Top stories of 2023 | Part two

by Colleen Smith Summers, Heather Spaulding, Diane Craig, Isabel Ashley and Toby Cooper

Staff report

At the end of the year, we take a look at the biggest headlines of the past 12 months. This is part two. We chose the top stories from our most-read online articles and events we feel had the greatest impact on our communities.

8. County adopts 32-hour week

On Oct. 1, a large majority of San Juan County employees shifted to a 32-hour work week, with the exception of the Sheriff’s Office and Management. This measure, according to SJC, supports the County in the areas of fiscal health, employee recruitment and retention, and prioritizing islanders’ well-being.

“The workplace of today is not the same workplace that existed even two years ago – retention, work-life balance, compensation, and remote work, are all issues the County and likely most employers must find a way to deal with in order to maintain a workforce,” said Mike Thomas, County Manager.

Despite the reduced hours for many employees, county offices remained open to the public and held regular hours of operation, with some departments adjusting their hours or closing one day a week and remaining consistent thereafter. The Sheriff’s Office and its services remain unimpacted, as do other emergency responses performed by the Departments of Emergency Management, Public Works, and Superior Court Services.

In terms of fiscal health, since the COVID-19 Pandemic, the County has been grappling with rising service costs and wage pressure, supply chain issues, economic uncertainty, and the Islands’ high cost of housing. To stay within its current taxing authority, the County has held wages relatively constant but reduced the work week by eight hours, effectively giving the employee a sizable increase in hourly wages while enabling the County to live within its financial means.

As for retention, the County has been operating with a chronic 10-15% job vacancy rate across many key departments, impacting operations. Additionally, approximately 15% of San Juan County’s current workforce will hit retirement age or become eligible for retirement within the next three years. According to Angie Baird, Director of Human Resources and Risk Management, “The County is getting creative in how we strengthen our workforce, entice new employees, retain existing employees, and stay within our operating budget,” and the 32-hour work week is a big part of that.

By prioritizing the people who keep the County running, the organization aims to set the standard for quality work-life balance in the Islands and maintain the strength of its staff who run its departments and programs.

9. Homicide sentencing sparks public outcry from sheriff

Kale Martin Taylor, 19, of Friday Harbor, was sentenced to 34 months with eight months credit for time served for his role in the overdose of a San Juan teen in the summer of 2022. The ruling was far below the sentence recommended by the prosecutor’s office.

Taylor was charged with controlled substance homicide, which is a class b felony, in San Juan County Superior Court in January 2023. Taylor was 17 at the time of the alleged crime and turned 18 six weeks later. He was charged as an adult. Taylor originally pleaded not guilty. A jury trial was scheduled for Aug. 28 but Taylor changed his plea to guilty in July.

The standard sentencing range for controlled substance homicide is 51 to 68 months. In her recommendation to the court, Barnett asked Judge Olson to impose a sentence of 51 months, asserting it was “not excessive” for a crime that resulted in the loss of life. According to court documents, in an interview with law enforcement, the defendant acknowledged that he and his friend knew the potency of fentanyl and took measures to not overdose.

In the wake of the sentencing, San Juan County Sheriff Eric Peter released a letter to the community, stating: “My extreme frustration and disappointment with our Judicial system is greater than it’s ever been, especially here in Washington State.” The full letter can be viewed here: https://www.islandssounder.com/news/friday-harbor-man-sentenced-to-34-months-for-controlled-substance-homicide/

Barnett told the Sounder: “While the Court may not always follow our recommendations, we respect the decisions of the Court and the Court’s independent role in determining sentences.”

10. Wolf Hollow celebrates 40 years

Wolf Hollow opened their doors to celebrate 40 years of operation April 1. During those four decades, Wolf Hollow has treated over 20,000 animals and 207 different species. Wolf Hollow has four full-time staff members, a part-time staff member, as well as many volunteers who keep the organization running smoothly. Since the beginning of Wolf Hollow, volunteers have been a vital part of operations.

Wolf Hollow offered informational tours around their facilities during the celebratory open house, displayed an array of photos of animals treated at the facility.

The facility was founded by veterinarian Jessica Porter, who had a clinic on San Juan Island. In March 1982, a Great Horned owl became the first patient. Eleven wild animals were treated during this year.

In 1983 – Wolf Hollow became licensed as a wildlife rehab center. Thirty-two wild animals were cared for, in addition to the domestic animals treated at the veterinary clinic.

1984 – Wolf Hollow became incorporated as a non-profit organization.

1984-86 An increasing number of wild creatures were cared for. Enclosures to house wildlife including songbirds, raptors, raccoons, and deer were built on the eighth-of-an-acre yard of the vet clinic as well as staff members’ homes. A number of locals volunteered time to assist with animal care. As the number of wild patients increased, it became obvious that Wolf Hollow needed more space than the small lot in town.

1986 –The 40-acre parcel where Wolf Hollow is currently located, was leased. Work began to turn it into a Wildlife Rehabilitation Center. At this time the only structure on the property was a large metal building with a dirt floor. A grant was received to install utilities, a well was dug, floors were laid in the building, and it was divided into several rooms. Upstairs was living accommodation and downstairs was animal care. The first wildlife enclosures were built on the property.

1987 – Wolf Hollow Wildlife Rehabilitation Center treated 172 animals at its new location.

1989 – Founder Jessica Porter made an initial down payment to buy the Wolf Hollow property using funds she earned working at the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill. Wolf Hollow then made monthly payments. To keep up with the animal caseload, more than 30 enclosures have been constructed on the site over the years, ranging from seal pools, an eagle flight track, songbird aviaries and duck tubs.

