Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886
Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886
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Jacob Rivera, 44, will be arraigned Jan. 2 in Mason County Superior Court on charges of first-degree arson in connection with an explosion and house fire in Hoodsport on Dec. 13 and attempting to elude police Dec. 11. Witnesses identified Rivera leaving the scene of the fire, which started at 6:23 a.m., according to the Mason County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies were called to the home in the 200 block of North Mount Washington Drive in Hoodsport by the fire marshal. Deputy J. Cozad said he viewed a neighbor’s video surveillance of the exp...
All seven puppies found abandoned in a Walmart bag at the Matlock logging gate Oct. 17 have been adopted. "All of them found great homes," The Humane Society of Mason County Executive Director Katherine Johnson told the Journal. The puppies were less than 2 days old when they were found and taken to HSMC for around-the-clock care. The puppies were spayed and neutered before going to new homes Dec. 13, Johnson said. One of the puppies, Pickles, was the 3000th spay and neuter surgery the group's...
Health department closes shellfish areas Several areas in Mason County have been closed for shellfish harvesting due to high levels of biotoxins that cause diarrhetic shellfish poisoning, according to the state Health Department. Pickering Passage, Peale Passage and Squaxin Passage are closed for all harvesting. Beaches closed for all harvesting are West Dougall Point, Jarrell Cove State Park and Jarrell Cove State Park East, Hope Island State Park and DNR areas 33 and 34 on Harstine Island. Diarrhetic shellfish poisoning causes nausea, vomitin...
Police have arrested an arson suspect wanted in connection with an explosion in Hoodsport. Jacob Rivera, 44, was arrested by Grays Harbor County deputies Dec. 16, after he allegedly fled the scene of a Dec. 13 explosion and suspicious house fire in the 200 block of North Mount Washington Drive in Hoodsport. Rivera had previously been accused by his girlfriend of making bombs when he was arrested over the summer on domestic violence charges. Witnesses identified Rivera fleeing the scene, “while a female victim sought refuge with a nearby neighbo...
Two soldiers have been arrested for first-degree malicious mischief after a man captured them on a trail camera shooting his new excavator in the Sherwood Forest area of Allyn. Judge Monty Cobb found probable cause to arrest Zacharia Miller-Young, 20, and Hanby W. Sykes, 23, but neither one has been charged. Miller-Young and Sykes are soldiers attached to the Marine Corps Security Force Battalion Bangor, according to the probable cause document. Jason Wistrand, who owns the excavator, called police Nov. 3 to report vandalism, saying his...
The North Mason School Board unanimously voted for Nicholas Thomas to replace retiring District 4 Director John Campbell at a special meeting Dec. 14. During his interview for the position, Thomas said “being a dad” is one of his reasons for applying for the position. He said he really wanted to get involved. “I can only do so much as a Pee Wee football coach,” he said. Thomas has lived in the area for 20 years and works in instructional design for the Navy as a civilian. He told the board he can help improve communication with communi...
North Mason residents have a new resource for mental health needs. Psychiatric ARNP Kristi Eilers, working through North Mason Regional Fire Authority, offers personalized health plans that address anxiety, depression, addiction and other challenges, and can make home visits. Eilers and NMRFA began offering the services in October under the Mobile Integrated Health Program the fire department already operates. It was started to prevent people from having to go to the emergency room and is run...
Driver charged in Grapeview Loop collision A driver who caused a collision while attempting to pass a turning car at state Route 3 and Grapeview Loop Road Dec. 7 has been charged with vehicular assault, according to the Washington State Patrol. Joseph V. Campbell, 67, of Shelton, was driving on Route 3 behind Terry Petersen, 53, of Belfair, when Peterson slowed to turn onto Grapeview Loop Road. Campbell tried to pass on the left and struck Peterson's truck, causing both cars to block the road...
If you're thinking about owning honeybees, Belfair & Beyond Beekeepers group says answer this question: Why? Do you want honey? Do you want beeswax? "What do you actually want to do?" Debra Langley-Boyer, president of the group, asked workshop participants at the North Mason Timberland Library Dec. 9. Secretary Brian Stefanko jumped in with his answer. "I keep bees because they're awesome!" Most people keep bees for honey, Langley-Boyer said, but before you decide, get to know the bees....
An atmospheric river of torrential rain over several days caused the Skokomish River to crest at its second-highest recorded point Tuesday and flooded and closed roads throughout Mason County. The National Weather Service on Tuesday issued flood warnings in parts of Western Washington, including much of the Olympic Peninsula. Flooding and hazardous conditions prompted the state Department of Transportation to close state Route 106 from U.S. Highway 101 to Alderbrook at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday. Other...
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...
