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April 3 - 9, 2025
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Whatcom farmworker, activist detained, page 2
Pakistani nuclear weapon arrest, page 3
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Rallies scheduled at Peace Arch, page 5
Blaine Sasquatch marks the start of spring
Blaine school board accepts Granger’s resignation Finance director leaves By Nolan Baker
(See Granger, page 5)
APRIL 4-6
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s The sasquatch statue in front of the Blaine Visitor Information Center, 546 Peace Portal Drive, has signaled the start of spring as it was spotted dressed as the Easter Bunny on April 1. Photo by Nolan Baker
‘Liberation Day’ arrives with global tariffs By Grace McCarthy President Donald Trump unveiled his sweeping global tariff policy at the White House on April 2. Trump announced worldwide tariffs of 10 percent on everything coming into the country alongside 25 percent on foreign made cars that go into effect at 12:01 a.m. April 3. The president also announced “reciprocal” tariffs for U.S. trading partners including a 34 percent tariff on China. Vietnam will be hit with a 46 percent tariff, while India and Japan will receive 26 and 24 percent tariffs, respectively. Significantly, neither Canada nor Mexico were included on a chart that Trump displayed at the news conference nor on a detailed list given out to attendees, according to media reports. The Trump administration has called the
event both “Liberation Day” and “Make America Wealthy Again.” Trump cited economic independence, bringing jobs and factories back to the U.S. and paying down national debt as reasons for the tariffs. “We have to take care of our people, and we’re going to take care of our people first,” Trump said during the news conference. “Today, we’re standing up for the American worker and we’re finally putting America first.” Trump’s announcement is the latest in a roller coaster of tariff announcements the president has made since taking office on January 20. Prior to April 2, he had already enacted a 20 percent tariff on Chinese imports and imposed tariffs of 25 percent on aluminum and steel. This is a developing story.
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In a special meeting on March 31, the Blaine school board accepted the resignation letter of superintendent Christopher Granger, who will serve his last day for the district on June 30. Granger was offered the position as Sultan school district superintendent on March 6, and will start his new position on July 1. Granger was a finalist for at least one other superintendent position, interviewing at the Ellensburg school district in February 2024. With Granger’s departure now finalized via a 26-word resignation letter, the board voted to hire Northwest Leadership Associates to lead the search for a new superintendent. The hiring firm specializes in superintendent searches, and primarily focuses on consulting with school districts in the Pacific Northwest, according to its website. The school district did not announce the appointment of an interim superintendent, citing ongoing contract negotiations with Northwest Leadership Associates. A contract between Granger and the Sultan school district was finalized on March 20, paying an annual salary of $230,000 for three school years. That represents a slight pay bump for the departing superintendent, who earned a base salary of $215,979 for the 2024-25 school year. Granger will visit the Sultan school district on Friday, April 11 for community meetings, and will continue to visit the district as he transitions to his new job, according to a press release from the Sultan school district. Since starting as Blaine’s superintendent in 2019, Granger has received several contract extensions from the board. Granger oversaw a particularly tumultuous time in the school district’s history, guiding the district through the Covid-19 pandemic that included a transition to and from in-person classes, and a deep contraction of public education funding affecting districts across the state. Through his six-year tenure, the Blaine school district underwent three consecutive budget cuts, drastically reducing the number of staff. Over three years, the school dis-
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