Whidbey Island Digest: Masked man breaks into Langley home

Law enforcement officials are looking for a masked man who broke into a Langley area home last week. The suspect is described as an unknown masked male who entered the home through a window and pointed a shotgun at residents. He did not make any demands. Sheriff Mark Brown said last week his department didn’t have any suspects yet.

ACA poses problems for fire districts

The Affordable Care Act may force local fire districts to pay health insurance costs starting in 2015. A clause in the legislation states that companies with more than 50 employees pay health insurance or pay a fine of $2,000 per firefighter not receiving coverage. The Internal Revenue Service considers volunteers as employees if they work more than 30 hours a week. South Whidbey Fire/EMS has 85 volunteers, six full-time staff and a full-time chief.

 

Masked man breaks into Langley home

Law enforcement officials are looking for a masked man who broke into a Langley area home last week.

The suspect is described as an unknown masked male who entered the home through a window and pointed a shotgun at residents. He did not make any demands. Sheriff Mark Brown said last week his department didn’t have any suspects yet.

The Bayview Valero station was robbed in December by a shotgun-wielding man.

Contact the sheriff’s office at 360-678-4422, 360-679-9567 or tips@co.island.wa.us

 

Man survives after 15 minutes in harbor

A boater was transported to Whidbey General Hospital last week after falling out of his boat and spending approximately 15 minutes in the cold waters of Holmes Harbor. Clinton carpenter Forrest Hill heard pleas for help.

He grabbed an inflatable dinghy and rowed out to retrieve the man. The man in the water wasn’t wearing a lifejacket.

 

Ecology  endorses shoreline plan

The Washington State Department of Ecology signed off on Langley’s Shoreline Master Program. City staff worked on the document for two years and the 60-day appeal process started Dec. 2.

 

Crabbing closes for the season

Recreational crabbing in the Puget Sound region closed at 5 p.m. Dec. 31. Sports crabbers are required to report their winter catch by Feb. 1, even if they didn’t catch any crab.

If they don’t file the report, then they will be fined $10.

Between Jan. 1 and Feb. 1, catch reports may be submitted online or mailed to WDFW CRC Unit, 600 Capitol Way N., Olympia, WA 98501-1091.

 

Langley street project starts Jan. 20

Work to overhaul the roadway and utilities on Langley’s Second Street will begin Jan. 20. The $2.2 million project will replace the existing street and utility lines from Cascade to Anthes avenues.

Federal and state grants are covering $1.4 million of the project’s cost.


People needed for impact panels

The Impaired Driving Impact Panel of Island County seeks volunteers for its DUI/Underage Drinking prevention panels.

IDIPIC is looking for people who have been injured in a DUI crash, had a friend or family member injured or killed in one, caused DUI injury or fatality, worked with DUI victims or offenders, gotten a DUI or a family member has, or has been in alcohol/other drug recovery.

Call 672-8219 or email idipic@idipic.org for more information.