In Our Opinion: Another Whidbey year captured in newsprint
Published 1:30 am Wednesday, January 7, 2026
By WHIDBEY NEWS GROUP EDITORIAL BOARD
It was yet another interesting and beguiling year on Whidbey Island. While national politics and federal policies affected nearly everyone in the year 2025, life in the Whidbey community continued in its uniquely local way, as captured in the stories of the Whidbey News-Times and South Whidbey Record.
The two papers were once again recognized for excellence in reporting. For the third year in a row, South Whidbey Record reporter Kira Erickson was named the best feature writer in the state by the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association’s Better Newspaper Contest. David Welton was named photographer of the year for the second year in a row.
Many of the feature stories that made the front page this year were related to animals, which may not be surprising given the rural and wild nature of the area and the appreciation so many people hold for creatures great and small. There was an itinerant goat man who roamed the island while another man offered hiking adventures with goats. A newborn orca was spotted near Whidbey while a trapped seal nipped its rescuer. A white steer escaped its enclosure and haunted hikers in the woods. A group of scientists and volunteers deboned a gray whale. A South Whidbey farm offered vodka distilled from sheep’s whey.
While it’s “hard news” stories — often about crime — that are usually the most read online, the #1 stories in 2025 were features in both papers. For the News-Times, it was reporter Allyson Ballard’s story about a film crew making a movie in Coupeville. For The Record, the most-read story, written by freelancer Kate Poss, was about Willow Dolde, a non-binary ultra athlete well known for running in South Whidbey.
In 2025, a total of 1.2 million unique users read stories on the News-Times or The Record websites, with the News-Times boasting 762,000 active users, according to Google Analytics.
Our Facebook pages saw a giant jump in views this year as reporter Marina Blatt took over as administrator. Facebook reported that the News-Times Facebook page garnered an astonishing 2.7 million views in 2025 while The Record’s Facebook page recorded 605,000 views.
Here’s a look at the Top Ten most read stories on the News-Times website, whidbeynewstimes.com, in 2025:
1. Coupeville Town Council approves street closures for filming
2. Ghost boat blocks ferry landing
3. ‘Minority Rape Cult’ has consequences for administrators, students at Coupeville schools
4. Man killed in North Whidbey explosion was building ‘explosive devices’ for fireworks show
5. Movie filming begins in Coupeville
6. FBI questions leader of Oak Harbor punk band over lyrics
7. Oak Harbor man dead after kidnapping, police-involved shootings
8. Oak Harbor woman claims assault by murder suspect
9. Man accused of molesting child at after-school program in Oak Harbor
10. Indigenous ‘midden’ found during Coupeville project
This is the Top Ten list for The Record, which is at southwhidbeyrecord.com:
1. Whidbey’s ultra athlete is going the distance
2. Ken’s Korner Red Apple fights eviction order
3. Whidbey man indicted for working with Mexican cartel
4. Ken’s Korner owner signs lease with new grocery store
5. ICE takes man into custody at Langley laundromat
6. Oak Harbor man accused of vehicular homicide
7. Community supports Freeland resident following breast cancer diagnosis
8. FBI questions leader of Oak Harbor punk band over lyrics
9. Oak Harbor man accused of sex crimes
10. Canadian Ragnar runner killed in vehicular collision on North Whidbey
Facebook users had similar but more hard-edged interests in stories. The most-read post on the News-Times Facebook page was “Oak Harbor woman claims assault by murder suspect,” which had 44,181 views. Coming in second was “Federal judge sentences Oak Harbor man to life in prison for child sexual assault.”
The top post on the South Whidbey Record Facebook page was “Man killed in North Whidbey explosion was building ‘explosive devices’ for fireworks show.” The second most read post was “City ponders sale of Langley library building.”
