2025, a year for protesting

Another year has come and gone, and it’s been a busy one. Changes at the federal level had big effects on South Whidbey residents, who found their voices and stood up for their beliefs at several demonstrations across the island, from Langley to Oak Harbor.

But apart from the political turmoil, it’s also been a year filled with joy and laughter, new discoveries and significant anniversaries. As always, a little weirdness in the mix kept things interesting.

The following are the top news stories from the front pages of the South Whidbey Record in 2025.

January

A surge in norovirus appeared to hit Island County, as indicated by health care providers, school absenteeism reports and social media posts.

The Island County Marine Resource Committee monitored water temperatures while revelers participated in the New Year’s Day Polar Plunge at Double Bluff Beach.

The community rallied to support Freeland resident Melissa Simmons, a first responder and ferry quartermaster, after a breast cancer diagnosis.

David Frances Blay was the first baby born on Whidbey in 2025.

Gov. Bob Ferguson traveled aboard the Mukilteo-Clinton ferry and visited Clinton Community Hall to talk about the ferry system and signal his commitment to the gathered Whidbey leaders and elected officials.

Five firefighters from Whidbey helped battle the Palisades Fire in L.A.

A Langley man, Joseph Epstein-Solfield, was accused of trafficking stolen goods over Facebook.

The South Whidbey School Board voted for Becky Clifford to be the school district’s new superintendent.

February

A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raid at a Langley laundromat raised concerns among some local leaders and residents. While rumors swirled about the number of people involved, officials said that just one man was taken into custody and apparently transported to detention for eventual deportation.

Shawn Morris returned to Island County as the director of Public Health.

The Langley City Council took a renewed interest in encouraging property owners of vacant storefronts to activate their dormant buildings.

A South Whidbey High School student, Leilani Floyd, organized a protest for trans rights.

Bob Herzberg, the former police chief of Langley, retired once again from his service to the city – this time as the passport agent.

Team Whidbey and South Whidbey Wind, the island’s two Special Olympics teams, won bronze and silver respectively at a regional basketball competition.

Around 75 people gathered in front of Langley City Hall as part of nationwide Presidents Day protests against President Donald Trump and Elon Musk.

Langley Mystery Weekend celebrated its 40th anniversary.

March

The South Whidbey School Board unanimously voted to oppose two amendments that would have excluded transgender athletes from participating in interscholastic girls sports.

A 4.5 magnitude earthquake, not far from Orcas Island, rattled Whidbey residents in their beds.

Hundreds of students and community members walked the streets of downtown Langley to protest deportations and the Trump Administration.

After learning of the existence of racial restrictive covenants in the old records of 955 properties in Island County, Commissioner Melanie Bacon proposed the commissioners issue an apology on behalf of their predecessors who approved them. A “resolution for atonement” was later adopted.

For the second time, Angi Mozer resigned from being executive director of the Port of South Whidbey.

Whidbey citizens complained about Island County Commissioner Jill Johnson’s manners after a tense moment in a public meeting.

The Langley City Council authorized the citizen-led Dismantling Systemic Racism Commission to investigate the city’s possible history of being a sundown town.

The USX-1 Defiant, an unmanned Navy vessel, was unveiled in Freeland at Nichols Brothers Boat Builders.

Island County Commissioner Janet St. Clair dispelled rumors about her leaving before the end of her term.

A total of 36 Langley citizens objected to the Generations Place housing development, a project of Island Roots Rousing, in a letter that circulated around the community.

Residents celebrated the reopening of the newly renovated Langley Library.

April

The “Hands Off!” rally organized by Indivisible Whidbey and co-sponsored by Solidarity Over Supremacy drew in about 1,500 people who showed up in front of the Navy aircraft monument on Highway 20.

Owners of the Ken’s Korner Red Apple unsuccessfully fought an eviction order. The grocery store closed a few months later.

Island County commissioners adopted a one-year emergency moratorium on development within unincorporated areas zoned as mixed-use rural areas of more intensive rural development. They later made changes that allow for greater flexibility for commercial structures.

