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August 22 - 28, 2024

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Community Newspaper of Blaine and Birch Bay HHHECRWSSHHH Postal Customer

IN THIS

ISSUE

County primary results certified, page 2

PRSRT STD U. S. Postage PAID Permit NO. 87 Blaine, WA 98230

City announces Plover start date, page 3

Man arrested for homicide attempt, page 3

Port hires PR Questions on Blaine musician answered firm to improve public image By Grace McCarthy

(See Port, page 6)

Back to School

Pull-out Pull-out sectiononon section pages9-12 7-10 pages

s Blaine resident Steve Lawrenson, l., shows documents to Jon Mutchler regarding his great-grandmother, Harriet Rogers Owen. Mutchler wrote an article in The Northern Light asking for information on Owen after her music sheets from the early 20th century were discovered. Mutchler’s inquiry generated phone calls and emails from readers, with information on Owen, including Lawrenson. Read more on page 5.

Photo by Grace McCarthy

Arrest made in I-5 crash that killed 47-year-old Blaine motorcyclist By Grace McCarthy A 20-year-old Bellingham man was charged with vehicular homicide following a crash on I-5 in Ferndale that killed a 47-year-old Blaine motorcyclist and injured four people, including the driver, during the early morning hours of August 16. The man, who was suspected of driving under the influence, was booked and released from Whatcom County Jail the same day. Collin Rene Cayo, 20, of Bellingham, was driving a 2005 Pontiac GTO when he entered southbound I-5 from Portal Way just after 2:30 a.m. August 16, according to a Washington State Patrol (WSP) news release. Cayo had two Ferndale residents, ages 18 and 20, in the Pontiac as well as an

unidentified third passenger. As the Pontiac was entering the highway, Blaine resident Evan L. Hayes, 47, was driving a 2006 Yamaha motorcycle southbound on I-5. Cayo lost control of the Pontiac and struck the left side barrier, coming to rest in the lane, according to WSP. Hayes was unable to evade in time and struck the Pontiac. Hayes, who was wearing a helmet, and his motorcycle came to rest in the second lane, according to WSP. Hayes was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, where he died later that morning. Cayo and two of his passengers were (See Crash, page 3)

INSIDE

The Port of Bellingham unanimously approved spending nearly $100,000 on public relations to improve its public image during its August 13 meeting. Commissioners authorized port executive director Rob Fix to contract a one-year strategic communications campaign with Conflux Associates, a Bellingham-based company owned by Peter Frazier. The contract is set to end August 31, 2025. The port’s goals with the communications campaign include increasing public awareness of its vision, clarifying the port’s work, gaining public support, increasing the port’s power and ability to do its work, and improving employee morale and retention, according to a port memo. The port already employs a public affairs administrator, Mike Hogan. The contract comes on the heels of public scrutiny toward the port, most recently after the port let go of Bellingham International Airport’s aviation director in mid-July. Deputy aviation director Emily Phillipe resigned August 12, according to an August 14 Cascadia Daily News article. The port commissioners approved the contract in their consent agenda, a section of the meeting where items are voted in a single motion typically without discussion. The contract was one of 14 consent agenda items, and four items were listed as action items. Conflux Associates LLC did not appear to have a website and the business address provided on the contract agreement was for a home on Chuckanut Point Drive in Bellingham. The Washington State Secretary of State website shows the company

Coming Up . . . . . 14 Classifieds . . . . . 11 Letters . . . . . . . . . 4 Police . . . . . . . . . 14 Tides . . . . . . . . . . 14

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