Island News
Larsen introduces bill to study prison libraries
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF U.S. REP. RICK LARSEN ||| WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) and Representative Emanuel Cleaver (MO-05) introduced the Read for Reentry Act, legislation that would authorize a study into state and federal prison libraries in the United States to better understand and further the role of prison libraries in reducing the number of prisoners who return to prison. “Access to the world of books through libraries changes lives,” said Rep. Larsen.
A letter from San Juan County Council to community regarding recent hate speech
Council issues letter condemning hate and discrimination in response to the recent tagging of a local LGBTQ+ pride display ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| This past June, during Pride month, which was acknowledged by the county council through Proclamation, unknown individuals painted over a local LGBTQ+ Pride display. This is in the context of the almost immediate covering of similar displays the previous two years. And this year, it descended to a new low when it was tagged […]
JP & OK Rhythm Boys to support Grange in forthcoming concert
||| FROM ANITA ORNE for JP AND THE OK RHYTHM BOYS ||| On Friday, August 7, you can enjoy great tunes while helping out a great island institution! JP and the OK Rhythm Boys will be playing at the Orcas Island Grange at 7pm that evening and all profits will go to support the Grange. JP and the OK Rhythm Boys are JP Wittman, Gordon Koenig, and Anita Orne on fiddle, guitar, bass, and vocals with possible occasional forays onto […]
Orcas Senior Center renovation update
||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| Orcas Senior Center continues to make steady progress on its building renovation following last year’s acquisition of San Juan County’s 49% ownership share. The Center has fully expanded into the north wing, adding a Wellness Room for foot care and other health services, a dedicated Lions Club mobility room, an expanded SHIBA office, a second conference room, and new game and living rooms. Thanks to generous community support, including a Holiday [
August 3-7, 2026 | No jurors required
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| JURY DUTY: AUGUST 3-7, 2026 Jurors summonsed for the Jury Period beginning Monday August 3rd through Friday August 7th, 2026 are excused. Thank you.
CWR | First encounter of the 2026 outer coast research trip
||| FROM CENTER FOR WHALE RESEARCH ||| Full Encounter Report ObservBegin: 10:38 AM ObservEnd: 01:01 PM Vessel: KCB III Staff: Dave Ellifrit, Michael Weiss Other Observers: Taylor Redmond Pods: J IDsEncountered: J16, J22, J26, J27, J37, J44, J47, J49, J53, and J59 LocationDescr: Clo-oose grounds EncSummary: The team left McKay Bay Lodge in Bamfield in both boats, “KCB3” and “Mike 1”, at 0655. We headed southwest out of Barkley Sound before turning southeast towards Swiftsure Bank. “KCB3” took the
County Council will travel to Shaw Island for upcoming August 4 meeting
The meeting will be held at the Shaw Community Center ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| San Juan County Council will hold its regularly scheduled August 4 meeting on Shaw Island. The public is invited to join the three councilmembers and County staff at the meeting being held at the Shaw Community Center, located at 42 Reef Net Bay Road beginning at 10:30 a.m. What: San Juan County Council Meeting Where: Shaw Community Center, 42 Reef Net […]
August 6 is Pollinator Day at Orcas Island Library
||| FROM SAM GAILEY for ORCAS ISLAND LIBRARY ||| The Orcas Island Library will host Pollinator Day on Thursday, August 6, featuring Russel Barsh and biologists from Kwiáht. The free, all-ages program will include outdoor pollinator observations on the Library’s south lawn from noon to 3 p.m., with a presentation beginning at 1 p.m. Participants will learn about the islands’ native bees, butterflies, flies, moths, and other pollinators—and the important role they play in supporting local plants,
Letter to Editor | Ingman is forward‑thinking, consensus‑building leader we need right now
||| FROM CLARK CUNDY ||| Katherine Bryant Ingman is a nonprofit leader with a decade of hands‑on community service on Lopez Island, running for County Council District 3 to deliver collaborative solutions on housing, transportation, and healthcare: Future‑Focused, Funding‑Savvy, Consensus‑Driven San Juan County is ready for a new type of leadership that brings fresh ideas, new funding strategies, and a collaborative approach to solving long‑term challenges. Katherine Bryant Ingman represents tha
Larsen demands answers on oil spill preparedness
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF U.S. REP. RICK LARSEN ||| WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02), top Democrat on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, sent a letter to Admiral Kevin E. Lunday, Commandant of the United States Coast Guard, to insist that the Coast Guard review and update its oil spill preparedness plans in light of a proposed new Canadian oil pipeline that will increase oil tanker traffic in the Salish Sea. “Section 7407 of the National Defense […]
Letter to Editor | Ingman has vision, leadership skills
||| FROM CINDY WOLF ||| Katherine Bryant Ingman has the vision, strength of leadership and proven negotiating skills to take care of business for the people of San Juan County. She has a way of letting you know she is listening and clearly would rather put effort into finding a way to work shoulder to shoulder than waste time going toe to toe. She has a great capacity for absorbing information, a genuine desire to address the current issues facing […]
Steps looking for provider to serve, support SJ families
Steps supports children & families on Orcas, and we’re looking for the right person to join us ||| FROM HEATHER TENORE for STEPS ||| For more than 40 years, Steps has partnered with families to meet the developmental needs of young children on Whidbey Island. We began serving families in the San Juan Islands in 2019 and in Anacortes in 2023, providing in-home therapy, developmental education, and family support for infants and toddlers. Our providers travel throughout the islands because […]
Letter to Editor | Why we support Katherine Bryant Ingman for Council
