Here’s a thought…
“Don’t ask me who’s influenced me. A lion is made up of the lambs he’s digested, and I’ve been reading all my life.”
GIORGOS SEFERIS
WSF to host two online meetings next week
||| FROM WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES ||| We’re hosting two online community meetings on Wednesday, Jan. 21 at 12 p.m. and 6 p.m. This is your chance to share feedback and ask us questions. Each meeting
Jurors cancelled for January 20-23
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| JURY DUTY: JANUARY 20-23, 2026 For the jury term beginning Tuesday, January 20, 2026: Jury trials for this term have been cancelled. ALL JURORS assigned to this jury
Site work to begin at Pea Patch Community Campus
Ground Turning Event on January 24th ||| FROM SUZANNE OLSON for PEA PATCH COMMUNITY ||| The Pea Patch Community Campus is coming alive! San Juan County has issued preliminary plat approval with conditions. This means
Council reviews major initiatives and priorities for 2026 at two-day retreat
The County Council elected a new chair and vice chair, reviewed significant projects from 2025, and began setting priorities for the upcoming year. ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| This week, the San Juan
The Exchange Update | January 2026
||| FROM ORCAS RECYCLING (THE EXCHANGE) ||| Composting: The Drive Continues At the end of 2025 we asked for your support for our efforts to get Community Scale Composting happening at the Exchange. We are
League of Women Voters | County Council January 12, 2026
||| FROM NECIA QUAST for LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS ||| At a previous meeting on December 29, the council ratified and executed the collective bargaining agreement with AFSCME Local 1849 union for 2026-2028. The council adopted
OIFR launches historic fire academy
||| FROM BEN LUNA for ORCAS ISLAND FIRE & RESCUE ||| Orcas Island Fire & Rescue has launched one of its largest fire academies in department history. Thirty recruits began training on January 3rd. They
CWR Encounter #3 • Bigg’s Killer Whales
||| FROM CENTER FOR WHALE RESEARCH ||| Full Encounter Report ObservBegin: 03:03 PM ObservEnd: 03:25 PM Vessel: Mike 1 Staff: Mark Malleson Other Observers: George Hamilton Pods: Bigg's killer whales IDsEncountered: T030A, T030B, T030B1, T030B2,
Joining Medicare in 2026?
||| FROM PEGI GROUNDWATER for SHIBA ||| Enrollment in Medicare is not automatic for most people, so you’ll probably need to enroll. There is a lot of new information you’ll need to understand so you
Double check for upcoming jury duty
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| JURY DUTY: JANUARY 20-23, 2026 Jurors in groups 3, 4, 5 and 6 who are summonsed for the jury period beginning Tuesday January 20th through Friday January 23rd,
Decatur Island releases survey results
Survey administered by Decatur Island Alliance December 2025 ||| FROM DECATUR ISLAND ALLIANCE ||| Decatur Island Alliance, a 501c(3) non-profit registered in Washington state, was created in the first quarter of 2025 by a group of
Community event to celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr
Sunday, Jan. 18, 3-5 pm Emmanuel Parish Hall, 242 Main Street, Eastsound ||| FROM SHARON ABREU ||| On Sunday, Jan. 18, from 3-5 pm at the Emmanuel Parish Hall in Eastsound, there will be a
News Brief | Washington bill would round cash transactions to the nearest nickel
||| FROM KOMO-4 NEWS ||| Without clear guidance, cash-only businesses have been unsure of how to handle rounding, which can create confusion and errors in transactions. HB 2334 solves this problem by putting clear rules
Spring sailing season reservations open Tuesday, Jan. 27
||| FROM WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES ||| Vehicle reservations for the spring 2026 schedule (March 22 through June 13) will be available at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 27. To ensure a smooth and fair experience during this high-demand
Washington State Ferries 2025 Year in Review
||| FROM WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES ||| Washington State Ferries made significant headway in 2025. We reached notable operational milestones by delivering more dependable service. We also unveiled North America’s largest hybrid-electric vessel and strengthened our
Federal 12-Month Endangered Species Act finding for Olympic Peninsula steelhead
||| FROM EMMA HELVERSON for WILD FISH CONSERVANCY ||| Today, NOAA Fisheries issued its 12-month finding on the petition to list Olympic Peninsula steelhead under the Endangered Species Act acknowledging long-term population declines, reduced productivity,
