Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886
Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886
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Shelton contractor Stephen Ates, who operated Family Class Homes, pleaded not guilty Nov. 28 in Mason County Superior Court to charges he stole almost 1 million dollars from clients who paid him to build their dream homes. Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s office charged Ates with nine counts of theft in the first degree and eight counts of filing a false tax return. Ates ran his contracting business out of Tahuya from 2012 until 2021, when he declared Chapter 7 bankruptcy, according to charging documents. Family Class Homes specialized in ...
A Lacey woman arrested for first-degree rendering criminal assistance for helping two suspects sought for the Shelton shooting death of Janus Afo pleaded not guilty at her initial arraignment Nov. 13 before Judge Monty Cobb in Mason County Superior Court. Katherine Taylor, 42, was arrested Oct. 27 for allegedly helping William Williams, 40, and Kennedy Karpf, 25, evade police and hide in Oregon, according to Mason County Sheriff’s charging documents. Williams has been charged with second-degree murder and felony possession of a firearm and Karp...
The Mason County Planning Department wants public input regarding future regulations for short-term vacation rentals. The Planning Advisory Committee and Mason County commissioners are working on drafting regulations, according to the information packet. The department sent postcards to shoreline lot owners requesting their input on the issue through a survey accessed by QR code or a link provided on the county’s website. “The department has received an increasing number of reports from Mason County residents expressing concern over sho...
The Mason County Sheriff’s Office has suspended the search for Brandon Adams, 34, who was last seen in the Brown Creek area in Mason County Oct. 20. His Jeep was found abandoned Nov. 12 on the Simpson 800 line in the Olympic National Forest approximately 4 miles northwest of Dry Bed Lakes and Haven Lake, according to sheriff’s deputies. “MCSO has informed Brandon’s family that they have suspended conventional search efforts as no new leads have arisen and all areas of probability and interest thus far have been checked with negative results. If...
PUD 3 rate increase coming Mason PUD 3 is increasing rates starting March 1, 2024. Residential customers will see a 6% energy rate hike. This will mean about $14 more per month, using 2,000 kWh as the average, according to PUD. Small commercial rates will go up 3%, large commercial 1.5%, industrial 3% and cannabis will see a 3% rise in demand rates. All customers will pay an additional 10 cents for daily system charges. PUD said the increase was needed to replace aging infrastructure, and costs for all equipment “have dramatically i...
Grapeview woman dies in Kitsap crash Karen Britz, 62, of Grapeview died Nov. 23 in a collision on state Route 3 just north of Sunnyslope in Kitsap County, according to the Washington State Patrol. Britz was northbound when she crossed the center line and struck a vehicle driven by John Mors, 26, of Bremerton. Britz’s car then left the road, crashed into a tree and landed in a ditch, according to a WSP news release. Britz died at the scene. Unemployment rises slightly in county Mason County’s October unemployment rate rose to 4.9%, up sli...
Taylor Shellfish will not have to use costly blue or green oyster bags but will still need third-party monitoring for environmental impacts of its proposed floating oyster bag farm in Oakland Bay, the Mason County hearing examiner ruled Nov. 21, revising an original decision. The seafood company objected to requirements that the black color of the oyster bags be replaced with blue or green and that it pay for a monitoring plan prepared by a third-party expert and filed a motion for reconsideration after the project was approved Oct. 9. “The c...
Commissioners place sales tax on ballot Commissioners approved a resolution placing a proposition on the Feb. 13 special election ballot authorizing a sales & use tax rate of 2/10 of 1% sales and use tax for 911 emergency communications operations at a special meeting Nov. 28. MACECOM governance board recommended the tax, saying “additional funding is needed to fund necessary critical infrastructure, increased staffing and operations of the emergency communications center in order to provide vital public safety services to the public,” acc...
