Another year has come and gone, and it’s been a busy one. Changes at the federal level had big effects on Whidbey residents, who found their voices and stood up for their beliefs at several demonstrations across the island, from Oak Harbor to Langley.
But apart from the political turmoil, it’s also been a year filled with joy and laughter, new discoveries and significant anniversaries. As always, a little weirdness in the mix kept things interesting.
The following are the top news stories from the front pages of the Whidbey News-Times in 2025.
January
The U.S. Department of Veterans affairs announced the opening of a new clinic at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island.
A former principal and vice principal in the Coupeville School District were placed on leave following complaints about students starting a “Minority Rape Cult” and, separately, middle school students sharing video of an alleged sexual assault. The school received complaints about how the allegations were handled by the administration.
David Frances Blay was the first baby born on Whidbey Island in 2025.
Oak Harbor police arrested a man who barricaded himself in an assisted living home.
The Island County prosecutor and sheriff closed the 21-year-old cold case murder of a woman on Camano Island. The body of Tammy Mattson, who was a 39-year-old mother of seven children, was strangled to death. Carl Scholobom, 69, was set to plead guilty to the crime but then suffered a series of strokes that left him with advanced dementia.
Governor-elect Bob Ferguson visited Whidbey Island to talk about ferries and confirmed his support for the system.
Firefighters from Whidbey Island traveled to LA to help battle wildfires.
Oak Harbor Mayor Ronnie Wright assembled a task force to find solutions to homelessness in the city.
Oak Harbor football coach Marcus Hughes was named the District 1 Coach of the Year by the Washington State Football Coaches Association.
A planned low-income housing developer in Oak Harbor was awarded a $3.7 million grant from the state.
February
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducted a raid at a Langley laundromat and took a man into custody. The school district sent out an email saying that the man taken into custody was a parent in the district.
A man got off a bus on Highway 20 near Coupeville and was struck and killed crossing the road. Police identified the man as 74-year-old Alvin Kent, an unhoused man living on Whidbey Island.
State Ferries announced plans to electrify 16 terminals, including the Clinton dock, for charging hybrid-electric ferries.
The Island County Prosecutor’s Office charged Tim Hazelo, the former chairperson of the county’s Republican Party, with a felony charge of authorized access to a voting center as well as two misdemeanor charges for refusing to wear a mask at the county Elections Office the previous fall. Later in the month, the prosecutor’s office also charged Tracy Abuhl, another former Republican official, with the same charges.
Two aircrew members safely ejected from a Navy EA-18G Growler jet before it crashed into San Diego Bay. The Growler was assigned to VAQ-135 based at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island.
Voters passed a renewal of an educational programs and operations levy for the Oak Harbor School District.
Genesis Egli, who was a senior at Oak Harbor High School, captured a state championship.
March
A University of Washington study revealed 955 racist restrictions in Island County. The covenants from 1930 to 1950 are unenforceable under law, but they still exist in records. Island County Commissioner Melanie Bacon proposed the commissioners issue an apology on behalf of their predecessors who approved them. A “resolution for atonement” was later adopted.
A 4.5 magnitude earthquake rocked Whidbey. No damage was reported.
United Student Leaders organized a large student protest in Langley over the Trump Administration and deportations.
Prosecutors charged an Oak Harbor girl, who was 17 years old at the time, with vehicular homicide in the death of Coupeville student Tara Halterman. The suspect later failed to show up for a hearing, and a judge issued a warrant for her arrest.
The USX-1 Defiant, an unmanned Navy vessel, was unveiled in Freeland at Nichols Brothers Boat Builders.
Island County Commissioner Janet St. Clair dispelled rumors about her leaving before the end of her term.
Oak Harbor resident Joshua Castro was accused of kidnapping an 8-year-old girl and driving her to Deception Pass Bridge, where he threatened to drop her off a cliff. Prosecutors charged him in Skagit County Superior Court with attempted murder, kidnapping and felony harassment.
Two people suffered injuries in an explosive fire that destroyed two structures on North Whidbey.
April
The “Hands Off!” rally organized by Indivisible Whidbey and co-sponsored by Solidarity Over Supremacy drew in about 1,500 people who showed up in front of the Navy aircraft monument on Highway 20.
Bryan and Carrie Stucky purchased the Oak Harbor Cinemas and planned improvements.
Owners of the Ken’s Korner Red Apple unsuccessfully fought an eviction order. The grocery store closed a few months later.
