Earl Cowan promoted to Swinomish police chief

The sky has always been the limit for Earl Cowan, a licensed pilot who nonetheless started on the ground floor as a patrol officer with the Swinomish Police Department a decade ago.

Cowan, 38, a Texas native who grew up in Florida, has since earned his wings with the tribal force, having been named to succeed Lou D’Amelio as chief of police last week.

“I am blessed to work for an amazing community and to have a solid, talented group of law enforcement professionals on my team,” Cowan, who has steadily risen through the department’s ranks, told the Weekly News on Monday.

In his nearly 11 years...