Fly Away
Patrick Hankins, 14, of Stanwood, completes preflight checks with instructor pilot Lucas Smith prior to take off from Arlington Airport in a Cessna 172 airplane Friday morning. Hankins, who attended the Young Aviator program at Out of the Blue Aviation, said he learned a lot about flight during day camps throughout the summer. "It was really cool," said Hankins. "I would definitely recommend it to other teens." For more information, visit www.outoftheblueaviation.com. Full Story
Eco terrorists may be back
A surveyed site of the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) SR 532 corridor construction project near 28th Avenue NW was vandalized with anti-construction slogans. Graffiti was painted on the roadway and onto some equipment early last week. Full Story
Hunt for gypsy moths
A serious threat to Washington state's agriculture, forest industry, and cityscapes is posed by gypsy moths, but the state's Department of Agriculture's (WSDA) annual trapping program has them under control. Full Story
Man in parking lot under influence cited
Stanwood Police responded to the following calls last week: • On Aug. 12, a 58-yearold Camano Island man was referred for physical control of a vehicle while under the influence in the 27000 block of 92nd Avenue NW. Full Story
Walk with a prayer
Mary and Nick Mele, of Bellingham, walked through Stanwood, carrying a cross and a list of prayers, as they made their way on foot from Bellingham to Tacoma two weeks ago. The idea for a pilgrimage came from Mary, a teacher at Whatcom Community College, who had a colleague who went on a pilgrimage in Spain, going from church to church. Full Story
Cats rescued from Lynwood home available for adoption
The black and white male cat was curled up in the back of the cat carrier. He didn't want to come out, when most cats don't want to go in, said Keith LaChappelle, operations manager at the Northwest Organization for Animal Help (N.O.A.H.) in Stanwood. Full Story
Special three day filing period for offices where vacancy has occurred
Snohomish County Elections will conduct a special three-day filing period for offices where a vacancy has occurred since the end of candidate filing in June. The special three-day filing from 9 a.m. Wednesday, Aug.19 through 4 p.m. Friday, Aug. Full Story
Funding available for heritage barns
Grant applications are due on Nov. 4 and awards will be announced in January 2010 for the Washington State Department of Archaeology & Historic Preservation's Heritage Barn Rehabilitation Grant Program. Full Story
New book puts young cowboys on the Chisholm Trail
Put on your cowboy hat, duster and saddle up your horse, adventure awaits in a new children's book. With its lyrical prose in English and Spanish, "A Cowboy to Be," by Charles Van Pelt, who lives near Bryant, is a slice of history right off the Chisholm trail. Full Story
Conservation district assessment still in limbo
The Snohomish County Council delayed its decision on the Snohomish Conservation District's request for an assessment. The council held a public hearing Wednesday on the district's request for a $5 per parcel, plus 5 cents per acre, annual fee for a five-year period starting in 2010. Full Story
Snohomish health district makes 'brutal' cuts
The Snohomish Health District's services have gotten slimmer. The board of health cut about 20 full-time positions effective Oct. 1, reducing service in three programs, and completely eliminating three more. This is the third time the district has cut staff and programs in the last seven months. Full Story
Fraud and theft increasing pace
Island County Sheriff's deputies on Camano Island responded to the following recently: • A Camano Island couple reported being scammed out of $5,089 from a bogus Craigslist ad Aug. 12. The couple wired the money to a person posing as a U.S. Full Story
Boat stolen from its moorage as owner watched helplessly
The owner of a boat moored in Port Susan Bay near Tillicum Beach watched as thieves boarded his vessel Thursday morning and drove it away. Mark Williams, of Camano Island, said it was just by chance that he glanced out his window about 7 a.m. and saw three men approach his 2004, white, 23-foot Seaswirl Striper in a small motorboat. Full Story
