Photos of the Year 2020
The best photos of 2020 taken by Skagit Valley Herald photographers Charles Biles and Oliver Hamlin.
Sedro-Woolley Bowling Alley
Kevin Griggs works behind the scenes to get the pinsetters dialed in Friday at the newly re-opened bowling alley in Sedro-Woolley.
Snow in Skagit
Brinley Holden, 5, zooms down the slope Tuesday behind Megan McBride, 10, during a snow day at a park in Mount Vernon’s Skagit Highlands neighborhood.
Alzheimer's Cafe
Ken Cossman dances with his wife Gwen, who suffers from dementia, as Marcia Kester plays music during an Alzheimer’s Café gathering in January at Magnolia Grill in Sedro-Woolley.
SWHS BEHS boys wrestling
Sedro-Woolley’s Bryce Farruggia throws Burlington-Edison’s Gus Menne on Wednesday night at 138 pounds.
Clear lake and Beaver Lake flooding
Vehicles splash through water in February over Beaver Lake Road near Clear Lake. The road and neighboring fields are among areas frequently flooded due to poor drainage in nearby creeks.
La Conner in state tournament
Rachel Cram (left) and her La Conner basketball teammates will open state tournament play Saturday at Mount Vernon High School.
Justine Benson profile - La Conner girls basketball
La Conner’s Justine Benson hustles to keep the ball in play Feb. 7 during a Northwest 2B/1B League game against Friday Harbor.
Concrete 8th graders Mountain School w/ NCI
Concrete eighth-graders gather around North Cascades Institute Snow School instructors Feb. 14 for a watershed and snow-melt lesson at the Mt. Baker Ski Area.
Cornoavirus shortages
Shelves are nearly bare of disinfectant wipes Tuesday at Target in Burlington.
Mary Purcell fogging
Laurie Van Pelt sprays a fine electrostatic mist of disinfecting solution in a classroom in March at Mary Purcell Elementary School in Sedro-Woolley.
Grocery delivery
Safeway employee Debbie Puckett places bags Thursday in a basket for Chatham Rochelle who is part of a church youth group that has volunteered to do grocery shopping for at-risk seniors.
Skagit's first COVID positive
Susanne Jones, of Bow, and her dog Brindy have been in quarantine since Jones became the first Skagit County resident to test positive for COVID-19.
Tulips
Charles Biles / Skagit Valley Herald file photo.
Jennifer Eddleman seniors fitness class
Jennifer Eddleman leads a class of 20 seniors through a warm-up Wednesday for a fitness class she teaches from her Burlington home.
National Guard distributes food
State National Guard Staff Sgt. Wayne Ocampo sorts food Thursday during a Helping Hands distribution day.
Testing begins in Skagit
Joan Rindahl, a registered nurse at the Everett Clinic, retrieves a testing swab Tuesday from Mount Vernon police Sgt. Walter Martinez on the opening day of drive-thru coronavirus testing at Skagit Valley College in Mount Vernon.
MVPD Fitness Challenge filming
Mount Vernon police officer Jon Gerondale caps off Thursday the push-up portion of this week’s segment of the Fit at Home Challenge with a clap between push-ups.
Skateboard Standalone 01
Mason Dewey of Mount Vernon performs a grab Wednesday at the Sedro-Woolley Community Skateboard Park.
Burlington Black Lives Matter Protest
A protest was held along South Burlington Boulevard Thursday, June 4, 2020 to raise awareness for police treatment of African Americans in the wake of the death of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minneapolis.
Burlington Black Lives Matter Protest
Protesters kneel during a moment of silence at a Black Lives Matter protest on Burlington Avenue on Thursday, June 4. The peaceful protest called for justice for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and other victims of police brutality.
Sedro-Woolley High School Graduation Parade 03
A graduating senior at Sedro-Woolley High School hugs a dog Friday while heading down Metcalf Street during the Cubs Cruisin’ to Graduation event in Sedro-Woolley.
Sedro-Woolley High School Graduation Parade 02
David Sanchez, a graduating senior at Sedro-Woolley High School, smiles as teachers, friends and family cheer him on Friday during the Cubs Cruisin’ to Graduation event in Sedro-Woolley.
