Public Safety / Countywide
Local law enforcement activity — 2026-11-07
Published activity records dated 2026-11-07 include 22 Bellingham Police entries.
Article archive
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Community / Bellingham
WWU's University Communications and Marketing team claims five regional and one national CASE award
Staff from Western Washington University's University Communications and Marketing (UCM) office recently took home five regional awards and one national award from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education.
Community / Bellingham
Support students by donating professional attire to the WWU Career Closet
Do you have gently used professional clothing hanging in your closet that could use a new home? The WWU Career Closet is accepting donations!
Environment / Countywide
It’s Salmon Season! Come look for spawning salmon with us! – NSEA, Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association
Have you ever seen a salmon fighting the current of a creek as it swims upstream? Or two salmon swimming together crossing over one another as if dancing? These are common sites at our annual salmon sighting events and you are invited to join us! If you are wondering why salmon do that and many more interesting behaviors, that is exactly why these events exist.
Public Safety / Countywide
Local law enforcement activity — 2026-11-06
Published activity records dated 2026-11-06 include 40 Bellingham Police entries.
Community / Countywide
Dine With Cheer: Maple Alley Inn Holiday Meals
Dine With Cheer: Maple Alley Inn Holiday Meals
Environment / Countywide
Stage 1 air quality burn ban canceled for Whatcom County’s Columbia Valley area
The Northwest Clean Air Agency has canceled a Stage 1 air quality burn ban that started Nov. 2 in the Columbia Valley urban growth area (including the Peaceful Valley and Paradise Lakes developments) in Whatcom County.
Government / Bellingham
Go behind the scenes with the Whatcom Museum
From the Vault, a new video series from the Whatcom Museum and BTV, unlocks the doors to the museum’s collection of more than 250,000 historic photographs, artifacts, and artworks by notable local and national artists. Join Collections Director Maria Coltharp as she explores the stories behind some of the museum’s most fascinating objects. Watch the first episodes on the Whatcom Museum’s website , Instagram , or Facebook .
Government / Bellingham
Library opens Multipurpose Room at Bellis Fair Mall
Several free programs offered by Bellingham Public Library are now being held in the Bellis Fair Branch Multipurpose Room, located in Suite 614 at Bellis Fair Mall, right next door to the Bellis Fair Library Branch.
Government / Bellingham
Happy Veterans Day!
In honor of Veterans Day, City offices are closed for business next Wednesday, Nov. 11, except for public safety and emergency services. Public Works and Parks emergency services are available by calling 360-778-7700. Police, fire, and medic services are always available by calling 911.
Government / Bellingham
Enter the 2026 Essence of Bellingham photo competition
The Essence of Bellingham photo competition is open! We’re excited to see your photos that capture the people, places, and moments that make Bellingham special. Photos that capture the “essence” of Bellingham will be added to a Whatcom Museum photo collection and may appear in City materials and on our website throughout the year. It’s a fun, free way to help preserve images of life in Bellingham for future generations. To submit an entry and see past winners, visit cob.org/eob . To be considered, upload your photos by Dec. 31, 2026.
Community / Bellingham
Inside Bellingham: November 5, 2026
4 separate stories from this newsletter.
Community / Bellingham
WWU’s Dustin Van Orman contributes to nationally-honored book
A book WWU’s Dustin Van Orman helped write was recently honored as a 2026 American Educational Studies Association Critics’ Choice Book.
Public Safety / Countywide
Local law enforcement activity — 2026-11-05
Published activity records dated 2026-11-05 include 50 Bellingham Police entries.
Government / Bellingham
Faculty & Staff Dining Dollars: Tax-Free Savings + Free Bonus Dollars
Faculty and staff can save every time they dine on campus with Dining Dollars:
Community / Bellingham
Keep your head down, do the work and control the things you can control
Most Pacific Northwesterners know of eight-time GRAMMY nominee Death Cab for Cutie, but you might not know that the band started right here at Western. Nick Harmer and Ben Gibbard met as WWU students, became roommates and started one of the defining indie rock bands of the 21st century.
Community / Bellingham
One quick question: Why is everyone talking about ‘You Can See Everything’?
In mid-September, a deeply unsettling video of an unblinking Elizabeth Holmes calmly (and a bit creepily) asking, “Why would I deceive you?” went viral.
Community / Bellingham
Events for Veterans Week honor those who served
In honor of the sacrifices of veterans and their families, Western welcomes veterans and dependents to participate in all free events throughout the week of Nov. 9-13.
Public Safety / Countywide
Local law enforcement activity — 2026-11-04
Published activity records dated 2026-11-04 include 48 Bellingham Police entries.
Community / Bellingham
WWU’s Joshua Porter receives award for leadership and regional impact
Joshua Porter, director of Western Washington University’s Sustainability Pathways program, received Thriving Together North Central Washington’s 2026 Heart of Belonging Award. The organization presented the award during its annual summit in Moses Lake on Oct. 23.
Government / Bellingham
Tribal nations and government agencies sign agreement to advance fish passage improvements
In October, the Nooksack Indian Tribe, Lummi Nation, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), and the City of Bellingham signed a new Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) establishing shared priorities and a plan for removing barriers that prevent salmon and other fish from moving through local streams.
