Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886
Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886
Sorted by date Results 151 - 175 of 202
Commissioners sign SR3 Freight Corridor funding letter County commissioners signed a letter to the legislative transportation committees regarding the state Route 3 Freight Corridor. According to the information packet, the letter is addressed to Sen. Marko Lias, chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, Sen. Curtis King, ranking member of the Senate Transportation Committee, Rep. Jake Fey, chair of the House Transportation Committee and Rep. Andrew Barkis, ranking member of the House Transportation Committee. The letter supports an...
State Route 302 near Victor closed until further notice Heavy rainfall triggered roadway settlement and sloughing, causing state Route 302 to close east of Victor in Mason County. According to a state Department of Transportation news release, An 80-foot section of highway settled more than 6 inches and WSDOT is in the process of identifying what work is needed to reopen the highway. Only local traffic is allowed from milepost 1 in Mason County to milepost 7.5 in Pierce County. People who usually use state Route 302 will need to use a 22-mile d...
MacEwen introduces bill to divest public funds from Russia Rep. Drew MacEwen, R-Union, has introduced a bill that would require state agencies in the state to cancel outstanding contracts with Russian companies. Because the legislative session is slated to end March 10, the bill is unlikely to be heard this session. According to a news release from House Republicans, MacEwen co-introduced the bill with Rep. Drew Stokesbary, R-Auburn. It would require the state investment board to divest from its pension and other investments Russian companies....
Contract amended for fire investigation services Mason County commissioners amended an agreement between the city and the Mason County Fire Chiefs’ Association at its March 1 meeting. According to the information packet, the scope of work includes “investigations into origin, cause, circumstances and extent of loss from fire whether of civil or criminal nature” and “to ensure cooperation among local fire districts, the state fire marshal and all state and county law enforcement and regulatory personnel.” One of five criteria is needed fo...
The Shelton Yacht Club announced Jim Ross is the 2022 commodore. According to a news release, Ross and his wife, Joanne, retired and moved to Washington in 2013. Ross joined the yacht club in 2017 and was elected rear commodore in 2020 and was vice commodore in 2021. Ross owned a 36-foot Grand Banks Trawler while living in Southern California. In 2016, the couple bought a Ranger Tug 27. In Dec. 2020, they traded for a 39-foot main ship 390. Ross's theme for the club's cruise schedule is...
Olympic National Forest gets money to repair damage Olympic National Forest received $1.7 million in disaster relief money to help access along Forest Service Road 29. According to a news release, the road has been closed since November due to debris flow and washouts caused by extreme weather. As a vital emergency route, the money will allow for installation of temporary structures that will allow access through the northwest portion of the Olympic Peninsula. Preliminary work, including design and planning, is underway by staff to prepare...
Crime was up in 2021 compared to 2020, according to data from the Mason County Sheriff’s Office. Calls for service were 23,836, which is about the level expected, according to Patrol Division Chief Ryan Spurling. In 2019, calls increased about 2,000 from 2018r and have been steady in recent years. “We were around anywhere from 20,000 to 22,000 and then we jumped all the way up to 24,000 and we’ve been pretty consistent,” Spurling said. He said the rise might stem from having more people here now because a lot of the people who had cabins...
Sewer hearing moved to 6 p.m. Mason County commissioners approved moving the time of a Belfair sewer public hearing to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, March 1. During the meeting, county resident Ken Vanbuskirk asked commissioners why the meeting was moved from 9:15 a.m. to 6 p.m., and commissioner Kevin Shutty responded that it was changed so more people could attend an evening public hearing. The first public hearing was Jan. 31 at 6 p.m. through Zoom, and the hearing lasted more than four hours. After hearing from county staff and the public,...
