Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated nationally from Sept. 15 - Oct. 15 Community leaders say there’s plenty to celebrate this Hispanic Heritage Month but urge people to support the community year around. The annual celebration of Hispanic and Latino culture, heritage and contributions runs Sept. 15 through Oct. 15. “It's also important in this political climate to give our culture and our people a positive spotlight, while so much of our administration is harmfully and wrongfully targeting our families,” said Walter Topete with…

Bellingham's Laughing Hamster comedy festival returns Oct 8-17 In my years of doing stand-up comedy in Bellingham, I’ve performed in some truly ridiculous places. Comedian and freelance journalist Matt Benoit performs at a recent open mic at Beach Cat Brewing in Bellingham. He usually smiles. (Courtesy Jerry Barnett) These include: a now-closed barbershop on Meridian Street, where I told jokes without a microphone next to a bathroom entrance; an illegal cannabis dab bar next to the infamous Aloha Motel, where the microphone stand blocked access to the only ATM of an all-cash business; at Fairhaven’s Paws for a Beer, where dogs kept jumping onto the stage, making the focused performance of material impossible but cute distractions never-ending.

To the Editor: This is to share how my husband and I know Katherine Bryant Ingman candidate for San Juan County Council District 3 and why she has our full support. We first met Katherine when we began to volunteer at the Lopez Food Share in 2020 during the COVID pandemic. Lopez has a long history of food generosity but as the impact of the pandemic hit the island like a tidal wave, the need to help with food security and to help our farmers and food related businesses stay afloat made it clear that we needed structure and order to make effective, long-term use of our deep wellsprings of good will and good intentions.  

"The Mountain Runners: America's First Adventure Race, 1911-1913" released in August by Washington State University Press The Mount Baker Marathon — the most dangerous, adventure-filled competition in Whatcom County history — has at last received a book-length account, complete with photographs and maps. “The Mountain Runners: America’s First Adventure Race, 1911-1913,” by Bellingham history author and filmmaker Todd Warger, has been published by Washington State University Press.

Two Bellingham Herald Reporters among nationwide McClatchy layoffs  Bellingham Herald said goodbye to housing and homelessness reporter and editor Rachel Showalter this week, and Jack Belcher — who covered transportation, environment and breaking news — will work his last day on Oct. 11. Bellingham Herald reporter Jack Belcher holds a sign on Holly Street and Lakeway Drive during a one-day strike in May.

Whatcom Studio Tour returns Oct. 3-4 and 10-11 across the county  Bellingham artist Christopher Moench had scheduled an open house at his studio in 1994, but it occurred to him that he could include more artists and more studios for the event. Thus, the Whatcom Artist Studio Tour was born. It was originally open to any local artist, but now artists are selected by a juried system, featuring professional or full-time artists.

Get ready for that new train smell and more seats. But they won’t go faster or run more frequently on the Cascades route in Washington and Oregon. Originally published by Washington State Standard on Sept. 18, 2026 A date that Pacific Northwest train riders and advocates have long awaited is finally nigh. Amtrak’s sleek, amenity-packed new trains will debut on the Cascades intercity route on Sept.

Elimination of Stewardship director position, other moves seen by some as concerning pattern As the San Juan County council continues to discuss the 2027 budget, the elimination of the Environmental Stewardship Department director remains the hot-button issue. Former county employees consider the direction reminiscent of others in recent years which appeared to de-prioritize environmental stewardship. This summer, an arbitration decision sided with a former environmental planner over claims that the county violated a bargaining agreement by laying her off.

There was an excellent and well-attended panel discussion featuring local Superior Court Judge Lee Grochmal, Chief Washington State Appellate Court Justice Cecily Hazelrigg and Chief Washington State Supreme Court Justice Sheryl Gordon McCloud at Syre Hall at Whatcom Community College on Saturday morning, talking about the pressures, the day-to-day responsibilities and the separate roles branch of the judiciary plays in our system of justice.

Bellingham Circus Guild approaches 20th anniversary According to Bellingham Circus Guild performer Jules McEvoy, Bellingham may have the most circus performers per capita of any city in the United States. McEvoy, a lifelong performer, entered the realm of the Bellingham Circus Guild in the days before it had a name and a rich history. Jules "the juggler" McEvoy juggles at the Bellingham Circus Guild's Vaudevillingham show.

Residents feared pollutants in Bellingham’s water source Over half of a sunken 98-year-old wooden boat on Lake Whatcom has been removed after spending nearly four months below water. Residents who frequent the north side of the lake may have noticed a damaged 46-foot boat sitting below the waterline this summer. The vessel, Seaforth, sank off of Lake Whatcom Boulevard on May 29 after a mild windstorm exposed existing structural damage from a boat accident four years ago, Chris Spens, the owner of Seaforth said.

