Spokane, Wash. – The health and safety of our visitors and staff remains the first priority of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, our local partners and the state of Washington, the BLM is temporarily closing the following recreation sites, effective today, to help limit  Continue Reading

FRIDAY HARBOR, Wash., April 6, 2020–To ensure a safe delivery and provide mothers and their families with the best birth experience possible, PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center Childbirth Center in Bellingham and the Birth Center at Island Hospital in Anacortes are balancing new visitor restrictions and social distancing in the wake of COVID-19. Both childbirth  Continue Reading

Following a recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revision to public health guidelines, San Juan County health officials recommend islanders cover their nose and mouth when leaving home for essential travel allowed under the Governor’s extended order. The face coverings do not have to be hospital grade but need to cover the nose  Continue Reading

Greetings, This month’s Tide Bite chronicles a not-that-unusual career progression for Friday Harbor Labs’ scientists: going from a student in a course, to a student doing their own research, to teaching here themselves, to having their own graduate students come to learn the trade!  We love these multi-“generational” ties.  Beth Brainerd is one we are  Continue Reading

We are all experiencing the COVID-19 crisis. Doctors and nurses are working around the clock to save lives. Grocery store workers are on the front line keeping everyone fed. People are staying at home to help prevent the spread of the virus. At the same time many businesses are closed and over 6 million people  Continue Reading

The Town of Friday Harbor is pleased to offer its residential refuse customers a one-time-only curbside pickup of items that are too large or too heavy for their refuse cans the week of April 27 – May 1. Pickup will take place on their regular collection day. “The Town saw an opportunity to encourage neighborhood  Continue Reading

April 4, 2020: San Juan County Health and Community Services staff have been notified of four new positive COVID-19 test results in San Juan County, including one on San Juan Island and three on Orcas Island. This brings the total number of cases in San Juan County to ten. The County data reporting page will  Continue Reading

San Juan County Public Hospital District No. 1 will be having a Board meeting on April 8, 2020, at 5:30 p.m. through Microsoft Teams. This meeting will be entirely remote, in accordance with the governor’s “stay home, stay healthy,” mandate and in keeping with emergency Open Public Meetings Act rules as issued in Proclamation 20-28  Continue Reading

COVID-19 updates from San Juan County around subjects on the minds of islanders Since the beginning of the pandemic, I’ve had friends sick. Some were able to get tested, others not so much. All of them felt the burden, like a weight on the chest, of having a potentially life-threatening illness, and the fear that  Continue Reading

During this time of social distancing, the San Juan County Council Hearing Room will be closed. If you wish to provide oral public comment at an upcoming County Council meeting, please fill out the form listed on the front page of the SJC website form to be added to the Speakers List. Forms must be  Continue Reading