Holmes Harbor Sewer District filed an unlawful detainer lawsuit in Island County Superior Court against Holmes Harbor Golf Course and Paul Lavin, the owner of the LLC.

As part of a campaign to reenergize historic Clinton Community Hall, 33 solar panels were affixed to the building’s roof and workers also installed a battery backup system that will keep the lights on in the event of a power outage.

A man firing shots on property near a large protest in the Bayview area on South Whidbey alarmed many participants. Witnesses felt the man shot the gun in an attempt to intimidate the anti-Trump protesters. The incident did not result in any legal action against the shooter.

Citizens Against Domestic and Sexual Abuse, or CADA, braced itself to lose one-third of its budget due to federal funding cuts.

The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission rejected a settlement with a tariff increase that would have resulted in an additional $1.51 million in revenue for Cascadia Water, which serves over 1,000 customers on Whidbey Island. The commission later approved a 49% rate increase, down from the 107% increase the company had previously requested.

Voters approved a two-tenth of 1% sales tax increase to fund the Island County Emergency Communications Center, commonly known as I-COM.

Carl H. Chapman, a South Whidbey man, was accused of stealing a car, leading police on a short car chase, crashing the car and leading police on a foot chase before surrendering.

May

State officials forecasted one of the biggest pink salmon runs in recent memory. The state Department of Fish and Wildlife estimated the run could reach 7.76 million fish, or 70% higher than the 10-year average.

The state Department of Health filed a notice of intent to assess a civil fine of $22,400 against WhidbeyHealth Medical Center in Coupeville for failing to correct a series of deficiencies from May 2023 to January 2024.

Food banks and pantries contended with increased demand for services coupled with a shortage of funding, food and support.

The Whidbey Camano Land Trust proposed a partnership with Island County to permanently protect seven properties that are currently being leased from the state.

Nonprofit organization Mother Mentors of Whidbey Island faced an unexpected $60,000 gap in funding.

A wayward steer named Tobey wandered through Trillium Woods for over a week and a half after getting loose from his enclosure.

A Freeland resident was airlifted following a rollover crash on Highway 525 and evaluated for non-life-threatening injuries at Harborview Medical Center.

The state Department of Fish and Wildlife enacted a ban on feeding deer. The new regulation was put in place because of a case of chronic wasting disease in the eastern part of the state, a fatal affliction in cervids that can easily be spread when they congregate for feeding.

The governor signed a new bill that carries harsher penalties for those who assault transit workers. Previously, ferry workers were not included in the list.

Much to the confusion of elected officials, Island County made a federal list of “sanctuary jurisdictions” in the nation, even though the county does not have a sanctuary policy. The city of Langley was not on the list, even though it was one of the pioneering sanctuary cities in the state.

June

WhidbeyHealth experienced an increase in the number of patients seeking medical care.

Oak Harbor’s former city administrator, Blaine Oborn, was offered the position of executive director for the Port of South Whidbey. However, controversy ensued later that month when port employees and other members of the public expressed concerns about Oborn’s history. The position was eventually offered to an interim candidate who is now the current director, Jim Pivarnik.

A 10-year-old chess champion, Clementine Penny of Clinton, won second place in a regional tournament after only a few months of training.

Global tariffs had local consequences on Whidbey, with the closure of a beauty supply store in Langley that sold imported products.

A Clinton couple suffered a frightening ordeal when a stranger broke into their house in the middle of the night and refused to leave. The suspect, Silas Mattson, was apprehended by police.

South Whidbey Fire/EMS responded to a spate of fires on the South End within the span of a week.

The “No Kings” protest on Highway 20 in Coupeville drew in 2,500 to 3,000 participants, far surpassing the number of attendees at the “Hands Off!” rally earlier in the year. A smaller version of the protest was also held in Bayview.

Over 600 people turned out for the Langley Pride Parade, a colorful and joyful celebration.

A new mural dedicated to Tokitae the captive orca was unveiled on the Tokitae ferry on the Mukilteo-Clinton route.