Hunters’ demands for spring bear kills led to dubious reprimand, tarnished reputations, say commissioners Ed.: This article was originally published in Columbia Insight on Sept. 14, 2026. Disappointing. That’s the general sentiment surrounding the Aug. 31 letters from Gov. Bob Ferguson’s office to Washington Fish and Wildlife Commissioners Lorna Smith and Melanie Rowland, following a months-long independent investigation into their conduct.

The city’s newest park will add trails, beach access and public space Bellingham is in the first phase of Salish Landing Park following a decade of planning: an overhaul of the space previously known as Cornwall Beach Park on Pine Street. City officials say this portion of a much larger site project will reconnect residents with a section of shoreline that was long inaccessible, while providing public access that has undergone extensive environmental cleanup.

'Women, Madness, Whiteness' poetry collection released Sept. 8 by Village Books and Paper Dreams I have been writing "Women, Madness, Whiteness" since I was an overwhelmed and confused teenager trying to figure out the wild ride of my mother’s madness. When I was a little girl, my mother was institutionalized and diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. While I understood that her behaviors were odd and at times scary and unsettling, I also understood that what was happening was connected in some ways to abuse and trauma.

Bellingham artists Maggie Bates and Erin Libby recently featured at Ferndale's It's About Time Cultural Arts Center At the It’s About Time Cultural Arts Center in Ferndale, handmade jewelry and artisanal crafts line the brimming storefront gallery entrance. The for-sale works of local artists cover the walls — digital prints, watercolor and oil paintings and glass statues invite visitors deeper inside.

Lynden Music Festival returns Oct. 7-11 When Terhi Miikki-Broersma founded the Lynden Music Festival in 2009 as a self-described “newbie,” it was simply because there was no music festival in town. This year’s Lynden Music Festival runs Oct. 7-11 in the cafes, restaurants, pubs and other venues in downtown Lynden. Atlantics frontman plays blues and funk at the Lynden Music Festival.

AI usage, pay raises included in new contract Skagit County journalists voted unanimously on Sept. 4 to ratify a new two-year contract, with stipulations for increased pay and AI usage. The unionized employees from the Skagit Valley Herald, Anacortes American and Stanwood Camano News went on a three-day strike at the end of July. They were prepared to strike again, indefinitely this time, if the new contract did not meet their demands.

After burial disturbances at Point Roberts, community member points to collaboration and discussion to tackle region’s biggest issues Ed.: The essays, analyses and opinions presented as Community Voices express the perspectives of their authors on topics of interest and importance to the community and are not intended to reflect perspectives on behalf of Salish Current. What a shock to read about the…

Petition filed to reinstate spring bear hunt after commission audit  The fall black bear hunting season is well underway in Skagit and Whatcom counties, and a hunter filed two petitions recently with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife to bring back the spring bear hunt, a controversial season that ended in 2022 and resulted in a Fish and Wildlife commission audit…

San Juan County council prepares for 2027 budget approval  At a meeting last week, Councilmember Kari McVeigh said San Juan County is tasked with “making gold out of corn.” In the wake of a failed property tax measure in April and projections of a $3.7 million budget deficit — 12% of the county’s operating revenue — for 2027, the county council spent this summer going department-by-department looking for cuts.

Sudden Valley plans herbicide treatment for invasive waterlilies at Lake Louise They are back and spreading! The invasive fragrant waterlilies at Lake Louise in Sudden Valley cover much of the shoreline this time of the year. A bird sanctuary on the southeast end of the lake is so dense with lily pads that waterfowl commonly seen there in the cooler months are now absent.

City of Bellingham works to bolster Padden Creek habitat Drier, hotter summers are prompting new ideas for how to balance recreation and wildlife in the Padden Creek watershed. The City of Bellingham is working on a water budget that investigates the feasibility and impacts of using more water from Lake Padden to boost streamflows in the creek, Jason Porter, public works surface water manager, wrote in an email.

Citizens have taken a ‘vigilante justice’ approach to what many call a growing surveillance threat as automatic license plate cameras continue to appear across Washington Shoppers at Home Depot in Bellingham have recently been greeted with an unexpected sight: Two of four automatic license plate recognition cameras installed on the business’s property were cut down, rendering them inoperable. Earlier this summer, two Flock cameras at the Home Depot in Bellingham were cut down by an anonymous resident.

To the Editor: International Day of the Disappeared is observed on August 30 each year to bring awareness and advocate for rights of those who've been subjected to enforced disappearance.  Amnesty International marks this day by bringing attention to a number of cases, including that of 2 Palestinian journalists, Dr. Abu Safiya, a Tibetan religious leader and educator, and several activists from Pakistan and China.  

