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.
Wednesday, Oct. 11
Meridian Walgreens pharmacy closed amid national walkout
One of three Bellingham Walgreens pharmacies was closed yesterday and today amid a national walkout of Walgreens pharmacists.
A sign on the door of the Meridian Street Walgreens credits the pharmacy closure to “staffing issues.” The rest of the store is open normal hours. The Walgreens on East Sunset Drive and South Samish Way are open normal hours.
Organizers at Walgreens confirmed to CNN that they would be walking out between Oct. 9 and 11. Walgreens pharmacies in Washington, Arizona, Massachusetts and Oregon are closed due to staff walking out.
The walkouts have been largely organized on Reddit and other social media. According to an organizer on Reddit, employees are asking for payroll transparency, for new employees to receive training hours when hired, and to not be overworked.
Pharmacists around the country are reporting burnout, exacerbated by COVID-19. A research paper out of University of Illinois Chicago found nine in 10 pharmacists are at high risk for burnout. Three in four surveyed said COVID-19 has made their conditions worse due to staffing issues and rising patient needs.
Cascadia Daily News has contacted an organizer and Walgreens for more information.
17-year-old boy dies in rural Skagit County car accident
A 17-year-old boy from Concrete died in a two-car collision Tuesday afternoon, Oct. 10 along state Route 20 in Skagit County, according to Washington State Patrol (WSP).
Shortly after 3 p.m. Tuesday, James Janda was driving east of Van Horn on state Route 20, when he crossed the center line and struck a second vehicle, a WSP news release stated.
Janda died at the scene. One of three people in the second vehicle was injured and transported to United General Medical Center in Sedro-Woolley.
Occupants of both vehicles were all wearing seatbelts, and no drugs or alcohol were involved in the accident, according to the release.
The cause of the incident is under investigation.
Sunday, Oct. 8
Small earthquake shakes Puget Sound
Some Whatcom County residents reported feeling a small tremor after a 4.3 magnitude earthquake rumbled under Marrowstone Island at 7:21 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 8, according to the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network (PNSN).
The earthquake, located just southeast of Port Townsend, was at a depth of 57 kilometers and was felt around Puget Sound, according to PNSN.
The U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center said a tsunami was not expected.
1 dead in car crash near Everson
A car crash near Everson late Saturday night left one man dead, according to a Washington State Patrol (WSP) news release.
Two men were traveling southbound on state Route 9 near milepost 88 around 11:20 p.m. Saturday when their car left the roadway and struck a power pole.
The deceased man, who was a passenger in the vehicle, has not yet been identified. Both occupants were wearing seatbelts.
The driver, 21-year-old Maximino Najeramorales, was taken to PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center. Drugs or alcohol were involved and criminal charges are under investigation, according to WSP.
Saturday, Oct. 7
F Street railroad crossing reopens
Friday, Oct. 6
Bellingham High School condemns antisemitic incident
Bellingham High School students added “hateful and antisemitic images and poses to the skeletons” in a hallway decorated for the school’s homecoming week, principal Martin Atkins said in an email Friday to staff, students and families.
The incident occurred Monday, Oct. 2, and the images were removed immediately after being reported to the administration Tuesday.
“The images and poses that were created hurt more than just one people-group and are the opposite of who we strive to be as a school community,” Atkins said.
Atkins said the “most offensive bits” were removed by someone prior to the administration being informed. He encouraged the school community to report antisemitic incidents to the Bellingham Public Schools’ tip line.
Atkins also encouraged the community to learn more about antisemitism and its impacts at home.
“I feel that it is critically important for me to be transparent about the language and resources we use to teach into these hard places,” he said. “I know our collective community is working hard to build a more just and inclusive space where everyone is valued, seen, and appreciated.”
Sheriff’s office wins grant for emergency equipment for flood response
The Whatcom County Division of Emergency Management, under the sheriff’s office, received a $4.3 million grant to improve the county’s flood response.
The Sheriff’s Office used the money to purchase electronic roadside message boards, sandbagging machines, a radio simulcast system, enhanced notification software, four drones and emergency-response trailers. The trailers contain generators, tool and first-aid kits, cots, blankets, and other furniture and supplies. They will be deployed to areas previously impacted by flooding.
The grant award from the state Department of Commerce follows the devastating November 2021 floods that resulted in one death and more than $150 million in damages in Whatcom County.
Controlled burn slated for state land east of Van Zandt
The state Department of Natural Resources will burn 35 acres of timber land six miles east of Van Zandt, likely in October.
The prescribed fire is intended to reduce wildfire fuel and prevent invasive species from appearing at the site of a timber harvest earlier this year. The fire will be less intense than a wildfire, but smoke could reduce visibility on Middle Fork and Mosquito Lake roads, and other nearby roads. People in the area who are sensitive to smoke should limit outdoor activities and use air filters, if available.
The timing of the fire is weather-dependent and will be announced at a later date.