Sewer hearing moved to 6 p.m. Mason County commissioners approved moving the time of a Belfair sewer public hearing to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, March 1. During the meeting, county resident Ken Vanbuskirk asked commissioners why the meeting was moved from 9:15 a.m. to 6 p.m., and commissioner Kevin Shutty responded that it was changed so more people could attend an evening public hearing. The first public hearing was Jan. 31 at 6 p.m. through Zoom, and the hearing lasted more than four hours. After hearing from county staff and the public,...
Mason County COVID-19 cases continue to decrease The county saw a decline in COVID-19 cases, recording 284 cases from Feb. 7 to Sunday. According to Mason County Division of Emergency Management, the seven-day case rate per 100,000 is 1,075.4 and the 14-day case rate is 2,146.2. Only one person was hospitalized as of Sunday and the county is 57.4% vaccinated. Several places in Mason County have COVID test kits and N95 masks. According to Mason County Director of Community Services Dave Windom, N95 masks are in Shelton at the Shelton Catholic...
Annas Bay Closure Response Plan amended An amendment to the closure plan for Annas Bay Shellfish Protection District was approved at the Mason County commissioners Feb. 1 meeting. According to the information packet, the original plan was completed in August 2018 and was amended in November 2018 before this amendment. The money for this plan is provided by the Hood Canal Coordinating Council. In September 2017, the state Department of Health changed the classification of approximately 1,220 acres of Annas Bay Commercial Shellfish Growing Area t...
Hood Canal Communications receives $5.3 million in grant money Hood Canal Communications announced the award of a $5.3 million broadband grant received from the Washington State Broadband Office in partnership with the Washington Independent Telecommunications Association. According to a news release, the grant is to extend broadband to residents and businesses in several unserved, low-density pockets of Mason County. HCC will contribute about $600,000 in matching money to bring the total...
Four appointed to MTA board Mason County commissioners appointed four new Mason Transit Authority Board members at the Feb. 1 commissioners meeting. According to the information packet, John Sheridan, Sandy Tarzwell, Wes Martin and John Campbell were appointed to the MTA board. Sheridan lives in Belfair and is on the Port of Allyn commission. Tarzwell lives in Shelton and is on the Shelton School Board. Martin lives in Grapeview and is on the Grapeview School Board. John Campbell is on the North Mason School Board. The commissioners received...
Shelton Boys basketball Shelton had a busy week with four games, defeating Rochester and Aberdeen before a last-second loss to Black Hills. The Highclimbers took down Rochester 73-38 on Jan. 25 at Terry Greg Court and hosted Aberdeen Jan. 27, earning a 73-28 win. Black Hills came to Shelton on Jan. 28, and lost on a last-second shot from Luke Ellison, 58-56. Shelton bounced back on Monday with a 61-53 win against the Tigers in Centralia. Shelton (8-6, 6-4) wraps up the regular season with two road games, facing Tumwater on Friday and Aberdeen...
Belfair sewer hearing Monday The Belfair Sewer Project public hearing is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Monday through Zoom. The link to join the Zoom call for public comment can be found at masoncountywa.gov. Questions and comments can be emailed ahead of time to [email protected], mailed to the commissioner’s office at 411 North 5th Street, Shelton, or call 360-427-9670, ext. 230. During the public comment portion of the Jan. 18 commissioners meeting, two people commented on the Belfair Sewer Project. Greg Sypnicki said he watched the March 2...
Little Creek Casino hosting vaccine clinic Friday Little Creek Casino is hosting a vaccine clinic from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday. According to a Mason Health Facebook post, Moderna and Pfizer boosters and Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson vaccine doses will be available. The clinic will be at the Skookum Creek Event Center, 91 W. state Route 108, Shelton. Anyone interested can register for the clinic by scanning a QR code on the flier. Work on North 13th Street Monday Shelton has hired a private contractor to work on North 13th Street...
Commissioners approve Homeland Security Program contract amendment Mason County commissioners approved a contract amendment with a state Homeland Security Program from the Washington State Military Department through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. According to the information packet, Mason County Emergency Management Division is part of Homeland Security Region 3 with Lewis, Thurston, Grays Harbor and Pacific counties. The contract pertains to an annual grant through the Homeland Security region. The grant money is distributed...
