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Island County, Washington

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About Island, WA

Local News
Comprehensive local news coverage for Island County, Washington. Stay informed about government decisions, community events, business developments, and civic matters affecting residents of Coupeville, Oak Harbor, Langley, Freeland, and communities across Whidbey and Camano Islands.
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Coupeville, Oak Harbor, Langley, Freeland and 209 square miles on whidbey and camano islands

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Oak Harbor student advances in Bill Nye science contest, builds AI tools
Education

Oak Harbor student advances in Bill Nye science contest, builds AI tools

Jet Lai is first in his Bill Nye-backed contest group while building AI tools at home and taking college-level classes. Oak Harbor schools say his path reflects both promise and the need for stronger support.

Marcus Williams2m read
Island County approves five-year homeless housing plan amid rising need
Government

Island County approves five-year homeless housing plan amid rising need

Island County approved its new five-year homeless housing plan as January counts showed 173 homeless residents and 1,229 people homeless or unstably housed statewide in the same month.

Marcus Williams2m read
Oak Harbor weighs ordinance to curb long-term oversized vehicle parking
Government

Oak Harbor weighs ordinance to curb long-term oversized vehicle parking

Oak Harbor could cap long-term street parking for RVs, boats and trailers as police cite five sewage spills and neighbors complain about lost curb space.

Marcus Williams2m read
Coupeville Garden Club plant sale showcases year-round greenhouse effort
Community

Coupeville Garden Club plant sale showcases year-round greenhouse effort

Geraniums and tomatoes are expected to go fast at Coupeville Garden Club’s plant sale, the end result of a greenhouse effort that starts months before spring.

Sarah Chen2m read
Oak Harbor schools facilities staff juggle budget cuts, rising maintenance demands
Education

Oak Harbor schools facilities staff juggle budget cuts, rising maintenance demands

Forest Vista and Crescent Harbor are still moving ahead, but Oak Harbor schools’ maintenance crew already handled 2,200 work orders while juggling fewer staff and more evening gym use.

Sarah Chen2m read
Coupeville ticket holder still has unclaimed $10,000 lottery prize
Government

Coupeville ticket holder still has unclaimed $10,000 lottery prize

A Coupeville lottery ticket still holds a $10,000 prize, and Washington’s Lottery says $9.5 million in winnings are nearing expiration statewide.

Marcus Williams2m read
South Whidbey Girl Scout teaches 4-H about service dogs and therapy dogs
Community

South Whidbey Girl Scout teaches 4-H about service dogs and therapy dogs

Kira’s dog-training Gold Award project is teaching Island County youth the difference between service dogs and therapy dogs while building toward the Whidbey Island Fair.

Marcus Williams5m read
South Whidbey volunteers launch expanded scotch broom cleanup efforts
Community

South Whidbey volunteers launch expanded scotch broom cleanup efforts

More than 50 volunteers signed up to rip out scotch broom in Bayview after a 2025 cleanup filled a truckload of the invasive shrub.

Sarah Chen2m read
Freeland man pleads guilty in mother’s killing, sentencing set for May 6
Community

Freeland man pleads guilty in mother’s killing, sentencing set for May 6

Justin Wiener admitted killing his mother in Freeland, ending a years-long murder case and setting up a May 6 sentencing hearing in Island County Superior Court.

Sarah Chen2m read
Oak Harbor man gets 10 years for fatal hit-and-run crash
Government

Oak Harbor man gets 10 years for fatal hit-and-run crash

Travis Loetterle admitted killing Anna Noelle Albert in a June 2024 Oak Harbor crash and received 10 years in prison after her mother’s victim impact statement was read in court.

Marcus Williams2m read
Silver Alert issued for missing Freeland woman Janet Wellman, 72
Community

Silver Alert issued for missing Freeland woman Janet Wellman, 72

Silver Alert for Freeland’s Janet Wellman, 72, points to Sedro-Woolley, a light blue jacket, and no car. WSP says tips can be called 24/7 at 1-800-543-5678.

Marcus Williams2m read
Whidbey-made Christmas rom-com heads to Langley, seeks movie snow
Business

Whidbey-made Christmas rom-com heads to Langley, seeks movie snow

A Whidbey rom-com is headed for Langley, where Kim Hornsby’s biggest challenge is turning summer into convincing Christmas snow.

Sarah Chen2m read
Whidbey Island Dance Theatre’s spring concert showcases young dancers, seniors
Community

Whidbey Island Dance Theatre’s spring concert showcases young dancers, seniors

Whidbey Island Dance Theatre's spring concert turns Langley into a showcase for 22 young dancers and five seniors marking their next step.

Marcus Williams5m read
Oak Harbor adds 80 acres, annexation faces legal challenge
Government

Oak Harbor adds 80 acres, annexation faces legal challenge

Oak Harbor gained 80 acres and could add 257 homes, but Whidbey Environmental Action Network says the move may violate state growth rules and will fight it.

