Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886
Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886
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The North Mason School District has chosen three finalists for superintendent following an extensive search that began in August, the board of directors announced in a news release Jan. 23. The candidates are Benjamin Gauyan, assistant superintendent of Stanwood-Camano School District in Stanwood, Jeff Hardesty, superintendent of Oroville School District in Oroville, and Kristine Michael, superintendent of Northridge Local School District in Northridge, Ohio. All the candidates have Doctor of Education degrees. Gauyan has more than 30 years of...
Coroner releases 2024 death statistics Mason County Coroner Jaime Taylor has released the death review for 2024. Mason County had 237 deaths reported to the coroner's office, up from 228 in 2013. There were 70 accidental deaths, according to the report, an increase of five compared to 2024. Those accidental deaths include 14 traffic fatalities, two drownings, eight falls, two carbon monoxide poisonings, one hypothermia, two asphyxia, one acute alcohol poisoning and 40 drug overdoses including 25...
8th District Reps. Travis Couture and Dan Griffey, both Republicans from Allyn, and state Sen. Drew MacEwen, R-Shelton, have sponsored bills this session in the Democratic-led legislature. MacEwen sees hope for bipartisanship passage of some of those measures. “The 2025 session began with what served as a farewell speech from outgoing Governor Jay Inslee, which portrayed Olympia as a shining example for the nation to follow – and conveniently ignored the host of challenges facing Washingtonians,” MacEwen said in a news release. “To the sur...
Six pigs abandoned in the Hamma Hamma area in Olympic National Forest have been taken in by an animal rescue group in Roy. Heartwood Haven reported staff and volunteers captured the pigs, left along a U.S. Forest Service road, on Sunday. The pigs were "dumped in the woods in a remote location," the organization said in a news release. "This family has been in the wild for some time. They are very skittish, thin, and unsure of people," the release states. "They are slowly settling in and happy...
The Port of Allyn is owed thousands of dollars in unpaid water bills. Commissioners held a special meeting Monday to decide whether to attempt collection or write off the debts. "As of January 1st, 2023, accounting responsibilities were taken over by the Port current accountant, Erin Civilla. The previous accountant had difficulties accurately getting billing out consistently and removing and/or adding new users upon changes in service address occupants. This left outstanding balances with...
A projected budget shortfall spurred talk of a levy lid lift by the Port of Grapeview commissioners at a Jan. 21 meeting and workshop. "Timing is the most important thing here," Commissioner Jean Farmer said in discussing if and when to place a levy on the ballot. Commissioners said the port has limited revenue. Total 2025 revenue is budgeted at approximately $45,700, Commissioner Mike Blaisdell said at the workshop, including $29,476 from the current levy, approximately $13,000 from the boat...
North Mason library hosts “Dog Man” party The North Mason Timberland Library will be celebrating the upcoming animated movie “Dog Man” with a party from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday. The library is hosting a pet supply drive leading up to the party now through Saturday, and supplies can be dropped off during regular hours Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The pet supply drive benefits the Humane Society of Mason County and Adopt-a Pet of Shelton. Each organization has a list of preferred items on their websites at https://www.hsmcwa.or...
North Mason School District Superintendent Dana Rosenbach spoke to community members about the education programs and operations replacement levy on the Feb. 11 ballot at an information meeting at Hawkins Middle School on Jan. 14. Rosenbach began by talking about the McCleary decision, a ruling by the state Supreme Court ordering the state to fully fund K-12 public education. "Didn't the McCleary decision mean the state would fully fund basic education? The short answer is no," she said. Washing...
Mason County firefighters helping with the Los Angeles area fires continue to work long days and have remained safe so far, according to recent Facebook posts from Central Mason Fire & EMS. CMFE sent an engine Jan. 9 with three firefighters from CMFE and one crew member from North Mason Regional Fire Authority. Firefighter and EMT Beau Ward, Capt. Mark Frazier and Lt. Brandon Heggie are the crew from Central Mason Fire, and firefighter and paramedic Kyle Severance is from North Mason Fire, CMFE...
Mason County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested Belfair shooting suspect Michael Beyer, 45, collaring him as a passenger after a police pursuit and spike strip deployment stopped a fleeing vehicle Jan. 9 near Allyn. Beyer had an outstanding warrant for first-degree assault and unlawful possession of a firearm in connection with a Belfair shooting Jan. 6, according to MCSO. “This incident underscores the importance of recent updates to Washington State law allowing law enforcement to pursue vehicles in specific situations. Without the abi...
Pacific Mountain Workforce Development Council CEO William Westmoreland presented the group’s annual report to commissioners at a briefing Jan. 13. PacMtn is a regional Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act administrator and directs programs and activities using WIOA funding. In 2014, President Barack Obama signed the act into law as the first major reform of the public workforce system in 15 years, creating a streamlined workforce training and employment program, according to PacMtn’s website. When residents collect unemployment, they are r...
A new 20-minute seated lunch proposal from the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction falls short on details, according to North Mason superintendents. North Mason Superintendent Dana Rosenbach and Grapeview School District Superintendent Gerry Grubbs both like the sentiment behind the proposal but say the execution will be challenging. In April, OSPI issued a bulletin about the possible changes. "The State Auditor's Office conducted a Child Nutrition Performance Audit,...