Church Reopening 01
Kevin Schubkegel, a pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church, places letters on the church reader board Monday in Mount Vernon to inform congregants of in-building service. The church will hold its first in-building service at 7 p.m. Wednesday. Those planning to attend are asked to sign up beforehand and wear masks.
Conway Community Garden 1
Tommy Lindsey, 10, (from left) Alice Lindsey, 13, Eliza Lindsey, 15, and Miles Lindsey, 9, gather in their community garden Wednesday in Conway.
Black Lives Matter protest Mount Vernon
Protesters line the sidewalks Friday of the Fourth Street bridge in Mount Vernon in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.
DNR firefighter training
Firefighters begin pumping water to hose crews Thursday during the annual state Department of Natural Resources wild-land firefighter training near Hamilton.
La Conner HS graduation
Graduating senior Ian Heart Broker celebrates Thursday before the parade at the La Conner High School graduation in La Conner. The ceremony was held outside the gym at the high school while friends, family members and graduates waited, lined up their cars, for their turn at center stage to receive diplomas and take photos, all while maintaining social distancing due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Enjoying a warm day
Enjoying a warm day
Austin Bowman (right) and Dan Donnelly ride their stand-up jet skis Tuesday on Lake Campbell. The water sports enthusiasts say the stand-up style of jet skis is making a comeback in popularity.
Clear Lake Standalone 04
Blais Schmidt, an 11-year-old from Sedro-Woolley, prepares to plunge into Clear Lake on Monday. Temperatures rose to the mid 80s as people looked for ways to cool in the summer heat.
Virtual 4-H 01
Harleigh McSpadden, a 4-H member from Sedro-Woolley, attempts to get quarter horses Ruby, Twist and Sin to stand still for a portrait at LazyA Ranch Arena on Friday in Mount Vernon. McSpadden took home the top three spots in a virtual performance-class showcase.
Playing fetch
Playing fetch
Mount Vernon resident Ryan White holds up a stick for his dog, 3-year-old Harlowe, while playing fetch Monday at Edgewater Park in Mount Vernon.
Story time on the trail 01
Hollie Del Vecchio reads from StoryWalk signs to her children Zoe (left) and Owen on a trail at Northern State Recreation Area in Sedro-Woolley on Wednesday. The signs along the trail include pages from “Over in the Meadow,” retold and illustrated by Ezra Jack Keats.
Boys and Girls Club 01
A child at the Sedro-Woolley Boys & Girls Clubs day camp Aug. 18 raises his hand while participating in the Padilla Bay Interpretive Center “stay trip.”
Back to school photos 01
Adan Rodriguez, a third-grade teacher at Madison Elementary in Mount Vernon, gives a thumbs-up to students during the first moments of the first day of school in September.
Back to school photos 02
Fourth-grade teacher Emily Campbell shows Cooper Smith the different web pages used for online learning during a first day of school meeting Wednesday at Bay View Elementary School.
Back to school photos 04
Conway School District Superintendent Jeff Cravy picks up an extra face mask that was left by a student while being dropped off Tuesday.
Potato Harvest 01
Crews from Hughes Farms harvest potatoes Wednesday west of Mount Vernon, Wash.. Potatoes are the largest crop in terms of dollar value in the county.
Deborah Smeltzer 01
Deborah Smeltzer poses for a portrait Sept. 11 at the demonstration garden at the Washington State University Mount Vernon Research Center. Smeltzer is the Washington Master Gardener of the Year and the third from Skagit County to win the award in the past eight years.
Pumpkin Weigh-Off 03
William Beauchere reacts as his 959-pound pumpkin is weighed at the 10th Annual Skagit Valley Giant Pumpkin Weigh-Off at Christianson’s Nursery.
Spawning salmon
Spawning salmon
Salmon swim up the Samish River to spawn Monday near Burlington.
Hazy sunset
Hazy sunset
Kayakers paddle Thursday near Bay View State Park as a red-tinted sun sets behind them. Smoke from California wildfires has brought more haze to the region.