Island County commissioners adopted a one-year emergency moratorium on development within unincorporated areas zoned as mixed-use rural areas of more intensive rural development. They later made changes that allow for greater flexibility for commercial structures.
A robotics team made up of Oak Harbor and Coupeville students competed in a world championship.
The FBI questioned Oak Harbor resident Jason Rodger, founding member of the band Potbelly, about anti-fascist lyrics in one of his songs.
An Oak Harbor man died in an apartment fire.
Snohomish County Superior Court Judge Joseph Wilson dismissed a lawsuit against the county auditor and canvassing board arising from a requirement that observers wear masks in a ballot counting room. Tim Hazelo and Tracy Abuhl filed the lawsuit, which challenges the legality of the mandate.
A man firing shots on property near a large protest in the Bayview area on South Whidbey alarmed many participants. Witnesses felt the man shot the gun in an attempt to intimidate the anti-Trump protesters. The incident did not result in any legal action against the shooter.
Citizens Against Domestic and Sexual Abuse, or CADA, braced itself to lose one-third of its budget due to federal funding cuts.
Island County Superior Court Judge Christon Skinner dismissed a 2022 hate crime charge against North Whidbey resident Tyler Dinsmoor, finding that a statement he made to a gay neighbor did not constitute a true threat. The prosecutor’s office appealed the decision, arguing that the threat was made within the context of other homophobic, sexist and racism comments he posted online. The Court of Appeals has not ruled yet.
Voters approved a two-tenth of 1% sales tax increase to fund the Island County Emergency Communications Center, commonly known as I-COM.
May
State officials forecasted one of the biggest pink salmon runs in recent memory. The state Department of Fish and Wildlife estimated the run could reach 7.76 million fish, or 70% higher than the 10-year average.
The state Department of Health filed a notice of intent to assess a civil fine of $22,400 against WhidbeyHealth Medical Center in Coupeville for failing to correct a series of deficiencies from May 2023 until January 2024.
State Sen. Ron Muzzall got $900,000 earmarked in the transportation budget for a study of suicide prevention at Deception Pass Bridge.
Food banks, pantries and other organizations contended with increased demand for services coupled with a shortage of funding, food and support.
The Whidbey Camano Land Trust proposed a partnership with Island County to permanently protect seven properties that are currently being leased from the state.
A wayward steer named Tobey wandered through Trillium Woods for over a week and a half after getting loose from his enclosure.
Oak Harbor Councilmember Eric Marshall was hired as the director of the chamber of commerce.
Much to the confusion of elected officials, Island County made a federal list of “sanctuary jurisdictions” in the nation, even though the county does not have a sanctuary policy. The city of Langley was not on the list, even though it was one of the pioneering sanctuary cities in the state.
June
WhidbeyHealth experienced an increase in the number of patients seeking medical care.
Oak Harbor resident Austin Burak was convicted in federal court in Georgia of sexually assaulting two children. He was later sentenced to life in prison.
The organizers of the Hydros for Heroes event in Oak Harbor announced it was canceled in 2025 due to unexpected events, but they hope another organization will take it over in the future.
A woman who claimed she was bitten by a “bearcat” filed a lawsuit against the Northwest Wildlife Sanctuary on North Whidbey.
Global tariffs had local consequences on Whidbey, with the closure of a beauty supply store in Langley that sold imported products.
A Clinton couple suffered a frightening ordeal when a stranger broke into their house in the middle of the night and refused to leave. The suspect, Silas Mattson, was apprehended by police.
The “No Kings” protest on Highway 20 in Coupeville drew in 2,500 to 3,000 participants, far surpassing the number of attendees at the “Hands Off!” rally earlier in the year. A smaller version of the protest was also held in Bayview.
Oak Harbor resident Mark Fakkema was killed in an explosion at a house on North Whidbey. Police reported that he was making homemade fireworks when the explosion and subsequent fire occurred.
A new mural dedicated to Tokitae the captive orca was unveiled on the Tokitae ferry on the Mukilteo-Clinton route.
July
Gov. Bob Ferguson chose Eastern Shipbuilding Group of Florida to construct the state ferry system’s new hybrid-electric ferries over Whidbey’s own Nichols Brothers Boat Builders. The Florida company’s bid was about $300 million less.
A jury found Timothy Hazelo guilty of two criminal counts in connection with his refusal to wear a mask in a ballot counting room prior to the general election last fall. He ended up serving no jail time but lost his job at the Navy base.
