Vol. 125, No. 98
News-Times Whidbey
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2015
Lessons in Internet safety
page A9
Your hometown newspaper for 125 years
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Oak Harbor Haggen up for auction By DAN RICHMAN
drichman@whidbeynewsgroup.com
Oak Harbor’s Haggen store is among the 33 “core” locations that the Bellingham-based grocery chain won court approval Friday to try selling as part of its bankruptcy. Though the auction could spell the end of Haggen as a grocery company, it does not necessarily dictate the Oak Harbor store’s closure — with the possible loss of 85-plus jobs — or even the end of the Haggen name on grocery stores, one expert said. Delaware bankruptcy court Judge Kevin Gross set Feb. 5 as the auction date for Haggen’s 33 core stores in Washington and Oregon, including the store on State Highway 20 in Oak Harbor. The sales are part of the Chapter 11 reorganizationSEE HAGGEN, A17
No jail for sailor who aimed gun at Hizon
Santa comes to town Photos by Debra Vaughn
By JESSIE STENSLAND jessie@whidbeynewsgroup.com
The young Navy man accused of pointing a loaded gun at an Oak Harbor councilwoman agreed to a plea bargain last week that came with no jail time. The Navy, however, is moving forward with an administration separation that could lead to the man’s discharge from the service, according to the prosecutor’s office. Councilwoman Tara Hizon said she is recovering from the harrowing experience and found the process SEE COURT, A16
Top photo, Eliana Brady, 6, Oak Harbor whispers her Christmas wishes to Santa. Photo at far left, students from Oak Harbor High School’s choir carol at downtown businesses. Above, McKaylee Bartow and Gracie Hitt, students at Oak Harbor Elementary School, enjoy some sweet treats. See story on page A9.
Commissioners adopt a ‘common ground’ budget for 2016 By DAN RICHMAN
drichman@whidbeynewsgroup.com
The Board of Island County Commissioners on Monday enacted an $83.2 million budget for next year and agreed to raise some additional taxes through three property-tax levies.
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The 2016 budget “is one of the largest policy documents we have, and I am super-proud of it,” Commissioner Jill Johnson said during Monday’s public hearing. Commissioner Helen Price Johnson later added, “We found common ground as a board and came forward with a really balanced budget for 2016.”
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The new budget “includes more revenue, which means the county can provide more services to its residents,” said Elaine Marlow, the county’s budget director, in an earlier interview. The budget is 8 percent larger than last year’s. It SEE BUDGET, A16
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