The Island County Health Department has temporarily shut down a car dealership near Oak Harbor after tests showed that methamphetamine contamination was through the roof.
“It was contaminated to levels we haven’t seen before in the county,” Marie Piper, an environmental health specialist, said. “We’re getting higher numbers than we get in meth labs.”
An inevitable round of layoffs in Island County government will likely be effective June 1.
County commissioners discussed the budget, which is $2 million in the red, during a meeting Monday afternoon and set some dates for important budget-balancing milestones. Yet beyond that, they offered few clues as to where they are likely to cut.
A victim of a sexual assault may choose to go to a hospital and undergo an exam in which a nurse collects evidence from her body using a sexual assault forensic evidence kit, commonly called a rape kit.
Over the last four years, some of the victims who went to Whidbey General Hospital were referred to another hospital because nurses didn’t have specialized training to administer the rape kits.
Oak Harbor resident Margaret Martin may receive a Congressional Gold Medal under a bill being considered in Washington D.C.
The 87-year-old, long-time Whidbey resident took part in the Women Airforce Service Pilots, or WASP, during World War II. The military was short on male pilots to fly aircraft in the states, so women were asked to fill in.
A longtime, well-known Oak Harbor hotelier pleaded not guilty Monday to charges that he pushed a police officer, then bribed and intimidated witnesses of the alleged crime, court documents state.
Prosecutors charged 79-year-old Joseph Franssen in Island County Superior Court March 13 with bribing a witness, two counts of obstructing or intimidating a police officer, and third-degree assault.
The Island County prosecutor’s office dismissed a charge against an Oak Harbor man accused of molesting a child when she was 5 years old.
The trial for 27-year-old Carlos Smith, who had been charged with first-degree child molestation, was supposed to start last Tuesday, but pre-trial hearings changed that.
Island County’s unemployment rate vaulted to 8.2 percent in February, up a whopping 3.1 percent increase over the last five months.
Economists from the Washington State Employment Security Department have plenty of gloomy statistics about the Island County labor market, but they emphasize that there’s also some good news, and a glimmer of hope, in the numbers.
An armed robbery of Walgreens in Oak Harbor March 15 wasn’t exactly a professional job, the police report indicates.
The suspect was caught on the store’s video, he dropped his gun on the way out and he walked to the Safeway store afterward, where he claims he flushed all the stolen medication down the toilet, court documents say.
Island County’s two newest deputies will graduate from the state police academy April 14. Two weeks later, they will be laid off, along with a corrections deputy.
Sheriff Mark Brown isn’t waiting for county commissioners to decide where to cut about $2 million from the general fund budget. Instead, he’s making a preemptive strike to get his ledger in order.
Sheriff Mark Brown isn’t waiting for county commissioners to decide where to cut about $2 million from the general fund budget. Instead, he’s making a preemptive strike to get his ledger in order.
A $2 million hole in Island County’s budget will likely mean fewer deputies to respond to 911 calls, which would translate to longer response times and deputies dealing with dangerous calls alone.
Prosecutors may stop prosecuting traffic infractions, marijuana possession cases of under 40 grams and off-leash dog violations, as well as terminating involvement in juvenile drug court and truancy proceedings.
A 29-year-old Oak Harbor man who stole a pink box of donuts from Safeway last fall was sentenced to jail.
Under a plea bargain, Jeffrey Hurt pleaded guilty in Island County Superior Court March 16 to third-degree theft.
An offer of an unspecified amount of cash to buy beach property didn’t dissuade Island County commissioners from pursuing legal action over the ownership of a small piece of tidelands.
About 50 people attended the commissioners’ meeting Monday afternoon to show their support for Save Our Beaches, an informal group that is working to preserve public beach access at the end of Wonn Road in Greenbank.
A land dispute involving beach access in Greenbank is probably headed to court.
Island County Commissioner Helen Price Johnson said she will ask fellow commissioners to support a resolution authorizing the Island County prosecutor to bring appropriate legal action to confirm and restore public access to the beach, tidelands and water at the end of Wonn Road.
