La Conner Weekly News - Your independent hometown award-winning newspaper

In the event of a disaster, the single most important factor for an effective response will be availability of information, La Conner Emergency Management Commission member Jerry George said last week. “And that information,” he stressed, “has to be...

Food security remains a concern locally, so organizations and volunteers are expanding their efforts to meet the need. Helping Hands at Swinomish is one such enterprise. It received 850 visits in 2023 after starting in late 2022. On Thursday...

The new year is bringing a new opportunity for local public service. Pleasant Ridge Cemetery, Skagit County Cemetery District No. 1, needs a commissioner. Candidates must reside within the cemetery district, according to cemetery district secretary...

Skagit Transit is increasing bus service on both Route 513 and 615. Route 513 starting Jan. 2, 2024 Route 615 will run between Mount Vernon, La Conner and the March’s Point park and ride lot every two hours. Route 513 will run between Burlington a...

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 ini...

Holiday Closures Christmas Monday, Dec.25 Closed: Everything Bank: Closed Buses: No service Library: Closed Post Office: Closed Schools: Till Jan 3 Town Hall: Dec 22-26 County government: Closed Trash Pick Up: None Weekly News: Closed And God bless... Full story

Four-term La Conner Mayor Ramon Hayes chaired his final town council meeting Dec. 12, but it was a business-as-usual session with no celebration or reception. Hayes wouldn’t have had it any other way. “It’s just not my personality,” he told the Wee...

It’s been said that an ill wind blows no good. In the case of the Skagit County Fire District 13 coverage area, which entails Swinomish Reservation and rural La Conner, a facsimile windstorm at the end of March is designed to do plenty good. P...

It’s often said that to everything there is a season. For La Conner’s emergency management commission, that means development of a comprehensive guide addressing all disaster scenarios. “We’ve been working on flooding issues hot and heavy for qui...

The 2023 Town of La Conner budget has met its $5.8 million revenue goal with December not yet counted. Even better, expenditures, now at $4.55 million, are likely to finish below 67% of projections. The budget surplus is $1.23 million and may still...

Seeing might be believing, but it’s collecting data that’s confirming. That’s the approach longtime resident and former planning commissioner Linda Talman is recommending officials take regarding remedies to La Conner’s downtown parking. A week af...

There was a time when La Conner’s parking problem was inverted to its present situation. When downtown Mount Vernon was lined with clunky parking meters, La Conner had little need for either a paid or timed parking system on First Street. Many s...

The most current statistics available through Skagit County Public Health (for the week of Nov. 19-25) showed moderate Covid 19 and Influenza activity, but high RSV activity. The county did not define “activity.” The county recommends staff, pat... Full story

First Street parking issues were discussed in detail at the Nov. 28 Town Council meeting. But perhaps lost amid a one-hour presentation on potential future paid parking options for the downtown business district was a brief plea by Councilmember...

Location, location, location. It’s not just the familiar real estate mantra. It’s also a key element as La Conner’s Emergency Management Commission crafts long-term disaster preparation strategies. The six-member advisory panel discussed best metho...

The paper collection can for recycling at the La Conner post office was removed from the lobby area late last week. Post office management made this change because of customer disregard; there were too many people contaminating the collection by... Full story

Mingling pays off in La Conner. The proof is in the long-term results from an October forum on short-term rentals. Residential input on short-term rentals at the Civic Garden Club building – referred as “a mingle,” by Town officials – produce...

John Agen has won the District 2 La Conner school board director race with 52.9% and at least 779 votes against Janie Beasley, a past school board member. The Nov. 17 count added one vote to each candidate. The last 70 or so countywide ballots will...