Here are the top local stories from The Bellingham Herald last week. Click on the heading above each item to read the full story.
GOVERNOR STOPS AT SHUKSAN ELEMENTARY
Gov. Chris Gregoire was in Bellingham Thursday, Nov. 3, to discuss the state budget with a classroom of sixth-grade students at Shuksan Elementary School.
She explained to students how sales tax and the state revenue system work and talked about cuts, saying that cuts to education have hurt the most.
Excited students asked about her favorite subject - English - and her favorite hobbies - being outside and being with family. They also talked about college and the importance of pursuing higher education.
ANTI-TRAFFIC CAM SIGNATURES RELEASED
Bellingham City Council member Seth Fleetwood, his challenger Larry Farr, Bellingham mayoral candidate Kelli Linville and Sheriff challenger Steve Harris all signed a petition for a local initiative restricting red-light cameras.
Their names were among thousands on petitions for the anti-camera initiative, which is on the Nov. 8 general election ballot in Bellingham. The 6,775 names were released to The Bellingham Herald by the Whatcom County Auditor's Office and the city of Bellingham.
LOWER NATURAL GAS RATE PLANNED
Cascade Natural Gas Corp. has announced that the company expects a 6.5 percent reduction in natural gas bills beginning Dec. 1.
The company, a state-regulated utility, has filed the paperwork to get the rate cut approved by the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission. The cut is due to a decline in the wholesale price of natural gas. The company serves Bellingham and other parts of the county with piped gas service.
The latest rate cut request comes on top of an additional one-year rate reduction approved by the utilities commission on Thursday, Oct. 27.
NO FOUL PLAY SUSPECTED IN MISSING WOMAN'S DEATH
Foul play is not suspected in the death of a 38-year-old woman whose body was discovered Thursday afternoon, Nov. 3, after she'd been missing for more than a week, the county medical examiner said.
The body of Lisa M. Larson was discovered at 4 p.m. Thursday in a ravine in a wooded area near the 200 block of East Bellis Fair Parkway. She had been staying nearby in a trailer in the parking lot of the former Joe's sporting goods and went missing Oct. 26.
An initial autopsy performed Friday morning found that her body showed no signs of trauma and that she did "not appear to have suffered from the actions of another person," said Whatcom County Medical Examiner Gary Goldfogel.
ACTIVITY RAMPS UP BEFORE ELECTION
It was a busy week as candidates and voters prepare for the general election Tuesday, Nov. 8.
More than 26 percent of ballots had been returned as of 4 p.m. Friday, Nov. 4, according to the Whatcom County Auditor's Office.
A flurry of last-minute fliers hit local mailboxes, and candidates for local offices ramped up the doorbelling and other voter efforts.
