Two families have filed federal lawsuits against the Blaine School District, alleging that school officials reacted in a “cavalier” way and with “deliberate indifference” when their daughters reported they had been sexually assaulted at Blaine High School by the same male student, according to court documents. Filed Friday, July 31, in U.S. District Court in Seattle, the lawsuits accused the school district of negligence as well federal and state civil rights violations — under Title IX and the Washington Law Against Discrimination — in connection with alleged assaults that occurred during the 2024-2025 school year. “I don’t agree with that. We care about every student in our community,” Dan Chaplik, interim superintendent for the Blaine School District, said to The Northern Light of the characterization of school officials’ responses.
The average monthly rent in Blaine remained unchanged at $2,500 in early August, according to Zillow Rentals. The city had 37 available rental listings as of Aug. 3, with asking rents ranging from $1,075 to $4,000 per month. Zillow classified Blaine’s rental market as “warm,” indicating stronger renter demand than the national average. The average rent in Blaine is about 24% higher than the national average of $2,010 per month.
The Blaine Police Department has been recognized for strong leadership, accountability and organizational culture following an independent assessment by Benchmark Analytics and Clear Risk Solutions. The review, conducted between February and July through the Cities Insurance Association of Washington Risk Pool, found employees feel supported, leaders are engaged and accessible, and accountability is embedded throughout the department. Police Chief Rodger Funk said the assessment validates the department’s commitment to its core values of duty, integrity and accountability while identifying opportunities for continued improvement.
U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen toured an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) processing facility in Ferndale last week as part of what he described as a fact-finding mission following reports about local immigration enforcement activity. Larsen said he plans to send a follow-up oversight letter seeking information about how many people have been processed through the facility, how long they are typically held, and how quickly detainees are entered into ICE's tracking system. According to Larsen, the facility is used to process people before they are transferred to the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma and has two holding cells with a combined capacity of 16 people. He also said he intends to visit a nearby Homeland Security Investigations facility connected to recent immigration enforcement operations in Whatcom County.
The U.S. Small Business Administration is providing disaster loans for small businesses and private nonprofits in Skagit and Whatcom counties following the March 9-11 freeze and frost. Economic injury disaster loans are available for financial assistance due to damage caused by the disaster. Loans of up to $2 million are available with interest rates below 5% and no interest accrued or payments due for the first 12 months. Applications are due March 31, 2027, and may be found at sba.gov/disaster.
