Top Stories: Homeless camp impacts; coffee shop closes; school construction update

The Bellingham Herald covered major developments across Whatcom County on May 27, 2026, from city action on a growing homeless encampment to a longtime editor’s sudden firing. Here’s a quick look at the top stories from the day.

Here are key takeaways:

• Bellingham city officials say they are on track to take action this summer on the growing King Mountain encampment as nearby residents, property managers and developers push for solutions. Cleanup and mitigation on the Fang property could take several more years and millions of dollars due to the volume of waste and environmental degradation.
• Woods Coffee is closing its Railroad Avenue location in downtown Bellingham on May 31, citing rising operating costs and a sustained decline in foot traffic. The Lynden-based chain has no plans to relocate downtown but will keep six other locations in Bellingham.
• Bellingham Public Schools is making progress on a new Community Transitions building on the Whatcom Community College campus, expected to be complete by 2027. New inclusive playgrounds will also be installed this summer at Geneva and Northern Heights elementary schools, and Squalicum High School will get a new roof, gym upgrades and a resurfaced track.
• Ron Judd, a 40-year career journalist who helped found Cascadia Daily News in 2021, was fired Tuesday from his role as executive editor over differing business decisions tied to the publication’s new quarterly magazine, Cascadia Daily Life. Publisher Cynthia Pope said Judd did not see the magazine as a significant editorial product, while she and owner David Syre view it as a path to financial stability.

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.