By Colleen Smith Summers, Heather Spaulding, Kristina Stucki and Darrell Kirk

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 selected the top stories from our most-read online articles and events that we believe had the most significant impact on our communities.

6. Budget shortfall

Originally facing an approximate $6M shortfall, balancing a 26/27 biennium budget, the County Council worked with the Auditor’s Office and department heads to adopt a balanced 2026 budget.

Fully utilized COVID funding, instability of federal and state grants and plateauing revenue sources like sales tax and permits are just a few of the reasons for the shortfall, according to Auditor Natashia Warmenhoven. San Juan County is not alone with these issues. Counties across the nation have used up their COVID assistance funding and are struggling with other federal support, either being dropped altogether or caught up in new requirements or being reviewed.

County governments have not been the only ones suffering as a result of federal upheaval, either. Parks, farmers, nonprofits, schools, health services and libraries have all been impacted.

After months of deliberations and strategic cuts, the deficit was reduced to $1.5 million in December. Council determined that focusing on a one-year budget would allow the organization to maintain some additional personnel and services while allowing more time to address changes for 2027 and beyond.

Following a public hearing on Dec. 9, a 2026 budget was adopted.

The County’s budget process, past documents (including past budget books), quarterly reports and more can be viewed on the auditor’s webpages at https://www.sanjuancountywa.gov/2030/San-Juan-County-Budget.

With 2027 looking more dire than 2026, the Council intends to get to work right away on the 2027 budget. “The budget is all we are going to be talking about for a very long time,” Council Chair Kari McVeigh said, prior to approving the 2026 budget, noting that the things that were on the table to be cut remain on the table for cuts in 2027.

7. Two trials lead to conviction of Friday Harbor man

In November, Chan Su Choi, a 45-year-old Friday Harbor man, was convicted of four counts of rape of a child and four counts of child molestation. This was the second trial held on the matter. In the spring, the first trial ended in a mistrial.

In April 2024, a minor reported that Choi had molested her during the previous year, saying she had been “building up the bravery” to talk about it after a SAFE San Juans advocate visited the school’s health class the month before. In May, the victim spoke to a child forensic interviewer at the Brigid Collins Child Advocacy Center, where she gave a similar report. In January 2025, the victim asked to speak with law enforcement to report “snapshots” of memories that were returning to her. She described being raped by the defendant multiple times, starting when she was 7, and said that when she was older, she sustained injuries to her body after being raped by Choi.

To arrive at a guilty verdict, the jury had to agree unanimously, whether any aggravated circumstances existed. The jury voted yes on the following five factors: The defendant’s conduct during the commission of the crime manifested deliberate cruelty to the victim; the defendant knew or should have known that the victim was particularly vulnerable or incapable of resistance; the crime was part of an ongoing pattern of abuse of the same victim under the age of 18 manifested by multiple incidents over a prolonged period of time; the crime is an aggravated domestic violence offense; and the defendant used his or her position of trust, confidence and fiduciary responsibility to facilitate the crime.

8. Multiple unverified cougar sightings

Multiple unverified cougar sightings on San Juan Island in early August prompted local and state agencies to issue safety warnings to residents and hikers.

The first reported encounter occurred on Aug. 4 when Seattle visitor Leslie DeGasparis spotted what she believed was a mountain lion while running on White Point Road near Roche Harbor. DeGasparis described seeing a large animal with a face that approached within 10 feet before she backed away and fled to safety at a nearby home.

A second sighting was reported the same day in the same area by a local woman familiar with mountain lions from her time in Colorado. She encountered the animal at 20 yards while walking her dogs.

A third sighting near Snug Harbor was reported on Aug. 7. Because no photographs or videos were captured and the sightings weren’t witnessed by law enforcement or wildlife professionals, they remained unverified. The Sheriff’s Office planned to install trail cameras in the area.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife noted that while cougars are native to the state, their presence alone didn’t warrant management action. Wolf Hollow’s wildlife expert suggested any cougar would likely pass through the island quickly. Warning signs were posted on trails by Roche Harbor Resort and San Juan Island National Historical Park.

9. Tsunami alert

Tsunami alerts popping up on islanders’ cell phones the evening of July 29 caused some panic and confusion. The advisories were legitimate, stemming from an 8.8 earthquake off the Kamchatka coast in Russia. It is currently considered the sixth strongest earthquake on record. Similar to the frequently talked about Cascadia Subduction Zone, this quake also occurred due to a subduction.

The warning went out to residents up and down the Pacific coastline, Hawaii and as far away as Japan. Fortunately, although high waves were recorded in areas, the quake and resulting tsunami caused zero deaths and little damage.

San Juan County’s Department of Emergency Management kept the community updated through their own alerts, recommending anyone on the water in boats or kayaks be on alert for unusually strong currents starting after midnight on July 30, and lasting through the day. “Anyone contemplating swimming in the ocean should wait until Thursday. Significant current impacts are unlikely in the San Juan Islands, but not out of the question.”

The last notice reaffirmed a forecast of little or no impacts to the San Juan Islands, and they requested that anyone encountering anything unusual or witnessing impacts of any kind email Director Brendan Cowan at brendanc@sanjuancountywa.gov or post them to this post on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/sanjuandem/.

“REMINDER: current best available science tells us that we will always feel the earthquake if there are major tsunami impacts in the islands. That science continues to evolve, but that is our current understanding,” Cowan wrote in that third statement.

