Here’s a thought…
“No one, I mean no one, has the right to sit in judgment of who’s American enough.”
MICHELLE OBAMA
Inslee signs bill restoring voting rights to Washingtonians with felonies upon release from prison
||| FROM GOVERNOR JAY INSLEE'S OFFICE ||| OLYMPIA — Gov. Jay Inslee on Wednesday signed a bill restoring the right to vote for Washingtonians convicted of felonies automatically upon their release from incarceration. Under House Bill 1078, roughly 20,000 people would regain their right to vote, according to the state Department
Latest statewide Coronavirus status report points out increase in disease activity
Statewide Response Updates Newest numbers. The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) reported a total of 348,431 confirmed cases as of 11:59 p.m. on April 7. There have been 5,316 COVID-19 deaths in Washington. For the most recent tally of cases by county, demographics, and more, visit the Department of Health's dashboard and
Weekly COVID case update indicates concern with recent surge
||| 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
Letter to Editor | Now is the time to support technology in our schools
||| FROM KATE LONG and CHRIS SUTTON ||| If nothing else, this past year has exemplified the need for everyone to have access to reliable technology. Our public school partnered with community groups to provide Chromebooks and internet connections for students and staff so they could keep up with their
‘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.
Guest Opinion | This COVID vaccine is all about community
||| FROM IRIS GRAVILLE ||| Action. That’s what community looks like in the San Juan Islands. We make meals when there’s a health crisis or a new baby arrives. When a family’s house burns down, we give shelter and help construct a new one. Some of us mentor school kids,
Community Foundation seeks part-time administrative support person
||| FROM HILARY CANTY for ORCAS ISLAND COMMUNITY FOUNDATION ||| The Orcas Island Community Foundation (OICF) is hiring. We are seeking a communication and administrative support person. This is a part time position. OICF is a small but mighty organization with a staff of four and a Board of 15.
COVID-19 vaccine distribution update from the Washington 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 April 5, more than 3,798,746 doses of vaccine have been given across the state, which is nearly 85% of the 4,477,920 doses that
Inslee issues updated order on archaeological and cultural resources
||| FROM GOVERNOR JAY INSLEE'S OFFICE ||| Gov. Jay Inslee today issued Executive Order 21-02 regarding the preservation of archaeological and cultural resources to streamline and clarify procedures. The updated executive order emphasizes the importance of cultural resources including tribal sacred places. It reflects the governor’s commitment that impacts to cultural resources must be
Volunteers needed to help with upcoming dental van visit
||| FROM JAMES BIDDICK for ORCAS LIONS CLUB || The MTI Dental Van is returning to Orcas April 14 - 17. Applications can be found at Orcas Community Resource Center, Orcas Senior Center and online at OICF.us/resources. I am also looking for some volunteers to help with registration for the
Recent COVID surge on SJI serves as a reminder to all about continuing to take precautions
||| FROM BRENDAN COWAN for DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ||| A recent surge of cases has focused attention on San Juan Island. Nine new cases so far this week and ten last week is a significant spike. Some of these new cases have clear connections to off-island travel, some are
Today’s recap of recent COVID-19 news, updates
||| FROM STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH ||| Newest numbers. The Department of Health (DOH) reported a total of 346,420 confirmed cases as of 11:59 p.m. on April 5. There have been 5,299 COVID-19 deaths in Washington. For the most recent tally of cases by county, demographics, and more, visit the Department of Health's
School Board to huddle in special budget work session tomorrow
||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND SCHOOL DISTRICT ||| Orcas Island School Board will convene a Special Meeting/Budget Work Session this Thursday, April 8 at 5 p.m. in the School Cafeteria and on Zoom. CALL TO ORDER 1.1 Call to Order 1.2 Approval of Agenda COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT 2.1 Technology Capital Projects Levy 2.2 Covid
Orcas Christian School announces their National Honors Society students
||| FROM MIKE PARNELL for ORCAS CHRISTIAN SCHOOL ||| Six OCS high school students were recently recognized by the National Honors Society for their accomplishments in the four pillars of the organization: Character High Academic Performance Strong Leadership Service. This year’s recipients were: Alina, Meriel, Cadence TJ, Nick and Diego.* Principle
Significant COVID surge on San Juan Island prompts community alert
||| FROM BRENDAN COWAN for DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ||| Due to a significant surge in positive COVID cases in the San Juan Island community, residents are instructed to take the following actions to prevent further spread: Immediately limit high-risk indoor contact with those outside of your household. This includes
NAS Whidbey wraps up second sound monitoring period
||| FROM MICHAEL WELDING for WHIDBEY NAVAL AIR STATION ||| NAVAL AIR STATION WHIDBEY ISLAND, Wash. - The Navy completed its second week of real-time sound monitoring at Naval Air Station (NAS) Whidbey Island as directed by the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2020 (FY20). Flight activity
