Until further notice, State Route 9 is closed between SR 20 and West State Street (milepost 55) while repairs are made to a BNSF Railway signal box damaged on Nov. 1. Motorists should use alternate routes and expect delays. There is currently no estimated time for reopening.
Influenza and RSV activity are increasing in Skagit County, while COVID-19 levels remain steady and wastewater viral activity continues to be low, according to the county’s respiratory illness report for Oct. 19–25. Health officials encourage residents to take steps to prevent the spread of respiratory illnesses and keep the community healthy: get vaccinated, stay home if you’re sick or have symptoms, wash your hands often, and cover coughs and sneezes.
Public Works hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony for two Fisher Creek culvert replacement projects Friday in Mount Vernon. The culverts are located under Starbird Road and Cedardale Road, both on Fisher Creek. The old culverts barred endangered fish like chinook and steelhead from traveling upstream. After 17 months of work, the projects opened about 2,000 feet upstream for juvenile rearing habitat. Funding consisted of over $6 million in grant funding from the state and federal governments.
Skagit County hosted a community meeting at Maple Hall last Wednesday to share updates and answer questions from the community. Among the highlights: the county wrapped up the bulk of the Comprehensive Plan update and is currently working on the critical areas ordinance; in Sedro-Wolley, a new 48-bed behavioral health facility that expands on the Crisis Stabilization Campus is expected to open in 2026, providing a place where law enforcement and social workers can drop off people experiencing a mental health crisis or in need of withdrawal support; in Mount Vernon, Public Works replaced a culvert at the intersection of Dodge Valley Road and Valley Road and is planning to replace another culvert at the intersection of Valley Road and Alverson Road; and finally, the county has recently created a temporary technical advisory group to make recommendations for replacing the Guemes Island Ferry, which has become difficult to maintain.
The Emergency Management Commission will make a recommendation to the Town Council to purchase SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet kit to use in emergency scenarios. Starlink can provide high-speed internet and Wi-Fi calls in areas affected by natural disasters. It is also relatively easy to use and inexpensive — costing $500 for the equipment and $5 per month to keep on idle mode, the commissioners said. An amateur radio, also known as ham radio, could be used as a back up solution with equipment loaned from Skagit County, though the Town will need to find people qualified to operate it.