Puget Sound Food Hub Cooperative 01
Employees of the Puget Sound Food Hub Cooperative fill boxes with fresh produce Sept. 9 in the food hub's warehouse west of Mount Vernon. The food hub distributed 19,000 boxes from June through mid-September.
SVC Women's basketball practice 01
A Skagit Valley College women's basketball player catches the ball behind her back during practice Oct. 7 in Mount Vernon. Players had to quarantine with their housemates for 14 days before being allowed to practice.
Mariachi
Maria Arellano (center), Kimberly Olvera (left) and Janice Rico, all Mount Vernon High School students in the mariachi program, dance folklórico at the school on Sept. 30 in Mount Vernon. The program recently expanded with the hiring of mariachi teacher Ramon Rivera.
Well Fed Farms 01
Pigs raised at Well Fed Farms congregate Sept. 10 in a pen on the farm in Bow. The pigs are pasture raised and are moved around the farm to ensure they can continue to forage.
SWSD welcomes back students 01
Grace Hanshaw, a first-grader at Lyman Elementary, gets help from Ronda Oudman putting on a mask during the first day of in-person classes in October.
Socially Distanced 101st Birthday 01
Edith Thomas (center) waves Oct. 14 at members of First United Methodist Church in Mount Vernon during her socially-distanced 101st birthday party. The celebration featured about 20 decorated cars with horns honking and drivers waving.
Pumpkins at School 02
Teacher Roxanne McRae cheers with students in her kindergarten class at Central Elementary School while taking a group photo after picking pumpkins on Thursday in Sedro-Woolley.
Pumpkins at School 04
Sue Osgood watches her class of first graders as they walk back to class after picking pumpkins on Thursday at Central Elementary School in Sedro-Woolley.
Halloween shopping
Halloween shopping
Tristan Tallman, 3, reacts to a motion-sensor activated Halloween decoration Friday while looking for last-minute supplies with his mother Shea at Spirit Halloween in Burlington. He plans on dressing up as an aviator.
The birds
A flock of snow geese take flight Nov. 4 from a field north of Conway.
Deception Pass Preschool 01
A student in the Fidalgo Island Nature Preschool removes his mask while being covered in sand as others play on the beach on Oct. 28 at Bowman Bay. The school gives preschoolers the ability to interact with their peers and experience nature while they learn.
Fairground Test Site 01
People drive their cars through a barn Wednesday to get COVID-19 tests at the Skagit County Fairgrounds in Mount Vernon.
Socially Distanced Thanksgiving Portrait 01
Linda Allen, a Mount Vernon resident who is spending Thanksgiving alone due to rising COVID-19 cases, poses for a portrait Friday on her back porch with Phoebe, an 8-year-old miniature labradoodle. Allen plans on video-calling family on the holiday to stay in touch.
November Photo Gallery 02
An election worker checks over a ballot at the Skagit County Auditor's Office on election day in Mount Vernon.
November Photo Gallery 10
Anita Campos fills out a ballot while waiting in line at the Skagit County Auditor's Office on Tuesday in Mount Vernon.
November Photo Gallery 09
Army veteran Cyndi Wiese waves at a honking car as it drives by members of the George Baldridge American Legion Post 43 on Wednesday in Sedro-Woolley. The group stood on the corner of Ferry and Murdoch Street before marching through downtown Sedro-Woolley to honor veterans.
November Photo Gallery 11
Brandy Bowen, owner of Watermark Book Co., poses for a portrait in the bookstore on Nov. 13 in Anacortes. Bowen says she's stocked more merchandise this year to prepare for the holiday shopping season.
Admiring the view
Admiring the view
A heron sits atop a tree stump Wednesday in a field south of Edison.
Christmas Tree Farms 01
Kaylee (left) and her grandfather Dennis, who preferred not to give their last names, work together to cut down a tree Friday at Big Lake Trees near Big Lake. They said they had a harder time finding a Christmas tree farm this year as some places have been selling out early.
Covid Vaccine Arrives 01
Hospital workers watch Thursday as the first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine arrive in Skagit County at Skagit Regional Health in Mount Vernon. According to a spokesperson for the health care provider, staff will begin being vaccinated Monday.
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