From classic country standards to old-school revivals, musicians across the North Sound region carry Parton’s sound to a new generation of listeners  Ed.: The essays, analyses and opinions presented as Community Voices express the perspectives of their authors on topics of interest and importance to the community and are not intended to reflect perspectives on behalf of Salish Current. Dolly Parton died Aug.

Increasing sixgill and sevengill sightings provide new research opportunities in the Salish Sea Researchers with the Seattle Aquarium, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Oregon State University Big Fish Lab and Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium have tagged eight bluntnose sixgill sharks this summer with a budget for 12-15 total through September.  Growing up to 14 feet if not bigger, sixgill sharks are some of the…

School libraries must be prioritized among budget cuts Ed.: The essays, analyses and opinions presented as Community Voices express the perspectives of their authors on topics of interest and importance to the community and are not intended to reflect perspectives on behalf of Salish Current. For our family, elementary school started online in the fall of 2020. If you lived in the Pacific Northwest at the time, it also happened to be a September covered in orange smoke from nearby forest fires.

Researchers use miniature tags to study bee behavior Trail walkers may have noticed new devices lining the Nooksack trails in Bellingham. The devices, which stand on poles and feature solar panels connected to gray power-boxes, are radio nodes that make up a grid system of receivers that obtain data from bumblebees tagged with newly innovated radio tracking technology. A radio node receiver picks up signals from bees along the Nooksack River in Bellingham.

How a local artist creates treasure from scraps "Giraffe Ornate" by Cathie Cousineau Born in the 1950s, a middle child in a middle‐class family, I was taught to “make do with what you have.” Everyday items themselves were made to last in those days, plus the art of repair was a necessary skillset when only a few coins were given for a weekly allowance.

Brittani VanDyken uses the skill of whip handling to challenge herself and lead team-building workshops During warm summer evenings in front of Bellingham’s El Sueñito Brewing Company, it’s common to hear the crispness of a sonic boom. The source of the noise isn’t from a gunshot or jet breaking the sound barrier, however: It’s from the crack of a 10-foot whip held by Brittani VanDyken.

WTA service changes have started ahead of September fare increase  This summer, Whatcom Transportation Authority implemented its 2026 service changes, aiming to simplify routes, improve reliability and better match service to actual demand.  The most significant changes center on routes serving Western Washington University. Previously, the Blue Line consisted of six overlapping routes that funneled through campus, often creating confusion and inefficiency.

Using eDNA to map and save lower-profile species crucial to the ecosystem, researchers say According to a recent Convention of Migratory Species Report, migratory freshwater fish populations have dropped 81% worldwide since 1970. While Northwest Washington species face many of the same pressures as other species across the planet, the story here is a bit more nuanced, and researchers point to a unique interagency collaboration in the state as a pathway forward.

Free trail app offers new opportunities in Bellingham Summer in Bellingham means sunlit trails and a steady stream of cyclists cruising through town. For local riders looking to ground their usual weekend ride in something deeper, a new self-guided route offers a journey through the city's Indigenous heritage: the Salish Tribute bicycle ride. The route is the latest creation from Sarah Birch, founder of…

Traffic deaths have seen a stark increase since 2013 Ed.: The essays, analyses and opinions presented as Community Voices express the perspectives of their authors on topics of interest and importance to the community and are not intended to reflect perspectives on behalf of Salish Current. In its 2024 report, the Washington State Traffic Safety Commission lays out a vision for zero roadway deaths, achieved through coordinated safety and transportation planning.

A new report argues cross-border waterways in the Columbia Basin need more coordinated governance; officials believe that work is already being done. The need for careful management of waterways to control pollution and flooding, and to satisfy hydropower needs, doesn’t magically stop at an international border. The Columbia River Basin includes a chunk of British Columbia and territory in seven U.S.

DNR approves permit for forest harvest, but opponents say talks continuing  Though logging could potentially be on the horizon near one of the Skagit Valley’s most iconic landmarks, the way ahead remains unclear. On Aug. 1, the state Department of Natural Resources approved a forest practices application for timber harvest of a 10-acre parcel adjacent to Little Mountain Park. 

An ordinance eliminating minimum parking requirements in Bellingham raises questions about the city's future development. Ed.: The essays, analyses and opinions presented as Community Voices express the perspectives of their authors on topics of interest and importance to the community and are not intended to reflect perspectives on behalf of Salish Current. Perhaps someone on the city council or in the mayor’s office can explain how we can encourage the increased housing opportunities in Bellingham — signed in November of 2024 — by utilizing infills, ADUs, townhomes, renting out parts of our houses and more, to handle our growing population, while at the same time eliminating all parking place requirements on new construction?

