Catch up with Thursday’s top stories. Here’s what to know

Here are the top stories from The Bellingham Herald on April 23, 2026, covering a popular beer festival’s return, a nonprofit leader’s retirement and a multimillion-dollar lottery ticket still waiting to be claimed.

Here are key takeaways:

• Beer festival returns: The Sunnyland Garden Party, an annual spring beer festival now in its sixth year, runs April 24-26 and features five local breweries in the Sunnyland neighborhood. Attendees can try new beer releases, enjoy live music and food specials, and collect stamps on a punch card for a chance to win prize packages.

• Nonprofit leader stepping down: Greg Winter, executive director of Opportunity Council, announced his retirement after more than a decade in the role. During his tenure, the organization developed more than 300 affordable homes, co-developed a 16-bed residential treatment facility and provided emergency housing assistance to over 10,000 households during the pandemic. Winter will remain through August, and applicants can learn more at oppco.org/leadership-transition.

• Unclaimed $8.2 million lottery ticket: A winning Lotto ticket worth $8.2 million was sold at an Arco gas station at 4240 Meridian Street in Bellingham, and the owner has until July 30 to claim the prize. The winning numbers from the Jan. 31 drawing were 3, 4, 6, 35, 41 and 48.

The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The source reporting referenced above was written and edited entirely by journalists.

This story was originally published April 24, 2026 at 12:37 PM with the headline "Catch up with Thursday’s top stories. Here’s what to know."