James Thompson2m read
Oak Harbor leaders consider regulating kratom sales after youth concerns
Government

Oak Harbor leaders consider regulating kratom sales after youth concerns

A neon kratom sign near Cranberry Lake pushed Oak Harbor leaders into a new debate about youth access, safety, and whether the city should act before state rules arrive.

Marcus Williams2m read
Island County surface water quality declines, Whidbey waters fail most tests
Healthcare

Island County surface water quality declines, Whidbey waters fail most tests

Maxwelton Creek stayed poor for a fourth straight year as Island County found 14 of 25 tested waters failed both standards. The worst results were concentrated on Whidbey, where recreation and shellfish risks are showing up first.

Lisa Park2m read
South Whidbey restores full-time special education leadership after review
Education

South Whidbey restores full-time special education leadership after review

South Whidbey brought back a full-time special education director after a nine-month review, aiming to give families one clearer line for services and response times.

Lisa Park2m read
Whidbey Weavers Guild to host 53rd annual Spin-In at Oak Harbor High School
Community

Whidbey Weavers Guild to host 53rd annual Spin-In at Oak Harbor High School

Wheels, looms and wool will fill Oak Harbor High School as more than 170 guild members, vendors and visitors gather for two days of hands-on spinning.

Lisa Park2m read
Island County zoning review could open North Whidbey lots to housing
Government

Island County zoning review could open North Whidbey lots to housing

A North Whidbey parcel could hold as many as 45 homes if old San de Fuca lots are judged legally valid instead of one five-acre rural tract.

James Thompson2m read
Island County anglers seek longer halibut seasons as quotas remain unused
Community

Island County anglers seek longer halibut seasons as quotas remain unused

Whidbey anglers got longer halibut windows in 2024, but quotas, closures and in-season changes still decide who can fish and when.

Lisa Park5m read
Oak Harbor schools mark Purple Up! Day for military children
Education

Oak Harbor schools mark Purple Up! Day for military children

Purple shirts lined Olympic View Elementary as Oak Harbor leaders greeted students, a visible nod to a district where military kids make up about 40% of enrollment.

Lisa Park2m read
Meerkerk Gardens Offers Spring Bloom, Trails and Quiet Coastal Woods
Community

Meerkerk Gardens Offers Spring Bloom, Trails and Quiet Coastal Woods

Meerkerk Gardens is in spring bloom now, offering a low-effort Whidbey reset with rhododendrons, trails and quiet woods close to home.

Marcus Williams4m read
Oak Harbor teen held on $10,000 bail in gunpoint kidnapping case
Government

Oak Harbor teen held on $10,000 bail in gunpoint kidnapping case

A 17-year-old Oak Harbor boy is jailed on $10,000 bail after a judge found probable cause in a North Whidbey gunpoint kidnapping case involving a 15-year-old girl.

James Thompson2m read
Oak Harbor man arrested after necropsy finds cats died from abuse
Community

Oak Harbor man arrested after necropsy finds cats died from abuse

Suspicious deaths at an Oak Harbor clinic led to necropsies, a felony arrest and $10,000 bail after Francisco and Mila were found with blunt-force injuries.

Sarah Chen2m read
Navy warns Whidbey residents of simulated gunfire training April 14
Community

Navy warns Whidbey residents of simulated gunfire training April 14

Whidbey neighbors heard simulated gunfire from 10 to 11 a.m. at NAS Whidbey's Seaplane Base Training Area as the Navy kept routine training moving.

Lisa Park2m read
Freeland church hosts 61st Trash and Treasure sale, funds local charities
Community

Freeland church hosts 61st Trash and Treasure sale, funds local charities

Freeland’s 61st Trash and Treasure sale will pack St. Augustine’s with bargains, lunch and a quarter-million-dollar charity legacy.

Lisa Park2m read
Oak Harbor Fire Department expands with new station, ladder truck, staffing changes
Government

Oak Harbor Fire Department expands with new station, ladder truck, staffing changes

A new southwest station and Whidbey Island’s only civilian ladder truck are meant to pull Oak Harbor response times down from 7-8 minutes toward five.

James Thompson2m read
Woman gets 23 years for killing Langley man in 2021
Community

Woman gets 23 years for killing Langley man in 2021

Thomas Flood, a longtime Langley handyman, was buried by uncertainty after his 2021 death; a Whatcom County jury convicted Lynda Clare Mercy and a judge sentenced her to 280 months on April 7, 2026.

Lisa Park2m read
Greenbank Garden Club marks 78 years, plans fundraiser for community gardens
Community

Greenbank Garden Club marks 78 years, plans fundraiser for community gardens

Greenbank Garden Club turns 78 this year, and its April 25 plant sale will help fund local gardens, school programs and other island projects.

Marcus Williams2m read