Island News
Sucia Island plane crash up close shows bystanders’ heroics
||| FROM CBS NEWS |||
OPALCO students earn scholarships and leadership recognition through Nourdine Jensen Youth Scholarship Program
||| FROM JO LANGE for ORCAS POWER & LIGHT COOPERATIVE ||| In early July, six San Juan County students proudly represented Orcas Power and Light Cooperative (OPALCO) at the 2026 Idaho Consumer-Owned Utilities Association (ICUA) Youth Rally as part of the Nourdine Jensen Cooperative Youth Scholarship Program. The Nourdine Jensen Cooperative Youth Scholarship provides $1000 in scholarship dollars for each student to put towards continuing education and includes an all expenses paid trip to the Yout
Construction on the Pea Patch Community Campus has begun
Summer update on site work and fundraising success ||| FROM SUZANNE OLSON for PEA PATCH COMMUNITY ||| Summer is in full swing and so is the site work to prepare the Pea Patch Community Campus for construction! You may have noticed some big piles of dirt: the current work effort by local contractor Island Ex includes utility connections, stormwater retention installation and construction of the new entry road. Special thanks to the neighbors around the Pea Patch for their patience […]
Midnight Mutterings | Lindsey
||| MIDNIGHT MUTTERINGS by JACKIE BATES ||| Tonight I’m muttering about Lindsey Graham. But not about his politics. Nor about his fickle bromance with Donald Trump. I’m muttering about his death on July 11, 2026 and the cause of his death. That is: aortic dissection. Aortic dissection, particularly Type A, which involves the ascending portion of the aorta is a critical condition which develops rapidly and can result in a immediate death even if it is diagnosed and surgically treated […]
Orcas Center Visual Arts Committee announces new community show
“Light and Shadow” to open on August 28 ||| FROM MARJORIE TAYLOR for ORCAS CENTER ||| For this show, the VAC welcomes artists to contribute pieces that reflect their own interpretation of the light and shadow theme. Space permitting, up to three pieces per artist will be accepted and all art mediums will be considered for display. Community shows are open to ALL island artists, beginning and experienced alike. The purpose is to showcase island art and celebrate our creative […]
Urgent | Final chance to donate blood this summer on San Juan & Orcas
||| FROM HANNAH MCNUTT for BLOODWORKS NORTHWEST ||| Right now, Bloodworks Northwest remains in Code Red emergency shortage, meaning we have less than a one-to-two-day supply of blood available for patients in our region. More than 60,000 appointments are still available before Labor Day. This shortage comes during the 100 Deadliest Days—the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day when car crashes and traumatic injuries spike while blood donations drop. Local hospitals continue to rely on blood
Port commission will meet on Monday
||| FROM CHIP LONG for PORT OF ORCAS ||| The Port of Orcas Board of Commissioners will hold a Regular Meeting on Monday, July 27th at 4:00 p.m. online via Zoom and in-person at the airport terminal conference room. Access and agenda information can be found at portoforcas.com.
WSF Weekly Report | 98,174 riders in one day; annual tribal canoe journey; fall reservations available
||| FROM STEVE NEVEY for WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES ||| A message from Steve On Saturday, we welcomed 98,174 riders on board, our highest single-day ridership since 2019. That easily surpassed our previous post-pandemic high of 95,361 riders on July 26 of last year. Since 2020, we’ve had 10 days with more than 90,000 riders: one in 2024, seven in 2025 and two so far this year, including 93,067 riders on July 3. Historically, our busiest days come on Fridays and […]
Occam’s Razor | Our island, our world through the eyes, pen of S.C. Watson
Breaking News | Plane just went down at Sucia Island
Orcas Island Fire & Rescue later confirmed that everyone aboard had been rescued and was receiving medical care or being transported from the scene. Kenmore Air said everyone on board has been accounted for. According to the airline, two injured passengers were taken to a hospital in Bellingham, while two others were transported to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. Seven additional passengers are being taken to a U.S. Coast Guard base for further evaluation. The U.S. Coast Guard and local […
Larsen stands firm against Trump’s unjustified war
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF U.S. REP. RICK LARSEN ||| WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) released the following statement: “Today I voted once again to stop the President from attacking Iran. All Americans have gotten out of this unjustified war is higher prices. Congress is sending a clear message to President Trump: stop the war. Lower prices.” Today, Rep. Larsen voted yes for the sixth time on a resolution that directs President Trump to remove the U.S. military fro
Come to Market Day this Saturday for treats and treasures
||| FROM LYNN BAKER for EMMANUEL MARKET DAY ||| Crab pot! Pizza ovens! Hummel figurines! Yummy pies! Crow Valley pottery! Delightful treasures and useful tools await you this Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Market Day, Emmanuel Church’s annual sale. Come for the fun; take home great finds. The line stretches down the block before gates open at 10. Come early for the best selection. Check out the books, art works, and antiques! Enjoy the hot dogs and lemonade! […]
‘James and the Giant Peach, Jr.’ features an all-local kids cast
||| FROM COLLEEN SMITH SUMMERS for ORCAS CENTER ||| As the culmination of Orcas Center’s summer theatre intensive, a group of young thespians is presenting a production of “Roald Dahl’s James and the Giant Peach, Jr.” It’s a fantastical tale of a boy, his insect friends, and their amazing journey across the ocean on a giant piece of fruit. The musical was adapted for student performance by the educational musical theater firm iTheatrics, under the supervision of Timothy Allen McDonald. […]
