Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886
Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886
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County and state officials celebrated the Belfair pump station in a ribbon cutting ceremony last week. The Washington State Department of Commerce commended Mason County on the completion and cited the project as an example for others. "I'm super excited," Mason County Commissioner Sharon Trask said at the Nov. 4 commission briefings. "This is the way we should do things." The Public Works Board, through the state Department of Commerce, provided a 0.54% interest loan to fund a portion of the co...
Pioneer School District closed Monday due to alleged online posts that said someone was coming to the middle school with a weapon, according to Superintendent Jeff Davis. Davis decided to shut down the school until police could investigate, he told the Journal in an email. “On Sunday evening, a student sent our middle school principal some social media threads that mentioned someone coming to the middle school on Monday with a weapon. Our principal contacted the Sheriff’s Department and provided the information. Based on the information tha...
Commissioners continued to make progress on the 2025 county budget, with an estimated Jan. 1 beginning fund balance of $26.5 million, revenues at $43.9 million for a total beginning balance of $70.4 million for maintenance level, according to an Oct. 22 workshop. Department heads put in requests for funds and now it’s up to commissioners to decide what the county can afford. All three commissioners gave thumbs-down to creating new staff positions and nixed advanced requests for overtime. When commissioners see hundreds of thousands of d...
Monday's blustery weather met power lines in a head-to-head match. Numerous outages occurred throughout the day, but most customers in PUD1 had power back by the afternoon, according to General Manager Kristin Masteller. "These were all small tree and limb related outages due to the high winds today. All relatively quick fixes," she told the Journal in an email. Crews made repairs from Brinnon to Union, she said, logging driving hours between Bee Mill, Finch Creek, Galloway/Point Whitney and...
Mason County Public Health is monitoring a Halloween “trick” that could potentially sicken children with salmonella. The Panhandle Lake 4-H Camp Kids Haunted Halloween event Oct. 26 provided candy treats, but an individual at one cabin also gave away real chicken feet as a trick, according to MCPH. Many participants thought the chicken feet were rubber “so extensive handling by some of the recipients did take place,” MCPH said in a statement. No illnesses have been reported as of Oct. 28, according to the county. “The chicken feet were purc...
The body of 24-year-old Haley Benjamin, of Elma, was recovered Oct. 29 by Thurston County Sheriff's Office Dive Rescue Team. Benjamin fell through a decommissioned train trestle near Kelley Road in the Schafer Grade area near Matlock while hunting Oct. 25. A police drone located Benjamin, who was deceased, but the steep terrain was inaccessible that night and by the next morning, her body had been swept away by the rising river. "Over the last four days several agencies assisted in the search...
State Sen. Drew MacEwen, R-Shelton, will return to Olympia holding his current office, falling short to Democratic challenger State Sen. Emily Randall in the 6th Congressional District race. Tuesday’s initial count across the entire district showed Randall with 167,826 at 57.3% and MacEwen with 124,717 at 42.58%. In Mason County, MacEwen captured 55.32% of the vote to Randall’s 44.52%. The 6th District encompasses most of Tacoma and all of the Kitsap and Olympic peninsulas from the Mason-Thurston county border north. “It’s not the result...
Mason County Auditor Steve Duenkel wants the community to know its election ballots are safe. Fires set in ballot drop boxes in Vancouver, Washington, and nearby Portland early Monday morning prompted Gov. Jay Inslee to issue a statement later in the day saying there will be 24-hour enhanced security around ballot drop-off locations in Washington. “Mason County Ballot Drop Boxes have multiple layers of security,” Duenkel told the Journal in an email Tuesday. “All drop boxes have internal fire suppression devices. All have internal GPS monit...
