No building permit has yet been issued, but excavation began at the 306 Center Street condominium project site last week to find the water table on the property so that paperwork could be completed for removal of contaminated soil. Following that...

Local grocery shoppers pause and compare prices. They add up the rising costs of food and wonder how they will afford their next meal. This is how Arin Magill, director of the La Conner Sunrise Food Bank, defines food insecurity: concern about where...

Don’t let December’s rain, gray skies or fields of standing water distract you into thinking it has rained a lot. November maintained 2023’s pattern of rainfall below the monthly century’s norms. While precipitation came down 22 days, half of thos...

Washington snowpack at April’s end was called “snow drought pervasive” for much of the state in the Natural Resources Conservation Service’s May 1 monthly Water Supply Outlook Report. It cites the mid-April statewide drought emergency declare...

A bumper crop of Northwest potatoes in 2023 is driving the price of potatoes down, but John Thulen of Pioneer Potatoes is not worried – yet. Many of the challenges cited in a March 31 Market Snapshot from AgWest Farm Credit (the new name of the forme...

There are several directions town council members can take when it comes to future traffic flow and parking schemes on South First Street. The La Conner governing panel was scheduled last night to hear separate recommendations from its planning...

Candidates seeking elected office faced a deadline last week to toss their hats into the ring. Skagit County Commissioner Ron Wesen, a Republican, is running for re-election. His challenger for the District 1 seat is Rylee Fleury, an independent,...

There’s supply and demand, but it can be demand and supply. The latter condition has led Skagit County Fire District 13 to assign two emergency medical technicians for 12-hour shifts two days per week at the Summit Park station near Highway 20 s...

Bounce back. The $42,671 reported in sales tax revenue to the La Conner Town Council in April by the state’s Department of Revenue is the second highest ever for the month, behind 2022’s record $44,210. It topped March by $8,741. These are Feb...

The Washington state Department of Health announced a recall of Gibson Farms, Inc. bulk organic walnuts April 30. They were joined by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in advising people...

Lawyers for the five Shelter Bay board of directors sued by then-resident Jan Henrie in 2023 will be in Skagit Superior Court Friday morning, May 10, asking that the lawsuit be moved to the Court of Appeals. Henrie’s suit alleged malfeasance and f...

Residents of the Shelter Bay Community elect three members at their annual meeting in May to serve three year terms on the eight member board of directors. The board convening in July 2024 will look very different from the eight members that ended...

Shelter Bay Community residents are in the process of voting for three members of their board of directors. There are four candidates: Julie Peddy seeks a seat. Monte Hicks, Pat McGarry and Wendy Poulton are current board members. Hicks and Poulton...

The Skagit County Commissioners will hold a hearing on proposed new solid waste rates at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, May 21, in the Commissioner’s Hearing Room, 1800 Continental Place, Mount Vernon. The county has a new vendor, Waste Management, providing s...

The Skagit County public participation program for community involvement in the 2025 comprehensive plan has been adopted by the county commissioners. Its five features include public meetings as part of multiple engagement channels; transparent...

The Skagit County Commissioners will hold a public hearing for comment on proposed fee changes in amending an ordinance in Chapter 12.19, Skagit County Code and Rates and Charges for the Skagit County Drainage Utility Assessment, at 2 p.m. Monday,...

Traffic on Best Road will experience lane closures and delays between McLean Road and Chilberg Road during the work week through June 6 while Skagit County crews are grinding and re-asphalting it, the county’s public works department announced A...

Skagit County voters have renewed the county’s Emergency Medical Services levy, passing it with 70.8% of the vote, 20,027 yes to 8,240 no votes. The final 163 ballots were counted by Skagit County elections office staff and the vote certified May 3...