Island News
Smiles for miles
After the two-hour ceremony, it was time to celebrate with family and friends. Then it was time for the graduates to board the bus and head off to grad night festivities. Matt Pranger photos
Diplomas, hugs, tears and $560,000 in scholarships
Fifty students received their diplomas on Saturday, June 6, 2026 in Turnbull Gym at Friday Harbor High School. The 51st member of the class was studying abroad in Germany. The ceremony included the processional, the history of the class, speeches by the Valedictorian and the Salulatorian, the slide show and the awarding of scholarships. The […]
Friday Harbor High School’s Class of 2026 receive their diplomas
Friday Harbor High School Class of 2026
Friday Harbor High School’s Class of 2026 received their diplomas in a traditional ceremony at 5 pm Saturday, June 6, 2026. The ceremony included the processional, the history of the class, speeches by the Valedictorian and the Salutatorian, the slide show and the awarding of scholarships. The scholarship dollar amount was an astounding $560,000. Photos […]
Kristina Girvan’s sculpture wins Governor’s Choice Award
Friday Harbor High School 9th-grader Kristina Girvan earned statewide recognition at the 53rd Annual OSPI Superintendent’s High School Art Show. Her ceramic sculpture, Octavious, received the prestigious Governor’s Choice Award from Washington State Governor Bob Ferguson. Girvan’s artwork was originally selected to represent the Northwest ESD 189 region, which includes five counties and serves approximately […]
LWVSJ Observer Corps*: San Juan Island School Board, May 27, 2026 The Board celebrated retiring employees: Ray Adams, school tech support; Tamara Carter, Speech & Language Pathologist; Myah Thompson, teacher; Al Turnbow, teacher: and Jose Domenech, Director of Finance. Two students (Charlotte & Hazel), 3rd and 4th graders, and teacher, Alex Finch, from Stuart Island School presented […]
San Juan County expects $346k less for Foundational Public Health Services for 2026-2027 budget
LWVSJ Observer Corps summary of San Juan County Board of Health, May 20, 2026 meeting. Director Mark Tompkins reported that ACH has a new CEO and Community Collaboration has received $20,000 for the Recovery Café. He presented a budget update for Foundational Public Health Services. He expected no budget claw backs for the 2025- 2026 […]
San Juan County WA Sheriff’s Log May 27-June 2, 2026: Burglaries, Domestic Violence with traumatic injuries…
San Juan County Deputies responded to 175 calls from May 27-June 2, 2026 including: On San Juan Island Deputies responded to a report of an in-progress residential burglary of an occupied home. The suspect left before deputies got there and the resident was unharmed. A Lopez citizen submitted a rifle to the Sheriff’s Office for destruction. […]
Orca Action Month Film Series Brings Free Documentary Screenings to San Juan Islands
Four Events. Six Documentary Films. One Urgent Story Throughout June the San Juan Islands are celebrating Orca Action Month with a remarkable series of free documentary film screenings dedicated to the story of the Southern Resident killer whales as well as the salmon, rivers, kelp forests, and communities whose fates are bound to theirs. The Orca […]
June 13: Three new sculptures created through Youth Sculpture Mentorship Program to be unveiled at Sculpture Park
Three new sculptures will be unveiled at 2 pm June 13 at San Juan Island Sculpture Park at Roche Harbor on San Juan Island. The sculptures were created by Kate Douglas, Kristina Girvan, and Penelope Moore through the San Juan Islands Sculpture Park’s Youth Sculpture Mentorship Program. Under the guidance of local bronze artist and advisory […]
San Juan Island EMS Earns American Heart Association Gold Award for 3rd Consecutive Year
Friday Harbor, Washington – San Juan Island EMS has been recognized by the American Heart Association with the 2026 Mission: Lifeline® EMS Gold Award, including the Target: Stroke Honor Roll — the third consecutive year the agency has earned this distinction. The award recognizes prehospital providers that demonstrate continued success in applying the most current, […]
San Juan County Council to hold budget-focused meetings on June 15, 16, 24
LWVSJ Observer Corps summary of San Juan County Council May 26, 2026 Regular Meeting. Council Chairman Paulsen read an adopted resolution recognizing June as Pride Month for San Juan County in support of the 2SLGBTQ+ community. Budget planning and priorities were the main topics of discussion, with presentations from the Auditor’s office concerning the current […]
SJ EMS has 123 calls in April, Village at Harbor considers pursuing VA licensing
