New hearing examiner for SnoCO
Decisions on land use in Snohomish County will now be under the scrutiny of former deputy prosecuting attorney Millie Judge.
The county council offered Judge, who has served as a pro tem hearing examiner since 2007, a one-year contract in the absence of Barbara Dykes, who is leaving the position this month. Full Story
Three Superior Court positions up for grabs
Three nonpartisan positions for Washington state Supreme Court justice are on the primary ballot this year.
Nine justices are elected to six-year terms by voters throughout the state.
Two of the three positions are being challenged, one of those races will be determined in the primary. Full Story
Belongings damaged when thrown out the window
Stanwood Police Department
reports the following
action last week:
• Malicious mischief occurred July 31 in the 26800 block of 94th Drive NW because a female got upset and threw another person’s belongings out a window, causing damage to the items. Full Story
Law enforcement trains at PSMS
Monday morning, multiple law enforcement agencies from around the area, including Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office and Washington State Patrol, conducted a training simulation at Port Susan Middle School.
Ty Trenary, Stanwood’s chief of police, said the simulation began at 9 a.m. Full Story
Vacated treasurer’s office draws competition
Two-term treasurer Linda Riffe won’t be seeking reelection this year, leaving the office open to a brand new face.Two candidates have filed: Deputy Treasurer Ana Maria Nunez and Shane Fortune.
Nunez has worked in Island County Treasurer’s Office for more than five years, and currently serves as deputy treasurer. Full Story
Island County seeks approval for property tax increase
Island County’s hotly debated property tax increase will require voters to pick one side of the issue or the other on August 17.
Titled Proposition 1: Property Tax Levy for Retention of Basic Public Safety and Other Essential Services, the measure seeks to raise the county’s tax rate $0.16, to a total of $0.75 per $1,000 of assessed value. Full Story
Options for families feeling back-to-school crunch
The words “back to school” shouldn’t make students uncomfortable, at least not for reasons beyond the notion that summer is winding down.
Gearing up for the first day of school is expensive — buying school supplies and backpacks to put them in, clothing and proper footwear, the staples of a successful start to the year, is a struggle for many families. Full Story
Hawk strikes out
A hawk may have miscalculated its prey late last
month along Sunrise Boulevard early one morning
when a Subaru Forrester driven by Bob Packowski,
with passenger Claudine Packowski inside
were struck by the bird of prey. Full Story
Clerk is popular bid, with three candidates
County clerk is the hotly contested Island County race this August.
Patricia Terry, Debra Van Pelt and Carol Ann Fortune each feel well suited to the task. Only two of them will move on to the November general election. Full Story
PDC announces Web site upgrade
Election watchers will notice significant improvements on the Public Disclosure Commission’s Web site, following upgrades made last week. Navigational bars have replaced tabs and menu bars. Full Story
Old time radio
It’s “Old Time Radio – Live On Stage!” a recreation of radio’s Golden Age with live actors reading original 1940s scripts from such classic series as “Fibber McGee Full Story
CIFR reports June calls
Camano Island Fire and Rescue reports the following calls during the month of June:
They responded to 113 medical calls, nine motor vehicle accidents, two fire alarms, 12 residential fires, five commercial fires, five marine calls, five service calls, seven utility assists, one Hazmat (hazardous materials), and one aircraft incident for a total of 160 calls. Full Story
Parks seeks volunteers for boating council
Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission is seeking nominations to its Boating Safety Advisory Council. The commission is looking for individuals to represent boating interests in the areas of safety education and fishing and angling. The deadline to apply is Aug. 19. Full Story
Newcomer challenges 16-year incumbent coroner
Paul Thompson, MD, retired, has filed to run against Island County’s 16-year veteran coroner, making this the first contested race for coroner in four terms.
On his election Web site, Thompson said he chose to run because he is “convinced (he) can raise the coroner’s department to a higher, more professional standard.” Full Story
Metamorphosis in glass
The latest Washington State Arts Commission stained glass series
by Jack Archibald of Camano Island was recently installed at Panther
Lake Elementary in Kent with the help of Bob Ansell. Full Story
Some beaches closed to shellfish harvesting
Marine biotoxins that cause paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) have been detected at concentrations well above the closure level in shellfish samples collected from Ala Spit Beach. Full Story
