Outpatient palliative care program unfortunately unsustainable

May 19, 2023
Bryan Stewart

Commentary: Insurance reimbursement levels and rising costs across all service lines led to PeaceHealth’s decision to end its comprehensive outpatient palliative program and restructure to continue to “provide the essential components of the program.”

read more

Bond system, wealth inequity are targets of school-funding suit

March 2, 2023
Kai Uyehara

If a lawsuit brought against the state by one of Washington’s small, rural school districts prevails, it could level the playing field for rich and poor districts when it comes to funding school construction.

read more

Sylvia Center closure clouds future for local theater

July 7, 2022
Matt Benoit

Announcement of the closure of Sylvia Center for the Arts — a surprise to many — has prompted questions about the future of local theater.

read more
photo: Kai Uyehara

New safe-space resource center would assist immigrants

June 24, 2022
Kai Uyehara

Bellingham’s Immigration Advisory Board is recommending a new resource center to assist immigrants in finding and accessing essential services.

read more

Schools assess safety protocols after shootings, threats

June 17, 2022
Kenneth Duncan

Recent school shootings and threats have renewed concern over safety — and impact on students’ mental health.

read more

Floods, COVID, retirements complicated December snow removal

February 10, 2022
Chris O'Neill

Clearing roads after December’s heavy snowfall was extra-challenging for local crews in Whatcom County, with over a foot of snow reported in some of the area’s microclimate zones.

read more

Winter shelter solutions lag behind need as unhoused number continues to grow

February 3, 2022
Noah Harper

Whatcom County’s unhoused population has seen a steady rise over the past decade, making it hard to plan how to meet shelter and housing needs. But planning — a year or more in advance — is an important part of finding long-term solutions.

read more

Winter leaves hummingbirds in the cold: dead, alive … or in torpor?

January 27, 2022
Chris O'Neill

Is that lifeless-looking hummingbird lying on the frozen ground really dead … or in torpor? Wildlife rescue professionals say it’s not uncommon to see Anna’s hummingbirds at their centers during the winter months, as the birds have moved farther north with climate change. Inert-seeming hummingbirds may in fact be alive but conserving energy, and experts advise contacting professionals to find out how to help.

read more

Bellingham to be a two-newspaper town again — in a brave new information world

January 21, 2022
Matt Benoit

A new digital and print publication launching this month will make Bellingham a two-newspaper town once again. The publication launches into an information environment much different from the last time the town had two papers, and observers look forward to the prospect of seeing more local news on government, agriculture and other topics.

read more

Housing pressures spark new look at inclusionary zoning

January 7, 2022
Lauren Gallup

Inclusionary zoning policies that either incentivize or require developers to include some units in construction projects that qualify as affordable housing are being reexamined as a way to provide much-needed affordable housing in Bellingham.

read more

2021: A look back at some stories from the first full year of Salish Current

December 31, 2021
Salish Current editors

2021 was a year like no other, with themes such as public health vis-à-vis COVID-19 and opioid addiction; social justice in the courts, the arts, housing and policing; and climate change and natural resources including water rights management. Salish Current offers a look back via articles published during the nonprofit newsroom’s first full year.

read more

The Gardenview Village tiny homes open avenues of hope for those experiencing homelessness

November 5, 2021
Lauren Gallup

Gardenview Village, a new community of tiny homes located off Lakeway Drive in Bellingham, will include 35 houses to serve unhoused members of the community when complete. The site already is providing homes to some residents since opening in mid-October.

read more

Election 2021: Addressing homelessness is priority for city, county candidates — and there’s agreement on how to do so

October 14, 2021
Lauren Gallup

Candidates for Bellingham city and Whatcom County councils share concern that there are not enough options for people living unhoused in the area, and incumbents and challengers both say they want to do more to address the housing crisis.

read more

Election 2021: Grassroots effort puts four People First Bellingham initiatives before voters

October 7, 2021
Ella Banken

Bellingham voters will determine in the November election whether they want to live in a city with expanded protection for renters’ rights, where police can’t use invasive technology, where the right to unionize is protected and where hourly workers’ compensation is protected when they vote on four initiatives promoted by People First Bellingham.

read more

‘Food hub plus’ part of ambitious collaboration to meet housing and food needs

October 1, 2021
Lane Morgan

A complex housing and food resources proposal for the Bellingham waterfront aims to employ a fusion of community and economic development in “a once in a lifetime opportunity” to meet local food supply needs — with the help of local farmers and suppliers.

read more

Vaccine mandate becoming latest COVID ‘new normal’ for work or play

September 24, 2021
Matt Benoit

As the Delta variant of COVID-19 ravages the unvaccinated population, killing some and filling hospitals, public, private, and government entities have renewed masking mandates, and more are enacting vaccination mandates and requiring proof of testing to stamp out the virus from places of both work and play.

read more

A STRONG COMMUNITY NEEDS A STRONG LOCAL PRESS.

Help us revive local journalism.

MORE
© 2023 Salish Current | site by Shew Design