Griffey introduces bills on crime, transportation The 2022 legislative session began Jan. 10, and state Rep. Dan Griffey, R-Allyn, has introduced bills to address crime and transportation in the state. According to a news release, Griffey introduced five bills. House Bill 1656 would include concealment under the definition of theft in retail stores. House Bill 1292 would criminalize the act of knowingly providing pornographic and other harmful materials to a minor by anyone 18 or older. If passed, a person who provides harmful material to a...
Mason Health’s Pam Schlauderaff recognized by national organization Mason Health’s Director of Quality, Patient Safety and Regulatory Compliance Pam Schlauderaff was recognized as the community star for the state by the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health. According to a news release, the NOSORH honors people throughout the country who make contributions to improve rural health in the U.S. Schlauderaff was nominated by the Office of Rural Health within the state Department of Health. “To me, to even be nominated by the staff...
Shelton Boys basketball Shelton played its first game in almost a month, losing to Tumwater before defeating W.F. West at home. The Highclimbers fell 68-49 on Jan. 11 at Terry Gregg Court in Shelton before earning a 58-38 win against W.F. West on Jan. 13. Chuckie Thompson led Shelton with 20 points against the Bearcats and Mason Goos added 12 points. Shelton (5-5, 3-3) hosted Black Hills on Wednesday before traveling to Centralia on Friday to take on the Tigers in Evergreen Conference games. Girls basketball Shelton lost 76-18 on the road...
County responds to tribe’s letter on water rights Mason County commissioners approved a letter in response to the Squaxin Island Tribe’s letter about a Memorandum of Agreement on water rights between the county and tribe signed in February 2019. The Squaxin Island Tribe wrote a letter to the commissioners Dec. 8 addressing the MOA. The tribe summarizes its letter by saying “the county has failed to complete many tasks under the MOA in a timely manner and appears likely to miss upcoming deadlines. Please understand that the tribe may need to in...
6 county residents contract COVID-19 Mason County recorded 141 COVID-19 cases in the past week, according to the Division of Emergency Management. Two people died in the past week, including a woman in her 40s and a man in his 60s. The seven-day case rate per 100,000 people is 175.2 and the 14-day case rate per 100,000 is 300.1. Five people are hospitalized with COVID-19 and the county is 55% fully vaccinated. As of Dec. 20, 82.2% of eligible people in the state have received at least one dose of a vaccine and 75.6% are fully vaccinated....
6 county residents contract COVID-19 Mason County recorded 141 COVID-19 cases in the past week, according to the Division of Emergency Management. Two people died in the past week, including a woman in her 40s and a man in his 60s. The seven-day case rate per 100,000 people is 175.2 and the 14-day case rate per 100,000 is 300.1. Five people are hospitalized with COVID-19 and the county is 55% fully vaccinated. As of Dec. 20, 82.2% of eligible people in the state have received at least one dose of a vaccine and 75.6% are fully vaccinated....
American Rescue Plan Act money items approved The Mason County commissioners authorized County Administrator Mark Neary to use Americans Rescue Plan Act money for two items. According to the information packet, $42,000 will be used for the Lakeland Pump Station and $4,000 will be used for the Washington State Association of Counties 2022 dues. County receives competitive grant from Department of Ecology Mason County commissioners approved the authorization to accept a 2021-23 Shoreline Master Plan competitive grant from the state Department of...
Car drives off state Route 106 into Hood Canal A 76-year-old McCleary man drove off state Route 106 into Hood Canal on Dec. 15. According to a news release, the man was driving east and suffered a medical emergency and drove off the road to the right and struck an embankment. He drove his car back onto the road and crossed the center line and drove off the road to the left, rolling down an embankment and coming to rest in Hood Canal. The man was transported to Mason General and state Route 106 was blocked for an hour and 20 minutes. Democratic...
