Here’s a thought…
“Before we work on artificial intelligence, why don’t we do something about natural stupidity?”
READER BOARD
Shhhhhhh…Washington is No. 1, again
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF GOVERNOR JAY INSLEE ||| Washington state was ranked as the best state in the nation by U.S. News & World Report in a new report released Monday night. Washington has held the top ranking since 2019. The publication annually ranks all 50 states across a myriad of
Larsen votes to expand gun background checks, close Charleston loophole
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF REP. RICK LARSEN ||| WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-02) voted for a pair of commonsense, bipartisan bills to require universal background checks for all commercial sales with limited exceptions and close the Charleston Loophole. The Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2021 passed the House of
WSF weekly update looks forward to start of modified peak season
||| FROM WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES ||| Modified peak season vehicle reservations available Planning a summer ferry trip on our Anacortes/San Juan Islands or Port Townsend/Coupeville routes? Vehicle reservations are now available for our modified peak season, which begins on May 9 this year instead of a normal late-June start date, and runs through
Meeting of the Minds to explore Cascade Creek coho salmon & water restoration
||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| Meeting of the Minds by Zoom – “Cascade Creek Coho Salmon and Water Restoration” by Orcas Senior Center: Wednesday, March 17, 2021, 1 p.m. Please join Meeting of the Minds this month for “Cascade Creek Coho Salmon and Water Restoration” presented
Let’s get together and learn about Medicare benefits
||| FROM PEGI GROUNDWATER for SHIBA ||| Are you eligible for Medicare this year? If so, there’s a lot for you to learn. Medicare has its own vocabulary and lots of rules. There are deadlines you must meet and penalties (some lasting a lifetime) for not doing things at the
Dungeons and Dragons and Drama to benefit five local theatres
||| FROM BETHANY MARIE for ORCAS CENTER ||| Orcas Center’s Artist Director Jake Perrine, is one of five performers who will be playing Dungeons and Dragons in a two-night live-streamed event to raise money for local theatres at 6 p.m. on Sunday March 21 and 28 at twitch.tv/danddanddrama. The fantasy
Could the Daylight Savings Time folderol be nearing a conclusion?
||| FROM WASHINGTON POST ||| After a long, dark winter, our noticeably sunnier evenings are about to turn even brighter. At 2 a.m. Sunday, the clocks will “spring forward” one hour as we return to daylight saving time (DST). The time shift means we lose an hour of sleep, but
Encouraging news from Gov. Inslee on education, vaccine availability, moving to next recovery phase
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF GOVERNOR JAY INSLEE ||| State reopening plan will move to the next phase on March 22 Gov. Jay Inslee announced Thursday that the state's Healthy Washington: Roadmap to Recovery will be transitioning from a regional approach to a county-by-county evaluation process. The governor also announced a new
March 18th Island Primary Care-Orcas community briefing – How to register
||| FROM ANNE PRESSON for ORCAS HEALTH CARE DISTRICT ||| Please join leaders from Island Hospital and the Island Primary Care – Orcas Clinic leadership’s as they share the latest transition plans, staffing updates, and the after-hours care model for the primary care clinic opening April 5, 2021. This meeting
Workshop being offered to learn lean farming principles to boost production
||| FROM SAN JUAN MAKERS GUILD ||| Join us for an engaging 90 minutes with Ben Hartman, author of The Lean Farm and The Lean Farm Guide to Growing Vegetables. In this workshop, Ben will explain how he and his wife use five principles from lean production to successfully steer
COVID-19 data show some concerning trends as well as promising signs for protection through vaccination
||| FROM STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH ||| OLYMPIA – Today the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) released the latest statewide situation report on COVID-19. Report findings include: Case counts have increased slightly in western Washington and plateaued in eastern Washington as of late February. Case counts are still relatively high across the state—around
Rep. Lekanoff provides update on legislative session half-way point
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF REP. DEBRA LEKANOFF ||| Join Us March 20 for a Virtual Town Hall! We've passed the halfway mark in session, and your 40th District legislators wanted to take some time to chat about our legislative priorities and answer your questions about the work being done and
Midnight Mutterings | Back to Georgia
||| MIDNIGHT MUTTERINGS BY JACKIE BATES ||| BUT FIRST I want to thank Brian and Neil who responded to my statement a fortnight ago that there had been next to nothing in the news about the financial cost of the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection or the damage done to the
HOT TOPIC #45 | I’ve been vaccinated – now what? Also: A look 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 ||| To start, some information for and about those fortunate islanders who are now fully vaccinated: Recent CDC guidance for fully vaccinated individuals First off, this is remarkably
Sheriff’s Report | March 3 – 10, 2021
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE ||| WEDNESDAY, MARCH 3 21-001832 Wanted Person 13:10:23 03/03/21 San Juan Deputies located a subject with a warrant. The subject was taken into custody and was booked into the San Juan County Jail. 21-001835 Property Damage, Non Vandalism 14:37:39 03/03/21 A Lopez Island
New vaccine registration window opens up Monday morning, 9 a.m.
||| FROM BRENDAN COWAN for DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ||| San Juan County Health and Community Services will be opening registration for first dose vaccine appointments on Monday March 15 at 9 a.m. Those who are eligible and wishing to register for an appointment should go to www.sanjuanco.com/1737/COVID-Vaccine-Info at 9