2004 – Their mortgage was paid off by generous donors, the Salquists. Wolf Hollow now owns the 40-acre property free and clear.

2010-2022 – Using grants, bequests and donations, Facilities Manager Mark Billington and maintenance volunteers gradually replaced older enclosures that were showing their age, with new and improved designs.

Wolf Hollow’s efforts to help injured and orphaned wildlife are made possible by donations from the community and volunteers. For more information, visit https://wolfhollowwildlife.org/

11. New babies in L pod

The Center for Whale Research confirmed two new calves in the endangered Southern Resident killer whale population: L126 (mother L119) and L127 (mother L94). CWR researchers encountered the two calves during a survey of a group of whales containing members of J pod and the L12 subgroup in the Strait of Georgia on June 30.

L126 is L119’s first calf, while L127 is L94’s third. We estimate that both calves are at least two months old, and neither shows any immediate signs of illness or abnormality.

Both calves were very active and social while we observed them. The sex of the calves is still unknown, but CWR staff will attempt to get additional images of both calves in the coming days.

According to the Center, these are the first calves born in L pod since 2021 and the first calves born in the L12 subgroup since 2018. The first year is challenging for young whales, but we hope that both calves and their mothers can survive and thrive well into the future.

12. Hazmat call at Orcas Recycling

On Dec. 1, Orcas Fire and Rescue personnel responded to a hazardous materials incident at the Orcas Island Exchange — Orcas Recycling Services transfer station.

Equipment operators were performing routine compaction of waste materials when a cloud of noxious vapors suddenly began to rise from the waste container. Employees evacuated the area and called 911. OIFR personnel worked with Washington State Department of Ecology Spill Response team members over the next two days to determine the cause of the vapor cloud, ensure safety for the transport of the materials and provide mitigation if needed.

On Dec. 2, responders discovered a garbage bag containing hazardous materials and waste containers that appeared to have been full when they were deposited with regular waste. Upon compaction, it appears these containers ruptured and created the vapor cloud reported at the beginning of the incident.

13. Henline mistrial and plea agreement

In November, a year and a half after a devastating fire in downtown Friday Harbor, a Seattle jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict in the trial of Dwight Henline for arson, after hearing testimony from nearly 50 witnesses and viewing over 100 pieces of evidence. Henline was indicted in May 2022 for allegedly starting the fire that burned four buildings along Spring Street in Friday Harbor on April 7 of last year, destroying several local businesses, including Herb’s Tavern, Crow’s Nest Coffee, Crystal Seas Kayaking and Windermere Real Estate.

Henline was charged by the office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Western Washington with violating the federal arson statute. He has been detained in a federal correction facility since his arrest in April 2022, while his case proceeds. After eight days of testimony, almost entirely by the prosecution’s witnesses, the jury notified the court on its third day of deliberations that it was unable to reach a verdict. U.S. District Court Judge John Chun, who presided over the case, read the jury some additional general advice on how to break their impasse and sent them back to continue deliberating. But mid-afternoon that same day the jury once again declared that they were unable to reach a verdict; minutes later, the judge declared a mistrial.

The prosecution argued that Henline is a troubled and angry man whose life hit rock-bottom on April 6th: he had lost both his job and his housing, his friends had largely abandoned him, and he was planning to leave Friday Harbor for good on the evening ferry. But just before boarding the ferry that evening he allegedly bought a container of cigarette lighter fuel and poured much of it out and set it ablaze on the lower wooden deck behind Crystal Seas Kayaking. According to the prosecution, that fire then smoldered for several hours before turning into a large conflagration around 3:45 a.m. the next morning.

Investigators pieced together security camera footage from several sources tracing Henline’s movements around town on the evening of the 6th. In a set of events critical to the prosecution’s case, video showed Henline purchasing lighter fuel at the Little Store at 9:53 p.m., then walking outside of Herb’s Tavern and down Spring Street toward the waterfront at 9:56 p.m. A security camera inside Windermere Real Estate’s conference room showed a bright flare-up, consistent with a fire, behind the building at 10:04 p.m. that lasted for 34 seconds. Then a security camera at Spring Street Landing observed Henline at the foot of Spring Street, outside Cask & Schooner, at 10:05 p.m.

But according to a court filing by the defense, in an interview with prosecution and defense attorneys after the trial concluded some jurors indicated there were several issues preventing them from reaching a guilty verdict beyond a reasonable doubt, the standard for conviction. In fact, the final jury vote before the mistrial was declared was apparently 10-2 favoring “not guilty.”

The prosecution filed a motion to retry the case, and a date was scheduled in January. Then a plea agreement was reached: Henline pled guilty to a state charge of arson, a class b felony.

He was sentenced on Dec. 20 to 12 months for arson and eight months for a firearm charge in San Juan County. The charges will be served concurrently. With time already served, he was ordered released but will serve one year in community custody. He is barred from visiting Friday Harbor or contacting any of the victims and consuming or possessing alcohol or drugs. Henline is required to undergo a mental health evaluation. He is also ordered to pay restitution to the victims; the amount will be determined at a future hearing.

14. Hunting accident on Lopez

On Nov. 18, the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a hunting accident on Lopez Island. Deputies worked late into the night and all day today gathering information and facts with some assistance from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Police, Anacortes Police Department, & Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office. The evidence gathered led to the determination that there was no probable cause that a crime was committed, there was no negligence, intent, or recklessness as defined by law, and this is a case of a tragic hunting accident that resulted in the death of the victim, according to the sheriff’s office.