Whatcom Word, the word of Whatcom
- by City of BellinghamAsk Us Anything, utility report, I-5 lane reduction, Children’s Craft Fair, and more: a news roundup from the City of Bellingham
- by City of BellinghamFree family fun, smoke support, renter protections, and our final Ask Us Anything of the year: a news roundup from the City of Bellingham
- by City of BellinghamKids Fest, behind the scenes of the Salish Star, community street projects, and more: a news roundup from the City of Bellingham
- by City of BellinghamChildren's craft fairs, new rental registration dashboard, and Cornwall Memorial Park restoration: A news roundup from the City of Bellingham
- by City of BellinghamThe new Division Street community will be run by HomesNOW!
- by City of BellinghamFirst responders at the Bells, volunteer opportunities, construction updates, and more: A news roundup from the City of Bellingham
- by City of BellinghamDowntown viewfinder, new advisory group, construction updates, Pride IN Bellingham, and more: A news roundup from the City of Bellingham
- by City of BellinghamAffordable housing, Free First Friday, holiday closures, lifeguards at Bloedel Donovan, and more: A news roundup from the City of Bellingham
- by City of BellinghamEven fireworks purchased legally in Whatcom County are prohibited within City limits.
- by City of BellinghamFan zone watch parties, Fourth of July updates, construction projects, and more: A news roundup from the City of Bellingham
- This year, Whatcom County will observe International Overdose Awareness Day with a series of community events throughout August.
- Red flag warning 12 noon until 9 pm. Sunny today with high-70's temperatures. Air quality decreases in quality moving west to east. A county-wide stage 2 burn ban in effect until further notice, no outdoor burning allowed.
- Mosquito Lake Road reopened Wednesday, August 12. The inspection work is complete, and no closure is required on Thursday.
- Red flag warning until 11 pm tonight. Mostly sunny today with mid-70's temperatures. Air quality is mostly good. A county-wide stage 2 burn ban in effect until further notice, no outdoor burning allowed.
- Whatcom County is taking the next step to reduce child care costs for Whatcom County families. Last night, the County Council approved a contract with AidKit to run the new Whatcom Kids First Child Care Subsidy Program.
- The Whatcom Chief will be out of service from 10:10 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, August 19, to inspect and maintain the ferry terminal facilities at both Lummi Island and Gooseberry Point.
- This week, two bats in Whatcom County tested positive for rabies. Bats are found all over the world and play a vital role in ecosystems. However, they can carry rabies, a deadly disease that is transmitted through bites or scratches.
- August 4 Primary and Special Election unofficial results are available through certification on August 18, 2026.
- An Air Quality Alert and Heat Advisory are in effect for Whatcom County. Wildfire smoke from Canada may reach unhealthy levels this week, and temperatures are expected to reach near 90 degrees in parts of the county Wednesday and Thursday.
- The Whatcom Chief will depart for dry dock on Saturday, September 12, 2026. We anticipate the ferry will return to its regular schedule on Sunday, October 4, 2026.
- If you get your drinking water directly from Lake Samish through your own private drinking water system, be aware that a recent surface water test found increased levels of microcystin, a cyanotoxin that can be produced by blue-green algae, in the lake.
- Whatcom County Health and Community Services was notified of a discovered wastewater discharge on the northwestern side of Lake Whatcom near the Agate Bay residential area. No wastewater entered the lake. There is no risk to public health at this time.
- Summer is in full swing! Warmer temperatures and extra nutrients in the water can cause blue-green algae to grow rapidly at this time of year. While not all algae blooms are dangerous, some can produce toxins that can make people and pets severely ill.
- Summer is here and so are conditions that lead to periodic algae blooms. If you get your drinking water directly from Lake Whatcom through your own private drinking water system, you should be aware that Harmful Algae Blooms can occur in Lake Whatcom.
- Visit our website to access the most current fecal bacteria water quality monitoring results.
- The National Weather Service has issued an Air Quality Alert and Heat Advisory for Whatcom County this week. Temperatures are expected to approach 90 degrees in certain areas of the county through Wednesday.
- Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning biotoxin levels have dropped in shellfish in southern Whatcom County. As a result, the Washington State Department of Health has lifted the biotoxin closure from Sandy Point south to the Skagit County border.
- Although some cases of cyclosporiasis have been reported in Washington, the state is not experiencing an outbreak or an unusual spike in infections like seen elsewhere. None of the cases reported this season are linked to active outbreaks in other states.
- Due to increasingly dry weather conditions and low fuel moisture levels, the Whatcom County Fire Marshal’s office, has ordered a Stage 2 Burn Ban placing restrictions on all open burning effective at 8 AM on Friday July 17th, 2026
- Event date: August 26, 2026 Event Time: 03:00 PM – 05:00 PMLocation: 5280 Northwest DriveBellingham, WA 98226
- Event date: August 19, 2026 Event Time: 10:10 AM – 03:00 PMLocation: Whatcom County, WA 98225
- Event date: August 17, 2026 Event Time: 09:00 AM – 11:00 AMLocation: Whatcom County, WA 98225
- Event date: August 22, 2026 Event Time: 06:50 AM – 03:20 PMLocation: Whatcom County, WA 98225
- Event date: August 18, 2026 Event Time: 10:00 AM – 10:30 AMLocation: 311 Grand Avenue Suite B3Bellingham, WA 98225
- Event date: August 17, 2026 Event Time: 10:00 AM – 11:00 AMLocation: 311 Grand Avenue Suite B3Bellingham, WA 98225
- Event date: August 17, 2026 Event Time: 08:30 AM – 04:30 PMLocation: Whatcom County, WA 98225
- Event dates: August 10, 2026 – August 14, 2026Event Time: 08:00 AM – 05:00 PMLocation: Whatcom County, WA 98225
- Event date: August 20, 2026 Event Time: 05:30 PM – 07:30 PMLocation: Whatcom County, WA 98225
- Event date: August 20, 2026 Event Time: 03:00 PM – 04:30 PMLocation: 5280 Northwest DriveBellingham, WA 98226
- Event date: August 24, 2026 Event Time: 03:30 PM – 05:00 PMLocation: 322 N Commercial StreetBellingham, WA 98225
- Event date: August 19, 2026 Event Time: 11:00 AM – 12:30 PMLocation: Whatcom County, WA 98225
- Event date: August 17, 2026 Event Time: 08:00 AM – 05:00 PMLocation: Whatcom County, WA 98225