Top stories of 2025: Part 1

By Colleen 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 one. We selected the top stories from our most-read online articles and events that we believe had the most significant impact on our communities. Watch for part two in our next edition.

1. Community rallies around Lopez School in face of budget shortfall

The Lopez Island Education Foundation allocated $140,000 in community-raised donations this fall to support Lopez Island School for the 2025-2026 academic year.

The gift builds on the $55,000 that LIEF allocated last year to Lopez Island School District to help close the district’s 2024-2025 budget deficit and over $15,000 to fund teacher grants for field trips, classroom curriculum and enrichment intensives, reflecting a sustained community effort to help stabilize Lopez School funding.

“These major contributions reflect our deep commitment to sustaining and enriching the educational experience for our island’s children during this financial crisis,” according to the Lopez Island Education Foundation.

The district is facing a budget shortfall of over $300,000 this year alone due to underfunded mandates, declining enrollment and legislative revenue restrictions.

LIEF continues to carry out its mission by providing essential educational and enrichment support to the school. Last year, it funded 25 teacher grants supporting curriculum, science, outdoor education, arts and enrichment opportunities for Lopez students.

The Lopez Island Education Foundation relies on community donations to support the Lopez Island School. More information, including how to donate, is available at www.lopezeducation.org/donate.

2. Lopez Lobos sports continue to soar

Girls soccer posted a strong season, finishing 6-2 in league play and 14-5 overall.

Lopez High School girls soccer coach Galen Westervelt was named the Northwest 1B/2B Girls Soccer Coach of the Year after leading the Lady Lobos to a 7-0 start and a runner-up league finish in the program’s second season. Four players earned First Team All League recognition: seniors Evelyn Aguilar Clavel, Naima Garcia and Kaileah Poohl, along with junior Iris Ervin Mclean. Junior Audrey Roush and sophomore Lulu Velazquez were named to the Second Team All League. Sophomore Fatima Velazquez received honorable mention, rounding out an impressive list of awards for the girls program.

Lopez Island finished the boys soccer season with a 5-3 league record and an overall mark of 11-6-1, placing fourth in the 1B/2B standings. Senior Andris Meissner earned First Team All-League honors for his standout play. Senior Oliver Rick was selected to the Second Team All League, and sophomore Huck Henderson received honorable mention for his contributions.

In volleyball, Lopez Island had two athletes named to the Second Team All-League. Senior Betty Burt and junior Ruby Sausman were recognized for their strong seasons. Junior Kylie Willemsen earned honorable mention, rounding out the Lobos’ all-league recognitions.

The Lopez golf team finished third overall in the league, and the boys finished sixth. Several players qualified for postseason play. Four girls qualified for tri-districts at Battle Creek in Marysville: Ana-Sophia Rempel, Josie Luckhurst Slattery, Mira Velo and Kialeah Poole. Among the boys, Ulises Velazquez Cerda and Henry Robles also went to Marysville. From there, the top eight boys and top 16 girls in the field went to the state championship in Spokane at Meadowbrook, with Poole and Luckhurst Slattery making the cut.

Two recent Lopez graduates are applying what they learned at LIHS to pursue careers in athletics.

Ethan Patrick, a multisport athlete, committed to playing basketball at the next level with a semi-professional team in Rome, Italy. He was assigned to a team based on the results of tryouts upon arrival. He had an accomplished athletic career at Lopez. This past season, he helped lead the school to a soccer championship and earned First-Team All-League honors in both soccer and basketball.

Lilli Nichols will continue her soccer career at the NCAA Division III level with Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa. Practice began Aug. 17 for the Cornell Rams, facing a full slate of Midwestern Conference opponents. Fans can watch Nichols and the Rams online at cornellrams.com/watch.

Nichols expressed gratitude for her time as a student-athlete at Lopez Island High School and credits the program for sparking her passion for the game.

“My time on the Lopez soccer team gave me a love for soccer, allowing me to try a sport I had never tried before,” she said.

3. Lopez Park and Rec district formed; levy rejected

Lopez voters approved the formation of a Lopez Parks and Rec District, but the levy did not get the 60% supermajority necessary to pass. The vision for Lopez Rec included funding for school sports, so the path forward will now be determined by the elected commissioners, with community input.

