Here’s a thought…
“Old age is no joke, but it can feel like one.”
TAD TOMPKINS
breaking news | CLIMATE CHANGE IS COMING FOR OUR CHOCOLATE!!
||| FROM SCIENCE ALERT ||| Climate change drove weeks of crop-withering temperatures last year in the West African countries that underpin the world's chocolate supply, hitting harvests and likely further stoking record prices, researchers said Wednesday. Farmers in the region – which account for some 70 percent of global cacao
Park & Recreation announces resignation of Commissioner Justin Paulsen
||| FROM KIM IHLENFELDT for ORCAS ISLAND PARK & RECREATION DISTRICT ||| Justin Paulsen Orcas Island Park and Recreation District announces the resignation of Commissioner Justin Paulsen, effective February 14, 2025. Paulsen has been a dedicated member of the Board since September 2014, contributing significantly to the growth
Muse Winter | A community art exhibition at Orcas Senior Center
||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| Visit Orcas Senior Center, Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., to experience Muse Winter! This vibrant art exhibition runs through the end of February, showcasing stunning winter-inspired creations from our talented Orcas community. Celebrate the beauty and spirit of
Call for candidates: 3-day special filing period for Lopez Metropolitan Park District Commissioners
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| The San Juan County Elections Office is notifying the public of a special three-day filing period from February 24 through February 26, 2025 for candidates to file for the five-member board of the proposed Lopez Island Metropolitan Park District. On February 10, the
Rep. Ramel | Your survey results are in! What the 40th LD cares about…
||| FROM REP. ALEX RAMEL ||| Last month, I sent a survey asking about your legislative priorities. I appreciate everyone who participated. The results are in and your top priorities are affordable and accessible housing, K-12 education, tax reform, and climate action. I also asked you what specific policies, programs, or
Scientists have a new explanation for the last two years of record heat
Rising temperatures are fueled, in part, by declining cloud cover — which could be a potential climate feedback loop. ||| FROM WASHINGTON POST ||| For the past few years, scientists have watched, aghast, as global temperatures have surged — with both 2023 and 2024 reaching around 1.5 degrees Celsius above the preindustrial
Sheriff’s Report | February 5 – 11, 2025
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE ||| WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5 25-000680 Found Property 12:00:48 02/05/25 An Orcas Island Deputy located found property in Eastsound. It was later reunited with the controlling party. 25-000692 Traffic Violation 22:04:03 02/05/25 A San Juan Deputy observed a vehicle driving erratically passed the Sheriff's
Sweeping US energy department layoffs hit offices of loans, nuclear security, sources say
Summary Layoffs hit nuclear offices in security and Cold War cleanup Some NNSA firings were rescinded, essentials can stay -source Loan Programs Office loses 45 workers, grid office 18 DOE has about 14,000 employees, 95,000 contractors ||| FROM REUTERS ||| WASHINGTON, Feb 14 (Reuters) - The administration of U.S. President Donald
Prioritizing accessibility & connectivity, County launches newsletters & website update
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| San Juan County is pleased to announce new ways to stay connected to news and events as well as easier access to online information. Based on feedback from the 2024 Communications Survey, County staff are launching a series of new e-newsletters and a website
Last surviving female orca at Loro Parque is pregnant; Cycle of captivity continues
||| FROM WORLD ANIMAL NEWS ||| The announcement of Morgan’s pregnancy, the last surviving orca at Loro Parque in Spain, serves as a poignant and tragic reminder of the harsh realities faced by orcas in captivity. Throughout her life, Morgan has endured confinement and exploitation, and now, with the expectation
WSF Weekly Report | Electrification; public meetings; gender-neutral USCG titles; Issaquah now resides aboard Issaquah
||| FROM STEVE NEVEY for WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES ||| A message from Steve I often get asked a variation of this question: Why are we spending so much money on electrification instead of fixing existing problems? This is a fair question. The reality is, we must build 16 new ferries
Occam’s Razor | Our island, our world through the eyes, pen of S.C. Watson
Welcome to our weekly feature, Occam's Razor, from local artist S.C. Watson.
Washington lawmaker proposes regulations for grocery self-checkout machines
House Bill 1739 would put requirements on when and how self-checkout stands could be used in grocery stores, including a limit of 15 items. Grocery clerks support the regulations, citing safety and workload concerns, while grocery stores believe they have a handle on things. ||| FROM ALBERT JAMES for OLYMPIA
Washington State Ferries answers concerns about staffing issues, sailing cancellations to KOMO-TV
||| FROM KOMO-TV NEWS ||| Wednesday morning, Washington State Ferries (WSF) started with a crew shortage issue that initially canceled all sailings after 7:15 a.m. on the Port Townsend-Coupeville route - just hours before the first of two community engagement meetings being held by WSF. The system, however, did find
Letter to Editor | When will lights go out?
||| FROM TOM OWENS ||| San Juan County is literally at the end of the road for our electric energy supplies. Our connection to mainland energy resources is aging and our peak loads are approaching the point where the failure of one cable could put us in the dark. We
Letter to Editor | Public Works moves forward with $1.2 million (and growing) storage yard on Shaw despite community resistance
||| FROM LYNN BAHRYCH, J.D., PhD. ||| San Juan County Public Works moves forward with $1.2 million (and growing) storage yard on Shaw Island despite community resistance. Once every seven years, the twelve miles of county road on Shaw Island is chip-sealed. In the past, it has been successfully accomplished
