Island News
Local headlines from around the San Juans
Letter to Editor | Questions every OPALCO member should ask
Whether we live on Shaw, Orcas, Lopez, San Juan, or an outer island, we share an interest in OPALCO’s spending, reliable electricity, and accountable decisions. The proposed Decatur solar expansion raises questions that belong to every cooperative member. What will members pay over the project’s life, and what purchased-power costs will it actually avoid? OPALCO should publish an independent financial review, including financing, maintenance, equipment replacem
Meta’s new commercial terms will allow the scraping of news sites, legal experts say
By Andrew Deck and Hanaa’ Tameez
Orcas Island Fire & Rescue bonds available to local investors
Orcas Island Fire and Rescue (San Juan County Fire Protection District No. 2), San Juan County, Washington (the “District”) is in the process of issuing phase 1 of voter approved Unlimited Tax General Obligation Bonds (the “Bonds”) to provide $14,000,000 to construct, acquire, equip, renovate and make capital improvements to apparatus and facilities of the District, and to pay costs of issuing the Bonds. Pursuant to the Election Resolution, the improvement
Orcas Island Fire & Rescue bonds available to local investors | Sponsored content
Submitted by Orcas Island Fire & Rescue.
October is National Co-op Month
Enter OPALCO’s co-op member photo contest or grand prize giveaway
Katherine Bryant Ingman for County Council | Letter
We are writing in support of Katherine Bryant-Ingman’s candidacy, for the District 3 seat on the San Juan County Council, representing residents of Lopez, Shaw and Decatur islands.
OPALCO brings member conversations to the community | Letter
OPALCO has established a great new member outreach effort that has been very successful. I just wanted to reach out to the members and community in-general and highlight the “Chat with the OPALCO team” informal community meetings that we have been hosting and to extend an invitation to participate. We have hosted three of these thus far over the last few months, one on Orcas, one in Friday Harbor and one on Lopez. We return to Orcas next week for one scheduled at the OPALCO office in Eastsound n
Islands’ Sounder and Journal of the San Juans receive General Excellence in 2026 WNPA Better Newspaper Contest
San Juan Group newspapers combine for 24 awards, including a sweep of Crime & Court Story reporting
Advertising Rates
SAN JUAN ISLANDER ADVERTISING RATES Example of Premium Ad Premium Ads 600 pixels wide by 400 pixels $100 a week | $360 a month Posted above or below photo of the day Large Tile Ad 200 pixels wide by 400 pixels $50 a week | $160 a month Posted in the middle of the home […]
Jeremy Nash: San Juan County by the Numbers
San Juan County recently put out a press release announcing that the Council had adopted the 2027 budget. After all the kerfuffle over the budget this year, I wanted to see what they had actually come up with and try to put the whole thing into perspective for myself. That led me into the County’s […]
Former Starbucks CEO encourages Orcas Christian School students to ‘Be More Human’
Orcas Christian School (OCS) is embracing experiential education, providing students with opportunities to learn from leaders with real-world experience. “We pride ourselves on offering powerful experiences for our students. On October 8, students were able to meet and hear from Jim Donald, a former CEO of Starbucks,” said Principal Joel Shetler. Donald spoke to OCS students and parents about artificial intelligence (AI), discussing how the technology can help
How recent ferry disruptions affected islanders
San Juan County Council praised Washington State Ferries during Tuesday’s regular Council meeting for dedicating two of the five operating ferries during the “sick-out” to the Anacortes/San Juan Islands route. The council also directed Council member Kari McVeigh to send a letter of appreciation to WSF Deputy Secretary Steve Nevey. The gratitude, however, was sharply tempered by criticism during the Council meeting of how WSF handled the shutdown and who is paying for it.
Odd Fellows readies annual firewood raffle
The Orcas Island Odd Fellows are once again offering islanders a chance to stay warm this winter while supporting important community causes through their annual Firewood Raffle. This year’s lucky winner will receive a full cord of firewood, delivered and stacked right at their home. And for those who don’t need firewood themselves, there’s an opportunity to share the warmth by donating their winnings to an island neighbor in need. Raffle tickets will be […
Letter to Editor | Katherine Bryant-Ingman gets things done
We are writing in support of Katherine Bryant-Ingman’s candidacy, for the District 3 seat on the San Juan County Council, representing residents of Lopez, Shaw and Decatur islands. We quickly endorsed Katherine for the District 3 seat of the SJC Council. District 3 is the district that represents the county residents that reside on the less tourist visited islands as well as the district that has less small businesses, especially ones with store […]
Resource Center presents October Orcas Talks Money workshops
Submitted by the Orcas Community Resource Center Communications Team.
Governor Ferguson Commits to Addressing WSF Engine Room Crew Workforce Crisis
The Marine Engineers Beneficial Association (MEBA) represents 417 licensed and unlicensed engineers who operate, repair, and maintain the fleet of vessels at Washington State Ferries (WSF). A growing workforce crisis boiled over this week when crew call-outs resulted in major service disruptions. Eric Winge, the MEBA representative for WSF, shared developments today: “Our union leadership […]
Merri Ann Simonson Real Estate Update: 2026 Market Snap Shot
Here is our September 2026 Market Snap Shot. The report indicates that 2026 is trending very similar to 2025, even with international turmoil. It feels as if year-ending 2026 will close out very similar to 2025 as well.
Interactive food system plan now live on San Juan Islands Agricultural Guild website
The Food System Team of San Juan County, in partnership with the San Juan Islands Agricultural Guild and local data scientist, Adam Martin, is excited to announce the launch of an interactive online version of the Food System Plan for San Juan County. For residents and food system workers, this new tool will make it easier to explore and navigate the shared goals of the plan, and […]
Emmanuel’s summer Market Day helps Orcas Islanders all year round
Submitted by the Emmanuel Episcopal Church.
Governor Ferguson commits to addressing WSF engine room crew workforce crisis
The Marine Engineers Beneficial Association (MEBA) represents 417 licensed and unlicensed engineers who operate, repair, and maintain the fleet of vessels at Washington State Ferries (WSF). A growing workforce crisis boiled over this week when crew call-outs resulted in major service disruptions. Eric Winge, the MEBA representative for WSF, shared developments today: “Our union leadership and members have been working hard
Easements keep the OPALCO co-op running
OPALCO does not comment on active legal matters, but some misinformation in a recent King 5 article needs to be addressed. The pole site in question was on the property mentioned, with the previous owner’s permission, prior to the current owners’ purchase of the land. The pole was upgraded in 2023 and is 103 feet – approximately 20 feet higher than the one that was there when the property […]
Resource Center will present October Orcas Talks Money workshops
The Orcas Community Resource Center will host several upcoming Orcas Talks Money workshops in October focused on emergency preparedness, winter planning, and financial resilience for community members and small business owners. The workshops are free and open to the community. No registration is required. On Wednesday, October 14 at 1:15 p.m., the Resource Center will offer Ready, Set, Prepare! Emergency Preparedness for Older Adults at the Or
Easements Keep the Co-op Running
OPALCO does not comment on active legal matters, but some misinformation in a recent King 5 article needs to be addressed. The pole site in question was on the property mentioned, with the previous owner’s permission, prior to the current owners’ purchase of the land. The pole was upgraded in 2023 and is 103 feet […]
Larsen | I will not let them stick you with the bill for data centers
Data centers are expanding across the country, including here in the Pacific Northwest. This growth carries real consequences for our communities. Data centers require enormous amounts of electricity and water to operate. Without strong guardrails, the costs of building and running these facilities can be passed on to ordinary ratepayers through higher electricity bills and increased strain on local water systems. At the same time, the public infr