The Langley City Council rejected a proposal to fly the Canadian flag at city hall. Elected officials worried it would be performative in nature only, draw unwanted attention to the vulnerable undocumented population and create a slippery slope for flying flags of other nations.

July

Gov. Bob Ferguson chose Eastern Shipbuilding Group of Florida to construct the state ferry system’s new hybrid-electric ferries over Whidbey’s own Nichols Brothers Boat Builders. The Florida company’s bid was about $300 million less.

A jury found Timothy Hazelo, the former chairperson of the Island County Republican Party, guilty of two criminal counts in connection with his refusal to wear a mask in a ballot counting room prior to the general election last fall. He ended up serving no jail time but lost his job at the Navy base.

The Langley mayor apologized for illegal firework activity that occurred within city limits over the Fourth of July holiday.

A driver struck and killed a Canadian runner participating in a Ragnar relay race routed through North Whidbey early Saturday morning. The Northwest Passage race stretches from Blaine to Langley, a distance of about 193.5 miles.

The Whidbey Environmental Action Network and Rhonda Salerno, a member of the Langley City Council, appealed the removal of six large Douglas fir trees along Edgecliff Drive that were cut down to make way for construction associated with the Langley Infrastructure Project.

Two major brush fires, one of which occurred near Double Bluff in Freeland, prompted the Island County fire marshal to declare a Type 2 burn ban.

The Whidbey Homeless Coalition called on the community to help raise $100,000 to keep its two shelters open.

The Whidbey Island Fair celebrated its 100th year.

The Langley City Council discussed tree protection in the wake of the removal of the six trees on Edgecliff Drive.

Greenbank residents spotted an albino hummingbird.

A fallen tree hit some power lines and started a fire in Greenbank.

August

Whidbey residents braced themselves for a possible tsunami after an 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck the coast of Russia. Nothing ended up happening.

A wildfire in the Freeland area took out a birdhouse, but no other structures were harmed.

The U.S. Coast Guard arrived in Holmes Harbor to clean up the remaining fuel and salvage Shark Lady, a partially sunk 77-foot vessel deemed not seaworthy.

A late night police chase involving a stolen car on South Whidbey ended at the Clinton ferry dock. The suspect, Anthony P. Ford of Coupeville, was arrested at the ferry terminal.

Washington State Ferries sought access to a parking lot owned by the Port of South Whidbey for ferry terminal electrification efforts, which could mean the loss of some long-term parking someday.

An American mink was spotted hanging around the Mukilteo ferry terminal. Employees named him Melvin.

A family was uninjured but displaced from their Mutiny Bay home after a fire severely damaged it.

A Greenbank man was swept up in a federal investigation into a cartel-connected drug trafficking ring that had been supplying fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin throughout Western Washington. Based on wiretaps and surveillance, agents obtained and executed a search warrant on Derel Gabelein’s home.

South Whidbey Fire/EMS faced a lawsuit filed by Robert Hodges. The Langley man was driving a pickup truck on South Whidbey last summer and suffered a skull fracture and injuries to his eye when a metal hose cap flew off a fire engine.

September

A father-and-son fight over a food truck in Langley led to an arrest and three popped tires.

Vandals defaced the front of Critters and Co. Pet Center and Rescue at Ken’s Korner. A group of community members came together to help fix the storefront.

The city of Langley received $250,000 for a microgrid study.

Rape charges were dismissed against a former deputy with the Island County Sheriff’s Office.

Mourners at the Bayview park and ride holding a memorial for Charlie Kirk were joined by demonstrators supporting Palestine and other causes. Liberals and conservatives intermingled, and though some had reservations about the others being there, ultimately it was a peaceful gathering.

A former Whidbey man, Larry Keith Tennison, was placed on the FBI’s most wanted list, along with his wife Gretchen Francine Tennison. The couples have been fugitives from justice since a warrant was issued for their arrest in 2021.

A new orca calf, J64, was born near Whidbey.

October

The Star Store in Langley decided to stop accepting pennies as payment, the first known business on Whidbey to do so.

Plans for gender-neutral restrooms in new construction at the South Whidbey High School and South Whidbey Middle School caused a stir.

