Top stories: County layoffs loom; whale death; school bus crash; best brunch
The Bellingham Herald covered a range of news on May 6, 2026, from county budget warnings to a stranded whale on Samish Island. Here’s a quick digest of the top stories.
Here are key takeaways:
- Whatcom County Executive Satpal Sidhu warned employees that layoffs and schedule adjustments may be needed to balance the 2027-28 budget amid a structural imbalance between rising costs and stagnant revenues. The county currently has 1,154 employees and had a nearly $700 million budget for 2025-2026.
- A young subadult male fin whale that stranded on a Samish Island beach in Skagit County died Tuesday, May 5, as responders were on their way to the scene. The whale measured just over 61 feet long and weighed about 40 tons.
- A Lynden School District bus veered off the road and crashed into a tree on May 1 after the driver had a medical emergency. The driver was hospitalized at St. Joseph Medical Center, and all five students on board were evaluated and released to their parents with no injuries.
- Yelp ranked the top 10 brunch restaurants in Bellingham as of May 5, with Locus earning the highest rating at 4.7 stars. Sweet Bay and Roe followed at 4.6 stars each.
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.