Whatcom Word, the word of Whatcom
- by City of BellinghamSt. Patrick’s Day festivities, Javier Zamora livestream, Old Town construction, and more: A news roundup from the City of Bellingham
- by City of BellinghamAMA with the mayor, how to identify BPD, WTA survey, new beach, and more: A news roundup from the City of Bellingham
- by City of BellinghamGood salmon news, open houses, senior affordable living progress, and more: A news roundup from the City of Bellingham
- by City of BellinghamMore than 30 years after it was first envisioned, new trail turns Sunset Pond into a regional park destination for recreation, nature, and neighborhood connection.
- by City of BellinghamLakeside sauna, Sunset Pond loop, construction updates, and more: A news roundup from the City of Bellingham
- by City of BellinghamVideo update highlights 2025 progress and 2026 priorities
- by City of BellinghamAn inclusive Bellingham, downtown fun, goodbye Mt. “Ker” Theatre, and more: A news update from the City of Bellingham
- by City of BellinghamCity of Bellingham announces grantees for soccer fan zone in Summer 2026.
- by City of BellinghamCelebrate with us at our community ribbon-cutting on Friday, Feb. 13.
- by City of BellinghamProtecting Lake Whatcom, new park for Birchwood, Free First Friday, and more: A news update from the City of Bellingham
- Winter weather advisory for Sunday night and a small craft advisory for Monday. Will remain cool until Sunday afternoon with a warmer system moving through.
- Many of these advisories are long-term and will remain posted until conditions change. Drivers are encouraged to use caution and follow posted signage.
- The Bellingham and Ferndale overnight severe weather shelters (SWS) will open Friday, March 13, and Saturday, March 14.
- The Whatcom County Superior Court announced in open court on March 9, 2026, that the deadline for all Water Resources Area (WRIA) 1 water users to file their adjudication court claim form is June 1, 2027.
- The Whatcom County Auditor’s Office is excited to announce the launch of the Elections Division’s “I Voted” Sticker Contest and invites all Whatcom County residents to participate!
- The closure is expected to last approximately four weeks.
- The Lummi Island Ferry will be out of service for an extended lunch outage from 12:20 p.m. to approximately 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 11, for a minor steering repair. There will be no ferry service during this time.
- The Lake Whatcom Center will open an expanded and renovated 86-bed assisted living facility for adults with profound behavioral health issues in the coming weeks, thanks, in part, to a $1 million grant from a Whatcom County housing fund.
- The WA DOH has issued an emergency closure for recreational and commercial harvest of clams, oysters and mussels in Drayton Harbor, following several illnesses linked to the consumption of raw oysters harvested on Feb. 13 and Feb. 20, 2026.
- The dry dock outage dates for the Whatcom Chief have been revised due to a shipyard scheduling conflict. This updated schedule remains within the contract’s original bidding window provided to shipyards.
- Our Bellingham Severe Weather Overnight Shelter (SWS) has been open 23 nights so far this winter. Here are some quick numbers for the 2025-2026 so far.
- The Whatcom County Disposal of Toxics facility will be closed on Tuesday, March 17 for an off-site staff retreat. Please do not leave toxics in front of the closed gate. Operations will resume on Wednesday, March 18.
- Please join us for the second Community Engagement Workshop for the Justice Project on Thursday, March 19th from 6PM to 8PM at the Lynden City Annex Chamber, 205 4th Street, Lynden, WA.
- The Bellingham and Ferndale overnight severe weather shelters (SWS) will open Friday, Feb. 27, through Sunday night, March 1.
- The Whatcom County Council is looking for applicants to fill several special district positions responsible for providing oversight of agricultural drainage.
- Whatcom County’s Comprehensive Plan update is entering its last stage, as the County Council prepares to begin its final review of the draft plan.
- The Whatcom County Auditor is now accepting applications for a replacement vehicle and vessel licensing subagent office in the north Bellingham area of Whatcom County.
- This report provides a glimpse of the highlights that occurred in all three divisions of the Auditor's Office.
- Reporting Illnesses from Water Recreation is Easier with the Health Department’s Updated Online FormWe have updated our ‘Ask a Question/Report a Problem’ form to make it easier for people to report illnesses from water recreation. Illness reporting can be done for natural waters (saltwater and freshwater beaches) as well as public pools and hot tubs.
- The Bellingham overnight severe weather shelter will open overnight on Sat., Feb. 14, through Wed., Feb. 18. The Bellingham Day Shelter will open for the days of Sun., Feb. 15, through Tues., Feb. 17.
- Event date: March 19, 2026 Event Time: 10:00 AM – 11:00 AMLocation: 311 Grand AveSuite 105Bellingham, WA 98225
- Event date: March 18, 2026 Event Time: 06:00 PM – 07:30 PMLocation: 2054 Valley HwyDeming, WA 98244
- Event date: March 17, 2026 Event Time: 04:30 PM – 06:00 PMLocation: 110 Unity StWhatcom County, WA 98225
- Event date: March 17, 2026 Event Time: 09:00 AM – 04:30 PMLocation: 311 Grand Ave1st FloorBellingham, WA 98225
- Event date: March 17, 2026 Event Time: 11:30 AM – 01:00 PMLocation: Whatcom County, WA 98225
- Event date: March 16, 2026 Event Time: 12:00 AM – 11:59 PMLocation: Whatcom County, WA 98225
- Event date: March 18, 2026 Event Time: 03:00 PM – 05:00 PMLocation: 322 N Commercial StreetBellingham, WA 98225Description:Joint Portage Bay/Drayton Harbor Shellfish Protection District Advisory Committee special work session to discuss proposed revisions to WCC 16.20.
- Event date: March 27, 2026 Event Time: 08:30 AM – 04:30 PMLocation: 311 Grand Ave Suite 103Bellingham, WA 98225
- Event date: March 19, 2026 Event Time: 05:30 PM – 07:30 PMLocation: Whatcom County, WA 98225
- Event date: March 19, 2026 Event Time: 03:00 PM – 04:30 PMLocation: 5280 Northwest DriveBellingham, WA 98226
- Event date: March 23, 2026 Event Time: 03:30 PM – 05:00 PMLocation: 509 Girard StWhatcom County, WA 98225
- Event date: March 26, 2026 Event Time: 06:00 PM – 09:00 PMLocation: 5280 Northwest DrivePortable BuildingBellingham, WA 98226
- Event date: March 23, 2026 Event Time: 04:30 PM – 06:00 PMLocation: 110 Unity StWhatcom County, WA 98225
- Event date: March 18, 2026 Event Time: 11:00 AM – 12:30 PMLocation: Whatcom County, WA 98225
- Event date: March 24, 2026 Event Time: 12:00 AM – 11:59 PMLocation: 311 Grand Ave1st FloorBellingham, WA 98225