Latest Curated Headlines from Oak Harbor and North Whidbey

Former Oak Harbor Mayor Scott Dudley wrote a “Sound Off” column for the Whidbey News-Times supporting Shane Hoffmire over incumbent City Councilmember Joel Servatius. The column appeared in the paper’s Oct. 9 edition. They Said It Former Mayor Scott Dudley: Oak Harbor deserves better and can not afford another four...

Oak Harbor School Board members John Diamond and Erik Mann are facing candidates Jessica Thompson and Jason Uemoto in the race for their seats in November. Both Thompson and Uemoto have been very outspoken about their opposition to the school district’s masking mandates and their virtual meetings. Both Thompson and...

Emily Gilbert reports that the Oak Harbor school board is approaching a consensus on a $183.6 million bond proposal for voter approval in Feb. 2022. The proceeds would be used to replace three elementary school buildings (Crescent Harbor, Oak Harbor, and Olympic View), the Hand-in-Hand/Home Connection Early Learning Center and...

Island County Public Hospital District No. 1, better known as WhidbeyHealth, is proposing an increase in their levy rate from $0.078 to $0.50 per $1,000 of assessed value. The proposition will appear on the ballot in this November’s election. The district, which has struggled financially particularly since the beginning of...

As Oak Harbor’s City Council election heats up, Emily Gilbert has the story on candidate endorsements by two prominent local officials. In the first endorsements of his political career, Oak Harbor Mayor Bob Severns… endorsed Shane Hoffmire, who is challenging Councilmember Joel Servatius in the November general election. The mayor...

Two members of the City’s legal department have resigned, citing a “compromised working relationship” with City Administrator Blaine Oborn and HR Director Emma House. City Attorney Grant Weed and Assistant City Attorney and Public Records Officer Anna Thompson both resigned the same day. For the details, see the writeup by...

Oak Harbor’s mayor, Bob Severns, wrote a letter to the editor endorsing two candidates in this year’s city council elections. The mayor’s letter, supporting Shane Hoffmire over incumbent Joel Servatius for position 5 and Stephanie “Fe” Mischo over Dan Evans for the open position 4 seat, was published in the...

Oak Harbor’s growth has impacted the fire and police departments’ abilities to maintain service. See Emily Gilbert’s story for the full details. They said it: Council members voiced their support for the upgrades [recommended by the police and fire chiefs], but Mayor Pro Tem Beth Munns cautioned that the timing...

Whidbey Hospital District board president Ron Wallin responds to a recent News-Times article about a negative report from the State Auditor.

Oak Harbor City Councilmembers Tara Hizon, Erica Wasinger, Millie Goebel, Jeffrey Mack, Joel Servatius, Beth Munns, and Jim Woessner After months of controversy, Oak Harbor City Councilmembers approved two agreements that effectively mean the “Angel de la Creatividad” sculpture will be placed in Windjammer Park. The council voted 4-1 to...