The South Whidbey Record staff took home an impressive amount of awards from the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association Better Newspaper Conference. Reporter Kira Erickson was named Feature Writer of the Year for the third year in a row.

Mr. South Whidbey, the annual male pageant that is a major fundraiser for Friends of Friends Medical Support Fund, raised a record-breaking amount of over $72,000, nearly doubling the previous year’s total.

A handful of suspicious deer mortalities in the Holmes Harbor area in Freeland had residents worried about a deadly deer disease sweeping the population.

The city of Langley pondered selling the library building to the Sno-Isle Libraries system.

Another “No Kings” protest in Coupeville drew in hundreds of Whidbey residents.

Brandi Carlile, a Grammy-winning singer-songwriter, filmed a music video on her sailboat Captain Fantastic off the shores of Whidbey Island.

Island County commissioners approved a 40% increase in land use and building permit fees to cover a budget deficit.

November

A Freeland couple lost their home, family heirlooms and everything they owned in a fire. Fortunately, everyone made it out safely, including a geriatric cat named Mr. Kitty.

Ann Johnson retained her seat on the South Whidbey School Board in the general election. The WhidbeyHealth board gained three new members, including Mark Borden, James Canby and Kirk Gasper. The South Whidbey Parks and Recreation District maintenance and operations levy received enough support, with more than 62% of ballots cast as “yes” votes.

Island County commissioners voted to place an advisory vote on the ballot in November 2026 concerning the use of consumer fireworks in unincorporated areas of the county. The non-binding measure will serve as a poll.

South Whidbey High School sophomore Reed Atwood brought home the 1A state girls cross country championship with a first-place finish.

Bus drivers and dispatchers who work for Island Transit received a large wage hike under a new agreement between the union and the agency.

A trove of 33 bowling balls was unearthed at the construction site of the South Whidbey Parks and Recreation District’s Aquatic Recreation Center.

A proposal to increase the Langley mayor’s pay at the expense of other city employees’ cost-of-living adjustment was such an unpopular idea that even the elected official herself opposed it.

Members of the WhidbeyHealth board adopted a $175 million budget for the next year.

Graham J. Lau, a Freeland resident, was sentenced for threatening and harassing a series of people, including South Whidbey Record employees after a story about him was published.

An intoxicated woman driving an electric car led police on a high-speed chase on South Whidbey that ended with her fleeing on foot down a steep embankment, hiding in the woods and then refusing to cooperate when officers tried to coax her out from under a bush.

The cost of plots for green burial and traditional burial at Langley Woodmen Cemetery increased.

December

James Golder, the president of the WhidbeyHealth board, was voted out. Marion Jouas was selected as the new president.

Invasive European green crabs were found near Whidbey.

Island County Commissioner Melanie Bacon said she couldn’t support either Commissioner Janet St. Clair or Commissioner Jill Johnson as chairperson of the board because of the animosity between them.

Langley made plans to adopt a six-month building moratorium for new construction under the city’s multifamily infill code while staff figured out how to implement a new inclusionary zoning requirement.

After a car crashed through Wild Birds Unlimited in Freeland, community members rallied to support the store’s owner.

Island County officials warned residents to be wary of trodding on newts.

Whidbey Island was spared from historic and catastrophic flooding that affected nearby counties.

Coast Salish Tribal elders Bill Bailey and Rosie Cayou left an emotional crater on Whidbey after passing away within nine days of each other. The community remembered the couple for their environmental activism and artistry.

Whidbey Island was slammed by the first major windstorm of the season, causing widespread power outages, school cancellations and a highway closure.

A motion to “downzone” some properties on the south side of Edgecliff Drive in Langley was unsuccessful.

The first of the “Sounders” gray whales arrived in the Salish Sea just as torrential rains from an atmospheric river hit the area.

Island County Commissioner Jill Johnson was cleared of a complaint alleging that she created a hostile work environment.

(Photo by Luisa Loi) South Whidbey School Board President Brook Willeford, holding a sign saying “amplify youth voices,” was among the community members who walked the streets of downtown Langley in February to protest deportations and the Trump Administration.