Latest Headlines from Island County

Island County Commissioner Melanie Bacon (D-Langley) wrote a “Sound Off” column for the Whidbey News-Times expressing her concern over the reduction of service on the Mukilteo-Clinton ferry route. The column appeared in the paper’s Oct. 27 edition. They Said It Island County Commissioner Melanie Bacon: I am genuinely concerned about...

Island County Commissioners have approved a grant of $70k to the Low Income Housing Institute that will go towards “predevelopment costs” associated with the Institute’s proposal to purchase the Harbor Inn in Freeland and turn it into 10 low-income units. Also, the commissioners approved asking the Washington state Housing Trust...

Gov. Jay Inslee has conditionally commuted Rogelio Vasquez’s 46-year sentence after he has already served 22 years. Vasquez was convicted and sentenced following a 1998 crime spree in Coupeville. Island County Prosecutor Greg Banks, who prosecuted Vasquez, recommended approval of the commutation in a statement to the Clemency and Pardons...

Rep Dave Paul has secured funding for a pilot program that will focus on improving mental health outcomes for young people. Rep. Paul secured a $750k carve-out from the state’s operating budget for a two-year pilot program that will allow Island County to address the mental health needs of youths...

Island County is taking action to stop people from camping on the beach alongside the road at Ebey’s Landing. The County Commissioners were informed there has been an explosion of unregulated campers who are leaving garbage, gray water and animal feces behind on the pristine beach. A local resident told...

The State Auditor’s Office issued two findings against the Whidbey Island Hospital District in a just-released audit report covering Jan. 1 2019 through Dec. 31, 2020. The audit found that the hospital district is two years behind in submitting complete and accurate annual financial reports and that the hospital district...

Island County officials took a second shot at finding a legal way to funnel American Rescue Plan Act money to county staff to compensate those who have to work with the public and are exposed to risks associated with the Covid pandemic. After Prosecutor Greg Banks concluded that the original...

Of the 12 open positions on this Novembers ballot, there are still six positions that nobody signed up to run for and thus, will not appear on the ballot. Seats for North Whidbey Water, Rhodena Beach Water, Scatchet Head Sewer, and Camano Vista Water will all be absent from the...

The two largest law enforcement offices on Whidbey Island are facing the loss of significant numbers of commissioned officers this year. For some departing Oak Harbor Police Department officers, the significant changes in laws regarding how police officers operate affected their decision to leave. Oak Harbor Police Chief Kevin Dresker...

There will be a three-day special filing period on August 9-11 to allow candidates to sign up to run for 10 Island County offices that currently have no candidates. For a listing of the positions, see the Island County Auditor elections website. For more details, see the story by Kira...