10. Spring Street students pull together to raise funds

Spring Street International School raised enough money to open in Fall 2025 after a summer of fundraising. In June, the school released a statement sharing its “dire” financial situation— which was attributed to low enrollment and financial mismanagement—and the need for $2 million in pledges to stay open.

A student-organized event raised over $83,000, and the school was able to reach the needed $1.6 million required to keep its doors open.

“The kids did an amazing job,” Angela Maguire, interim Head of School for SSIS, said of the student event. “It was completely student-organized: logistics, publicity, designing the program, organizing all the student speakers, and even the food.”

Spring Street had a tumultuous 2025, replacing both the Head of School and Chair of the Board after a third-party investigation revealed a change of culture and operations was necessary. Shortly after the change, Maguire became aware of the school’s financial mismanagement and dove in to fix the problem. The school has since raised enough funds, hired new staff, let go of others, and had a successful first semester including their first experiential trip since the switch.

11. K-pod has first baby since 2022

Southern Resident killer whales welcomed a new addition in December 2025 when an orca calf was spotted in Puget Sound on Dec. 9, marking the first birth in K Pod since 2022.

The calf, designated K47 and seen swimming near likely mother K36 (Yoda), represented a bittersweet moment for researchers. Dr. Deborah Giles of Wild Orca warned there was a high probability the baby would not survive to adulthood, noting K Pod had experienced an 11-year period without births and had the worst reproductive success among the three Southern Resident pods.

The endangered orca population stood at just 75 whales in 2025, down from 88 when they were listed as endangered in 2004-2005. K Pod numbered only 15 members. Scientists attributed the decline to severe food scarcity, particularly Chinook salmon from the Fraser River. Nutritionally deprived mothers frequently lost pregnancies or gave birth to stillborns. The year 2025 saw multiple calf deaths, including heartbreaking instances of mothers carrying their deceased babies.

Researchers emphasized that recovery required increased salmon abundance through fisheries reforms, habitat restoration, and potentially removing the lower four Snake River dams—efforts complicated by political opposition.

12. Mayor Ray Jackson acquitted in animal cruelty case

Mayor Raymont Jackson, 59, was found not guilty of animal cruelty on Oct. 24 in San Juan County District Court after three months of legal and public scrutiny over his treatment of 12-year-old terrier mix Sasha.

Jackson, whose singular term as mayor of Friday Harbor ends in January, was charged with one count of animal cruelty in the second degree after his dog was found with a neck wound from an electronic collar by concerned neighbors in August. He pleaded not guilty.

The state’s criminal case centered on witnesses and evidence from the first few days after Sasha was found. Details of the neck wound, as well as an intense foul odor from the wound, were presented. The collar was said to be extremely tight with a one-inch metal prong on the inside. The collar’s odor was so offensive that the deputy put it in the trunk of his patrol vehicle rather than the cab. A vet who responded to the call testified that the wound was likely long-standing and had developed over time. The prosecution argued that the situation could have been prevented and asked the jury to use common sense and experience to interpret the evidence around whether Jackson knew about and ignored the dog’s suffering.

Witnesses for the defense described the Jacksons’ relationship with Sasha as loving, and longtime neighbors and health care providers stated they’d never felt concerned about abuse or mistreatment, asserting that she was known for wandering off and rolling in things. The veterinary expert for the defense, based on viewing photos of Sasha’s wound, disagreed with the assessment that the wound was long-standing and stated she had seen lesions like this appear overnight in the past. The defense argued that the state hadn’t met its burden of proof because it wasn’t clear exactly what happened to Sasha or who was involved.

After a two-day trial, Jackson was found not guilty. However, because the bond was forfeited, the dog was not returned to the family.

13. Amazon begins delivering directly to the San Juans – causing controversy

In early 2025, Amazon began delivering directly to Friday Harbor residents, cutting locally owned Aeronautical Services that contracts with United Parcel Service out of the equation. Over the last few months, they began directly handling deliveries to Orcas and Lopez islands as well.

The change resulted in driver layoffs and the potential for ferries cluttered with off-island delivery trucks.

Washington State Ferries initially allowed Amazon to use Lot C in Friday Harbor as a storage and staging area to free up space on the ferries, but after backlash from Aeronautical Services, concerned citizens and the Town of Friday Harbor, that agreement was discontinued. Amazon’s now rents space from the Port of Friday Harbor for their operations.

Marc Franklin, Aeronautical Vice President, confirmed that they’ve had many layoffs and it will only get worse as Amazon takes over in Eastsound and on Lopez. He said that Amazon keeps the routes with the easiest and most cost-effective deliveries while Aeronautical only has “the inefficient, top of every mountain, and end of every long pothole-lined gravel road.”

The Amazon Delivery Service Partner (DSP) that now delivers to the island in Aeronautical’s place is Seattle Final Mile, owned and operated by former Amazon distribution employee Roy Mannix. Mannix moved to Burlington to open Seattle Final Mile when Amazon opened its distribution center there. He said he hoped to fill jobs with locals, and at a follow up interview in April said he was almost there.

“We are probably 90% local,” he said to the Journal, adding that he’s hoping to be in contact with the community as much as possible. “We have an active Facebook page under Seattle Final Mile – we use it for all mechanisms of community engagement.”