Today is a significant day for healthcare workers in our community as PeaceHealth nurses at St. Joseph Medical Center conclude their voting on a new tentative agreement. The electronic voting, which began yesterday morning, will end tonight at 8:30 PM. After four months of negotiations, 14 bargaining sessions, and working six weeks with an expired contract, the bargaining team is recommending a "yes" vote on the agreement which addresses issues like "ghost steps" in nurse advancement and concerns about the new health insurance plan implemented in January.
In local event news, a Change Management Certification Training is taking place today in Bellingham. If you're looking to enhance your professional skills, this could be a valuable opportunity.
The Whatcom County law enforcement community continues to deal with several serious incidents. A recent gun incident involving juveniles has left one hospitalized and another in jail with $1 million bail after they were reportedly "playing around with the laser on the gun." Meanwhile, a 44-year-old man was recently arrested for allegedly sending obscene online messages to a Bellingham girl and attempting to arrange a meeting for sex.
On a positive note, the Port of Bellingham is moving forward with plans to acquire the Boxx Berry Farm property, with intentions to establish a "Whatcom Agricultural Research Station" on the site, potentially bringing new agricultural innovation to our region.
The two previously reported missing persons cases in Bellingham have both been canceled, bringing some relief to concerned community members. One individual had last been seen at Bellis Fair Mall, while the other was last spotted in the Bellingham waterfront area.
In state news that affects our local healthcare workers, Governor Ferguson recently signed into law a bill strengthening workplace violence protections in healthcare settings. The new law, which becomes effective January 1st next year, requires more regular review of workplace violence incidents and annual updates to safety plans.
This has been Bellingham Local Frequency. We'll see you tomorrow with more local updates.
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