Vol. 125, No. 43
News-Times Whidbey
SATURDAY, MAY 30, 2015
Author’s words grow on students
A10
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OH, state hit with $25 mil civil lawsuit Arrested holistic practitioner claims he can legally practice under ‘Nedicine’ trademark By JANIS REID Staff reporter
A holistic practitioner who was arrested by Oak Harbor police in March is suing the state Department of Health and the city for $25 million. C. Hugh Jonson filed the lawsuit in Federal Court in Seattle last month claiming that he should be able to practice “nedicine” — not to be confused with medicine — under a federal trademark. Jonson and the organization that issued his license are fighting on a national level to retain their right to practice their own brand of natural medicine. “THE THREATS and conduct of the state and its agents in attempting to interfere with my federally trademarked and licensed right to practice in the field of Nedicine under a regulated program of energetic natural medicine leaving me with no choice but to seek the protection of this court …,” Jonson stated in court documents. Jonson was arrested in March by Oak Harbor police on suspicion of practicing medicine without a license after opening Whidbey Naturals in December on State Highway 20. His partner, Arely Jimenez-Beckius, was arrested the previous month for the same reason. To date, neither practitioner has held a license to practice medicine in Washington state. A message left at a phone number listed on court documents for Jonson was unreturned by press time. SEE NEDICINE, A20
Photo by Ron Newberry/Whidbey News-Times
Students from Oak Harbor High School depart for the day Thursday after school was dismissed. Oak Harbor Public Schools is facing uncertainty in the future over how much student populations might be impacted by potential growth on the naval base.
Lawmaker wrangling stalling plans for coming school year
By DEBRA VAUGHN Staff Reporter
Oak Harbor School District is in a waiting game that’s left some crucial decisions undecided, including which schools some kindergarteners will attend next fall. Local school officials need to know if state lawmakers will
approve a measure to pay for full-day kindergarten and another that mandates how schools should reduce class sizes. School officials have a long list of details that need to be buttoned down before students return to class in the fall. For starters, they may need to hire teachers, buy thousands of dollars of SEE SCHOOLS, A12
Disease-stricken starfish population starting to rebound By JANIS REID Staff reporter
Sea stars around Whidbey Island are making a slow recovery after the effects of a deadly dis-
ease wiped out millions of them over the past year. Locals who frequent the shores and sea floor of Puget Sound are seeing a new, healthy population
of sea stars. “So far we don’t see wasting sea stars around Whidbey, and we all hope it will stay that way,” said Langley diver Jan Kocian.
“Of course, the numbers are still way down and certain species of sea stars are still missing, especially the Sunflower star.” Initially puzzled by the phenom-
ena, scientists finally pin-pointed the pathogen causing the sea star wasting disease late last year.
“Bringing independence to living and quality to life” Limited Availability
SEE REBOUND, A12
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