As cases spike dramatically in San Juan County, Washington, and the United States, we would like to urge islanders to scale back their holiday plans. Over recent months, we’ve been able to enjoy a slow reopening of our islands. Restaurants, gatherings, shops, gyms, and most recently schools have all made slow progress towards returning to  Continue Reading

By San Juan Island Prevention Coalition The 2020 Washington State Prevention Summit’s Award of Excellence for Lifetime Achievement goes to San Juan Island Prevention Coalition’s own dedicated and caring Executive Coordinator Cynthia Stark-Wickman. Cynthia has cultivated an uplifting and inclusive environment so our community can grow in hope, science, and positive outcomes.

By San Juan County Two new positive COVID-19 test results have been reported for San Juan County. One each was found on Orcas and San Juan. The total case count for the islands is now 49. Both cases are close contacts of previous cases. If we change our behavior, we can stop this recent surge  Continue Reading

By San Juan County As anyone who has interacted with island kids of late can tell you, COVID-19 is taking a toll on the mental and physical health of our children. While that’s true for all of us, many younger islanders are really struggling. Opportunities for our youth to engage in physical activities can be  Continue Reading

By San Juan County Four new positive COVID-19 test results have been reported for San Juan County, as of Nov. 9. Three of these cases are on San Juan Island, and one is on Lopez. Though investigations are ongoing, early results suggest that these cases are not related.

By Fred Woods, Superintendent, San Juan Island School District On Thursday, Nov. 5, Friday Harbor Elementary School begins in-person instruction for kindergarten students. One week later, the first-grade students will join them. Then on Nov. 19, the second grade will begin. We are excited and look forward to seeing the faces of young children in  Continue Reading

By Washington State Department of Health The Washington State Department of Health released the latest statewide situation report on COVID-19 transmission, which shows a general rise in the intensity of the epidemic in both western and eastern Washington. Report findings include:

By San Juan Islands Community Network Join San Juan County school leaders to discuss responses to the COVID-19 crisis and address questions about students, staff and community safety at 1 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 8, online via Zoom and YouTube. Register at www.SJICN.org. Submit your questions via email to [email protected]. The forum is capped at 100  Continue Reading

By San Juan County One new positive COVID-19 test result has been reported in San Juan County, for an Orcas Island resident. This is the 37th case reported in San Juan County. Based on comprehensive interviews, it appears there is a connection between this test result and a previously confirmed case. Testing and monitoring are  Continue Reading

By San Juan Island Community Fund As we enter the eighth month of helping to measure and offset the impact of COVID-19 in our community, the San Juan Island Community Foundation remains focused on bringing ideas and funding together to meet the needs of San Juan islanders. Looking ahead to the fall, SJICF is anticipating  Continue Reading

By Washington State Department of Health The Washington State Department of Health continues to make progress with our COVID-19 vaccine distribution planning efforts. This week, DOH is encouraging healthcare providers to prepare to enroll as approved COVID-19 vaccine providers, and we sent an official letter to them with information on how to enroll. Provider enrollment is  Continue Reading

New Grant, Response Committee, COVID-19 Restrictions, Volunteer Resignations By San Juan County Public Hospital District 1 The San Juan Community Based Long Term Care Network was recently awarded a one-year $100,000 grant from the Federal Health Resources and Services Rural Network Planning Grant Program in October of 2020. The district was passed over for this  Continue Reading

By SAFE San Juans For the month of October, SAFE San Juans hopes to make the islands glow purple in honor of the victims of domestic violence. The tradition of using Purple Night Lights to honor those who have (or are) suffering from domestic violence began in Covington, Washington in 2006. Since purple is the  Continue Reading

PeaceHealth has received reports of recent phone scams – or “vishing” scams – impacting patients in the Whatcom, Skagit and San Juan areas. Scammers are pretending to be from PeaceHealth or other health agencies and attempting to steal personal information or private health details over the phone.

Ever wonder why fog makes the ferries late? Art Smith shares this photo taken from the car deck in his vehicle (that’s his dashboard at bottom of the photo)on Saturday afternoon. – A ferry crew member on fog watch for any potential obstacles that radar won’t pick up. Thanks for sharing Art!

As of Sunday, September 20th, the Burn Ban in San Juan County is lifted. Please be safe when enjoying recreational campfires. A reminder that campfires are limited to 3’x3’ in size and are for burning only clean split firewood.  Permitted residential burning is scheduled to reopen on October 5th. Weather permitting.  https://www.sanjuanco.com/1096/Open-Burn-Info  Please follow the  Continue Reading