Top stories: Shattered rock plans; Big Mama; child rape sentence; Pendino opens
From the destruction of an iconic roadside landmark to the return of a beloved humpback whale, Bellingham made headlines this week. Here’s a quick look at the top stories from The Bellingham Herald.
Here are key takeaways:
- The Washington State Department of Transportation broke Bellingham’s iconic Interstate 5 boulder into roughly 100 pieces, ending the 100-ton rock’s nearly 60-year run as a community message board. WSDOT said it won’t relocate the boulder but will distribute pieces to interested members of the public.
- An iconic humpback whale known as Big Mama returned to Washington state after a roughly 3,000-mile journey from Hawaiʻi to Boundary Pass in the San Juan Islands. First photographed in 1997, Big Mama has produced eight known calves and is credited with playing a key role in the recovery of Salish Sea humpback whales.
- Fredy Eduardo Martin Esteban, 24, was sentenced to 95 months in custody Wednesday in Whatcom County Superior Court after pleading guilty to second-degree child rape, second-degree assault by strangulation and misdemeanor assault. After his sentence, his case will go before the Indeterminate Sentence Review Board, which has the authority to sentence him to life in prison.
- Pendino, a craft cocktail bar serving Neapolitan pizza, opened in downtown Bellingham at the former location of Starla’s in the historic Herald Building. The restaurant is run by Corey Silversmith, previous co-owner of Makeworth Coffee, and its official grand opening is scheduled for Tuesday, May 12.
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.