An Elma woman hunting Friday in the Matlock area fell through an old train trestle, plunging 100 to 150 feet and dying on impact with the riverbank, according to the Grays Harbor Sheriff’s Office. An Aberdeen Police Department officer used a drone in steep terrain to locate the victim, 24-year-old Haley Benjamin, and determined she was dead. She fell from a decommissioned train trestle near Kelley Road in the Schafer Grade area, according to the Mason County Sheriff’s Office. Fire 12 in Matlock got the original call, Chief Mike Brown told the...
The Mason County Planning Advisory Commission staff presented another draft for short-term rental regulations, including a permit requirement and mandatory management plan that includes rules of conduct for guests, according to a public hearing Oct. 21. Mason County commissioners directed the PAC to come up with rules for short-term rentals to address residents’ concerns about overuse of septic systems, beach trespassing and harvesting, and noise complaints, according to the county. The PAC solicited public comments and hosted several workshops...
A Union woman was arrested Oct. 18 on 15 counts of animal cruelty after deputies performed a welfare check and discovered numerous animals, including dogs, cats, sheep, goats and horses living in deplorable conditions, according to a Mason County Sheriff’s Office probable cause document. Jenny King, 63, said the animals belonged to her and “stated nothing was wrong with her dogs and failed to acknowledge the animals’ condition,” MCSO Detective Drogmund wrote in the document. King was allegedly caring for homeowner Brian Cook. Cook’s friend ca...
Olympic College has lowered student competency grade requirements from a “B” to a “C” to qualify for college credit in the Career and Technical Education Courses, according to a presentation at the North Mason School Board meeting Monday. North Mason students can now receive college credit “upon successful completion of the dual credit course with a grade of ‘C’ (2.0) or better,” according to a letter from the Olympic College CTE Dual Credit Office. CTE is expanding and focusing on developing the Health Science program into multiple pathwa...
Port of Allyn commissioners agreed to explore leasing the port’s meeting room several days a week to Grassroots Learning, a family-based education co-op, at the port’s special meeting Monday. “This is the ideal location with the Port’s waterfront park just outside, where the children already come each day to play,” Executive Director Travis Merrill wrote in a report. The co-op would lease the space from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday – Friday or Tuesday – Thursday, according to Merrill. Grassroots offers “a hybrid of homeschooling and group learn...
Mason County Sheriff Ryan Spurling filled in new Matlock Fire 12 commissioners on the FBI’s investigation into alleged fraud committed by the former administration, saying the inquiry is proceeding. “I can tell you that I’m satisfied that they’re still moving forward,” Spurling said at Fire 12’s Oct. 14 meeting. “Last week I called the supervisor of the FBI agent who’s involved in the investigation,” Spurling said. “They asked me not to divulge anything right now because it may compromise some of the investigation,” he said. While much of w...
A man allegedly caught on video surveillance leaving his neighbor’s home holding a gun shortly before the neighbor was found shot to death faces trial this week. Jury selection and trial proceeding started Tuesday for Shelton resident Jerry Upson, charged with first-degree murder and first-degree unlawful firearm possession in connection with the death of Kenneth D. Simmons. Upson was seen on surveillance video with a handgun entering and leaving the victim’s home numerous times Oct. 27, 2023, according to the probable cause document filed by...
Taylor Shellfish is facing another challenge to a floating oyster bag farm in Oakland Bay that was approved by a Mason County hearing examiner last year. Friends of Oakland Bay filed a land use petition in September, disputing the county's interpretation that Taylor is not subject to certain zoning rules. The suit, filed in Thurston County Superior Court, says zoning allows only a "hobby farm" that includes "small scale commercial agriculture." Community Development Director Kell Rowen said in...
New human resource officer at Mason Health Mason Health has hired Carolyn McCain as its chief human resource officer, according to a September news release. McCain has an MBA in human resource management from the Center for Graduate Studies at Baker College and has worked in Michigan, Colorado and Oregon. “Supporting those who take care of our communities is my true passion. While I’m not a caregiver myself, I believe that HR plays a critical role in caring for our staff, who are, in turn, able to provide the best care for patients. At Mason He...
