Wildfire smoke from fires in British Columbia and Eastern Washington has settled over the County and is expected to be here through the weekend.   Limit your time and activity level outdoors to limit your exposure to harmful particulate matter.  Some air quality monitors in the County are currently detecting levels that are both unhealthy,  Continue Reading

This story is shared with you from the SJC Land Bank… Wednesday afternoon, August 11, 2021, San Juan Island Fire & Rescue responded to an isolated brush fire adjacent to the Land Bank’s Mount Grant Preserve. The fire charred approximately one quarter acre of grass and brush before being extinguished. After visiting the site, Land  Continue Reading

The hospital district is happy to announce that it has reached agreement with San Juan Island Fire and Rescue to take over Emergency Medical Services on our behalf in 2023, pending voter approval. “It’s been a long process, but we’re ready to support the Fire District taking this to the public,” said hospital district commissioner  Continue Reading

From San Juan County Since the last update on July 22, total cases in San Juan County have increased from 195 to 197. There are approximately 25 close contacts of positive cases currently in active quarantine in San Juan County. Some of these are close contacts of locally confirmed cases, others are close contacts of  Continue Reading

Hayley Day, San Juan Island Update Helicopters doused and extinguished a roughly 3 acre wildfire likely started by yardwork on San Juan Island Thursday. Since the incident, the county and National Park Service have declared local burn bans.  Fire No one was injured, but two small outbuildings were damaged by Thursday’s fire. Crews received a  Continue Reading

From the Town of Friday Harbor There is a growing number of people trespassing in the Trout Lake Watershed. The town of Friday Harbor will assist the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office in the identification and prosecution of these individuals. Cameras located throughout the watershed have taken photos of dozens of people walking through the  Continue Reading

From the Washington State Department of Health Safely returning to the classroom for fulltime in-person instruction this school year is important for students, teachers and staff. July 28, the Washington State Department of Health released updated guidance for the 2021-22 school year. DOH’s guidance aims to minimize transmission and maximize in-person instruction and is informed  Continue Reading

Businesses Encouraged, not Mandated to ask Customers to Mask Up From San Juan County As a part of a regional effort to curb the rising infection rates in Washington, San Juan County Health Officer Dr. Frank James recommends that islanders mask up when entering an indoor public space, including businesses, whether vaccinated or not. Local  Continue Reading

Travelers Must Register Online and May be Randomly Tested for COVID-19 From the Public Health Agency of Canada The Government of Canada is prioritizing the health and safety of everyone in Canada by taking a risk-based and measured approach to re-opening our borders. Thanks to the hard work of Canadians, rising vaccination rates and declining  Continue Reading

Delta Variant is 225% More Infectious, Says County From San Juan County In the past week, total cases in San Juan County have increased from 191 to 195. Each of the recent cases is a breakthrough case, meaning the infected person is fully vaccinated. There are eight close contacts of positive cases. Five are currently  Continue Reading

From San Juan Island EMS  Longtime San Juan EMT Margaret Longley will attend paramedic school at the Seattle area Medic One Foundation program. This is one of the best-respected paramedic programs in the nation. The Medic One Foundation will pay for the training, and the San Juan Island EMS will pay a stipend to help  Continue Reading

Nearby RV Dump Station Temporarily Closed as a Result From the town of Friday Harbor The town of Friday Harbor urgently requests that all users of its sewer system refrain from adding toxic fluids and nondegradable items into the waste stream. “A properly functioning sewer system is absolutely critical for the health of coastal communities,”  Continue Reading

From San Juan County After more than a month of no new cases locally, San Juan County has three new breakthrough cases of COVID-19. This means that each person is fully vaccinated and it has been more than two weeks since the vaccine series was completed. There is one case each on Lopez, Orcas and  Continue Reading

From San Juan County Adult Drug Court The San Juan County Adult Drug Court awarded its first certificate of graduation to Jordan Lynn-Jefferson of Orcas Island July 7. After 697 days or almost 24 months in the county’s therapeutic program, Jordan emerges a more self-confident and mature young man with goals for his life and  Continue Reading

From San Juan Fire and Rescue, Orcas Island Fire and Rescue, Lopez Fire and EMS and Shaw Island fire department Throughout the San Juan Islands, the fire danger level is high as of July 12. The following burn status applies only to privately owned properties in San Juan County. Other restrictions and guidelines are in  Continue Reading

By Audra Adelberger, League of Women Voters of the San Juans The June 14 League of Women Voters membership program on emergency preparedness was presented by Brendan Cowan, San Juan County director of emergency management, and Bill Severson, county unit lead for the American Red Cross. Emergency Management Brendan gave an overview of the many  Continue Reading