Here’s a thought…
“If they can get you asking the wrong questions, they don’t have to worry about the answers.”
THOMAS PYNCHON
Inslee announces a pause in re-opening plan in his weekly press update
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF GOVERNOR JAY INSLEE ||| Healthy Washington enters pause as COVID activity statewide plateaus Gov. Jay Inslee on Tuesday announced a two-week pause on movement in the Healthy Washington: Roadmap to Recovery reopening plan. Under the pause, every county will remain in its current phase. At the end of
WSF weekly report indicates no service disruption locally due to Wenatchee fire
||| FROM PATTY RUBSTELLO for WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES ||| Service changes across system due to Wenatchee fire When we unexpectedly lose one of our largest ferries (Puyallup, Tacoma and Wenatchee), there are cascading effects across our system. With Wenatchee out of service for several months due to a recent fire and continuing pandemic-related vessel crewing challenges
Sheriff’s Report | April 27 – May 3, 2021
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE ||| TUESDAY, APRIL 27 21-003399 Trespassing 11:41:31 04/27/21 A Deputy on Orcas was dispatched to a trespassing call in Eastsound. The suspect was identified and a report was taken. The case will be sent to the prosecutor's office for charging decision. 21-003402 Trespassing
Latest from Lekanoff | University guidance, emergency broadband, climate commitment act
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF REP. DEBRA LEKANOFF ||| Happy Fantastic Friday! This week, we honor and remember our missing sisters on National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and People. A huge thank you to the Washington State Women’s Commission for hosting the No More Stolen Sisters panel discussion. It
Letter to Editor | Time for ranked-choice voting in San Juan County
||| FROM LEARNER LIMBACH ||| Have you ever looked at your choices on a ballot and thought, “I’m just not excited about any of these?” I have, and I’m tired of being coerced into voting for the “lesser evil.” I think many others are, too. Ranked-choice voting is one idea that
2021 sees building permits, tax revenues soar
||| BY MATTHEW GILBERT, theORCASONIAN OPD-ED REPORTER ||| Summer has not officially arrived, but you would never know it from the hum of activity blanketing the islands. Some of this has been expected as visitors, residents, and new arrivals start spreading their post-pandemic wings and delayed construction projects ramp back
You can help raise money for Buck Park and support this high school senior project
||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND PARK & RECREATION||| Join High School Senior Portia White in support of her senior project this weekend at the basketball court in Buck Park. Portia has organized a community Hoop Shoot event for ages 8 - 60+. Help raise money for an upgrade to the Buck
Statewide recap of recent COVID-19 news, updates
||| FROM STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH ||| Newest numbers. The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) reported a total of 380,109 confirmed cases as of 11:59 p.m. on May 5. There have been 5,553 COVID-19 deaths in Washington. For the most recent tally of cases by county, demographics, and more, visit
Weekly COVID case update shows three new cases on San Juan
||| FROM BRENDAN COWAN for DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ||| Note: Current positive case numbers are available online at the County Case Data Dashboard. As indicated on that page, these numbers are only updated after case confirmation is complete, usually daily. It is possible that other information sources in community
Senior Center’s buddy check-in still going strong after nearly a year
||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| Orcas Senior Center’s Buddy Check-In program launched just over a year ago as an urgent response to COVID-19. Its consistent weekly check-in calls from “Volunteer Buddies” have helped keep “Senior Buddies” safe at home, yet connected to community and resources during
‘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.
OIEF fundraiser postponed to Fall for now, but need continues
||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND EDUCATION FOUNDATION ||| You may have recently read that Orcas Island High School ranks #9 in WA state according to U.S. News & World Report. For a rural, small High School that is remarkable. While you consider that ranking, you must take into account the totality
COVID-19 vaccine distribution update from State Department of Health
||| FROM STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH ||| OLYMPIA – The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) continues to make progress with our COVID-19 vaccine distribution and administration efforts. As of May 3, more than 5,642,156 doses of vaccine have been given across the state, which is nearly 81% of the 6,967,540 doses that
Hot Topic #49 | A COVID-19 update, and looking at the road ahead
COVID-19 updates from San Juan County around subjects on the minds of islanders ||| FROM BRENDAN COWAN for DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ||| This Hot Topic is going to provide updates on current local COVID news and attempt to look ahead to what the rest of 2021 might bring. There
Big thanks from Health Care District to local clinic team during National Nurses Week
||| FROM ANNE PRESSON for ORCAS ISLAND HEALTH CARE DISTRICT ||| As today marks the start of National Nurses Week 2021, the OIHCD would like to recognize the incredible work of the Island Primary Care – Orcas clinical support team. This includes not only the Registered Nurses (RN) but the
Orcas teens reveal they are discovering some bright spots, personal growth during pandemic
||| BY GRAY GAILEY ||| Author: Gray Gailey Prior to quarantine, if you had told any of us teens that we would be confined to our houses for over a year, we probably wouldn’t have believed you. It would have sounded more like the plot of a science
