Island News
News Brief | Gray whale, seen 20 miles inland, dies in WA’s Willapa River
||| FROM THE SEATTLE TIMES ||| A young gray whale that amazed and confounded onlookers for days this week after winding up 20 miles inland in a Southwest Washington river has died. The whale first appeared in the North Fork of the Willapa River on April 1. Although whales occasionally wind up in rivers, it’s not common. The young whale was found floating lifeless in the river Saturday. READ FULL ARTICLE
Letter to Editor | The pandemic is not following a script
||| FROM ELISABETH ROBSON ||| One of the most dangerous ideas shaping our response to COVID is also one of the oldest in philosophy. The philosopher Karl Popper called it historicism: the belief that history unfolds according to predictable patterns. It is a comforting idea. If history follows a script, then crises eventually resolve themselves: pandemics come and go, society returns to normal, and humanity adapts. Popper argued that this belief is wrong. History does not move along a predetermi
Letter to Editor | Passing San Juan County’s levy lid lift is critical to aging well in the islands
||| FROM JAMI MITCHELL ||| Please understand that I am writing this letter as a private citizen, not as part of my work or in any way affiliated with my employer. It is important to me to personally express my strong support for the upcoming San Juan County general fund levy lid lift because it directly impacts our ability to age well in the islands we love. As a full-time islander for 24 years, I believe this measure is vital […]
News Brief | Study finds isolated killer whale populations depend on social interaction for survival
||| FROM AZ ANIMALS ||| A group of well-studied orcas known as Southern Resident orcas are endangered and face multiple threats to survival. New research shows they interact more with other populations than expected and this could help or hurt them in different ways Shared habitats can lead to competition for food but, if they interbreed, can provide needed genetic diversity. Protecting them requires international cooperation to address the issues that affect them. READ FULL ARTICLE
Edge of the Salish Sea | Art, poetry, science walk and workshops
Saturday, April 18th, 10-3 at Parish Hall, 218 Main, Eastsound Exploring Life on the Edge – Waterfront Beach Walk, 10am ||| FROM EARTH DAY ART & NATURE ||| Enjoy some of the year’s first daytime low tides on a guided beach walk with Tina Whitman, Senior Science Director with Friends of the San Juans. Observe and identify local species and habitats that thrive at the intersection of land and sea, learn how our shorelines support the regional marine ecosystem and […]
Free drawing workshop coming up for our islanders
||| FROM AYN GAILEY for ROAM ||| Because of the remote nature of our location, our artists are at a disadvantage when it comes to studying art and improving their technique and skills. That’s why bringing a figure drawing workshop to Orcas can make such a big impact. The ROAM Art Trail, starting next week, will include a free 2-day Figure Drawing Class with Juliette Aristides, an internationally respected painter, author, and co-founder of the Classical Atelier at the Gage […]
Health Care Authority moves to single source for incontinence supplies | Businesses worry about closing, patient care
By Annika Hauer
New OARS Program offers support for island residents in recovery
||| FROM RESOURCE CENTER COMMUNICATIONS TEAM || The Orcas Community Resource Center (OCRC) is launching the Opioid Addiction Recovery Support (OARS) Program, a new initiative designed to help San Juan County residents stay stable while focusing on their treatment journey. Recovery often requires more than treatment alone. For many individuals and families, everyday challenges—like paying rent, keeping the lights on, or getting to appointments—can become barriers to healing. The OARS Program was
Meeting Recap | Next steps for Odlin County Park facility upgrades
Staff shared why the department is pursuing this project, why the existing site was chosen, how project funds are separate from the County’s general fund and not funded by property taxes, and addressed questions/concerns from attendees ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| The San Juan County Parks, Recreation, & Fair Department hosted a community meeting for Lopez Islanders to provide feedback on plans to construct a new facility for the County Parks operation on Lopez Island. The meeting
Midnight Mutterings | Gentleness
||| MIDNIGHT MUTTERINGS by JACKIE BATES ||| I don’t have permission to tell this first story from the main character, so I won’t use his name, even though you can likely figure out who he is. I hope he doesn’t mind. A month or so ago I bought a car from someone moving from the island and it came with a few things, one of which I couldn’t identify. It is a black plastic thing maybe 5 by 8 inches […]
Sheriff’s Report | March 26 – 30, 2026
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE ||| THURSDAY, MARCH 26 26-001668 VIN Inspection 14:36:27 03/26/26 A Deputy on Orcas Island assisted an individual with a VIN inspection. The Deputy met with the individual and the incident was documented. 26-001669 Suspicious Person/Circumstance 14:42:13 03/26/26 A Deputy on Orcas Island responded to suspicious activity in the Killebrew Lake area. After the Deputy spoke to the reporting party and checked the area, it was discovered that multiple vehicle
Orcas Wrestling’s ‘Fierce Five’ wraps up the club’s 16th season
Submitted by the Orcas Wrestling Club.
