Island News
Gov. Ferguson, Attorney General Brown seek court order to permit health inspections at Northwest ICE Processing Center
Submitted by the Washington State Office of Attorney General Nick Brown.
2026 Bill Yarlott Youth Fishing Derby winner
The 2026 Bill Yarlott Youth Fishing Derby at Cascade Lake saw an exciting win from one of its youngest participants.
Rogue AI agent goes haywire, deletes company’s entire database in 9 seconds
||| FROM YOU TUBE |||
Walk with the birds at Cascade Lake ‘walk and talk’
||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND GARDEN CLUB ||| Spring is here and the birds are singing! But what might they be saying? Wake up early, get some fresh air, gift your body with exercise and learn about our local birds. Join the Orcas Island Garden Club for a free, open to the public “walk and talk” at Cascade Lake in Moran State Park. Our guide will be Tyler Davis, an Environmental Project Manager and Scientist with San Juan County who doubles […]
Guest Opinion | The issues surrounding our National Parks
||| FROM JOSLIN BROETJS BAIRSTOW ||| As a resident of Orcas Island, I have the privilege of being surrounded by natural landscapes and beautiful parks. Theodore Roosevelt, commonly known as the conservation president, believed that our forests, mountains, prairies, and deserts are sacred spaces that should be protected for future generations. Although National Parks provide many environmental and economic services, they are often devalued. It is estimated that in 2023 National Parks benefited th
May library art exhibit
||| FROM ANDREA COHEN for ORCAS ISLAND LIBRARY ||| The photographs of Lewis Francis are on exhibit at the Orcas Island Library for the month of May. Originally from Gibraltar, Lewis moved to California in the 1990’s and moved to Orcas a few years ago. His show of black-and-white landscape photographs, entitled Unknown Country, captures his experience of learning the new landscape of the Northwest. Drawn to quiet moments shaped by fog, low clouds and shifting light, he finds that they simplify […
Traffic accident claims lives of Orcas islanders
||| FROM SOURCE ONE ||| CHELAN – A three-vehicle crash on U.S. 97 in Chelan County left three people dead and two others injured late Friday night, according to a Washington State Patrol press memo. The collision occurred around 9:11 p.m. on May 1 near milepost 233 along the highway, just north of Chelan Falls. Troopers say a southbound vehicle crossed the centerline into the northbound lanes, striking an oncoming vehicle. A third vehicle then struck one of the involved […]
Early Childhood Education Initiative launches new website
Submitted by the Early Childhood Education Initiative.
Farm Transfer 101 webinar supports future of farming in the San Juans
||| FROM REBECCA MOORE for WSU SAN JUAN COUNTY EXTENSION ||| The San Juan Islands Agricultural Guild and WSU San Juan County Extension invite farmers, landowners, and community members to attend Farm Transfer 101: Planning for the Future of Your Farm in the San Juan Islands, a 1.5-hour introductory webinar focused on farm succession and transition planning. The webinar will be held on Tuesday, May 26 from 12:00–1:30 PM and is open to anyone interested in the future of farmland in […]
Alex Ramel | 40th District legislative update
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF REP. ALEX RAMEL ||| The last time we connected, the legislative session had almost concluded, but additional work remained as we passed the final state supplemental budgets, and the Governor signed legislation into law. My colleagues – Senator Lovelett and Representative Lekanoff, and I have mailed you a full legislative update. Below are highlights I believe are critical to understanding the challenges and progress made during the 2026 legislative session, along with addi
Artworks features Alexis Terry Bouchard for May
||| FROM B.J. ARNOLD for ORCAS ISLAND ARTWORKS ||| The Orcas Island Artworks presents these new paintings by artist Alexis Terry Bouchard as the featured artist for the month of May. She paints and makes art to connect to and show her appreciation and curiosity of the natural world. She uses color, shape and form combined with the rich internal world of symbolism and meaning. Her paintings are a dance between what is seen and unseen, conscious and subconscious, the […]
Earth Day Honors | Local hero appreciation
||| FROM MARCY MONTGOMERY for SAN JUAN MAKERS GUILD ||| Earth Day Orcas is a unique and inclusive embrace of nature, arts, music, science and dance that celebrates a shared commitment to protecting the Salish Sea’s environmental wonders, and the Earth at large. We invite you to join in honoring the organizations and individuals who helped create the month-long Earth Day Orcas celebration. These Local Heroes ‘Earth Day, Everyday’ work protecting and honoring our Islands and the Salish Sea is […]
Midnight Mutterings | Kilkenny
||| MIDNIGHT MUTTERINGS by JACKIE BATES ||| One of our favorite Orcasites sent a message from Kilkenny, Ireland, where she was passing through on an extensive trip. Her note made me think of a Kilkenny story of my own from decades ago. I did visit Kilkenny, Ireland, long after the story I’m going to relate, but this story is not about a town in Ireland, though it was beyond charming. It was about a family I knew slightly. My bio […]
Sheriff’s Report | April 22 – 28, 2026
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE ||| WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22 26-002223 Lost Property 08:13:13 04/22/26 A Deputy on Orcas Island assisted a citizen in reporting a lost wallet in the Eastsound area. The citizen was provided with information and the incident was documented. 26-002227 Accident-NonInj 09:17:10 04/22/26 A Deputy on Orcas Island responded to a report of an accident on Orcas Rd. Both drivers were contacted, and the incident was documented. 26-002231 Civil Problem 11:54:41 04/22/26
Don’t touch bats: Tips to prevent rabies exposure
Submitted by San Juan County.
