Sounder The Islands’
Serving Orcas, Lopez and San Juan County
WEDNESDAY, December 30, 2015 n VOL. 48, NO. 52 n 75¢ n islandssounder.com
See you in 2016!
The top stories of 2015
Contributed photo
Above: The new Samish ferry. At left: Paramedics at the scene of the hit-and-run in Eastsound.
Ian Terry / The Herald
Tiffany Ferrians holds a portrait of her son Keaton Farris at her home on Lopez Island.
At the end of the year, the Islands’ Sounder 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 our communities.
#1 Keaton Farris dies in jail
On April 8, at 12:40 a.m., corrections officers at Island County Jail found Keaton Farris, 25, dead in his cell. Farris, a former Lopez resident, was being held on charges of forging a check in San Juan county. Following Farris’ death came resignations, suspensions and disciplinary administrative leave for four jail employees, including the jail administrator. Farris had died of dehydration and malnutrition. Detective Doug Wallace investigated the suspicious death of Farris, releasing an extensive 700-page report on his findings. “Systemic failures” were identified as leading to the death. Since Farris’ passing, family and friends have been protesting the jail, calling for better treatment of inmates, especially those with mental illness. Farris’ parents Fred Farris and Tiffany Ferrians called the jail many times to advise their son struggled with bipolar disor-
Cali Bagby/Staff Photo
der, and needed his medication. Farris’ family reached a $4 million settlement with Island, San Juan and Skagit counties. His parents filed the claim in August, alleging corrections officers neglected their son and withheld food and water.
#2 Orcas teacher charged with sexual misconduct
Orcas High School teacher, Gerald Grellet-Tinner, 59, was accused of having a sexual relationship with an 18-year-old student in early October. GrelletTinner plead not guilty during his arraignment in San Juan County Superior Court on Nov. 6. After an investigation by the San Juan County Sheriff ’s Office, and an outside investigator retained by the Orcas Island School District, Grellet-Tinner was arrested in late October. His bail was posted at $100,000. He posted the money himself and was released. Grellet-Tinner has been charged with two felony counts of sexual misconduct with a minor. His trial
is slated for Jan. 11, 2016.
#3 WSF 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. Online message boards were filled with images of empty boats that were designated as “full.” Some hotel owners said it was great for business while others said they lost last-minute travelers. Washington State Ferry and county officials have held public meetings with the community about fixing problems with the new system in time for the 2016 tourist season.
#4 Hit and run in Eastsound
Emily Foster, 18 at the time of the accident, was struck by a vehicle at the intersection of Main Street and North Beach Road at around 10 a.m., on Wednesday, April 8. Eyewitness accounts said Foster was struck and flew up over
the car. She was airlifted off the island for treatment and released the same day. Foster sustained road rash, swelling on her face and a sprained knee and back. Benjamin Robert Hanks, 29 at the time, plead guilty to Vehicle Assault (Class B) with DUI, for the accident. He confessed to smoking “large amounts” of marijuana before driving. He was sentenced to six months in jail.
#5 OPALCO buys Rock Island
Communications
In February, General Manager Foster Hildreth announced that Orcas Power and Light Cooperative had acquired Rock Island Communications. Rock Island merged with OPALCO to deliver modern, scalable and reliable broadband services for homes and businesses in San Juan County. Public reaction to the merger was mixed. Outraged community members vented frustrations over a lack of transparency, not enough community input and a “breach of ethics.” While others jumped on board for getting broadband in their neighborhoods. A couple of months after announcing the acquisition, OPALCO announced a rate increase. OPALCO cited the new broadband service and a warmer weather caused revenue shortfall
for the increase. In response to the community outcry, OPALCO returned to the drawing board while introducing a temporary recovery surcharge. In December, OPALCO announced the budget for the coming year. Included: a billing increase of 5 percent spread equally over energy and facility charges; a new Energy Assistance Program for qualifying fixed and low-income members; and temporary adjustment in members’ Capital Credit distribution. Also announced was that the temporary revenue recovery add-on line item will end at the end of the month. Energy efficiency and conservation rebates will available through the summer. Additionally, the budget includes: analysis about the benefits of electricity over gas and propane; analysis of OPALCO expenses versus co-ops on the mainland; and planning for a pilot community solar project.
#6 Orcas School construction unveiled
The $11.9 million Orcas School construction project concluded in
SEE TOP STORIES, PAGE 7
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