An Oak Harbor woman spoke about allegedly being sexually assaulted by Jeremiah Copeland while in high school. Copeland was later named as a suspect in a rape and murder while he was in the Navy at Naval Station Norfolk. The Oak Harbor woman felt that the police did not take her case seriously enough. A documentary crew later came to Oak Harbor to hear her story as well as the story of another woman Copeland allegedly sexually assaulted.
A driver struck and killed a Canadian runner participating in a Ragnar relay race routed through North Whidbey early Saturday morning. The Northwest Passage race stretches from Blaine to Langley, a distance of about 193.5 miles.
Two major brush fires, one of which occurred near Double Bluff in Freeland, prompted the Island County fire marshal to declare a Type 2 burn ban.
The Whidbey Homeless Coalition called on the community to help raise $100,000 to keep its two shelters open.
The Whidbey Island Fair celebrated its 100th year.
August
Whidbey residents braced themselves for a possible tsunami after an 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck the coast of Russia. Nothing ended up happening.
Oak Harbor resident Jordyn Weichert was accused of stabbing a man to death in Seattle. Weichert was previously convicted of vehicular homicide in the deaths of three people on North Whidbey in 2010. Seattle police reported that a Whidbey News-Times story about the vehicular homicide case helped them identify Weichert as the suspect in the stabbing.
In a 5-1 decision, the Oak Harbor City Council adopted a B&O tax to help fund dredging and repairs to the city-owned marina.
A group of more than 70 scientists and other volunteers removed the flesh from a dead gray whale beached at Ebey’s Landing in Central Whidbey. The YMCA organization, which owns nearby Camp Casey, got permission to debone the whale and use the skeleton for educational purposes.
The U.S. Coast Guard arrived in Holmes Harbor to clean up the remaining fuel and salvage Shark Lady, a partially sunk 77-foot vessel deemed not seaworthy.
Washington State Ferries sought access to a parking lot owned by the Port of South Whidbey for ferry terminal electrification efforts, which could mean the loss of some long-term parking someday.
An American mink was spotted hanging around the Mukilteo ferry terminal. Employees named him Melvin.
A Greenbank man was swept up in a federal investigation into a cartel-connected drug trafficking ring that had been supplying fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin throughout Western Washington. Based on wiretaps and surveillance, agents obtained and executed a search warrant on Derel Gabelein’s home.
September
Prosecutors charged Chad Boyer, an Oak Harbor elementary school teacher, with rape in the second degree. Boyer denied that allegations, which were unrelated to his work at a school. Boyer was accused of raping a woman he met on a dating app, according to court documents. The case has not gone to trial.
Vandals defaced the front of Critters and Co. Pet Center and Rescue at Ken’s Korner. A group of community members came together to help fix the storefront.
Rape charges were dismissed against a former deputy with the Island County Sheriff’s Office.
A crew filmed a movie in Coupeville. The social thriller, named “Mistakham,” is about a man who is mistaken for a suicide bomber.
Mourners at the Bayview park and ride holding a memorial for Charlie Kirk were joined by demonstrators supporting Palestine and other causes. Liberals and conservatives intermingled, and though some had reservations about the others being there, ultimately it was a peaceful gathering.
A former Whidbey man, Larry Keith Tennison, was placed on the FBI’s most wanted list, along with his wife Gretchen Francine Tennison. The couples have been fugitives from justice since a warrant was issued for their arrest in 2021.
A new orca calf, J64, was born near Whidbey.
October
The Star Store in Langley decided to stop accepting pennies as payment, becoming the first known Whidbey business to do so.
Plans for gender-neutral restrooms in new construction at the South Whidbey High School and South Whidbey Middle School caused a stir.
News writing staff at the South Whidbey Record and Whidbey News-Times took home an impressive number of awards from the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association Better Newspaper Conference. Reporter Kira Erickson was named Feature Writer of the Year for the third year in a row.
Oak Harbor resident Andrew Newman led police on a chase through North Whidbey and onto Fidalgo Island that ended in a crash. Newman claimed he drank a bottle of anti-freeze and consumed pills before driving. Prosecutors charged him with attempting to elude.
The Department of Defense awarded Oak Harbor Public Schools $38 million for noise mitigation work related to aircraft from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island. Coupeville schools received $9 million in grants.
A handful of suspicious deer mortalities in the Holmes Harbor area in Freeland had residents worried about a deadly deer disease sweeping the population.
A dog died in a house fire on Fort Casey Road.
Another “No Kings” protest in Coupeville drew in hundreds of Whidbey residents.
