
Police and fire investigators are looking into a suspicious blaze that destroyed two outbuildings behind a house in Oak Harbor yesterday.
The fire occurred on the 1600 block of NE 11th Avenue and was first reported by the homeowner at 4:52 p.m., according to Oak Harbor Fire Department Chief Ray Merrill.
Divers have successfully plugged the hole in the fuel tank of a 128-foot crab boat that caught fire and sank in Penn Cove this past weekend, but enough diesel leaked out that the state has closed the bay to shellfish harvesting.
According to Mark Toy, an environmental engineer with the state Department of Health, more diesel was in the boat than earlier thought and photos from the air have shown just how far the resulting sheen has spread.
Crafters Co-op isn’t your average crafting store. Instead of rows of acrylic fabrics and synthetic crafts, the new shop on Pioneer Way offers a breath of fresh air with natural fibers, rugs made from recycled T-shirts, vintage buttons and fabrics and a homey studio with everything needed to make hundreds of unique crafts.
Whidbey General Hospital joined the nation in recognizing nurses during National Nurses Week, which is celebrated annually during the week of May 6.
No matter the cost, the 128-foot crab boat that caught fire and then sank in Penn Cove this weekend will be raised and removed, according to officials with the state Department of Natural Resources.
Toni Droscher, spokeswoman for the agency, confirmed that the huge steel fishing vessel is not too big to pluck from the bottom, but it will be expensive and it’s a cost that will be borne by taxpayers.
Suspicious fire destroys Oak Harbor outbuildings
Justin Burnett / Whidbey News-Times
A team of Oak Harbor Fire Department firefighters hose down one of two outbuildings that were destroyed by fire Tuesday afternoon. The blaze is considered suspicious and is under investigation.
Clinton woman takes plea in shotgun murder case
A 41-year-old Clinton woman accused of being an accomplice in the shotgun murder of her boyfriend's wife pleaded guilty to a lesser charge today in Whatcom County Superior Court.
Kara Jo Buchanan confessed in a phone message to shooting the Bellingham resident last July. She attempted to kill herself by slitting her wrists, but deputies found her wandering the beach at Double Bluff on Whidbey. She was transported to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle for treatment.
Sunken fishing boat prompts closure of shellfish harvesting in Penn Cove
Divers have successfully plugged the hole in the fuel tank of a 128-foot crab boat that caught fire and sank in Penn Cove this past weekend, but enough diesel leaked out that the state has closed the bay to shellfish harvesting.
According to Mark Toy, an environmental engineer with the state Department of Health, more diesel was in the boat than earlier thought and photos from the air have shown just how far the resulting sheen has spread.
Crafters get together for eco-friendly co-op in Oak Harbor
Crafters Co-op isn’t your average crafting store. Instead of rows of acrylic fabrics and synthetic crafts, the new shop on Pioneer Way offers a breath of fresh air with natural fibers, rugs made from recycled T-shirts, vintage buttons and fabrics and a homey studio with everything needed to make hundreds of unique crafts.
Whidbey General celebrates Nurses Week with education
Whidbey General Hospital joined the nation in recognizing nurses during National Nurses Week, which is celebrated annually during the week of May 6.
Interest high in 2012 election | Editorial
Normally during a local election year we urge more people to file for office in Island County. This year is different. File if you want, but we already have plenty of candidates.
Two of the three county commissioners, both Democrats, are up for election for a second term. Helen Price Johnson from District 1 and Angie Homola in District 3 took over what had long been Republican-held seats. The election was in 2008, on the cusp of the Great Recession, and voters were in the mood for change. Now, challengers are hoping voters are in the mood for another change.
Two boats to Coupeville
For the first time in nearly five years, the Port Townsend-to-Coupeville ferry route will enjoy two-vessel service for the entire tourist season.
Two ferries, the Salish and the Kennewick, started sailing to and from Keystone Harbor May 13, and will continue until early October. The additional ferry means another five round trips daily.
Hang the cost, burned, sunken boat to be raised | Corrected
No matter the cost, the 128-foot crab boat that caught fire and then sank in Penn Cove this weekend will be raised and removed, according to officials with the state Department of Natural Resources.
Toni Droscher, spokeswoman for the agency, confirmed that the huge steel fishing vessel is not too big to pluck from the bottom, but it will be expensive and it’s a cost that will be borne by taxpayers.
Celebrate everything poetry | Art and About
SKAGIT RIVER POETRY FESTIVAL will take place in La Conner Thursday through Sunday, May 17 through 20.
Joyful news on the Navy
I was joyful to hear from Congressman Larsen at the May 1 Navy League NAS Whidbey Island luncheon that, “The role (that Whidbey’s electronic attack squadrons) play in current and future conflicts in fact only solidifies the importance of Whidbey Naval Air Station in my mind, the men and women who are stationed here, the people who support the base being here. My assessment is that we can plan on the base being here for a long, long time,” a comment which was met with spontaneous applause.
Port discusses Greenbank Farm
The commissioners for the Port of Coupeville will meet this week to discuss several issues pertaining to the Greenbank Farm.
The meeting will take place from noon to 3 p.m. Thursday, May 17, in the Coupeville Library located on Alexander Street.