More American white pelicans are migrating to Padilla Bay each year, but there’s no evidence of successful nesting — birders ask: is a permanent colony possible? To many in Western Washington, the American white pelican is an unusual sighting. Native to inland regions of the United States and Canada, as well as coastal areas of Mexico, these birds generally migrate far south of Washington in the winter, returning to freshwater lakes and marshes to breed in the summer.

Local poet responds to proposed tree removal for facility expansion at Lopez Island's Odlin County Park Brenda Asterino stands before an old growth tree at Odlin County Park. (Courtesy Brenda Asterino) Whispers of the original Word Found within the depthsOf bark, trunk, of sap and rootsAnd nestled in cone spirals. Word made woodUnique to planet Earth. We have Irrational and…

Across Northwest Washington, summer festival season is filling parks, breweries, libraries, hotels and community venues with live music. From Bellingham to the San Juan Islands, audiences can hear jazz almost any night of the week. But while summer performances bring the music into public view, they tell only part of the story. That network stretches well beyond any single venue. …

 Intertribal Canoe Journey connects Indigenous people to an ancient lifeway — and calls the diaspora home The Samish Nation canoe Eshas cut through the calm waters of Fidalgo Bay on July 25 en route to the shores of the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community. Emma Kortuem and her fellow pullers made each paddle strokes in time to a travel song sung by the skipper.

Researchers anticipate occasional shark strandings, say they’re not the ‘worst thing’ Off the Washington coast and occasionally in the Straits of Juan de Fuca and Georgia lurks a “mini-me” of the great white shark. Though they are less than half the size, salmon sharks don the distinctive countershading of white sharks, and the similarities do not stop there. Salmon sharks, along with whites and makos, belong to the order Lamniformes or mackerel sharks.

More negotiations with media company to come later this month Skagit County journalists may have ended their strike last week, but the bargaining is far from over. Following a unanimous vote in favor of striking against newspaper management, the eight unionized workers from the Skagit Valley Herald, Anacortes American and Stanwood Camano News left their desks and took to the streets starting on Friday, July 24, and continued into the weekend.

From traffic stops to 'soft raids': How DHS immigration tactics are evolving After at least two Lynden residents were detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement on July 22, activists in Bellingham and Friday Harbor hosted a vigil and a rally to show support for their community. As the Department of Homeland Security continues to carry out immigration enforcement across Whatcom, Skagit and San Juan counties, community members are working to provide those affected with mutual aid.

Point Roberts case goes to trial beginning Oct. 4  A jury trial is scheduled to begin on Oct. 4 in federal court in the case of Whidbey Telecom’s disturbance of Lummi ancestral burials in Point Roberts, a peninsula west of Bellingham and within the Lummi Nation’s historical territory. Point Roberts, Washington. Lummi Nation says Whidbey Telecom destroyed ancestral burials while trenching to install broadband fiberoptic cable.

Mount Vernon thrift store opens to raise funds for new senior center Changes to senior services in Skagit County are inevitable due to rising costs of operation and lack of federal funding, and government officials are looking toward partnerships, “outside the box funding” and lasting solutions. Earlier this month, local seniors took a proactive approach through the opening of New2You, a volunteer-run thrift store down the street from the aging Mount Vernon Senior Center with hopes of raising money for a new senior center.

Greater urgency is needed to save Nooksack salmon Ed.: The essays, analyses and opinions presented as Community Voices express the perspectives of their authors on topics of interest and importance to the community and are not intended to reflect perspectives on behalf of Salish Current. I worry that salmon in the Nooksack River watershed will not survive the next few decades.

This year has seen a record high number of gray whale strandings in Washington. Researchers are coming up with new methods aimed at figuring out why this is happening Earhart didn’t come back to North Puget Sound this year. She is one of about a dozen “Sounder” gray whales that feed in the Sound between March and June as they migrate north from Mexico.

Department of Social and Health Services is reviewing several contracts, including one funding the peer support network Parent to Parent Kassidy Logan started noticing signs of autism in her son when he was 1. The pandemic was in full swing and Logan, who lives in Mount Vernon, remembers feeling “isolated” while she awaited a diagnosis. “Any disability is a whole new world,” Logan said.

A change to the Endangered Species Act means local species could go extinct, conservationists say Local environmental scientists and conservationists are ringing alarm bells about how a dismantling of federal protections will harm local endangered species and broader ecosystems. The species in danger include the Salish Sea’s iconic Southern Resident orcas and the Chinook salmon that feed them to less famous counterparts like the Island marble butterfly or the marbled murrelet, a small species of seabird.