The Port of Allyn was set to vote on the final draft of a purchase and sale agreement for the Allyn Carey water system at a Wednesday special meeting occurring after the Herald’s deadline. Commissioners called a special meeting Nov. 27 to hammer out details of the proposed contract with Jeff Carey’s attorney and the port’s legal team. The port is hoping to use grant money to acquire Carey’s system, including the well and surrounding lots. “A number of moving parts remain,” said port attorney Peter Fraley, of Ogden Murphy Wallace. The propert...
The Mason County hearing examiner was set to decide on a motion for reconsideration of the approval of Taylor Shellfish’s floating oyster bag farm in Oakland Bay at a meeting Wednesday at the Mason County Commission chambers in Shelton. The meeting occured after the Journal’s holiday deadline. The seafood company welcomed the approval, but objected to requirements that the black color of the oyster bags be replaced with blue or green and that it pay for a monitoring plan prepared by a third-party expert to check for environmental impacts. Taylo...
Still no sign of missing man There is still no sign of Brandon Adams after authorities found his Jeep and some personal belongings off a logging road Nov. 12. The Shelton man was last seen Oct. 20. Several rescue groups combed the steep terrain Saturday, including Mason County Search and Rescue and Washington Explorer Search and Rescue – Kitsap Unit. Police blocked off the area around Camp Govey, close to where Adams’ vehicle was recovered, to use as a staging area and only admitted certified search and rescue personnel, according to a Fri...
Nine St. Bernard-mix dogs found with their owner, who had been dead in his home for almost two weeks, have been rescued by the Humane Society of Mason County and Humane Society for Tacoma & Pierce County. All of the dogs are receiving care at area shelters. HSMC Executive Director Katherine Johnson told the Herald her group worked with local emergency responders to get the dogs, who are between 5-10 years old, safely out of the home. "Our team worked diligently on the ground, providing all...
It's been a long time coming. Construction of the Belfair Bypass, officially known as the Highway 3 Freight Corridor, is set to start in 2026 and should be finished by 2028, state Sen. Drew MacEwen, R-Shelton, told a standing-room-only crowd at a town hall meeting in Belfair on Nov. 9. The 6-mile corridor will provide an alternative for highway users to travel around, and not through, Belfair. More than 300 people packed into The HUB's auditorium to hear an update and ask questions about the...
Missing man’s Jeep found off forest road Authorities found Brandon Adams’ Jeep, including some of his personal items inside the vehicle, but have not located Adams after an extensive search, according to a Tuesday statement by the Mason County Sheriff’s Office. Someone found the Jeep “deep within the Olympic National Forest” Sunday, and called police, officials said. Deputies couldn’t reach the car that night because of difficult road and weather conditions. Law enforcement teams were able to retrieve the vehicle Tuesday. “This morning, a sp...
Tahuya and North Belfair residents suffered phone and internet outages Tuesday, after thieves removed copper wiring in the area, according to the Mason County Sheriff’s Office. Two pedestals and one vault were broken into about one-fourth mile north of Dewatto Hills Road, Deputy Matt Colbenson told the Herald. The theft caused about $25,000 worth of damage to the phone lines according to the phone company, Colbenson said. Budget update at tonight’s school board meeting The North Mason School Board meets at 6:30 tonight in the board room of the...
Challenger David Stevens appears to be the new Mason County Superior Court Judge, if early election results hold. Stevens, Mason County senior deputy felony prosecutor, is beating his opponent, Judge Cadine Ferguson-Brown, in the first ballot count after polls closed Tuesday with 6,194 votes for 57.24% to Ferguson-Brown's 4,595 votes for 42.46%. There were also 33 write-in votes for 0.3% and 10,822 total votes in the first tabulation. "I feel bad for her. I wish her the best," Stevens told the...
Shelton resident Brandon L. Adams, 34, remains missing, according to the Mason County Sheriff’s Office. Search operations were suspended Oct. 25 for Adams, who was last seen Oct. 20. Ground and air units “exhaustively searched” the last known location of Adams’ cellphone in the Browns Creek area in Mason County, Deputy Matt Colbenson told the Journal in an email. The Sheriff’s Office is monitoring Adams’ phone and bank accounts for any activity and asks the public to call police if they have any information about Adams’ whereabouts o...
