There will be screaming. And more screaming. That’s what the Frightville Haunted House team can promise this year.

What they can’t promise is that visitors to the 12th annual haunted house will make it out of the Roller Barn without a few years’ worth of nightmares.

Is that blood-covered doll or lurking shadow just a prop — or a scream-thirsty actor waiting to jump out at terrified visitors? Are the shivers running down the back of your neck just fear — or a spider sliding down from the ceiling?

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The Civil War is typically portrayed as a clash between northern and southern states on the East Coast. But a member of the Humanities Washington Speakers Bureau will present research that shows slavery and the Civil War were also thriving in Washington state.

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Steve Nowicki and art lived in two separate universes for the majority of his life. The house painter didn’t find his way into the world of creativity until about five years ago. Now, his Oak Harbor shop gleams with metal art: welcome signs decorated with landscapes or sea life, an intricate table and even a life-sized metal tree complete with nesting bird.

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When fire trucks, games, emergency vehicles, free treats, bounce houses and even a clown come together, it may seem like a dream come true for kids. The blend of fun and life-saving safety education available at Home Depot’s eighth annual Fire Safety event can be a dream come true for their parents in the event of a fire or other emergency.

At Home Depot’s safety event, safety information spreads like wildfire with the exciting blend of entertainment and interactive learning. The event is completely free and runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 6 in the Home Depot parking lot.

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Learning pre-handwriting skills, fine motor skills and visual perception seems a chore for most elementary school students undergoing occupational therapy. But throw in a curly-haired Labradoodle dog, colorful graphics and entertaining sound effects on an iPad and therapy transforms from painful to gainful.

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Well-known songs, the realistic feel of the vaudeville-burlesque era and seeing faces from the community on stage combine in the Broadway show “Gypsy,” opening at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 28 at the Whidbey Playhouse.

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It’s the energy. The adrenaline rush. The knowledge that they are about to rock the audience’s and their own worlds.

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When Hillcrest Elementary School students started school Sept. 6, fellow students weren’t the only new faces at the school. A new principal, Paula Seaman, greeted students and staff, all smiles as she directed kids to their classrooms and asked how teachers’ summer vacations went.

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While manning the North Whidbey Sportsmen’s Association’s booth at Oak Harbor’s National Night Out in August, John Hellmann asked two teenaged girls what they would do if the child they were babysitting came out of the parents’ bedroom carrying a gun.

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Grab a pile of driftwood, throw in some kelp and agates and add a big scoop of imagination at Windjammer Park for the seventh annual Driftwood Day competition.

Using only materials discovered on the beach that day, contestants create driftwood sculptures and compete for 12 trophies. Registration begins at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 15 at Windjammer Park, creating starts at noon and judging starts at 1:30 p.m.

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Laughter and shouts of joy at seeing friends flooded the Hillcrest Elementary School playground Thursday morning as more than 600 students gathered for the first day of school.

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The Coupeville Library has hopped from building to building over the years, but one thing has been the same for the past 50 years: the library has served and been a major part of the Central Whidbey community.

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