San Juan County News

When you call 9-1-1 or knock on our door, Orcas Island Fire and Rescue is at your service.

The two finalists for the city manager post will be in Blaine on Thursday, May 23, to meet the City Council, staff and the public.

The only candidate who owns property in San Juan County and the only finalist who lives in the state of Washington was selected Tuesday, in a unanimous decision, by the County Council to be the new county manager.

Visitors can leave their cars behind this summer and ride the island-based shuttle bus to popular recreational, cultural, historical and scenic spots along the San Juan Islands Scenic Byway.

The San Juan County Sheriff's Department remains on course to acquire a new and improved emergency response boat, built by federal dollars, despite the fact that several public safety agencies that previously were expected to chip in for its maintenance and operations have abandoned ship.

A day and a half of closed-session interviews with applicants for the open county manager position has reduced the field to two finalists.

San Juan Island Fire Department covers Brown Island, Pearl Island, the Port of Friday Harbor Marina, Roche Harbor Marina, Jensens Shipyard, Shipyard Cove, and the Friday Harbor Ferry Terminal in addition to San Juan Island with its numerous shoreline homes.

Consignment Treasures applied for a new San Juan County conditional use permit May 8 for its Roche Harbor Road facility.

The blood, the sweat, they're now more like distant memories. But the tears, they're never far from the surface.

A collaborative effort by San Juan County Sheriff Rob Nou, U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen, the Department of Homeland Security, the Captain of the U.S. Coast in Seattle resulted in a $789,000 grant to build a public safety boat for the county.

San Juan County Council narrowed the field of candidates for county manager from five to two today, May 15.

PRESS RELEASE: Team meetings of three members of the county council and the county administrator did not violate the Open Public Meetings Act, said Island County Superior Court Judge Alan R. Hancock.

Controversy over a contract for high-tech aerial photographs of San Juan County clouded the final meeting of the six-person County Council on May 7. The council approved a $122,000 three-year contract with Pictometry International March 12 to update a set of comprehensive photographs first obtained six years ago.

April 22: A San Juan Island man claims someone broke into his Cattle Point Road home, ate some of his food, and stole about $310 worth of booze during an apparent home invasion.

Lynsi Burton Skagit Valley Herald MOUNT VERNON - The man known as the "Barefoot Bandit" may have to appear in Skagit County Superior Court once again after his guilty plea statement turned up missing.

San Juan County has been awarded state funding to continue administering the Transportation Voucher Program through 2015.

The attorney for "Barefoot Bandit" Colton Harris-Moore says his client will plead guilty to one burglary count stemming from an international crime spree for which Harris-Moore is already serving prison time.

PIP helps preschool to 3rd grade children who are struggling with issues which interfere with school success.

In recognition of Wildfire Awareness Week, the Washington State Department of Natural Resources encourages everyone to learn their role in preparing for wildfire safety.

Eighteen months after voters rejected the County Council's plan for financing solid waste disposal operations with a property tax parcel fee, glitches in negotiations and financing are causing frustration and impatience on all sides, as schedules slip and costs mount in the county's ongoing effort to privatize solid waste and recycling operations ... (more)