A disturbance that caused a small but grave uprising at Oak Harbor’s Maple Leaf Cemetery has been put to rest.
Two of the three employees who were fired earlier this month are back at work and a new commissioner has been appointed to replace one who resigned last month.
An Oak Harbor Cub Scout leader was arrested this week for allegedly raping, molesting and taking sexually explicit photographs of a teenage boy; and detectives are investigating allegations that there may be three or more additional victims, according to the Island County Prosecutor’s Office.
Anthony Polubinski, 30, made his preliminary appearance in Island County Superior Court Thursday afternoon. Judge Vickie Churchill found that there was probable cause to hold him on suspicion of multiple counts of child molestation, child rape, possession of child pornography and intimidating a witness.
A jury in Island County Superior Court took just 15 minutes to return a verdict following four days of testimony so horrific and unsettling that the judge offered jurors the opportunity to speak with counselors afterward.
As a teenager, accused killer Joshua Lambert was sent to a controversial behavioral modification facility in Samoa that was closed over allegations of abuse.
Lambert, a 31-year-old Oak Harbor resident, is facing first-degree murder charges for allegedly stabbing his two elderly grandfathers to death at their separate homes on North Whidbey last October. He is acting as his own attorney and is asserting an insanity defense.
A well-known member of the South Whidbey performing arts community was sentenced to 15 months in prison last week for repeatedly violating a court order.
Michael Barker, a 60-year-old Clinton resident, pleaded guilty in Island County Superior Court Monday to a felony violation of a court order. Violating a domestic violence no-contact order or other court order becomes a felony if there are two prior convictions. Barker has a total of five violations of protection orders.
Dr. Paul Zaveruha resigned his elected position Monday as a commissioner for the hospital district that operates Whidbey General Hospital in order to devote his time to surgery.
“The most satisfying work for me has always been providing care to patients,” he said. “I’m getting back to my roots.”
This year, participants in the Whidbey Island Marathon on Sunday, April 15 will again enjoy the thrill of running across the scenic and historic Deception Pass Bridge at the start of the popular event.
Marathon participants had the opportunity to run across the bridge years ago, but this will be the first time the bridge will be included in the route since the city of Oak Harbor purchased the marathon several years ago. However, some early-morning motorists may not be so happy: It means the bridge will be briefly closed on the morning of April 15.
Under a plea agreement, federal prosecutors will recommend that a former Freeland attorney who embezzled more than $1 million from his clients be sentenced to five years and three months in prison.
Peter Moote, 63, pleaded guilty March 26 in U.S. District Court in Seattle to a single count of mail fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced June 22.
They call him Rat. He chases balls like a dog and uses a litter box like a cat. He demands attention like a toddler and sometimes seems to think he’s a person.
His given name is actually Floppy, which is a perfectly reasonable monicker for an adorable, lop-eared bunny. But his fluffy, stuffed-animal-like appearance belies the rascal that lies within.
Tensions between the Oak Harbor City Council and the mayor escalated at the Tuesday night meeting as a couple of members tried to exert control over how meetings are run and how attendees attire their heads.
The two councilmen, however, may have inadvertently touched off a debate about free speech and inclusive governance.
“Anytime we talk about minimizing or limiting public comment, or saying what people can wear in public, that at least is concerning to me,” Mayor Scott Dudley warned at the end of the night’s meeting.
In one week in March, deputies with the Island County Sheriff’s Office responded to 411 calls for service. Among the long list of incidents they had to deal with were 19 car accidents, 12 burglaries, 11 thefts, nine assaults and three sex offenses.
Amidst the calls, on-duty deputies rushed to find a man who had kidnapped a woman and a 4-year-old boy from a home on South Whidbey. While several deputies ran down leads, others scoured the roads for the suspect’s truck. They ultimately found the vehicle near Coupeville, arrested the man and saved the woman and child.
A 3-year-old boy tried to stop his mother’s drunken boyfriend from strangling her during an alleged assault at an Oak Harbor home, according to a police report on the March 10 incident.
Prosecutor charged the man, 27-year-old John Strobel Owen, in Island County Superior Court March 13 with assault in the second degree with aggravating circumstances and fourth degree assault. Both counts were charged as domestic-violence related. The alleged aggravating circumstance is that the assault occurred within sight and sound of the victim’s minor child.
Island County settled a federal lawsuit this month with a former used-car dealer who claimed a health inspector improperly conducted tests for methamphetamine residue and forced him to destroy 22 cars.
Guy Bogdanovich, an Olympia attorney representing the county, said the case was settled for $112,500 after the parties went through a mediation process. He explained that neither side is admitting any liability or wrongdoing, but that the county settled to avoid litigation costs that would likely be in excess of the settlement.
