Health researchers are among the voices calling for police to stop using tear gas and pepper spray on protesters, because these chemical irritants can damage the body in ways that can spread the coronavirus and increase the severity of COVID-19. 

Black lives are being lost to COVID-19 at twice the rate of others. For protesters we talked to, that’s one more reason to be on the street. “If it’s not police beating us up, it’s us dying in a hospital from the pandemic,” one said.

Mayor Gere said the city cleaned Black Lives Matter sidewalk chalk art work in front of the Post Office after a citizen filed a complaint. Gere said she regrets the removal of the art work.

Skagit County on Friday received approval from the state Department of Health to officially move to Phase 2 of the Governor’s Safe Start Reopening Washington Plan. “We are excited to move forward. It is long overdue,” said Skagit County Public Health Director Jennifer Johnson.

The School District has named Dana Geaslen as the new Executive Director of Inclusion for the district, beginning her position at the end of August.

I want to address the community understanding that COVID-19 has had an enormous impact on our community for the past few months. We have seen many Counties in our state move to phase 2 and we are eager to join them.