Island News
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
SHCPHD1 statement regarding plane incident on Shallow Bay near Sucia Island
Submitted by the San Juan County Public Hospital District 1
San Juan County Council weighs new revenue options amid $4 million budget gap
The San Juan County Council spent much of its July 14 meeting wrestling with a stark fiscal reality: a $4 million deficit looming over the 2027 budget, and only a handful of new revenue tools to help close it.
Kenmore Float Plane crashed near Sucia Island
Kenmore Statement: At approximately 5:15 p.m. today, July 23, 2026 one of Kenmore Air’s de Havilland DHC-3 Otter aircraft (flight #140 departing from Lake Union, Seattle) was involved in an accident in Shallow Bay near Sucia Island. There were ten passengers and one pilot on board. We can confirm that everyone aboard has been accounted […]
San Juan EMS responds to float plane crash in Shallow Bay
SJEMS Press Release: On July 23rd, 2026 at 5:15 pm, San Juan Island EMS responded to a 9-1-1 call reporting a plane crash at Shallow Bay/Sucia Island. It’s reported that a pilot and 10 passengers were on board at the time of the crash. All 10 passengers and the pilot have been accounted for, and […]
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 […]
Decades-long dataset shows which orcas are most at home in Puget Sound
UW News: Data spanning nearly half a century shows that endangered southern resident killer whales are spending less time in inland waters, whereas their larger cousins, Bigg’s killer whales, are increasingly present in Puget Sound.The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration listed southern resident killer whales as endangered in 2005 after rapid population decline in the late 1990s. […]
Air quality information available online
Keep track of the air quality in your area by using the charts and maps on AirNow.gov. AQI Charts Fire and Smoke Maps The impact low air quality has on health is covered at https://www.airnow.gov/aqi/
How to find local food
Interested in local food? Find local food at farm stands, farmers markets, co-op markets, restaurants, grocery stores, food banks, by using the map at EatLocalFirst
July 28: False Bay Tidal Walk
Join marine ecologist and islander, Dr. Drew Harvell, for a guided walk around UW False Bay Marine Preserve during low tide! Park at the UW parking area on False Bay Rd by 9 am. Parking is limited, so carpool if you can! We will be walking out to the rocks at the mouth of False Bay […]
July 28: How are Sea Stars Faring in our Salish Sea Menagerie?
July 28th, 7:00 PM – Summer Lecture Series: How are Sea Stars Faring in our Salish Sea Menagerie? The Whale Museum & YouTube Hundred-year-old giant clams, coral kingdoms that rival human cities, jellyfish that glow in the dark, and sea stars with super strength: ocean invertebrates are among the oldest and most diverse organisms on […]
Sea plane makes emergency landing off Sucia Island
A Kenmore seaplane glides low over the water past multiple boats before disappearing behind a bluff, video footage shows. The plane had left Lake Union at around 4 p.m. on July 23, but at 5:15 p.m. made an emergency landing in Shallow Bay. Coast Guard environmental response personnel have been notified and are coordinating with partner agencies to assess potential environmental impacts.
Satirical argument against children’s education makes it into official voters’ pamphlet
Many registered voters in San Juan County are raising an eyebrow at the SJC Official Local Voters’ Pamphlet for the Aug. 4 primary election. The “Argument Against” the Lopez Island School District No. 144’s Proposition 1, written by Mike Minor, appears to be satirical.
Way to help 3 women arrested by ICE in San Juan County, WA
Three women returning from a housecleaning job on an outer island July 7, 2026 were stopped by the US Coast Guard near Roche Harbor. ICE was contacted and two of the women were deported. The third woman was taken to the Tacoma Detention Center. The People’s Coalition of San Juan Island is reaching out to […]
Larsen Insists Coast Guard Act to Protect Salish Sea
(WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, July 22, 2026, 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 […]
Jamie Stephens: Supports Katherine for county Council
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 […]