From the editor's desk

Whew.

A week-plus of fervent activity in your local newsroom began with a Thanksgiving-eve, horrific surprise: A flurry of national media reported that a man whose last known address was down the street from us had shot two National Guard members in Washington, D.C.

It created an unusual situation, where countless national news outlets were scrambling to find out about something in our own backyard. As were we.

As the hometown paper, we took a more measured approach than larger news outlets in doing next-day reporting, refraining from aggressive door-knocking, for the most part, on Thanksgiving Day. But CDN's team worked through that day to build sources for nuanced coverage that followed.

On Nov. 29 we posted a candid interview with neighbors who witnessed the late-night FBI raid on the Bellingham apartment where the family of the suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, had lived. We followed that with an in-depth piece about fears of backlash against members of other ethnic communities living here. More reporting will come.

Throughout, our journalists have been conscious of the delicate nature of sourcing for these stories. Anyone identified as doing the truly humanitarian service of helping immigrants resettle here is likely to face retribution from online goons. We will keep that concern front and center.

Beyond that team reporting, our news staff kept up with the mechanics of daily news important to our readers during a busy time: comprehensive holiday guides, previews of local winter prep sports, even an informed dissection of what is so constantly screwed up about Interstate 5 through Bellingham. It is a daily scramble, and our staff regularly rises to the occasion.

Big thanks for the support

CDN's first-ever Giving Tuesday campaign was a rousing success, with donations exceeding a goal set by our company to help local news. Every tax-deductible donation allows us to provide important community reporting on subjects such as health care, via our Report for America fellow, Owen Racer. We're still chipping away at that goal; ongoing donations to the local news cause can be made here.

Early holiday note

To give our staff a couple of well-deserved days off, CDN will not publish a print newspaper on Friday, Dec. 26. Rest assured we'll keep up with the news online at cascadiadaily.com. The printing press will roll again on Jan. 2.

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Sunday read

Andrew Seidel points to evidence of a deviated septum on the skull of a teaching skeleton in October in his Seattle lab. He said details like those can help him and his team identify human remains. (Santiago Ochoa/Cascadia Daily News)

Bones tell stories of death — WA's lone forensic anthropologist can read them

In 1991, potato farmers found a man floating in the Skagit River. Nobody knew who he was or where he came from. Now, the man's remains are being examined by the only board-certified forensic anthropologist in Washington state, who will help kick start the effort to identify Skagit River Russell.

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Stories of the week

News

Federal backlash to DC shooting sparks fear among Whatcom immigrants

Whatcom immigrants are feeling scared as the federal government introduces a slew of measures following the shooting in Washington, D.C.

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Opinion

Another immodest proposal: The scourge that is pickleball must be stopped

There's really nothing subdued about the excitement — bordering on irrational exuberance — associated with local pickleball, a noisy blight on the peace and sloth-oriented proclivities of Bellingham, writes CDN Executive Editor Ron Judd. He suggests, tongue firmly in cheek, that the city follow the lead of Carmel, California by banning the game from public places.

Letters to the Editor: Waterfront musings, thrift shops and WTA's unfair fares

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Sports & Rec

Three new coaches guide Whatcom prep girls basketball teams this winter

Bellingham, Meridian and Squalicum's girls basketball teams won their season openers for the 2025-26 season. It is a great start for three teams who have new coaches taking the realm at each school. Each coach brings a new style and expectations to their programs.

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Living

Family and community fuel holiday play at Lynden's Claire Theatre

The Claire Theatre's version of "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" centers around a handful of unruly children and their unorthodox takes on the Nativity story.

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