As a result of Congress’s inability to pass a budget by the Sept. 30 deadline, hundreds of Department of Defense employees on Whidbey Island were furloughed Tuesday as part of a country-wide government shutdown.
Of the some 1,200 civil service employees at Whidbey Island Naval Air Station, employees that work in safety, life and wellness will be exempted, said NAS Whidbey Public Affairs Officer Mike Welding. It was unclear how many of the base’s 1,200 contractors will be affected.
For those gathered Sept. 20 at the Oak Harbor Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7392, it was all about remembering.
“We remember those who gave their lives in service to our nation and to protect the freedoms we enjoy today,” said NAS Whidbey Command Chaplain Lt. Tim Loney who spoke at the event. “Let us not forget their sacrifice.”
The rare re-dedication ceremony of the post’s POW/MIA memorial table brought a tear to the eye of more than one veteran.
An Los Angeles-based veteran’s choir will be holding a concert Oct. 30. The award-winning New Directions Veterans Choir consists primarily…
As a result of Congress’s inability to pass a budget by the Sept. 30 deadline, hundreds of Department of Defense employees at Whidbey Island Naval Air Station were furloughed Tuesday as part of a country-wide government shutdown.
Organizers of the second annual Veteran’s Day Parade are still seeking volunteers to carry flags and help with the setup….
For those gathered at the Oak Harbor Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7392 Friday, Sept. 20 it was all about…
Congressman Rick Larsen expressed hope about the Veterans Affairs programs during a recent roundtable, despite concerns voiced by local veterans…
Every naval installation in the Pacific Northwest received word during the week of September 23rd, that they were the recipient…
A judge has awarded a stay on the lawsuit filed against the Navy by a Coupeville group seeking to stop touch-and-go operations at Outlying Field Coupeville.
The group received what they describe as a victory when the Navy agreed to conduct the Environmental Impact Statement the members were demanding in their lawsuit.
Now they say they have additional plans, including a class-action lawsuit.
Controversy over OLF Coupeville reached a fever pitch earlier this year with increasing complaints about the noise associated with the Navy’s ongoing field landing carrier practice, or aircraft touch-and-go operations.
A “watchdog” citizens board appointed by county commissioners gave a positive review this month of the controversial clean water utility program.
Don Lee, chairman of the Water Resources Committee or WRAC, said that after the program’s first year, the 12-member citizen’s board was comfortable with how the money was being utilized.
“The money went where it was expected and everything seems to be going well,” Lee said Friday.
Ken Pickard isn’t one to mince words.
As the controversial president of the Citizens of Ebey’s Reserve, or COER, Pickard said he is certain of one thing: Whidbey Island Naval Air Station’s Outlying Field Coupeville should be closed.
“I must emphasize, the members of our organization are not anti-Navy and are not trying to close NASWI. I repeat, COER is limited in its focus to one issue, one very small part of the Navy’s overall operations: Closing the OLF,” Pickard stated online.
Interviewed via telephone from his sailboat in the San Francisco Bay area, Pickard said he is unapologetic about his message or the rhetoric he uses to make his points, no matter whom it might offend.
The Island County Commissioners have reached consensus on a number of key elements of the 2013 county budget.
With a few more budget meetings to go, the commissioners may continue to make small changes to the county’s $22-million operating budget and the supplemental budget requests made by department heads until the Oct. 7 public hearing.
The Navy will hold a public forum in response to its announcement about the arrival of additional P-8A squadrons at Whidbey Island Naval Air Station.
The meeting will help the Navy determine how the squadrons will be divided between NAS Whidbey and NAS Jacksonville, Fla.
