Island News
Local headlines from around the San Juans
Supporting our strong community
Strong communities are built by people who choose to engage, learn, and lead, and this fall we have several ways to support that work on Orcas. In August, Eric Liu visited Orcas Island for our National Nonprofit Day program, Beyond the Echo Chamber: Strengthening Civic Culture on Orcas Island. His message about listening across differences and taking part in civic life resonated with everyone in the room. If you missed […]
Getting to Know Katherine | People-first leadership & proven results
Excellent council members bring neighbors together, build on community strengths, identify solutions by focusing on shared goals, and lead through change and crisis with empathy and compassion. I have a proven, professional track record of effective community facilitation, mediation, and equitable outcomes — even in circumstances where diverse viewpoints seemed irreconcilable. With the Lopez Island Prevention Coalition, I helped bu
Joint statement of Governor Bob Ferguson and Ecology Director Casey Sixkiller on west coast oil pipeline
OLYMPIA — Governor Bob Ferguson and Washington Department of Ecology Director Casey Sixkiller offer the folllowing joint statement regarding the Oct. 1 decision by the Canadian Major Projects Office to list the West Coast Oil Pipeline as a “Project of National Interest”: “We are disappointed in the decision today by the Government of Canada to list the proposed oil pipeline as a project of national interest. The classification puts the project on a [
November 3, 2026, General Election Ballots | Vote! Sign! Ballot Box it!
All registered San Juan County voters will receive a ballot for the 2026 General Election. Ballots will be mailed on October 9 Mark your calendars for the upcoming General Election on November 3! Races for important Federal, State, and County positions will appear on the ballot, as well as vital ballot measures for the State, the San Juan County Fire Protection District No. 4, the Port of Lopez, the Orcas Island Park & […]
November 3, 2026 General Election Ballots: Vote – Sign It -Ballot Box it
SAN JUAN COUNTY, WA. October 1, 2026 – Mark your calendars for the upcoming General Election on November 3! Races for important Federal, State, and County positions will appear on the ballot, as well as vital ballot measures for the State, the San Juan County Fire Protection District No. 4, the Port of Lopez, the […]
Guest Column: Getting to Know Katherine: People-First Leadership & Proven Results
From Katherine Bryant Ingman for San Juan County Council: Excellent council members bring neighbors together, build on community strengths, identify solutions by focusing on shared goals, and lead through change and crisis with empathy and compassion. I have a proven, professional track record of effective community facilitation, mediation, and equitable outcomes — even in circumstances […]
Guest Column by Jennifer Swanson
During the course of my campaign for County Council, I have had countless conversations with people across the islands and have learned a great deal about their concerns. These conversations have given form to how I will, as councilmember, approach the budget. In April, 60.67% of San Juan County voters rejected the county’s levy lid […]