percent of space on the Anacortes/San Juan Islands vessels is reservable. Twenty-five percent of standard vehicle space will be released on Tuesday, with an additional 25% released two weeks before sailing, and the final 25% released two days before sailing.
On the Port Townsend/Coupeville route, all reservation space will be available on Tuesday — 80% of all space on the vessels.
Reservations can be made on the Washington State Department of Transportation’s website.
Monday, Nov. 6
Seeing flames on Sumas Mountain? They’re prescribed
Watchful eyes may have spotted a series of fires on Sumas Mountain, located northeast of Bellingham, Monday afternoon, Nov. 6.
The multiple fires are part of two prescribed burns, according to the state Department of Natural Resources.
The planned ignition time and date for both permits was 1 p.m. Monday. One permit allows 84 burn acres and the other allots 70 acres. Both permitted areas are at a 2,500-foot elevation, and the permits allow for multiple pile burnings in the given area, according to DNR.
Friday, Nov. 3
Public invited to learn about updates to Lynden, Sumas land ports of entry
The public is invited to an in-person meeting Monday, Nov. 6, to learn about the expansion and modernization of the Lynden and Sumas ports of entry.
Hosted by the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), the meeting will be from 6–8 p.m. Monday at the American Legion Post 212, at 134 Harrison St. in Sumas.
Lynden’s Kenneth G. Ward port of entry has limited space, causing congestion in the commercial vehicle lane. This means commercial vehicles often travel farther distances to other ports that offer more efficient processing, according to a GSA news release.
The Sumas port of entry is also limited in space, causing inefficiencies in traffic flow. The Sumas port does not have a safe or secure inspection area.
GSA recently awarded a contract to Jacobs, Inc. to assist in developing a schedule and plan for the modernization and expansion of the land ports.
Construction on both projects is scheduled to begin in fall 2026, with completion in late 2028.