MACECOM, the county's 911 center, plans to move from the Shelton Civic Center to a Port of Shelton location and is finalizing a lease agreement, according to MACECOM Executive Director Joe Schmit. The move was also announced at the Oct. 15 Port of Shelton commission meeting. "We are working on lease negotiations with MACECOM," Port of Shelton Executive Director Wendy Smith announced at the meeting. "We're just thrilled," she said. The office building is 5,000 square feet on West Rose Nye Way in...
The Mason County Sheriff's Office and Mason County Regional Swat Team arrested two burglary suspects Oct. 8 with the help of K9 Kylo, according to a MCSO news release. The bust took place on Northeast Dewatto Hills Road in Tahuya where police recovered nearly 20 firearms with 15,000 rounds of ammunition, two stolen commercial work trailers and Mason County Public Works traffic signs, the release said. A third suspect on the property escaped into the woods and was arrested Oct. 10, according to...
A woman has sued a nonprofit housing provider, the City of Shelton and four police officers for wrongly evicting her from a subsidized apartment in downtown Shelton. Michelle Engles, 62, claims Crossroads Housing and the Shelton Police Department violated the Residential Landlord Tenant Act by removing her from a one-bedroom transitional unit on Cota Street that Crossroads supplied, according to a federal complaint filed on Oct. 2. “Crossroads and Ms. Engles entered into a rental agreement under which Ms. Engles agreed to pay monthly rent, j...
Southside School District Superintendent Paul Wieneke is asking Mason County for help with Collier Road. Wieneke’s request was discussed at Monday’s Mason County commission briefing. “Southside School District has requested that you resend us your Right of Way Engineer for another feasibility discussion about the following Collier Road safe solutions: ■ Widening the west side of Collier Rd. to include a right turn lane (southeast to Arcadia Rd.), ■ Install flashing yellow warning lights at the intersection of Arcadia Rd/Collier/Binns Swiger, a...
Port of Allyn commissioners approved the 2025 budget at their Oct. 7 meeting, laying the groundwork for a better year. “2024 was just a year of surviving,” Erin Civilla, the port’s accountant, said, adding 2025 “is going to be good.” Executive Director Lary Coppola died Sept. 30, 2023, a few weeks after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. LeAnn Dennis replaced Coppola and died suddenly on Christmas Day in 2023. Travis Merrill, now the port’s executive director, quickly took over administrative duties. Over the next months, Merrill att...
OysterFest 2024 wrapped up Sunday after a weekend of food, music and shucking contests. 460 RV campers stayed onsite, a record for the 42nd festival, and almost 10,000 people paid admission. An additional 1,000 volunteers and vendors attended, Volunteer Chair/Public Image Chair Laurie Brown told the Journal. Ticket sales showed many visitors were from out of state and throughout Washington, Brown said. Jerry Obendorf, who served as the Grand Old Oyster, said the event was a great success and...
William Williams, who testified in his own defense Oct. 2, said he didn’t go to 710 Cedar in downtown Shelton to shoot Janus Afo. “I had no reason to shoot Janus,” Williams said. “He believed I owed him money because of my girlfriend.” Williams told the jury Afo was a “collector” and an “enforcer” and was trying to collect a debt Kennedy Karpf allegedly owed to Afo’s friend. Williams described what happened in the early hours of Sept. 28, 2023, before he shot and killed Afo. Santana Krise, Afo’s girlfriend who was also there the night of th...
Washington State Patrol Trooper Shaeffer Subcleff started his evening shift Sept. 27 by explaining to the civilian passenger how to use a patrol radio. "In case a suspect tries to fight me or I need help," he said. "Just press down the button and tell dispatch." Subcleff opened the trunk of his WSP vehicle and pointed out the first aid kit, road flares, latex gloves, blood sample vials, fire extinguisher, traffic cones and other equipment inside the multidrawer toolbox. After checking his...
