Island News
Weather Alert | Heavy rainfall
||| FROM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ||| Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Seattle WA 1211 PM PDT Thu Mar 19 2026 San Juan County-Cascades of Whatcom and Skagit Counties- Cascades of Snohomish and Northern King Counties- Cascades of Southern King County- Cascades of Pierce and Lewis Counties- Foothills and Valleys of the North Cascades- Foothills and Valleys of Snohomish and Northern King Counties- Foothills and Valleys of Central King County- Foothills and Valleys of Pierce and So
Medicare’s preventive benefits | Why they matter
||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| Taking care of your health before problems arise is essential—and Medicare helps make that possible. Original Medicare (Parts A and B) covers many preventive services to detect conditions early. Medicare Part B also includes an annual wellness visit, a yearly appointment to review your health and create a personalized prevention plan. Many preventive services are available at no cost, meaning no deductibles, copayments, or coinsurance. These benefi
Ellie Wright among four WWU student journalists selected for Seattle Times ‘Best of the Pacific Northwest’ Symposium
by Betsy O’Donovan
Ladies of Laughter brings national women’s comedy tour to Orcas Island
By Darrell Kirk
Q&A with Asya Eberle and Deborah Jones, owners of Orcas Island Realty | Women in Business
How/why/when did you both choose real estate as a career?
Lawless logging; found fugitive | SJC sheriff’s log
The San Juan County Sheriff’s Office responded to the following calls.
County Health & Community Services publishes its 2025 impact report
Immunizations, dental care, meals for seniors, affordable housing, early learning, and so much more! ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| San Juan County’s Department of Health & Community Services has released its 2025 Impact Report, highlighting the programs, services, and partnerships that supported the health and well-being of islanders across the county over the past year. “I am proud to present this report to our community and to celebrate the achievements made this past year,” sa
No jury duty March 23-27
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| JURY DUTY: MARCH 23-27, 2026 All jurors summonsed for the jury term beginning Monday, March 23rd through Friday, March 27th, 2026, are excused. Thank you!
San Juan County WA Sheriff’s Log March 11-17: High speed chase of sex offender smoking meth, derelict vessel, speeding, trespassing
San Juan County Deputies responded to 112 calls from March 11-17, 2026 including: San Juan Island deputies attempted to stop a driver for felony warrants for failing to register as a sex offender. The driver fled and a pursuit ensued before the driver drove into a ditch and was unable to continue. The driver was […]
Guest Opinion | Paul Ehrlich was early, not wrong
||| FROM ELISABETH ROBSON ||| When Paul Ehrlich died recently (March 13, 2026), many of the obituaries and articles about him repeated a familiar judgment: he was alarmist, even brilliant, but ultimately wrong. His 1968 book, The Population Bomb, warned of mass famine and ecological collapse that did not arrive on schedule. Critics still point to the famous Simon–Ehrlich wager as proof that he misunderstood the future and missed the advances in our capabilities to extract “resources” (i.e. natur
Orcas Choral Society is weaving an American choral tapestry
||| FROM LYNN BAKER for ORCAS CHORAL SOCIETY ||| Songs of three centuries swirl through the Orcas Center every Tuesday and Thursday this spring, as the Orcas Choral Society prepares, An American Choral Tapestry, a concert of works by American composers to celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday. “In only 250 years, our young country has overseen the expansion of older forms and contributed major genres to world culture, including jazz, rock and roll, and musical theater,” said OCS Artistic Directo
Land Bank meeting coming up on March 20
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY CONSERVATION LAND BANK COMMISSION ||| The San Juan County Conservation Land Bank Commission will hold its monthly meeting Friday, March 20. The meeting is scheduled from 8:45am – 11:10am via Zoom. The meeting will also be available for in person public attendance at the Mullis Community Senior Center, 589 Nash Street, Friday Harbor, WA. The public is invited to attend. Click here to download the agenda (includes Zoom link). About the Conservation Land Bank The […]
Review the Critical Areas Ordinance update at community meeting on April 6
A first draft of the updated regulation is now available for public comment, and the Department of Community Development (DCD) is holding a community meeting to accept feedback and walk residents through the documents. ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| San Juan County is updating its critical areas protections, also referred to as the Critical Areas Ordinance or CAO, and the public is invited to comment on the first draft. The CAO serves as key regulation to ensure that […]
Luck of the Irish stops the rain for St. Patrick’s Day parade
||| FROM KAREN KEY SPECK ||| The clouds parted and the rain stopped at twelve noon. The Luck of the Irish prevailed so the 50-or- so parade participants were able to walk, ride, dance and sing their way up Prune Alley and down Main Street for the annual St. Patrick’s Day parade in Eastsound. Orcas store keepers and shop visitors smiled and photographed the parade entrants as they passed through the Village accompanied by Irish music presented by the Orcas […]
Katherine Bryant Ingman announces candidacy for San Juan County Council, District 3
||| FROM KBI4SJC for KATHERINE BRYANT INGMAN ||| Katherine Bryant Ingman is thrilled to announce she will be running for San Juan County Council seat #3 in 2026. “My goal as your council representative is to listen first — to essential workers and small business owners, farmers and working families, newcomers, seniors and longtime residents — as we tackle the issues that matter most: keeping people housed, keeping ferries running, ensuring access to healthcare, protecting our unique island envir
Salmonberry students tour sacred sites
||| FROM PAUL FREEDMAN for SALMONBERRY COMMUNITY SCHOOL ||| Last week, Salmonberry Community School students returned to Seattle for a learning adventure that these fifteen 9-12 yr old students will never forget. Every three years, this classroom centers its studies on a year-long thematic exploration of world cultures and world religions. After being immersed in the geography, history, religion, and culture of regions as diverse as the Himalayas and the Middle East, these students got to experi
March 19: San Juan Island Grange Launches “Grow Local” Campaign at Free Community Event
March 19 | 5 pm | San Juan Island Grange Hall | Friday Harbor Are you concerned about rising food costs and fragile supply chains? Take action close to home and keep your family and community fed. On March 19 @ 5:00 pm, San Juan Grange will host a special event “Grow Local“. The topic […]
Coming soon: Five new OPAL homes on Lydia Lane | OPAL’s first new single-family home construction in 16 years
By Rusty Diggs
OISHA completes 2025-2026 middle school-aged sexual health program
Submitted by the Orcas Island Sexual Health Alliance.
Rock Island Communications reaches nearly 7,000 subscribers and secures $16.5M grant for broadband expansion
Submitted by the Orcas Power & Light Cooperative.
Did you know? SJC processes passport applications at the courthouse
Submitted by San Juan County.
Orcas Christian School kicks off Reading Month with schoolwide activity
By Declan O’Malley
The timeless power of working with gold | Women in Business profile
Since she was a child, Leah Pearce Altman has been creating art with her hands.
Legislators consider bills on low-income housing
By Ayeda Masood