||| FROM LOVEL and BOYD PRATT ||| We heartily endorse Katherine Bryant Ingman for San Juan County Council District 3. Katherine has demonstrated a remarkable commitment to our island communities through her work in healthcare, food security, ferry advocacy, and countless volunteer efforts. She is an exceptional listener who brings people together, approaches challenges thoughtfully, and follows through on her commitments. We’re excited to see Katherine use these skills to improve programs and se
Coming Up | Celebrating 70 Years of Library Fair
||| FROM INGRID MATTSON for ORCAS LIBRARY FAIR ||| This year marks the 70th anniversary of the Library Fair & Book Sale! Friends of Orcas Island Library (FOIL) work diligently all year to accept, sort, and box thousands of donated books dropped off by islanders over the year. If you love collectible art books, cookbooks, puzzles, history, and everything in between at true bargain pricing, plan to stop by the Library Saturday, August 8 from 10am-3pm. Books are generally $1 […]
Orcas Artist Studio Tour opens July 3
||| FROM MARJORIE TAYLOR for ORCAS VISUAL ARTS COMMITTEE ||| The Visual Arts Committee of Orcas Center and the Orcas Artist Studio Tour are excited to present the Studio Tour Art Opening on Friday, July 31st, from 5:30-7 p.m. Join us in the Madrona Room and Orcas Center Lobby to preview the works of artists participating in this year’s Studio Tour. This free event features artists working in painting, printmaking, stone cutting, woodwork, blacksmithing, encaustics, ceramics, fiber arts, sculptur
Reposado to play next Orcas Center summer concert
||| FROM COLLEEN SMITH SUMMERS ||| Orcas Center is proud to present its annual Summer Concert Series on the Village Green, bringing free, live music to the heart of Eastsound. This vibrant outdoor series, supported in part by Joe Brotherton and the Doe Bay team, celebrates community, creativity, and the magic of music under the open sky. All performances are free for the community and take place on Sundays at 5 p.m. The series runs through Aug. 30. The eclectic […]
Updated | Annual Orcas Fly-In will be here soon
||| FROM CHARLIE CATHEY for ORCAS ISLAND FLY-IN ||| Get ready for the annual Orcas Island Fly-In, happening from Friday to Sunday, August 7 through 9, 2026, at Eastsound Airport! This event is brought to you by Chapter 937 of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA). Pilots from all over the Pacific Northwest and Canada will be arriving, filling the field with a fantastic mix of aircraft, from homebuilt planes to vintage warbirds. The Fly-in will also offer commemorative t-shirts, sweatshirts
Letter to Editor | Every San Juan County voter has a say in District 3 council race
||| FROM KATHERINE BRYANT INGMAN CAMPAIGN||| As the August 4th primary approaches, Katherine Bryant Ingman’s campaign wants to clear up a common misunderstanding about how San Juan County Council elections work. Many residents believe they can only vote for the Council candidate running in their district. That’s not the case. While each Council member must live in the district they represent, San Juan County Council seats are elected at-large. Every registered voter in the county votes on every
Dirt Jam | Dr. Dirty reunion concert this weekend at Captain’s Taproom
||| FROM LIV NEWKIRK for CAPTAIN’S TAPROOM ||| Join us Sunday, August 2nd for a walk down memory lane as Terry Anderson returns to the islands with a concert at Captain’s Taproom on Shaw Island from 6-8:30 PM. Terry Anderson, “Dr. Dirty,” came to the islands in 1978 and became a staple of the music scene on Orcas and around the islands. As a singer, songwriter and guitar player, he is beloved for his ability to capture the hearts of […]
Get immunized before the school year with your local public health department
Sign up or stop by for one our clinics this summer to make sure you’re caught up before school starts ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| San Juan County Health & Community Services (HCS) is making it easier for families to get their children up to date on required vaccines before next school year starts. This August, HCS is holding immunization clinics on Lopez, Orcas, and San Juan Islands. See our back-to-school clinic dates and details below! Immunizations are a safe […]
Washington | Today is the last day to register to vote online
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF U.S. REP. RICK LARSEN ||| (Today) is the last day to register to vote online: please take a moment today to ensure you are ready to cast your vote! Check My Status Your voter registration may become out of date for a variety of reasons, including a change of address, change of name, and voter inactivity. Some states periodically update voter rolls, and if a person has been inactive for a long time without voting […]
I’m Not the Church Lady | Build your own rehab center
Having an agenda of no agenda requires me to simply show up and see what shows up ||| What if recovery isn’t some place we have to get to? What if it isn’t another project to manage, another self to improve, or another part of myself that needs fixing? What if recovery begins the moment I stop ignoring, avoiding, and distracting myself… from myself? And what if recovery isn’t what happens when I finally let go of a substance, a […]
San Juan County Sheriff’s Office statement on plane crash on Sucia Island
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| On Thursday, July 23, around 5:30 pm, the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office started receiving 911 calls reporting a plane crash at Shallow Bay/Sucia Island. It was reported that a pilot and 10 passengers were on board at the time of the crash. The SJCSO responded with two boats with deputies and fire personnel on board, the U.S. Navy was on scene to assist, and three airlift ambulances were on scene to transport […]
Letter to Editor | Why we support Jennifer Swanson
||| FROM TERRI GUDGELL MASON, KERWIN JOHNSON, ANITA ORNE, RICK HUGHES, RHEA MILLER, GORDON KOENIG, BILL WATSON, TRISH LEHMAN, RON ZEE ||| Some of us have had the pleasure and opportunity to learn about Jennifer Swanson just recently, through the course of her campaign, while others of us have watched her serve our community for years. Our conclusions are the same: time and again, we’ve seen her tackle rigorous questions and difficult issues with integrity, preparation, and genuine respect for […