Here’s a thought…
“It is horrifying that we have to fight our own government to save the environment.”
ANSEL ADAMS
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 that OPAL and Island Excavating can begin work as soon as weather allows to install
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 County Council completed a two-day retreat where they reviewed significant projects from 2025 and began
The Pebble Ritual | Inside the secret cultural world of British Columbia’s killer whales
||| FROM A-Z ANIMALS ||| Southern killer whales must complete a 1,000-mile transport requirement to maintain specific pod social structures. The A5 pod designation complicates the tracking of regionally specific vocalization patterns within British Columbia. Counterintuitively, British Columbia orcas prioritize pebble-based rituals over the pursuit of high-calorie prey. Navigating the
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 grateful to everyone who donated—and we have raised over $35,000 as of this writing! That’s
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 the county staffing levels and pay and benefit plans for 2026 including for the sheriff’s guild
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 represent every fire station on Orcas Island. This coverage expansion is significant. It strengthens emergency
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, T030B3, T030C LocationDescr: South of Race Rocks EncSummary: Mark and George ended their encounter with
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 can enroll at the right time to avoid penalties and make an informed decision about
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, are to report for jury duty on Wednesday January 21st at 8:30 am in the
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 island residents who were concerned that there was no mechanism in place for community members
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 community event celebrating the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The event
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 into state law. The bill will hit the Capitol floor in Olympia on Jan. 12,
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 period, we will continue using a virtual waiting room during the reservations release.? Anacortes/San Juan
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 long-term future with plans to build new boats. Ride with us as we look back
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, and substantial uncertainty, but concluded that listing is not warranted at this time. Wild Fish
Land Bank to hold monthly meeting on January 16
The San Juan County Conservation Land Bank Commission will hold its monthly meeting Friday, January 16. The meeting is scheduled from 8:45am – 11:10am via Zoom. The meeting will also be available for in person public attendance at the San Juan Island Grange, 152 First Street, Friday Harbor, WA. The