Suspects in Afo homicide case back in Washington Homicide suspects William Williams, 40, and Kennedy Karpf, 24, are back in Shelton in sheriff’s custody. The pair were sought in connection with the shooting death of Janus Afo on Sept. 28 and apprehended in Oregon Oct. 11. Williams’ arraignment on second-degree murder and felony possession of a firearm Monday was at Mason County Superior Court before Judge Monty Cobb. Williams is being held on $1 million bail. Karpf pleaded not guilty to first-degree rendering criminal assistance at her ini...
Speed limits lowered on three county roads Lower speed limits were approved for three county roads. Sunnyslope Road from milepost 0.0000-0.5510 will change to 25 mph, Kelly Hall Road from milepost 0.0000-1.9460 will change to 25 mph and Brockdale Road from milepost 1.9730-2.0800 will change to 30 mph. Community Lifeline funding reduced Mason County commissioners reduced funding by $40,860 for Community Lifeline, an organization that provides emergency shelter and homeless services, for noncompliance with its contract. “Community Lifeline is n...
Belfair Sheriff’s Office moving this month The Belfair office of the Mason County Sheriff’s Office is make its long-planned move to the former North Mason Regional Fire Authority headquarter sbuilding, 460 NE Old Belfair Highway, Nov. 22. The move should be completed by Dec. 5, officials said. During this time, the Belfair office will be closed for walk-ins and people needing assistance should call the main office at 360-427-9670, ext. 313, according to the sheriff’s department. Recovery court gets grant The Mason County Family Recovery Court r...
A rundown of all other races in Mason County: Fire Protection Dist. 3 Fire Commissioner Position No. 2 Nancy A. Montgomery has 424 votes for 97.25% and write-in candidates have 12 votes for 2.75% with a total of 436 votes. Fire Protection Dist. 4 Fire Commissioner Position No. 1 Dean Hirschi has 961 votes for 98.06% and write-in candidates have 19 votes for 1.94% with a total of 980 votes. Fire Protection Dist. 4 Fire Commissioner Position No. 3 Greg Sypnicki has 982 votes for 98.5% and write-in candidates have 15 votes for 1.5% with a total...
Shelton resident Jerry T. Upson, 43, has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of Kenneth D. Simmons, 68, after Upson was seen on surveillance video with a handgun entering and leaving the victim’s home numerous times Oct. 27, according to the probable cause document filed by the Mason County Sheriff’s Office. Simmons’ brother Martin called police Oct. 28 after driving to Simmons’ house at 990 E. Mikkelsen Road and finding him on the couch “cold to the touch, with an apparent gun shot wound to the head,” the document states. Simmon...
Shelton hunter Roger Norris, 55, has new respect for the rugged Hamma Hamma area in Olympic National Forest and the rescuers who helped bring him out of the wilderness alive. Search teams found Norris on Oct. 7, almost a week after he lost his way back to camp and suffered injuries in a fall. "We thought it was going to be a recovery," Mason County Search and Rescue President Keenan Kealy said. "They just don't know me very well," Norris laughed, while recounting his ordeal. The outdoorsman...
Mason County Public Works Department “immediately strengthened internal controls” and implemented new procedures to deal with cash after the state Auditor’s Office found almost $50,000 went missing in 2021, according to an investigation report released Oct. 19. In September 2021, the county discovered money in a deposit bag from one of the landfill stations was not properly deposited after a customer called to ask why a check payment made a month earlier hadn’t cleared. When the county investigated, it found money from several deposit bags we...
Unemployment rate in county drops The Mason County unemployment rate dropped in September to 4.6%, according to the Washington Employment Security Department. That’s lower than the 5.1% rate in August, but higher than June’s 3.9% and July’s 4.3%. The county’s highest unemployment this year was 8.1% in February. The county numbers are not seasonally adjusted because the sample size is too small, according to the state website. One dead in U.S. 101 collision Shelton resident Elliott Madea, 32, died in a car accident Oct. 26 after attempt...
