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SATURDAY, MAY 24, 2014 | Vol. 90, No. 41 | www.SOUTHWHIDBEYRECORD.com | 75¢
County to open offices for Friday service
ProBuild closes
By JESSIE STENSLAND South Whidbey Record
By JANIS REID South Whidbey Record County offices will be open to the public on Fridays starting the third week of June. Commissioners approved an ordinance at their May 12 regular meeting that rolled back staffing and office hours cutbacks dating back to 2009. “I’m grateful that our economy has come back that we are able to sustain this,” said Commissioner Helen Price Johnson. “I hope it’s helpful to folks. Having access to county services is an important part of renewal and development.” Last year’s budget revealed that the county had started to recover from the recession, and commissioners have been slowly reviving programs and services that were cut for several years. The closure of departments like planning, public health, the auditor and others has been troublesome to real estate brokers and builders who have complained about delays due to lack of access and delayed permitting. “I agree that this is a good moment for Island County,” Commissioner Jill Johnson said. “It is important for our community to do transactional business five days a week. This allows that.” The new hours for county administrative services will be 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, including offices for the Treasurer, Auditor, Assessor and the Commissioners Office. The public counters for Public Works, Planning and Public Health will reopen See Fridays, A15
Hospital nurse accused of patient assault
North Whidbey, and Marc Hennemann and Aubrey Vaughn of Camano, were selected at an Island County Republican Party meeting Tuesday, according to party Chairman Tim
A nursing administrator at Whidbey General Hospital is being investigated for allegedly assaulting a patient in restraints last week, according to the Island County Sheriff’s Office. Tom Tomasino, the hospital CEO, claims that the hospital believes the allegation is unfounded and the nurse is innocent. “The nurse mentioned in the complaint has more than 30 years of experience, has cared for thousands of patients and has never been accused of any inappropriate behavior toward any patient,” he wrote in a letter to the Whidbey News-Times editor. He pointed out that “the incidents of combative patients who instigate violence against hospital staff” is on the rise both locally and nationally. “Violent patients require one-on-one care and may erupt with verbal or physical assault without warning,” he wrote, “often requiring physical intervention to protect patient and staff from harm.” The nursing administrator accused of the assault is still working and not on leave. Coupeville Marshal Rick Norrie is continuing to investigate the incident that was witnessed by several people, Island County Sheriff Mark Brown said. He was surprised that someone would make a claim about the innocence
See candidates, A24
See nurse, A15
Justin Burnett / The Record
ProBuild in Clinton closed Friday, leaving the community without its own building supply store for the first time in nearly 50 years.
Builders lament loss of Clinton lumberyard By JUSTIN BURNETT South Whidbey Record
Ben Watanabe / The Record
Patrick Berry loads a door into a box truck May 23, the last day ProBuild in Clinton was open.
Clinton is without a building supply store for the first time in over 45 years today. ProBuild surprised island contractors and the greater Clinton business community early this week when it announced it would close its doors Friday afternoon. The building and lumber supply store, located next to South Whidbey Animal Clinic on Highway 525, notified customers of the closure with a message on its roadside reader-board sign. “It went from ‘help wanted’ to ‘we’re closing’ in one day,” said Dave Johnson, of Price Johnson Construction. The Clinton-based builder said ProBuild was his main See probuild, A14
Republicans pick three to replace Emerson Island GOP expected resignation
By JANIS REID South Whidbey Record Island
County
Republicans have selected three possible candidates to replace former commissioner Kelly Emerson for the District 3 seat. Emerson gave a oneweek notice May 5 and filed to run for Kitsap County Auditor last week.
With the sudden vacancy, state statute requires that the resigning commissioner’s party — in this case, the Republican Party — put forth three people for selection by the remaining commissioners. Richard Hannold of