Two Orcas residents die in a car accident in Chelan County
Two Orcas residents died in a car accident off island on May 1.
May 18: 6th annual community potluck dinner at Jacksons Beach
Each May, Indigenous families paddle their ancestral waterways as part of an annual canoe journey. Through this voyage—called Esqalph etse Kwelengsen, or Gathering of the Eagles—they connect with the people and nature of the San Juan Islands. Along the way, islanders support the canoe families at each stop with food, hospitality, safety boats, and more. […]
May 26: Farm Transfer 101: Planning for the Future of Your Farm in the San Juan Islands ONLINE
SAN JUAN COUNTY, WA — The San Juan Islands Agricultural Guild and WSU San Juan County Extension invite farmers, landowners, and community members to attend Farm Transfer 101: Planning for the Future of Your Farm in the San Juan Islands, a 1.5-hour introductory webinar focused on farm succession and transition planning. The webinar will be […]
Orca whales captured on camera in Deception Pass breathtaking encounter
||| FROM YOU TUBE |||
Letter to Editor | Eastsound Water’s “The Source” raises more questions than it answers
||| FROM CORY HARRINGTON ||| Eastsound Water recently introduced a new member newsletter, The Source, presented as a step toward improved transparency and communication. Clear communication is welcome—but it is not the same as accountability. In recent months, members and employees have raised concerns about governance, financial oversight, staffing stability, and workplace conditions, including questions about the Clark Well project and the loss of experienced staff. Many of those questions rem
Happy May Day from the Land Bank
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY LAND BANK ||| Director’s Note Lincoln Bormann Happy May Day! One of the best things about living in the islands is the opportunity to watch spring unfold in all its splendor. This season hasn’t disappointed with spectacular wildflower displays throughout natural areas, and the successive blooms of all kinds found everywhere from our town streets to our most rural places. In addition to current habitat enhancement planning, continue reading → Stewardship – Field Notes Mil
OCS students explore aviation history, Boeing production on Everett field trip
||| FROM ORCAS CHRISTIAN SCHOOL ||| On April 28, the Orcas Christian School (OCS) freshman class traveled to Future of Flight Aviation Center & Boeing Tour for an educational field trip focused on aviation history, aircraft manufacturing and hands-on learning. Chaperones Kami Griffin and Mike Parnell accompanied the group during the visit, which included an approximately 80-minute guided tour of the Boeing campus and production facility. The trip began with a short film detailing the history of
Rep. Debra Lekanoff | A season of reflection, gratitude, and continued work together
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF REP. DEBRA LEKANOFF ||| As we move into this next season, I find myself reflecting deeply on the 2026 legislative session: what we were called to protect, what we were able to advance, and the work that continues ahead of us. This session asked a great deal of us. It began under the weight of economic uncertainty, federal instability, and growing pressure on Washington families. And yet, through it all, we remained grounded in our shared values: […]
Project Updates | Community input redesigns proposed Odlin County Park project
Two community meetings and a small working group provided new ideas to adjust the design of the maintenance facility and public contact station to better address community concerns ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| The San Juan County Parks, Recreation, & Fair Department is seeking to construct a new facility to serve as a visitor contact station, maintenance facility, and office for park rangers on Lopez Island at Odlin County Park. Feedback from a series of public meetings was […]