Posted in Not sports? Tough!, tagged conservation district, farm planning, horses, Kelsi Mottet, Whidbey Island on October 20, 2020| Leave a Comment »
Kelsi Mottet
Not all Videoville alumni ended up as isolation-lovin’ writers.
Some, such as the very-talented Kelsi (Franzen) Mottet, went into public service and are making an impact on life in their community.
Take a gander at the video below to see Kelsi, now the Natural Resource Planner for the Whidbey Island Conservation District, at work.
Focusing on farm planning, the video also features photo-bombing horses Legacy and Adonis, so … bonus.
Posted in Not sports? Tough!, tagged contest, Coupeville, Halloween, pumpkin carving, spooky season on October 15, 2020| Leave a Comment »
Sharpen your knives, it’s spooky season.
Coupeville merchants are sponsoring a virtual pumpkin carving/painting contest, and you can get all your pertinent info by looking at the picture above.
To submit your pumpkin-scented pics, pop over to:
Posted in Not sports? Tough!, tagged books, Coupeville, free library, Siamese cat, virtual costume party on October 9, 2020| Leave a Comment »
Escape the world and disappear inside a book. (Photos courtesy Rainy Simpson)
They’re making the world better, one book at a time.
Three Coupeville siblings have created a unique lending library which has quickly become the go-to place for local readers.
Called “Pages on Pennington,” since it’s located at 992 Pennington Loop, the little free library is the brainchild of the Simpson kids.
Laken (5th Grade), River (3rd), and Stone (Kindergarten) started off by running a farm stand during the summer of 2019.
The Simpson kids hard at work.
They sold their tasty treats by donation, and built up enough money in return that they decided to expand into the library biz.
Mark J. Orth, a talented woodworker and artist who hails from Langley, offered to build the enclosure for their books for free, as long as the Simpsons paid for the cost of materials.
Once built, the library was placed in front of their grandparents house, as it offered a prime spot to snag plenty of foot traffic.
While the masterminds behind the project are on the younger side, the library offers a mix of books for all ages.
An assortment of books fit for the season.
Children’s picture and board books, young adult, graphic novels, and both fiction and non fiction aimed at adults have found their way into the library.
There’s also a handy reading bench next to the library, and a Siamese cat named Heffner often shows up to hang out.
Later this month, the library is branching out, hosting a virtual costume party.
Join the fun.
In the end, the philosophy of the library is simple – take a book whenever you please, and leave one when you can.
And, either way, spread a little joy.
Posted in Not sports? Tough!, tagged Beavis and Butthead, burn ban, Fire Marshal, Island County Sheriff, light her up on October 2, 2020| Leave a Comment »
Gentlemen, get your matches ready.
Island County Sheriff Rick Felici, who doubles as the Fire Marshal, is allowing us to once again craft responsible mounds o’ flame.
Due to “the increase in fuel moisture levels and a return to more typical seasonal weather patterns,” the county burn ban vanishes at midnight, Friday, October 2.
All yard debris and land-clearing burning require a permit where open burning is allowed, with permits issued through the Island County Health Department.
To obtain a verbal permit for residential fires less than four feet in diameter, call (360) 240-5526 or (360) 428-1617, EXT 4.
For a written permit for fires over four feet in diameter, call (360) 679-7350 (North and Central Whidbey), (360) 321-5111, EXT 7350 (South Whidbey), or (360) 387-3443, EXT 228 (Camano Island).
Recreational fires less than three feet in diameter and two feet high do not require a permit.
Posted in Not sports? Tough!, tagged cold case, Helena, Independent Record, Montana, murder, Oak Harbor on August 20, 2020| Leave a Comment »
An Oak Harbor man has been arrested in the 2011 Montana murder of the man seen above, Mike Crites. (Photo property of Helena Independent Record)
It’s the kind of story Ann Rule would have written.
A cold-blooded killing in Montana has led, nine years later, to an arrest on muggy Whidbey Island.
Oak Harbor resident Leon Michael Ford, 66, was arrested Wednesday and will be charged with deliberate homicide and tampering with evidence in the killing of a man whose chopped-up remains were found in trash bags in Helena back in 2011.
Both charges are felonies.
The remains of the victim, John “Mike” Crites, 48, were found in multiple locations.
Trash bags containing body parts were found at MacDonald Pass outside Helena in October 2011, followed by the discovery of more remains, including the victim’s skull, a year later near Elliston.
The two sites sit approximately 23 miles apart.
At the time of Crites death, Ford owned 15 acres north of the victim’s property northwest of Helena, according to a story in the Independent Record, a daily newspaper in Helena.
The victim and suspect were reportedly involved in a dispute concerning trespassing and property access, and were scheduled to meet on the last day Crites was seen alive.
Ford was arraigned Thursday in Island County, with his bail set at $500,000.
A second hearing has been set for Monday, Aug. 24, and law enforcement is asking for the suspect to be extradited to Lewis and Clark County, Montana.
The original story on the arrest:
A follow-up story detailing evidence allegedly linking Ford to the crime:
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