Island News
News Brief | The world is about to get a preview of life in 2035
||| FROM NEW YORK TIMES ||| A climate monster is growing right now in the Pacific Ocean, perhaps the most fearsome El Niño since before scientists even began modeling them. The El Niño building right now, and expected to crest around the end of next year, arrives on top of all our global warming. But for sheer intensity, most scientists agree, the climatological event which began in Pacific waters in 1877 — which the coming El Niño may equal or […]
Leadership San Juan Islands schedules annual meeting
||| FROM GRETCHEN KRAMPF for LEADERSHIP SAN JUAN ISLANDS |||
No jurors needed for May 11-15
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| JURY DUTY: MAY 11-15, 2026 All jurors summonsed for the Jury Period beginning Monday May 11th through Friday May 15th, 2026 are excused. Thank you.
Re-elect Natasha Warmenhoven as San Juan County Auditor
||| FROM NATASHA WARMENHOVEN, CANDIDATE FOR SAN JUAN COUNTY AUDITOR ||| Natasha Warmenhoven is proud and excited to announce her candidacy for re-election as San Juan County Auditor. Over the last four years, Natasha has served the residents of San Juan County with a commitment to transparency, fiscal responsibility, and delivering dependable county services. As Auditor, Natasha has been a steady and reliable leader during a transformative period for our local government. Her tenure has been def
I spent eight years as Orcas Island’s hospice nurse; here is what I saw
…and what I am building before I go ||| FROM DEBRA O’CONNER, R.N. ||| I have been enormously fortunate in my nursing career — from midwife at birth to midwife for the dying. It is one of the oldest professions there is, and I am proud to have walked both ends of it. Eight years ago I came to Orcas Island as the Hospice of the Northwest nurse serving this community. The reception I received here was wonderful. The relationships […]
OPAL seeks finance, operations director
||| FROM OPAL COMMUNITY LAND TRUST ||| OPAL is hiring a new Director of Finance and Operations to step into the shoes of Kim Jaeger, who will retire after the new person is hired. Kim has served as OPAL’s Director of Finance and Administration for the past three years. She successfully oversaw OPAL’s transition to a new fund accounting system and helped the evolution to a more mature accounting department. The only catch? Kim lives in New York State, which […]
Farm Transfer 101 Webinar supports future of farming in the San Juan Islands
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 the San Juan Islands ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| 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 […]
Free Kindergarten transition event at Camp Orkila on May 11
||| FROM THE RESOURCE CENTER COMMUNICATIONS TEAM ||| The Orcas Community Resource Center invites families to a free Kindergarten Transition event on Monday, May 11, from 5–7 pm at Camp Orkila’s Main Lodge. Designed for children entering kindergarten in Fall 2026 and their parents/caregivers, the evening features hands-on activities, social interaction, and a taco bar catered by Orkila. The event is hosted by the Resource Center with generous support from the ECEAP program and a local donor. Park
Update | Proposed deer hunting at Turtleback Mountain and north shore preserves
After a series of public meetings and additional community input, the Land Bank Commission will discuss delaying the proposal and exploring ways to continue seeking public input during the May 15 commission meeting. ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| The Conservation Land Bank has proposed limited deer hunting on Turtleback and North Shore Preserves for this coming season. After a series of public meetings and additional community input, the Land Bank Commission will discuss delaying th
Auditor seeks writers of arguments against ballot measures
If you are interested in writing an argument against the measure, please contact the Auditor at elections@sanjuancountywa.gov or (360) 378-3357. Statements are limited to 250 words and are due by May 11, 4:30 PM. ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| San Juan County Auditor Natasha Warmenhoven is seeking people interested in writing an argument against the Lopez Island School District No. 144 ballot measure for the 2026 Primary voters’ guide. To ensure an informed electorate, and in accord
Rep. Rick Larsen files for reelection
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF U.S. REP. RICK LARSEN ||| EVERETT, Wash. – Rick Larsen filed for reelection on May 4. In the next Congress, Larsen will work to lower costs for working families, including child care, health care, housing, groceries and gas. He will continue delivering federal funding to invest in jobs and infrastructure across Northwest Washington, combat the threat of fentanyl and opioids in local communities and hold ICE accountable. “Representing my home district is a privilege – […]
Heather Lee announces candidacy for county auditor
||| FROM HEATHER LEE ||| My name is Heather Lee, and I am pleased to announce my candidacy for San Juan County Auditor. I served as Chief Deputy Auditor for San Juan County for three years, through March 2026, working across elections, licensing, and financial operations that are essential to county government. That experience gave me a clear understanding of both what the office does well and where it can do better. I also served as Chair of the Capital […]
News Brief | Experts tested what AI would do to save itself
||| FROM DIGITAL ENGINE |||
Letter to Editor | Incredible show “Indivisible” at the Orcas Center
||| FROM JAMES MOST ||| Wow. I just went and saw “Indivisible” at the Orcas Center today, and I was blown away. It is a wildly creative and powerful show blending dance, animation, giant puppets, spoken word, music, and aerials….I was so impressed with the geyser of originality and creativity on display. Do yourself a favor and buy a ticket to go see it- it is one of the greatest things I have seen on stage ANYWHERE! Super congratulations and a big […]
SJC Monthly News Digest – April 2026
This is a roundup of April news ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| This column is part of a series detailing San Juan County’s recent news. Follow along each month to learn about important County projects, Council initiatives, department updates, and more. Sheriff’s Office Moves into New Substation on Lopez Island The San Juan County Sheriff’s Office’s substation on Lopez Island is getting a new home. Now located at 2467 C Fisherman Nay Rd, the new substation is situated behind the Pu
Protect Your Flock | Tips to prevent avian influenza exposure
Spring environmental health tips from your local public health department ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| Your local public health team wants to remind you of a few tips to help make your spring season as fun and healthy as possible. Avian influenza infections in people are rare. Still, it is important to take steps to keep you and your loved ones safe, whether they be human, feathered, or furred. Please do not approach, touch, or try to help […]
Orcas Choral Society to present songs, dance, quilts
||| FROM ORCAS CHORAL SOCIETY ||| May 16 and 17, come celebrate our nation’s 250 years of creativity in song and dance and the traditional art of quilting, as Orcas Choral Society presents its spring concert, An American Choral Tapestry at the Orcas Center. All the songs in this concert were written by American composers, beginning with “Gentle Crystalline Waters,” by Paul Chiyokten Wagner, an award-winning Native American flutist. We’ll hear from America’s first popular songwriter, Stephen Fost
Guest Opinion | The wrong question … and a suggestion
||| FROM BILL APPEL ||| Over the past few years (who’s counting?) we have participated in, been treated to, or studiously ignored a fierce debate around the following question: “Should OPALCO be permitted to construct a utility-scale solar facility at Bailer Hill and/or to expand its existing solar facility on Decatur Island, notwithstanding effects on ecology, asserted traditions, and aesthetics?” But however direct to the point of common concern, this is the wrong question which is easily answ
News Brief | Nearly $100M to help support endangered salmon runs
||| FROM KOMO-TV SEATTLE ||| NOAA Fisheries has just announced up to $99 million for conservation and recovery projects in the West Coast states and Alaska. Much of the nearly $100 million is aimed at restoring habitat that is either blocked or damaged. The goal of the new money is to restore more areas where salmon can spawn and make it easier for fish to get to those areas. READ FULL ARTICLE
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 […]