Rural Living | The Fourth Corner

Who’s Raising Taxes in Whatcom County

Who's Raising Taxes in Whatcom County 2025 Hannah Ordos Future 42 Whatcom County Director LYNDEN, Wash. – As we reflecton 2024, the high cost of living and taxes have been a significant topic of discussion in our community and throughout the state. We can anticipate slight tax increases from time to time for essential services such as public safety, roads, and education. However, we also expect our local governments to prioritize financial responsibility, accountability, and transparency. Whether ...

By Charlie Crabtree|2025-03-02T17:53:27-08:00March 2, 2025|Education, Fourth Corner News, Rural Living, The Fourth Corner|1 Comment

Farmers and Farmworker Legislation 2025

PRESS RELEASE - Feb. 25, 2025 Press Contact: Dillon Honcoop, dhoncoop@savefamilyfarming.org Is Sen. Saldaña More Worried About ‘Climate Resiliency’ Than Helping Struggling Farmworkers? Despite claims of providing economic relief for farmworkers, new Saldaña proposal fails to put any money back in workers’ pockets—while paying farms to fight climate change. (OLYMPIA, Wash.) A new proposal claiming to ease the burden of new state agricultural overtime rules is moving forward in the state Senate, ...

By Charlie Crabtree|2025-03-03T09:44:07-08:00March 2, 2025|Beyond the Fourth Corner, Fourth Corner News, Rural Living, The Fourth Corner|0 Comments

Family Farmers call for comprehensive fixes to Flood and water management problems

PO Box 326 | Lynden, WA | 98264 | 360-815-4361 PRESS RELEASE - Contact: Dillon Honcoop, (360) 815-7368, dhoncoop@savefamilyfarming.org Farming community calls for comprehensive fixes to Whatcom flood, water management problems Whatcom Family Farmers president: “A comprehensive effort to pursue all possible solutions… must begin immediately” (LYNDEN, Wash.) As wide swaths of north Whatcom County continue to clean up and rebuild after November’s devastating flooding disaster, the local farming community is calling ...

By Charlie Crabtree|2022-02-21T01:41:15-08:00January 14, 2022|Environment and Climate Change, Fourth Corner News, Rural Living, The Fourth Corner|0 Comments

Whatcom farmers call for immediate Nooksack flood, water solutions

Critical projects will protect families, fish and farms – but will require community-wide collaboration By Rich Appel, President, Whatcom Family Farmers Families across Whatcom County devastated by November’s flooding disaster in the Nooksack River Basin need our help with more than just putting their lives back together. It is urgent that we come together as a local community and do everything we can to keep a tragedy like this from ever happening again. As ...

By Charlie Crabtree|2022-01-14T08:50:59-08:00January 14, 2022|Elections, Government & Politics, Fourth Corner News, Rural Living, The Fourth Corner|2 Comments

Ten Mile Chapel: A stop in the History of Meridian North of Bellingham

Caring for Whatcom local History Ten Mile The Chapel was built in 1915 on land donated by the Hinote family. It was stated in the original deed that the building shall "at all times be used and devoted to all purposes which will be for the up-building of the community, including educational speaking, entertainment, and advancement of the community, and for church services to be held by any denomination." For the next ...

By Charlie Crabtree|2021-12-09T12:25:44-08:00December 9, 2021|Fourth Corner News, Rural Living|0 Comments

The meeting after the flood: Government officials

The November 24th Meeting at Nooksack High School following the flooding event in North County brings several responses Click Here to help out with current needs Whatcom County Government Version:A long 3 hour and 20 minute (The Fourth Corner watched the recorded version for this report) meeting on November 24th brought together Government officials and the community. Amidst high emotion the Government officials both elected and those holding various levels of ...

By Charlie Crabtree|2021-12-05T11:36:20-08:00December 5, 2021|Beyond the Fourth Corner, Fourth Corner News, Rural Living, The Fourth Corner|3 Comments

Rural vs Urban The growth management act after COVID

Editor’s Note: Local writer and volunteer contributor to water issues and The Fourth Corner has a take on our current pandemic. Thanks Molly Crocker. Author Molly Crocker I am blessed with what I believe is a sanctified optimism. I wasn’t able to buy non-perishable foods yesterday when I went shopping, but I’m pretty sure I’ll be able to do that soon. Grocery stores are having a great March! -----------------------------------------------------------------Why Rural Dwelling is Essential for ...

By Charlie Crabtree|2021-09-24T09:15:29-07:00September 23, 2021|Beyond the Fourth Corner, Elections, Government & Politics, Environment and Climate Change, Rural Living|4 Comments

Whatcom County Charter Change to be added to the ballot in November 2021

Charter Change would make it as easy to get an ordinance on the ballot as it is in the City of Bellingham alone. Under the proposal it would take about 6500 signatures to get an ordinance on the ballot COUNTYWIDE while it takes 6100 signatures to do the same in the CITY of BELLINGHAM. Whatcom County Council 2021 The County Council garnered enough votes at the June 1st County Council Meeting to ...

By Charlie Crabtree|2021-07-29T02:19:42-07:00June 6, 2021|Beyond the Fourth Corner, Elections, Government & Politics, Fourth Corner News, Rural Living|0 Comments

Whatcom: John Crawford NWFR Dist 21 Fire commissioner

NWFR Dist 21 Fire commissioner: John Crawford Candidate Fire District 21 Commissioner As Commission board member, I am asking the district voters to re-elect myself. I have seen the board of commissioners make significant strides in bettering we as a district, which has translated to improving the organization greatly. The District has experienced excellent financial audits. Currently the Commission is implementing a strategic plan so it can keep pace with the ...

By Charlie Crabtree|2021-06-01T10:10:50-07:00June 1, 2021|Elections, Government & Politics, Fourth Corner News, Rural Living|1 Comment

Continuing the Moratorium Discussion/ Vote on Cherry Point to occur at County Council Meeting

This Tuesday May 18th 2021 the Council Council agenda includes this agenda item: AB2021-227: Ordinance imposing an interim moratorium on the acceptance and processing of applications and permits for new or expanded facilities in the Cherry Point urban growth area, the primary purpose of which would be the shipment of unrefined fossil fuels not to be processed at Cherry Point Buchanan Campaign Sign This ordinance is a continuation of the liberal majority's ...

By Charlie Crabtree|2021-08-12T10:23:38-07:00May 13, 2021|Beyond the Fourth Corner, Environment and Climate Change, Fourth Corner News, Rural Living|2 Comments