Island News
Local headlines from around the San Juans
WSF Weekly Report | WSF receives national recognition; end of DST; winter schedule Nov 1
A message from Steve I’m proud to share that Washington State Ferries has been named a 2026 Center of Excellence for Domestic Maritime Workforce Training and Education by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration. This national recognition highlights the work our Training Team and employees across the system do to build the next generation of maritime professionals. Since 2022, we’ve hired and trained 324 ordinary seafar
San Juan Fire employment opportunity as Logistics Director
San Juan County Fire Protection District No. 3 is seeking qualified applicants for the position of Logistics Director, a full-time exempt administrative leadership position reporting directly to the Fire Chief. Position Details • Position: Logistics Director • Department: Administration • Reports To: Fire Chief • FLSA Status: Exempt • Work Schedule: 40-hour work week • Anticipated Start Date: January 2027 Salary and Benefits • Starting Salary: $114,000 a
Guest Opinion | San Juan Islands need an AI skills test for small businesses
Washington is receiving a new federal industry-driven workforce training grant. The state’s listed industries include AI and data-center infrastructure, aerospace, and advanced manufacturing. But people working in small island businesses also deserve the skills to assess automated decisions. Consider an inn whose AI reservation assistant promises a ferry connection that cannot work, or a shop whose automated inventory tool suggests buyin
Washington, Denmark establish formal ties around maritime and industrial expertise
SEATTLE — Governor Bob Ferguson and Ambassador Karen Eva Abrahamsen, Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of Denmark in the United States established a new era in trade and partnership between Washington and Denmark with the signing of the first cooperative agreement between the two regions. Photos from the event are available here. The agreement establishes a framework for cooperation between the State of Washington and the Royal Danish Embassy to ad
WSF Weekly Report | Running the numbers; Colman clock; Maritime Blue’s One Ocean Week
A message from Steve It’s easy to become discouraged by the challenges facing Washington State Ferries. Aging vessels, financial constraints and service disruptions are very real problems, and customers sometimes question whether things are getting better. It’s easy to focus on what’s going wrong instead of what is going right. Last week, October 12-18, we completed 99.26% of our 2,850 scheduled sailings. Every cancelled sailing matters to th
News Brief | One-quarter of data centers are located in water-stressed areas, study shows
Data centers need water to stay cool and functional, and lots of it: The larger facilities can consume as much water a day as a town of 50,000 people, and because much of the cooling involves evaporation, freshwater is often preferred. That raises serious questions about the environmental impact of the cloud compute we use to run AI queries, host photos and videos, stream music, and all the rest. Researchers are trying to get a […]
2026 Winter Flea & Craft Market returns December 5th & 6th
Each year the San Juan County Fairgrounds hosts the Winter Flea & Craft Market in the Main Exhibit Hall. Local vendors showcase a variety of handmade gifts and unique second-hand items for sale making this the perfect event to find gifts for all the special people on your list. Whether you’re seeking a venue to showcase your latest creations or searching for the perfect spot to do your holiday shopping, the Winter Flea […]
EWUA members petition to explore public ownership
More than 50 EWUA memberships have signed a petition supporting a formal, non binding evaluation of whether Eastsound’s water utility should be transferred to public ownership through the Eastsound Sewer and Water District (ESWD). Bringing water and sewer together could offer important community benefits: Shared operators, equipment, facilities, administration, emergency response, and long-term planning. Access to public grants, loans, and inf
EWUA Board Meeting | Public utility petition, Clark Well costs, Board election
The Eastsound Water Users Association (EWUA) Board met Tuesday evening, October 20, 2026 with several notable developments involving public ownership, capital expenditures, and the upcoming Board election. Members Preparing Petition to Explore Public Ownership During the meeting’s only public comment, an EWUA member informed the Board that a group of members is preparing a petition requesting a feasibility study of transitioning EWUA to public ownership through a pot
Jon Stewart interviews former Anthropic, OpenAI researcher
Jacob Coxon, a former Anthropic and OpenAI researcher who spoke out about the dangers of artificial intelligence, opens up to Jon Stewart about the grim reality of the tech industry— from malicious hacks to potential biological attacks. The two discuss the future, AI-led utopia that tech companies are trying to sell us, the megalomania and riskiness that underlie the industry, and the terrifying capabilities Coxon witnessed while training AI models at Anthropic and Op
Letter to Editor | Jennifer Swanson will represent all of San Juan County
Having served eight years on the San Juan County Council, participated in the Ferry Advisory Committee, and spent much of my life operating small businesses on Orcas Island, I know firsthand the challenges of representing our island communities. That experience is why I am proud to support Jennifer Swanson for San Juan County Council, District 3. Jennifer brings something especially valuable to public service: kindness, honesty, independence, and a genuine willingness t
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
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
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
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 […]
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 […]
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
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
Enter OPALCO’s co-op member photo contest or grand prize giveaway
October is National Co-op Month Every year in October, cooperatives around the nation celebrate National Cooperative Month. OPALCO, San Juan County’s local not-for-profit cooperative utility, is spending this month celebrating co-op members. Throughout October, check the OPALCO social media accounts (@orcaspower) to learn more about what it means to be a co-op and benefits of the cooperative model. This year OPALCO is holding the fi
Guest Opinion | Permanent, until inconvenient
OPALCO bought land with a recorded Native Growth Area covenant and open-space protections intended to preserve a wildlife corridor. Its solar project conflicted with those restrictions. San Juan County has now approved moving the open-space designation to accommodate the project. The protections dated to 2012. OPALCO bought the property in 2025. Apparently, the forest was in the wrong place. And what project warrants this accommodation? A solar expansion approaching $6 m
Orcas Island Clothing Bank returns this fall
The Orcas Island Clothing Bank will return this fall, offering community members an opportunity to find clothing and other household items while giving gently used goods a second life. The Clothing Bank will be held Oct. 24-25 at the Orcas Christian School (OCS) gymnasium. The event will be open from 1-6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 25. Community members are encouraged to shop both days, with new items added […]