The election of Park and Rec commissioners was a tight race. Chuenchom S. Greacen narrowly beat Bridie Spreine for position four and Christopher “Kit” Ledbetter beat Dan Post by one vote. San Juan County was notified by the Office of the Secretary of State that a recount was required, and the results showed that candidate Ledbetter won by one vote.

4. UW Medicine Primary Care did not renew contract

The boards of Lopez Island Hospital District and Catherine Washburn Medical Association received unexpected news on June 30, 2025, that the University of Washington would not renew its contract to manage the UW Lopez Island Clinic once the contract expires on June 30, 2026.

While the two organizations had been aware that UW Medicine, like many health systems across the country, was experiencing funding challenges due to state and federal cuts, this decision came as a surprise—not only to LIHD, CWMA, and Clinic staff, but also to the UW administrative team the groups work with to operate the Clinic. Following this news, the two organizations immediately began work to ensure that primary care remains available on Lopez Island.

Since the announcement, transition planning has been led by two working groups supported by consultant Jody Carona of Health Facilities Planning and LIHD Superintendent Edee Scriven. Each group includes two board members from LIHD, two from CWMA, and community members. One group focused on partnering with a new health care system to operate the Clinic; the other researched the viability of an independently-operated Clinic.

Both organizations held special board meetings, posted regular updates, organized listening sessions with local organizations and individuals, conducted a survey of responses from approximately 600 Lopez households, and held a Town Hall. In mid-December, representatives from CWMA and LIHD began discussions with a regional health care system about a potential partnership. They also consulted legal counsel regarding governance and regulatory requirements, should it be necessary to operate the Clinic independently of a health care partner.

UW Medicine continues to operate the Lopez Island Medical Clinic with its dedicated staff, including a full-time Physician Assistant, nursing triage, telemedicine services, and additional temporary providers currently scheduled through March. Same-day appointments remain available, along with lab and x-ray services

To keep the community informed, CWMA and LIHD post updates regularly on their websites, Lopez Rocks, and the LIHD Facebook page. To receive email updates, sign up to “Stay in the Loop” at https://lopezislandhd.org/. LIHD Superintendent, Edee Scriven, can be reached at superintendent@lopezislandhd.org or 360-468-1845.

5. ICE comes to San Juan County

On July 11, masked ICE agents arrived on San Juan Island without informing local law enforcement. They removed two community members, Guilherme Silva and Pedro Moreno, detaining them without warning or criminal warrants. Both men were ultimately detained at the Tacoma ICE detention center. Online and local fundraising campaigns raised $20K for Moreno and more than $50K for Silva, whose pregnant wife was very vocal on social media about the situation.

Moreno was in the country illegally, and after a failed attempt at obtaining a visa while detained, decided to self-deport in September.

Silva was ordered to be released on bond in immigration court, but was instead arrested by Homeland Security on charges of possession of depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct and sexual exploitation of a minor. He was held at Whatcom County Jail starting on July 29. On Oct. 6, his case was dismissed with prejudice. Silva’s son was born four days after the dismissal.

The prosecutor who submitted the motion for dismissal stated, “The State believes additional time is needed for the investigation to be completed. Based on the investigation, the state may elect to refile charges in the future.”

Silva’s immigration case has been transferred to California, where he now resides with his family. His next hearing is scheduled for early 2026.

6. San Juan County confronted a historic health care crisis in 2025

San Juan County residents faced an unprecedented health care crisis throughout 2025 as insurance options collapsed and access to care deteriorated.

The year brought a stark reality when LifeWise Health Plan of Washington exited the market, leaving San Juan County as the only county in Washington state with a single insurance provider. Ambetter Health remained the sole option for self-insured individuals and small business owners.

The crisis deepened when Medicare eliminated telehealth coverage for most medical appointments, forcing elderly islanders to travel to the mainland for routine care. Ellen Roberts and other residents described spending entire days traveling by ferry just to receive test results.

Premium increases of 25-30% hit hard, with some residents facing monthly costs exceeding $2,800. Network concerns mounted as Ambetter offered no in-network services on Lopez or Orcas islands, and no bronze plans were available for 2026.

Lopez Island faced additional uncertainty when UW Medicine announced it would end its clinic contract in June 2026 without a replacement provider identified.

County officials contacted federal and state legislators throughout the year, with Councilperson Justin Paulsen warning that the potential elimination of ACA subsidies would exacerbate the crisis. The situation left many island families choosing between financial survival and health coverage.