Brandi Carlile, a Grammy-winning singer-songwriter, filmed a music video on her sailboat Captain Fantastic off the shores of Whidbey Island.
Island County commissioners approved a 40% increase in land use and building permit fees to cover a budget deficit.
November
The Oak Harbor Police Department purchased a $2.75 million indoor shooting range with the intent of turning it into a regional training facility for law enforcement and first responders.
Island County Prosecutor Greg Banks denied a petition from Christopher Malaga to be resentenced in the 2014 murder of Oak Harbor resident Adam Garcia.
A surveillance camera on North Whidbey recorded a black bear walking through a yard.
Jeffery Pangburn, known as “Jeff the Giant,” was found dead inside his truck in Oak Harbor. The well-known homeless man was mourned by the community.
A Freeland couple lost their home, family heirlooms and everything they owned in a fire. Fortunately, everyone made it out safely, including a geriatric cat named Mr. Kitty.
James Marrow and Sandy Peterson won seats on the Oak Harbor City Council in the general election. The WhidbeyHealth board gained three new members — Mark Borden, James Canby and Kirk Gasper. Kristo Allred won a seat on the Coupeville Town Council. Ann Johnson retained her seat on the South Whidbey School Board. The South Whidbey Parks and Recreation District maintenance and operations levy received enough support, with more than 62% of ballots cast as “yes” votes.
Island County commissioners voted to place an advisory vote on the ballot in November 2026 concerning the use of consumer fireworks in unincorporated areas of the county. The non-binding measure will serve as a poll.
Blake King, a UPS driver, was recognized for saving 92-year-old Oak Harbor resident Henry Kennedy, who fell and fractured multiple bones.
Bus drivers and dispatchers who work for Island Transit received a large wage hike under a new agreement between the union and the agency.
A trove of 33 bowling balls was unearthed at the construction site of the South Whidbey Parks and Recreation District’s Aquatic Recreation Center.
Members of the WhidbeyHealth board adopted a $175 million budget for the next year.
Graham J. Lau, a Freeland resident, was sentenced for threatening and harassing a series of people, including Whidbey News-Times employees after a story about him was published.
An intoxicated woman driving an electric car led police on a high-speed chase on South Whidbey that ended with her fleeing on foot down a steep embankment, hiding in the woods and then refusing to cooperate when officers tried to coax her out from under a bush.
Police arrest resident James Matlock for allegedly stabbing a man outside the SPiN Cafe in Oak Harbor.
December
Oak Harbor resident Edmundo Corrales, a beloved teacher in Anacortes, was killed in a car accident on Highway 20.
James Golder, the president of the WhidbeyHealth board, was voted out. Marion Jouas was selected as the new president.
Invasive European green crabs were found near Whidbey.
Island County Commissioner Melanie Bacon said she couldn’t support either Commissioner Janet St. Clair or Commissioner Jill Johnson as chairperson of the board because of the animosity between them.
After a car crashed through Wild Birds Unlimited in Freeland, community members rallied to support the store’s owner.
Island County officials warned residents to be wary of trodding on newts.
EA-18 Growler aircraft from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island were part of the military buildup near Venezuela.
Whidbey Island was spared from historic and catastrophic flooding that affected nearby counties.
Coast Salish Tribal elders Bill Bailey and Rosie Cayou left an emotional crater on Whidbey after passing away within nine days of each other. The community remembered the couple for their environmental activism and artistry.
Whidbey Island was slammed by the first major windstorm of the season, causing widespread power outages, school cancellations and a highway closure.
A planner from the city of Oak Harbor announced plans to potentially annex 80 acres into the city.
The first of the “Sounders” gray whales arrived in the Salish Sea just as torrential rains from an atmospheric river hit the area.
Island County Commissioner Jill Johnson was cleared of a complaint alleging that she created a hostile work environment.
(Photo by David Welton) More than 70 volunteers gathered on a Central Whidbey beach in August to cut out and preserve the bones of a deceased whale that washed ashore.
(Photo by Marina Blatt) Young dancers at the Ballet Slipper Conservatory stand on pointe while rehearsing for a performance of “The Nutcracker” in November.
(Photo by John Fisken) Oak Harbor forward Frank Smith kicks the ball during the Wildcats’ home opening game in March against Nooksack Valley. Oak Harbor won 6-0 and scored three goals in the first 10 minutes of the contest.
(Photo by Luisa Loi) About 1,500 people showed up in front of Oak Harbor’s Navy aircraft monument in April as part of a nationwide day of protest against the Trump administration.