Island Allies of Indigenous Lifeways supports Tribally Managed Hunting at North Shore Preserve
In recent public discourse around the San Juan County Conservation Land Bank’s proposal to open up hunting at Turtleback Preserve and North Shore Preserve, there have been opinions articulating the unfair nature of having a two week period for Tribal only hunting, or of having Tribal hunting occur at all. The proposal – sponsored and […]
April 6: ONLINE Community meeting about Critical Areas Ordinance Update –
The first draft of the update to San Juan County’s Critical Areas Ordinance or CAO is ready for public comment. County staff will be available at a community meeting Monday, April 6 from 6 to 8 pm. Attendees will be able to ask questions and learn more about the CAO. The CAO serves as key […]
8 eligibility slots available in county’s ADU lottery open April 1-May 30, 2026
Between April 1 and May 30, 2026 San Juan County Department of Community Development (DCD) will be accepting Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) applications for detached ADU permits proposed outside of urban growth areas and activity centers. ADU lottery applications for determining eligibility must be received no later than May 30, 2026. A total of eight […]
April 11: Vegetable Gardening Workshop with Dr. Carol Miles
Saturday, April 11, 2026 | 11:30 to 1 pm | Marie Boe Building | San Juan County Fairgrounds | Friday Harbor | Free and open to the public Friday Harbor, WA — The WSU Extension San Juan County Master Gardeners invite the community to kick off the 2026 gardening season at a special Vegetable Gardening Workshop […]
Island Allies of Indigenous Lifeways supports tribally managed hunting at North Shore Preserve
||| FROM JAIME BEECHUM and CAITLIN LECK ||| In recent public discourse around the San Juan County Conservation Land Bank’s proposal to open up hunting at Turtleback Preserve and North Shore Preserve, there have been opinions articulating the unfair nature of having a two week period for Tribal only hunting, or of having Tribal hunting occur at all. The proposal – sponsored and supported by Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission, and the Swinomish Tr
2026 ADU lottery application cycle open April 1 – May 30 for San Juan County
A total of eight (8) eligibility slots are available for the 2026 cycle ||| FROM SAN JAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| Between April 1 and May 30, the San Juan County Department of Community Development (DCD) will be accepting Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) applications for detached ADU permits proposed outside of urban growth areas and activity centers. ADU lottery applications for determining eligibility must be received no later than May 30, 2026. A total of eight (8) eligibility slots are availab
Guest Opinion | The solar promise that wasn’t
How a small island’s experiment in clean energy became a lesson in what happens when a co-op stops listening to the people it serves ||| FROM ALAN MIZUTA ||| I own a piece of a solar farm. I paid for it. I’m proud of what it was supposed to be. I’m considerably less proud of what it became. The Decatur Island microgrid, OPALCO’s first community solar array, was described to state grant-makers as a future national showcase for equitable community […]
Town & County Councils discuss ferries, affordable housing & more at joint meeting
Town and County Councils will continue to partner on the variety of services residents depend upon ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| This week, the Town of Friday Harbor and San Juan County Councils held a special joint meeting where they discussed tourism and economic development in the islands, ferries and significant legislation, affordable housing projects, and opportunities for collaboration. The meeting lasted approximately three hours, and a recording is available on the Town’s
ROAM | Art & literary pop-ups
Eastsound, April 8–12 ||| FROM AYN GAILEY for HUB FOR ARTS & LITERATURE ON ORCAS (HALO) ||| The Orcas Island Library, HALO (Hub for Arts & Literature on Orcas), artists, and our businesses have teamed up to create a weekend of events that will bring inspiration and foot traffic to beloved Eastsound businesses this April. ROAM is a rare opportunity to view curated work by many of the island’s most remarkable artists—many of whom do not show in the Artist Studio Tour. It’s […]
CWR encounters three families of Bigg’s
||| FROM CENTER FOR WHALE RESEARCH ||| Full Encounter Report ObservBegin: 08:44 AM ObservEnd: 09:16 AM Vessel: Mike 1 Staff: Mark Malleson Pods: Bigg’s killer whales IDsEncountered: T036A, T036A2, T036A2A, T036A3, T036A5, T086A1, T086A1B, T124A4, T124A4, T124A1A LocationDescr: Parry Bay EncSummary: Mark received a call at 0733 from a colleague who had just seen a group of killer whales heading west off of Ross Bay on Victoria’s waterfront. He got into motion and made his way to town to mobilize
WSF Weekly Report | 20.1 million customers in 2025; Governor signs ferry bill; summer reservations open Tuesday
||| FROM STEVE NEVEY for WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES ||| A message from Steve In 2025 we carried 20.1 million customers, nearly 1 million more than the previous year. That translates to 152,592 sailings. Each one starts and ends at a ferry terminal. Only 22 trips were canceled for terminal-related issues last year. While zero is the goal, 22 is a low number and a testament to our 80 terminal engineering employees. They quietly keep the many moving parts of our […]