LWVSJ Observer Corps*: Public Hospital District # 1 May 27, 2026 meeting. Deputy Superintendent Evan Perrollaz for Superintendent Butler: PHD met with the Port of Friday Harbor for discussion; the Port is interested in infrastructure and the PHD is interested in housing. PHD met with Mark Tompkins of the San Juan County Health Services to […]
EDC Offers Workshop on Microsoft Copilot for Businesses and Nonprofits
The San Juan County Economic Development Council (EDC) invites businesses, nonprofits, and community organizations to attend a free online workshop, Getting Started with Microsoft Copilot, on Thursday June 11th from 9:00am-10:00am via Zoom. Microsoft Copilot is an artificial intelligence assistant built directly into Microsoft 365 applications including Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Teams. This practical workshop will […]
EDC Offers Workshop on Claude AI for Businesses and Nonprofits
The San Juan County Economic Development Council (EDC) invites businesses, nonprofits, and community organizations to attend a free online workshop, Getting Started with Claude, on Wednesday June 10th from 9:00am – 10:00am via Zoom. Claude, developed by Anthropic, is one of the fastest-growing artificial intelligence platforms and is particularly well known for its writing capabilities, […]
Carli caps standout prep running career with 1st-, 2nd- and 4th-place finishes at state meet
Friday Harbor’s Stella Carli capped a standout prep running career with first-, second- and fourth-place finishes at the 2026 Class 2B Track and Field Championships in Yakima May 28-30. Sophomore Flora Compton posted eighth- and 11th-place finishes in the long-distance runs for the Wolverine girls. Carli shaved more than seven seconds off her preliminary effort […]
June 17: Dept of Licensing mobile unit on Lopez Island
Lopez islanders creating 75 life-sized dorsal fins for Orca Action Month
This June, during Orca Action Month, our vision is to have 75 life-sized dorsal fins created by the community and on display throughout the Salish Sea region and beyond. Our goal is that these visual representations will spark conversations, inspire storytelling and education, and encourage people to learn more about the plight of these whales […]
Graduation ceremonies in the San Juan Islands
JUNE 6: 12 noon Griffin Bay School graduation ceremony at San Juan Island Grange Hall in Friday Harbor JUNE 6: 2 pm Lopez Island High School graduation ceremony at Lopez School JUNE 6: 5 pm Friday Harbor High School graduation ceremony in Turnbull Gym in Friday Harbor JUNE 12: Spring Street International School graduation ceremony […]
The San Juan Island Artists’ Studio Tour is a free, self-guided tour celebrating the island’s robust artist community. Always the first full weekend in June, the Studio Tour takes attendees on an adventure, leading them off the beaten tourist path, weaving through back roads to remote pockets of the island. While visitors will surely come […]
HEX denies appeal of Notice of Violation, Rosario Resort must remove tents
Rosario Resort, LLC appealed to the San Juan County Hearing Examiner (HEX) the Notice of Violation it received from the county’s Department of Community Development on July 23, 2025. In a decision filed May 19, 2026 Hearing Examiner Gary N. McLean ruled: The County proved, by a preponderance of credible evidence, that Rosario Harbor, LLC […]
June 11: Opening of SJIMA Summer 2026 Exhibitions including photography, etching, glass sculpture and feather sculpture
Three exceptional exhibitions will fill the San Juan Islands Museum of Art’s galleries June 11, 2026 – September 14, 2026 this summer, featuring renowned artists whose work is focused on the natural and cultural environments of Washington State and beyond. Photography, etching, glass sculpture and feather sculpture will be showcased. The Museum is located at 540 […]
June 1: San Juan County Lodging Tax grant applications are open
San Juan County 2026 Lodging Tax Grant Applications will open June 1, 2026. Applications are due by September 11, 2026 at 5 pm. Applications will be reviewed during September and October, with award notification anticipated in November. Entities interested in applying are invited to a workshop on June 16 from 12 noon to 1 pm […]
Upcoming Salish Sea Early Music Festival concerts
The Salish Sea Early Music Festival has since 2011 provided world class period instrument performances of chamber music, both familiar and rarely or never before heard in modern times, with musicians from Europe and all around the Puget Sound, the United States and Canada who are among the finest in their field around the globe. […]