A Shelton High School graduate serving in the U.S. Space Force will have an out-of-this-world assignment at Monday's presidential inauguration in Washington, D.C. Sgt. Nicholas Ames "will make history by bearing the Space Force flag in its inaugural debut as part of the Joint Service Colorguard," according to a military news release. Ames, 24, joined the Air Force after his graduation from SHS in 2019 and has served in the Space Force for five years. Space Force was established as a branch of U....
A group of Mason County firefighters is in Los Angeles helping battle wildfires. Central Mason Fire & EMS sent an engine Jan. 9 with three firefighters from CMFE and one crew member from North Mason Regional Fire Authority, CMFE Chief Jeff Snyder told the Journal in an email. They will be deployed for 14 days, along with travel time, and the total deployment will be 18 days, Snyder said. "Central Mason Fire & EMS Engine 57 has been assigned to a five-engine strike team out of Central Region...
Port of Allyn commissioners approved a settlement agreement with a developer at Tuesday’s regular meeting after a brief consultation in executive session with the port’s attorney. Details of the agreement between Cedarland Homes, LLC and the port are confidential, but an exchange between developer Joseph Cedarland, who operates Batjack Holdings, J & J Development and Cedarland Homes, and the commissioners at a November meeting could shed some light on the dispute. At that meeting, the port refused to sign a water connection agreement with MTT...
Free Christmas tree recycling extended Free Christmas tree recycling at the Belfair solid waste drop off, at 1611 NE Sand Hill Road in Belfair, has been extended through Jan. 25 from Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Mason County Garbage and Recycling curbside service customers can also cut up their trees and place them in their cart as part of their regular pickup, according to a county news release. The Shelton Transfer Station, at 501 West Eells Hill Road in Shelton, is also providing free tree recycling Monday through Sunday...
Belfair State Park is closed for emergency repairs at the Herald's press time Wednesday with a reopening date uncertain, according to park officials. A waterline leak has caused the shutdown, Washington State Parks Area Manager for South Sound Olyvia Buday told the Herald in an email. "At this time, we are in the process of locating a substantial leak in our waterline system. We believe we have located the source and are hoping to get the park up and running quickly but do not have a timeframe...
Couture prefiles bills on fentanyl, education accounts Rep. Travis Couture, R-Allyn, prefiled two bills before the start of the legislative session in Olympia. One would create scholarships via education savings accounts, and another would require removal of children from homes with fentanyl or other dangerous drug abuse. Under House Bill 1140, parents can apply for scholarship money distributed through a state-issued debit card that “families must use to pay for educational needs such as tuition, fees, textbooks, tutoring, therapies, and m...
Sale of commercial salal permits scheduled Olympic National Forest will begin selling commercial salal harvest permits starting from 9 a.m. to noon Wednesday at the Quilcene office, 295142 Highway 101 S., Quilcene. Fifty permits are available to harvest areas in Mason County, the east side of Clallam County and the east side of Jefferson County, according to a Forest Service news release. Anyone harvesting salal to sell must have a commercial-use permit while picking, the release states. Permits cost $150 paid by cash or check only, with one...
Mason Health celebrated the first New Year's baby, Jazmin Miguel Jose, born at 3:55 p.m. Jan. 1. Parents Marcos Miguel Mateo and Erica Jose Lopez "were supplied with goodies from Mason Health's Birth Center," Marketing Coordinator Arla Shephard Bull told the Journal in an email. "We include families in the process to the extent of the patient's wishes, and we really try to provide personalized care. Each of our babies receive a handmade quilt and a hand-knitted/crocheted hat to keep, donated by...
Mason County commissioners are set to approve almost half a million dollars for the purchase of a road striping machine after "contractors failed us," leaving miles of county roads without new paint in 2024, according to Commissioner Randy Neatherlin. Commissioners will vote on the proposed $410,626 paint striping truck Jan. 21 at the regular commission meeting. Mason County Public Works Director Loretta Swanson and County Engineer Mike Collins briefed commissioners Monday and also Dec. 16...
Driver injured in wreck near Victor A single-car rollover Dec. 28 on state Route 302 south of Victor sent the driver to Mason General Hospital. Lacey resident Gideon Senono, 23, was eastbound at milepost 4 when he failed to negotiate a curve, lost control of his Toyota Corolla and crashed, according to the Washington State Patrol. Senono was speeding and charged with reckless driving, the WSP stated in a news release. Senono’s car was totaled. Goodell retires, Butler begins term Former Mason County Superior Court Commissioner Tirsa Butler began...
North Mason School District voters will see an education programs and operations replacement levy on the Feb. 11 ballot. The four-year replacement levy will be a renewal of the levy approved by voters in 2022 that is set to expire at the end of 2025, Superintendent Dana Rosenbach told the Herald in an email. "The proposed replacement levy is the renewal of our existing EP&O Levy that is about to expire. This levy, approved by the voters in 2022, fills the gaps between state funds and the actual...
Community members looking to volunteer on the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, Jan. 20, can help remove invasive species at the Salmon Center in Belfair. "By removing invasive species in a crucial wetland area, we hope to bolster the local ecosystem by protecting the native plants that provide food and habitat for various creatures including birds, pollinators, and Pacific salmon," according to the HCSEG news release. A group of AmeriCorps members will host the volunteers at the center,...
The Wild Felid Advocacy Center for big cats on Harstine Island suffered a devastating loss of at least 20 animals due to avian influenza. "We are heartbroken to share that animal health officials have confirmed the presence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) among over half of our wild felids as of December 2024. This devastating viral infection, carried by wild birds, spreads primarily through respiratory secretions and bird-to-bird contact and can also be contracted by carnivorous...
