WHIDBEY NEWS-TIMES: Whidbey officials, alarmed by recent ICE violence, debated how to protect residents, ultimately urging cautious compliance during encounters while stressing legal recourse, documentation, and the limits on local law enforcement.
Island County Prosecutor
WHIDBEY NEWS-TIMES: Tracy Abuhl’s felony election-center case is paused as prosecutor and defense ask the appeals court to review Judge Skinner’s recusal and discovery rulings tied to a related mask-mandate dispute.
WHIDBEY NEWS-TIMES: Prosecutor Greg Banks asked Judge Christon Skinner to step aside from Tracy Abuhl’s mask‑mandate election case over party and conflict concerns, but Skinner rejected the motion and set the case for jury trial.
WHIDBEY NEWS-TIMES: Judge declines to remove Prosecutor Greg Banks from Tracy Abuhl’s criminal case over alleged mask‑mandate violations at the 2024 ballot count but orders better discovery, independent legal advice for Auditor Sheilah Crider on privilege issues, and a new trial date.
WHIDBEY NEWS-TIMES: Investigator Jeffrey James found hostile‑environment allegations against Island County Commissioner Jill Johnson unsubstantiated, noting her confrontational but improving style, no pending complaints, and political tensions with Democratic colleagues over the investigation.