Top Stories: RAD Bites returns; attempted murder; ‘Severance’ creator at WWU

The Bellingham Herald reported on a downtown food festival, court developments in a child stabbing case, a boutique closure tied to declining Canadian tourism and a celebrity alum’s campus visit on May 19. Here’s a quick look at the top stories from Tuesday.

Here are key takeaways:

• The RAD Bites food festival returns to downtown Bellingham on Sunday, May 31, running from noon to 4 p.m. across 15 participating restaurants in the Railroad Avenue District. Tickets cost $16.37 for adults and $5.46 for children 12 and under, with vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options available.
• A Bellingham woman charged with attempted murder told police she had used psilocybin mushrooms on Orcas Island five days before allegedly stabbing a 4-year-old child 15 times. Brenda Doreen Wilder-Brown, 43, was arrested Saturday after a 9-year-old sibling called police and remains in custody without bail.
• Birch Bay’s Betty Be Good Boutique is closing permanently after 13 years, with owner Suzanne Smith citing an 80% drop in Canadian shoppers who once made up about 60% of her customer base. Smith attributes the decline to tariffs and a Canadian boycott of American businesses and plans to relocate inside West Coast Gardens in South Surrey, British Columbia.
• “Severance” creator Dan Erickson returned to Western Washington University on Friday to accept an alumni award and discussed how the school inspired his hit Apple TV+ show. Erickson said the idea originated with a play called “Convention” he wrote at WWU, and a third season of “Severance” is expected next summer.

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.