Rotary Car Show is sweeter this year
Get ready for some serious car-gazing ||| FROM BARBARA MERRITT for ROTARY CAR SHOW ||| The Rotary Car Show returns for its 18th year on Sunday, August 9, from 11 am to 3 pm, at San Juan Vineyard, 3136 Roche Harbor Road. Known for its relaxed, friendly atmosphere and scenic setting, the show welcomes custom, classic, agricultural, and alternative-fuel vehicles. Enjoy live music by local favorite band “Barcode,” playing classics from the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s, along with food, vineyard […]
San Juan Island coffee shop ditches plastic cups
Third House Coffee owner Caleb Aldstadt made the switch on his own – and says it’s saving him money ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| As communities around the world mark Plastic Free July, one local business didn’t need a campaign to get started. Caleb Aldstadt, owner of Third House Coffee in Friday Harbor, got tired of seeing plastic on the beach. So he did something about it in his own shop. Plastic Free July began in Australia in […]
News Brief | Who speaks for the trees? A tiny Quebec town
||| FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES ||| The Universal Declaration on the Rights of Trees was drafted in France in 2018 and 2019 by lawyers, ecologists and lawmakers. It mandates that humanity “act with the Tree in a spirit of fraternity and solidarity” and has been presented as a petition to the United Nations and the European Parliament, among others. What precisely this will all mean when put into law — whether it will require simple replacement of trees, limits […]
Larsen presses Trump admin to end Jones Act waivers
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF U.S. REP. RICK LARSEN ||| WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02), top Democrat on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, released the following statement: “Trump’s waiver of the Jones Act has done nothing to lower prices. Instead, it has halted investment in U.S. shipbuilding, stolen jobs from American mariners and threatened the entire U.S. maritime industry. “The Administration must reverse course to protect our maritime workfor
No jurors needed for July 27-31
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| JURY DUTY: JULY 27-31, 2026 Jurors summonsed for the Jury Period beginning Monday 27th through Friday July 31st, 2026 are excused. Thank you.
Letter to Editor | Katherine Bryant Ingman is a hard-working advocate
||| FROM TOM COWAN ||| I strongly support Katherine Bryant Ingman for District 3 County Council representative. She is well known on Lopez Island as a hard-working advocate for improving our community. Over the past decade, she has taken on some of Lopez Island’s hardest issues, including her role as manager of the Lopez Island Family Resource Center’s Food Share to strengthen local food security, and as board president of the Catherine Washburn Medical Association to help protect access to […]
Larsen votes No on unserious Republican funding bill
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF U.S. REP. RICK LARSEN ||| WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) released the following statement: “Republicans’ short-term government funding bill is a dead end. Senate Republicans have said they will ignore it. It was written without any Democratic feedback. Even the White House says it is incomplete. “I look forward to working with my colleagues in both parties to fund the government when Republicans are ready to be serious.”
Letter to Editor | I support Katherine Bryant-Ingman for council
||| FROM JAMIE STEPHENS ||| Katherine is a leader. As a former District 3 County Council Member, I’ve watched her work in this community over the years, and I know a leader when I see one. When the University of Washington chose not to continue operating the Lopez Island Medical Clinic last year, Katherine, as president of the Catherine Washburn Medical Association board, a role she still holds today, played a critical role on the leadership team that searched for […]
August highlights at Orcas Senior Center
||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| Orcas Senior Center offers a variety of ongoing classes, social groups, wellness activities, and creative programs throughout the month. All programs are open to everyone, regardless of age, and new participants are always welcome. A full calendar with dates and times is available at www.orcasseniors.org/calendar-of-events. This Month at the Senior Center: Fitness & Wellness: Chair yoga, Feldenkrais Arts & Creativity: Art with Carla, quilting, need
Larsen insists Coast Guard act to protect Salish Sea
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF U.S. REP. RICK LARSEN ||| WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02), top Democrat on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, released the following statement: “People I represent need answers on how the new Alberta to B.C. pipeline at Roberts Bank is going to impact the Salish Sea and local marine habitats. “Due to Canada’s plans to ship more oil in the Salish Sea, the Coast Guard’s oil spill prevention and response mission in the P
Health Care District meeting will share progress on clinic expansion
||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND HEALTH CARE DISTRICT ||| The Orcas Island Health Care District will hold a community town hall on Thursday July 23rd, from 5:15 – 7:00 PM to share progress on the Island Primary Care – Orcas Clinic Expansion project. The Town Hall will be held at the Orcas Center, Madrona Room – 917 Mt Baker Rd, Eastsound, WA 98245. Download 01. 2026_07_23 Agenda_Town_Hall.docx