Top ten of the year

Weekly staff report

At the end of the year, the Weekly takes a look at the biggest headlines of the past 12 months. We choose the top 10 from our most read online stories as well as events we feel impacted and shaped our community.

1. Keaton Farris dies in jail

Keaton Farris, 25, of Lopez Island, died of dehydration and malnutrition in the Island County Jail on April 8. Prior to his death he was shuffled among three jails before being booked into the Coupeville lockup. He was in the throes of mental health crisis when he was taken into custody March 20 in Lynnwood. He missed court that day, and a San Juan County judge issued a $10,000 warrant. Farris was charged with identity theft for forging a $355 check in San Juan County. Outcry from Farris’ family, friends and community have raised questions about how the justice system deals with mental health. The family has reached a $4 million settlement with three counties.

2. State ferry reservations have a bumpy start

The Washington state ferry system began operation of the ferry reservation system on Jan. 5 of this year. The new system was met with resistance, particularly from the island communities. Islanders had grown accustom to being limited by the ferry schedule, but some felt that the reservation system added more of a burden to islanders, and pandered to tourists.

The WSF administration has had several meetings to hear from islanders about how they feel the reservation system is doing, and is asking for feedback or comments.

3. Bob Myhr retires

OPALCO board member, Bob Myhr, will retire at the end of this year. Myhr is currently serving as vice president and represents District 3, comprised of Lopez, Decatur, Center and Charles islands. He joined the co-op in 1967, and was elected to the board in 1986.

4. New county sheriff

Sheriff Ron Krebs was sworn in Jan. 1. He is San Juan County’s 18th sheriff. Running on improving communication, professionalism and strengthening moral within the sheriff’s department, and improve communication with the public as well as other agencies the department works with. This resonated with voters, who elected him by 64 percent. During a survey taken in March 2015, voters reiterated their concern about relationships between the public and deputies. “My goal is to change that quickly,” Krebs said. “There is absolutely no reason that our deputies should not be professional and friendly in our community.”

5. Lopez school welcomes a new superintendent

Brian Auckland has been named the new superintendent of Lopez Island School District. In August of 2014, Auckland was hired as the interim elementary principal and special services director, replacing Lisa Shelby who has returned to Alaska. Auckland’s aunt lives on Lopez so he visited the island often throughout his life.

6. Dinosaur bone found on Sucia Island

Washington is now the 37th state where dinosaur fossils have been found. The fossil was collected by a Burke Museum research team along the shores of Sucia Island State Park in the San Juan Islands. The find is exciting and rare for Washington state, which was mostly underwater during the period that dinosaurs lived.

Because dinosaurs were land animals, it is very unusual to find dinosaur fossils in marine rocks—making this fossil a lucky discovery.

The fossil is a partial left femur of a theropod dinosaur, the group of two-legged, carnivorous dinosaurs that includes Velociraptor, Tyrannosaurus rex and modern birds. The fossil is 16.7 inches long and 8.7 inches wide. Because the fossil is incomplete, paleontologists were unable to identify the exact family or species it belonged to. However, Sidor and Peecook compared the fossil to other museums’ specimens and were able to calculate that the complete femur would have been over three feet long – slightly smaller than T. rex. The fossil is from the Late Cretaceous period and is approximately 80 million years old.

7. The new Samish ferry

Washington State Ferries took possession of the $126 million Samish from boat builder and contractor Portland, Ore.-based Vigor Industrial in early April. Following two months of sea trials and crew training, the Olympic Class ferry began service on the Anacortes/San Juan Islands route Sunday, June 14, on the eve of the summer sailing season.