NEWS

(OAK HARBOR)– Island County travelers soon will see a permanent speed limit decrease along nearly 2 miles of State Route 20 through and north of Oak Harbor. The speed limit will be reduced from 50 and 55 mph to 45 mph along both directions of SR 20 near the new roundabout at West Fakkema Road between mileposts 33.69 and 35.06. The decision to reduce the speed limit was made in response to a review of new speed data after the installation of the new West Fakkema Road roundabout and in coordination with Oak Harbor Public Works officials, according to a news release from the Washington State Department of     (read more)

(OLYMPIA)— The Office of the Secretary of State on Friday certified statewide results for the Aug. 4 Primary. Along with certification of results, the Secretary of State also certified all measures and candidates that will appear on the ballot in November, according to a news release from the Office of the Secretary of State. According to vote totals certified by Chief of Staff Amanda Doyle, more than 1.8 million voters participated in the primary, representing approximately 36.77% of Washington’s 5.1 million eligible voters. “With primary results certified, dedicated election officials across the state are now hard at work preparing for another safe, secure,     (read more)

(MOUNT VERNON)- Mount Vernon residents will have to look elsewhere to get driver licensing services for the next few months. The Washington State Department of Licensing announced Tuesday, Aug. 18, that its Mount Vernon office is closed until early November due to ongoing staffing issues, according to a Facebook post from DOL. The DOL says it will train new employees to fill several empty positions throughout the area, which will take about three months. The process will help maintain staffing at all offices in the area and allow them to stay open more consistently. Until then, the DOL encourages residents     (read more)

(FREELAND, WA)– Unsafe management of dangerous waste has been a recurring problem at Nichols Brothers Boat Builders on Whidbey Island, according to a news release from the Washington Department of Ecology. Wednesday, Ecology issued a $39,000 penalty to Ice Floe LLC dba Nichols Brothers Boat Builders for dangerous waste violations found during a November 2025 inspection. Nichols Brothers is classified as a large quantity generator of dangerous waste, which is waste that is ignitable, corrosive, reactive, and/or toxic. The business commonly generates paints, solvents, used oils, sandblast abrasives, and other industrial waste. Since 2011, six separate Ecology inspections found that Nichols Brothers     (read more)

(NAS WHIDBEY ISLAND)- NAS Whidbey Island will host its annual open house for the public on August 22, 2026, at Ault Field from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Open House will include a 5K run around the flightline. Registration for the 5K will be at 7 a.m., with the run starting at 8 a.m., according to a news release from NAS Whidbey Island. Photography is not allowed by participants in the 5K run. Photography by participants is forbidden during the 5k run, however, photography at the beginning and finish of the race is permitted at the starting gate. Live streaming     (read more)