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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2014 | Vol. 90, No. 88 | www.SOUTHWHIDBEYRECORD.com | 75¢
Republicans lead on election night Hannold, Grone and Crider all ahead By JESSIE STENSLAND South Whidbey Record It appears from the first count of ballots Tuesday night that the Republican momentum nationwide was felt in Island County. Republican candidates are ahead in all but one of the contested local and legislative races affecting Island County. The bid for the Island County commissioner district 3 seat, however, is still too close to call. Republican candidate Rick Hannold, a North Whidbey resident, is ahead of Camano Island Democrat Karla Jacks by just 301 votes. Hannold has 11,868 votes, or 51 percent, while Jacks has 11,567, or 49 percent. In an interview after the results came in, Hannold said he was expecting a close race. “It’s too early to get excited,” he said, noting that he was behind in the first count of the primary race. Hannold said he was grateful to his loyal volunteers, who he said made up for the big disparity in spending between him and
Prosecutor, police to investigate former transit chief By JESSIE STENSLAND South Whidbey Record
Megan Hansen / The Record
Rachel McDougald and Toni Craggs open and sort ballots turned into the Island County Auditor’s office. Jacks. “It was really a shoe leather, grassroots campaign,” he said. Jacks could not be reached for comment. In the spirited race for county treasurer, Republican candidate Wanda Grone is ahead of her former boss, incumbent Ana Maria Nunez, a Democrat. Grone has 12,459 votes cast in her favor, or 54 percent, while Nunez has 10,507 votes, or 46 percent. Grone said Tuesday that
she’s crossing her fingers. “I’m encouraged by the early vote count,” she said, “but I learned in the primary the person with the most votes isn’t necessarily the person who wins.” Nunez offered a prepared statement. “During our nation’s worse recession,” she said, “I was able to invest our scarce dollars to see gains and more importantly my office kept people faced with tax foreclosures in their homes. I hope the good
citizens of Island County will continue to be as well served as I have served them.” Island County Auditor Sheilah Crider, a Republican, is ahead with 12,368 votes, or 56 percent. Challenger Rebecca Wagner, an independent, garnered 9,553 votes, or 44 percent. In state Legislative District 10, Rep. Norma Smith, R-Clinton, is far ahead of Libertarian challenger Michael Scott. Smith has 77 percent in the district
while Scott has 23 percent. Rep. Dave Hayes, R-Camano, is also leading his opponent, Skagit County Democrat Nick Petrish. Hayes has 59 percent of the vote and Petrish has 41 percent. The one bright spot for Democrats is the race for the U.S. House seat. Rep. Rick Larsen, the Democratic incumbent, is ahead of Republican challenger B.J. Guillot. Larsen has 62 percent and Guillot has 38 percent.
The Washington State Patrol agreed to conduct a criminal investigation into “certain conduct” described in an audit report of Island Transit, Island County Prosecutor Greg Banks said Monday. Banks said the investigation will look into “irregularities in compensation” described in the recently released report from the state Auditor’s Office. He said he didn’t want to be too specific because the investigation may be larger in scope. The accountability audit largely focused on Martha Rose, the former executive director of Island Transit. The auditors found discrepancies between her calendar and her vacation leave balance. Banks said State Patrol Chief John Batiste authorized the investigation, but he hasn’t discussed it with SEE INVESTIGATION, A9
Business owner to boost veteran fundraiser By JUSTIN BURNETT South Whidbey Record
Justin Burnett / The Record
Whidbey Veterans Resource Center President Greg Stone shakes hands with Lucas Jushinski at the organization’s South Whidbey headquarters. Jushinski is helping the nonprofit boost a fundraiser with a $10,000 matching grant.
Lucas Jushinski has done it again. For the fourth time this year, the Freeland business owner has offered a South Whidbey-based community group a chance to raise some much needed capital with what are quickly becoming his signature grant offers. Like he’s done with two other non-profit organizations, Jushinski recently committed to matching up to $10,000 to boost a fundraising effort by the Whidbey Veterans Resource Center in Bayview.
“It’s an extraordinarily selfless and meaningful gesture by Lucas for veterans and their families,” said Greg Stone, president of the resource center. Believed to be the only one of its kind in the state, the resource center offers a host of services for the island’s estimated 13,000 non-active duty veterans. It’s also short on cash, and this fundraiser will go a long way toward keeping the doors open, he said. The effort kicks off with a showing of “Soldier’s Sanctuary,” at 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 8, at the Clyde Theater in Langley. The founder of Seattle-based PeaceTrees
Vietnam, Jerilyn Brusseau, as well as Quang Le, the group’s in-country director, will be in attendance. Jushinski offered the same grant incentive to Good Cheer Food Bank this past summer, which resulted in $35,000 raised for the Fresh Food on the Table program. He’s presently engaged with a second effort with the same organization and another with New Stories, a Freeland nonprofit dedicated to “inspiring social change through experiences SEE JUSHINSKI, A9