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Articles written by Ian Haupt


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  • Citizen scientists monitor Birch Bay, Drayton Harbor for red tide

    Ian Haupt, The Northern Light|Updated Jun 1, 2023

    A group of Blaine residents who routinely monitor the toxin levels in Birch Bay and Drayton Harbor took samples last month that indicated shellfish poisoning in local waters. Every Tuesday, the Drayton Harbor Harmful Algal Bloom Hunters go out to Birch Bay Village Marina and Semiahmoo Marina to take mussel and phytoplankton samples that are then sent to a state lab in Shoreline that returns results on the coastal region's water quality to the group the next day. The group foun...

  • Blaine residents post reward for alleged cat killer

    Ian Haupt, The Northern Light|Updated Oct 27, 2022

    After neighbors, social media posts and rumors alerted a Blaine couple to multiple instances of cats found dismembered in the area, they have decided to post a $1,000 reward to whoever identifies the possible killer. Blaine residents John and Rose Fohn, who own three cats, one of whom goes outside, said they became alarmed when two severed cat heads were found in their neighborhood over the past year. John found one across the street from their house in July 2021, and their neighbor found another in his front yard on Septembe...

  • U.S. Border Patrol agents off the hook after court ruling

    Ian Haupt, The Northern Light|Updated Jun 16, 2022

    The U.S. Supreme Court's 6-3 decision to reject Smuggler's Inn owner Bob Boule's lawsuit against a U.S. Border Patrol agent further protects federal law enforcement officials from facing damages for violating constitutional rights. In the June 8 opinion, justice Clarence Thomas reversed the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decision to uphold Boule's Fourth Amendment excessive-force claim and First Amendment retaliation claim, saying courts were not authorized to assess...

  • U.S. Supreme Court rejects Bob Boule's suit against U.S. Border Patrol agent

    Ian Haupt, The Northern Light|Updated Jun 9, 2022

    The U.S. Supreme Court reversed the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decision to uphold Smuggler's Inn owner Bob Boule's Fourth Amendment excessive-force claim and First Amendment retaliation claim against a U.S. Border Patrol agent in a June 8 decision. The opinion, written by justice Clarence Thomas, said the court's past cases have made clear that a cause of action – right to sue – is a job for Congress, not the courts, except in the most unusual circumstances. The Con...

  • Disc golf offers low-impact, full body workout

    Ian Haupt, The Northern Light|Updated May 5, 2022

    Now that it's May, with hopefully warmer weather around the corner, it's a great time to get out to local parks. Walking in the woods has shown to benefit physical and mental health. To spice things up, Blaine's Lincoln Park offers the added excitement of a challenge: Disc golf. In the game, disc golf players count strokes each time a disc is thrown. Starting from the tee pad, players take turns until they finish the hole by throwing the disc in the basket. The player with...