Community / Bellingham
Sustainability Engagement Institute hosts campus produce drive for food security
The Sustainability Engagement Institute is launching a campus-wide donation drive to purchase bulk local organic produce for students facing food insecurity. With the upcoming holidays, our Viking Supported Agriculture Foundation Fund is getting dangerously low.
Public Safety / Countywide
Local law enforcement activity — 2026-11-03
Published activity records dated 2026-11-03 include 49 Bellingham Police entries.
Environment / Countywide
Stage 1 burn ban called in Whatcom County’s Columbia Valley urban growth area
The Northwest Clean Air Agency is calling a Stage 1 air quality burn ban effective immediately in the Columbia Valley urban growth area (including the Peaceful Valley and Paradise Lakes developments) in Whatcom County. Cold, stagnant air is preventing harmful wood smoke from clearing out.
Community / Bellingham
November 2026 Bellingham Public Library Programs and Events
Beginning in November, many Bellingham Public Library programs for adults and children will transition to the new Bellis Fair Library Multipurpose Room, at space 614 inside Bellis Fair Mall, next door to the Bellis Fair Library Branch. Highlights for the month include a continuation of the Participate in Democracy series for adults, as well as several open house events and programs featuring community partners. Children’s Storytimes at Bellis Fair Library will also move to the Multipurpose Room. Additional children’s programs will be held at the Central Library, including a special Foliage Fiesta Storytime for kids and their families.
Community / Bellingham
Photo gallery: Halloween costumes on campus
From spooky to spectacular, campus was bursting with creativity this year. Check out some of the costumes we spotted on campus Friday — maybe you’ll see yourself (or a friend) in the mix!
Community / Bellingham
WWU to test its Western Alert emergency notification system on Thursday, Nov. 5
WWU will test its Western Alert emergency notification system on Thursday, Nov. 5 at 10:50 a.m.
Community / Bellingham
Bringing the Ethics Bowl to WWU
When two students helped establish the Ethics Bowl at Western Washington University, they weren’t expecting to take home third place in their first quarter as a club.
Community / Bellingham
WWU to host Whatcom Immigration Summit on Thursday, Nov. 5
Please join a special edition of the Whatcom Immigration Summit on Thursday, Nov. 5 from 4 to 6:30 p.m. in the Multipurpose Room of the Viking Union (VU 605) with the theme "Paths Toward Belonging & Safety."
Public Safety / Countywide
Local law enforcement activity — 2026-11-02
Published activity records dated 2026-11-02 include 50 Bellingham Police entries.
Public Safety / Countywide
Local law enforcement activity — 2026-11-01
Published activity records dated 2026-11-01 include 37 Bellingham Police entries.
Public Safety / Countywide
Local law enforcement activity — 2026-10-31
Published activity records dated 2026-10-31 include 46 Bellingham Police entries.
Community / Bellingham
Need something built? Check out SciTech’s University Shops
The harsh, cool-toned lights of the stairwell lead into the dim hallway of the basement in Bond Hall. Light seeps under the doors of SciTech’s University Shops, where engineers are hard at work building tools for innovation.
Community / Bellingham
WWU student gets the wheels spinning on the return of WWU Cycling
Theo Newcomb, a Western Washington University student and former member of Western’s men’s rowing team, started falling in love with cycling while recovering from a rowing injury.
Community / Bellingham
Introducing Western’s newest Fulbright scholar: Tunisian journalism professor Arwa Kooli
Arwa Kooli, a Fulbright scholar-in-residence visiting from Tunisia, is spending the school year teaching classes, lecturing and conducting research projects at Western Washington University’s Department of Journalism, Public Relations & Multimedia.
Government / Bellingham
Assistant Professor Susmita Rishi’s work sits at the intersection of planning, land use, and social justice
Born and raised in Chandigarh, India — Le Corbusier’s modernist master-planned city — new Assistant Professor of Urban and Environmental Planning and Policy Susmita (Sush) Rishi developed an interest in the difference between formal urban planning and informal settlements like those found in nearby Delhi.
Public Safety / Countywide
Local law enforcement activity — 2026-10-30
Published activity records dated 2026-10-30 include 58 Bellingham Police entries.
Community / Bellingham
Bellingham Public Library Celebrates Native American Heritage Month in November
November is recognized nationally as Native American Heritage Month, a time to honor and celebrate the history, culture, and sovereignty of Indigenous peoples. At Bellingham Public Library we celebrate this heritage through our commitment to recognizing and supporting Indigenous voices. Our Library staff thoughtfully curates recommendations for reading, listening, and viewing across all ages, offering resources that highlight Native American stories, histories, and perspectives. We invite our community to explore Native American Heritage materials and engage with the rich traditions and contributions of Native American cultures.
Community / Bellingham
Political Science Association to host 2026 Midterm Watch Party Nov. 3
The Political Science Association is excited to host a 2026 Midterm Watch Party on Tuesday, November 3 starting at 6:30 pm in Arntzen Hall 004.
Community / Bellingham
PEBB open enrollment has officially begun! Ready to make changes?
PEBB’s annual open enrollment for the 2027 plan year officially began Monday, Oct. 26. Employees are encouraged to review and make any applicable changes or enrollments before Monday, November 23.