It’s time for the Island County Board of Commissioners to reopen all departments on Fridays.
As the result of a decision made in 2009, the commissioners deemed it necessary to control expenses in the ever-worsening economy.
At the time, with fewer people doing more work, it made sense to give overburdened employees a chance to take a breath and make a dent in the ever-growing backlog of work on their desks.
As the new staff reporter for The Whidbey Examiner, I’m excited to explore and learn about this new community.
Sunshine Week is upon us, and it’s a good time to recognize why newspapers do the job they do.
Started in March 2005, Sunshine week this year is March 16-22.
It’s the result of a national initiative aimed at promoting dialogue about the importance of open government and freedom of information.
All too often, you hear about the professional athlete who runs afoul of the law, or who comes off as kind of a jerk.
And then you hear about a great athlete who’s also a great guy — someone like Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson.
Each year the businesses and community in Coupeville come together to celebrate one thing the area is known for — mussels.
They say the grass is always greener on the other side of the street, but that’s not always so, particularly when it comes to Whidbey Island first responders.
The fallout from Oak Harbor Mayor Scott Dudley’s spate of firings continued this week as his former executive assistant settled a wrongful termination claim for $182,500.
The exact amount Dudley’s actions have cost the city and its insurance provider is a matter of debate, but what’s clear is that hundreds of thousands of dollars have been wasted and it has affected the city’s ability to attract talented employees.
Renee Recker and her attorney Chris Skinner argued that Dudley violated state and federal protections for ailing and disabled people.
Regarding the Feb. 13 The Whidbey Examiner article, “COER asks Whidbey land trust to suspend taking Navy funding,” please let me see if I’ve got this straight.
The Navy contributes funds to the Whidbey Camano Land Trust which, in turn, uses the funds to protect the island’s natural resources.
One of the things my mutt from the pound and I like to do together is go on long walks. Sometimes on weekends Buster Brown and I stroll at the bottom of the Snake River Canyon where dogs can be off-leash (as Mother Nature intended).
There’s a 6-mile walk in the canyon we like to do: me limping along in a straight line, Buster ranging over a wider area of ground sniffing for wildlife.
Closer to home, there is a 6-mile loop around town we enjoy.
An audit report released Tuesday by the state auditor’s office reveals Whidbey General Hospital overpaid its employees more than $180,000 in 2012.
According to the report, auditors concluded that hospital officials didn’t have adequate control over the payroll process.
This undoubtedly comes as a shock to voters who, in November, approved a $50 million bond for the hospital to expand and renovate its aging facilities.
Struggling to stay afloat amidst unprecedented revenue losses and subsequent staff reductions, in 2009 the Island County Board of Commissioners scaled back services by closing select departments to the public on Fridays.
It was a prudent move at the time, designed to provide remaining and overburdened employees with time to catch their breath and make a dent in an ever-increasing backlog of work.
I think this time of year on the Rock gets a bad rap. People are prone to use a lot of words that start with “D” to describe it. Damp, dark, dank, dreary, dour, drizzly, depressing.
An open house is scheduled to inform residents about road construction that will prompt the temporary closure of the intersection at Zylstra and Hastie Lake roads.
