Island Hospital has apparently appointed eight local residents to a new ad-hoc Community Advisory Committee to increase community interaction with the hospital's Board of Commissioners.

Two Internet scams were reported this week. In one, an Anacortes woman lost several hundred dollars.

The Anacortes American is endorsing incumbent Mayor Dean Maxwell over challenger Laurie Gere for the Mayor's job, saying, "Maxwell has proven he can do this job well, and we think he can do it better than Laurie Gere can."

About two-dozen local retailers were briefed Wednesday by a Secret Service agent on how to prevent electronic fraud in their businesses in a presentation at the Chamber of Commerce.

The City Council Monday night began its review of the city's proposed $45.6-million 2014 budget, which marks an increase of about $1.8-million over the current budget.

Restaurant owner Laurie Gere has won the endorsement of the Skagit Valley Herald Community Editorial Board over incumbent Dean Maxwell for the upcoming Mayoral election.