News - The Journal of the San Juan Islands

Coal cargo terminal at Cherry Point raises concern

The San Juan Islands could face a significant increase in large cargo ship traffic under a proposal to build the largest coal terminal in North America at Cherry Point, near Ferndale. Ships measuring up to three football fields in length would make over 950 passages (nearly three per day) each year, transporting tens of millions of tons of Wyoming coal to China.

Dump truck topples under lopsided load

An uneven load of "beauty bark" caused a dump truck to topple over and land in a ditch in the 1000 block of Orcas Road early Friday afternoon. No injuries were reported, and fire fighters and employees from two island towing companies teamed up to get the truck righted and back on the road.

State Senate passes bill to legalize same-sex marriage

The Washington state Senate passed a bill today that would legalize same-sex marriage. If the measure is approved by the House, it will be the seventh state to allow gay and lesbian couples to wed.

Body of missing Waldron Island woman found

The body of Dorothy Shayler, 38, was found on Waldron Island Jan. 28. Officials believe Shayler committed suicide, but are awaiting autopsy results. Shayler had been missing since Oct.17.

Sales up, dollars down; 2011 real estate market delivers mixed results

Last year’s median price for sales of single family homes and condos was $235,000. In 2010 it was $262,000. For the 21 counties included in the MLS report, the median price ranged from $120,000 in Grays Harbor County, to $387,500 in San Juan County.

Annual property tax assessments begin this year

For properties outside the 2012 appraisal area, the county assessor's office will begin adjusting property values annually to reflect market value, beginning with 2012 assessments for the 2013 tax year.

'Friends' join lawsuit seeking limits on Navy's use of sonar

The litigation is not intended to halt the Navy’s exercises, but asks the court to require NMFS to reassess the permits using the latest science and to order the Navy to stay out of biologically critical areas at least at certain times of the year.

Snow takes modest toll on town, county road maintenance

An unusually rapid thaw of last week's ice and snow helped keep maintenance costs low.

'Barefoot Bandit' ridicules law enforcement

According to the Seattle Times, "Barefoot Bandit" Colton Harris-Moore ridiculed police and prosecutors in emails and phone calls from prison recently, undercutting his claims that he's sorry for his two-year crime spree, the U.S. attorney's office said in court documents filed Tuesday.

San Juan man faces four felonies following narcotics bust

On Jan. 23, Jason Charles Bell, 32, pleaded not guilty in San Juan County Superior Court to four counts of delivery of a controlled substance, a Class B felony. Bail was set at $10,000 pending trial, which is slated to begin March 19.