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August 15 - 21, 2024
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Birch Bay school makes progress, page 2
Blaine building height debate ongoing, page 6
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Blaine man arrested after seven-hour standoff on Mitchell Ave. By Grace McCarthy
s After a tense, seven-hour standoff with multiple law enforcement agencies on Mitchell Avenue in Blaine on the morning of Friday, August 9, Tristen Scott Alexander, 35, was arrested on nine domestic violence charges including burglary, assault and unlawful imprisonment. Photo by Louise Mugar
County executive appears to have bypassed charter in hiring medical examiner By Grace McCarthy
Whatcom County Executive Satpal Sidhu appeared to violate the county charter by ignoring the advice of medical professionals when hiring Dr. Allison Hunt, the medical examiner whose contract is now ending after an incident where two bodies were mishandled. The Whatcom County Charter states in Article 3 of The Executive Branch that “the County Medical Examiner shall be appointed by the County Executive from applicants approved by the Whatcom County Medical Society and the County Sheriff and shall be confirmed by the County Council.” Dr. Marta Kazymyra, who served as the representative for the Northwest Wash(See Standoff, page 7) ington Medical Society, said she did not recommend the county’s hire of Hunt, of tjohnson;Seattle;Clean Air Heating & Cooling;C33432-154586;10x2-4C (24Su-B1)
Hunt Forensics, for the contracted position in 2021 during the selection process. The sheriff’s recommendation was not known by press time. Kazymyra, a longtime Blaine doctor at Bay Medical Clinic, said she discussed Hunt’s application and interview with the Northwest Washington Medical Society throughout the hiring process. “We were not concerned about her qualifications in terms of a person who can do an autopsy,” Kazymyra said. “We were concerned about the fact that we were dealing with county money, and she didn’t know anything about running a business.” Jed Holmes, public affairs and strategy manager for the Whatcom County Executive’s Office, told The Northern Light in (See Examiner, page 3)
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A 35-year-old Blaine man suspected of nine domestic violence offenses was arrested after a seven-hour standoff with law enforcement on Mitchell Avenue in Blaine the morning of Friday, August 9. The Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) had probable cause to arrest Tristen Scott Alexander, 35, for burglary, harassment, assault, stalking, unlawful imprisonment, violating a domestic violence protection order, reckless endangerment, tampering with a witness and disclosing intimate images, with potentially additional charges as the investigation continues, according to a WCSO news release. Alexander was booked into jail after being treated for minor injuries related to the standoff. On May 30, Blaine Police Department officers arrested Alexander for allegedly sending a threatening photo to a woman known to Alexander. A no contact order was imposed between Alexander and the woman when he was released from jail on July 22. Despite the no-contact order, the woman reported unwanted contact, including sightings by her house and work. On July 29, Alexander allegedly violated the no-contact order, threatened the woman, forced himself into her residence and physically assaulted her, according to the WCSO. Alexander allegedly followed the woman to a gas station after she escaped. The woman also told Blaine police Alexander threatened to share intimate photos and tamper with testimony. On August 9, WCSO tried to contact Alexander at his home in the 1100 block of Mitchell Avenue and, after not being able to communicate, a judge authorized a search warrant and SWAT and crisis negotiators were brought to the scene. Blaine Police Department announced at 6:49 a.m. on Facebook that it had blocked Mitchell Avenue, from Cherry to Alder streets. WCSO, Blaine Police Department, Bellingham Police Department and Lynden Police Department secured the perime-
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