San Juan County permit woes result in director firing

May 12, 2023
Nancy DeVaux

Months of complaints of delays, discourtesy and interpretation led to a decision by the San Juan County council to “part ways” with the county’s Community Development director.

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Island schools avoid perfect storm menacing budgets

May 5, 2023
Nancy DeVaux

School districts in San Juan County have steered away from a perfect storm of budget cuts, while districts in Whatcom and Skagit counties are feeling the squeeze.

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Shortage of mental health care providers hits home locally

April 28, 2023
Matt Benoit

“Not a pretty picture”: Whatcom, Skagit and San Juan counties — like elsewhere across the country — are seeing a shortage of mental health care providers, and not enough are in the training queue.

 

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Home Trust selected to build San Juan affordable housing

April 21, 2023
Kathryn Wheeler

Lack of transparency dooms Favor 34 private financing proposal.

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Food banks and visitors struggle during food and funding scarcity

April 7, 2023
Kai Uyehara

Video: Food banks are traditionally food rescuers and distributors, but with stocks, funding and donations dwindling, resources are spread thin.

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Is Whatcom County ready for the next pandemic?

March 24, 2023
Matt Benoit

Three years after COVID-19 upended society, are state and local organizations ready for the possibility — however unlikely — that another pandemic could strike?

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Island waste: can’t burn or bury it, so best to manage it

February 2, 2023
Nancy DeVaux

Islands in San Juan County present unique challenges in waste management and have found solutions meeting each island’s needs.

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Bulkheads: protecting property at what cost to the environment?

January 5, 2023
Kai Uyehara
Armoring the shoreline aims to protect property from high tides and erosion — the same natural forces that nourish shorelines for forage fish spawning and juvenile salmon rearing.
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Jane Fuller readies to tackle county priorities

January 5, 2023
Nancy DeVaux

New San Juan council member sworn in, forming county’s first all-woman governing body.

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‘Surprisingly interesting’: local observers do local reporting on local government

December 22, 2022
Nancy DeVaux

The League of Women Voters of the San Juans has begun observing and reporting on local government.

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Looking ahead in the San Juans: island water planning … 2036

December 1, 2022
Nancy DeVaux

How do you plan for the future water supply when you don’t have all the information?

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San Juan County voters reject ranked choice voting, spending measures

November 9, 2022
Nancy DeVaux

Turnout plummeted, charter amendments failed and the challenger leads the incumbent sheriff in San Juan County’s midterm election.

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What do ‘community policing’ and ‘police reform’ mean … in the islands?

October 28, 2022
Kathryn Wheeler

Island-style policing in the San Juans may be an embodiment of real police reform—or it may fall victim to changing times.

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Voters asked to approve child care support as demand exceeds supply

September 29, 2022
Matt Benoit and Sadie Fick

Whatcom County voters will decide in November whether they will fund change for an overburdened child care system: Part 2.

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Child care shortfall frustrates families, hampers local economy

September 22, 2022
Matt Benoit and Sadie Fick

Demand far outstrips the supply of available and affordable child care locally. The problem is multifaceted, as solutions also will need to be: Part 1.

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What’s known, not known about Aleutian Isle recovery

September 15, 2022
San Juan County Emergency Management

An update on the sunken vessel Aleutian Isle off the west coast of San Juan Island details the extreme hazards involved in recovering the boat.

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