Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886
Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886
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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...
The Shelton School District’s policies on student discipline aren’t changing, but the language in the rules is being updated and clarified. The Shelton School Board on Tuesday evening gave preliminary approval to revisions to its student discipline policy at its meeting in the Mountain View Elementary School cafeteria. The board can make the changes official with a vote at an upcoming meeting. Dusti Trickle, the district’s director of student wellness, told the board the state Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction filed emerg...
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...
All are welcome when New Horizon Communities and South Sound Solar hosts a ribbon-cutting ceremony marking the completion of the Shelton Veterans Village solar project from 11 a.m. to noon Oct. 30 at 2471 N. 13th St. in Shelton. Construction of the solar array on Shelton Veterans Village’s 30 tiny homes and community center was completed in September. A reception will follow the ribbon cutting. The Shelton Veterans Village has 156 solar panels, 102 of them on the tiny houses and 54 on the community center. South Sound Solar designed and i...
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 Journal encourages Announcements and News Releases of local, timely interest to our readers. Local photo submissions are also welcome. Include information on the who, what, when, where, why and how of your news lead. Deadline is each Monday by 5 PM. All submissions should include the sender's name, address and daytime phone number which will be used for verification purposes only. Submissions are subject to editing for length, grammar and clarity. To submit your Announcement or News Release: • Email [email protected] (preferred)...
The seventh of 10 children, Esther Wood grew up on her family's farm on the banks of the Columbia River outside Rainier, Oregon. "I lived way out of town," Wood recalled in an interview with the Journal on Tuesday. "I couldn't do anything on my own without a ride." But once she got off the secluded farm, Wood kept moving. She became a city girl during World War II living in Portland, conducting payroll in the office of the naval shipyard in Vancouver, Washington. She posed with Elvis Presley's...
Second-half property tax payments for 2024 are due on or before Oct. 31, according to a news release from Mason County Treasurer Lisa Frazier. Payments can be made at the Treasurer’s office at 411 N 5th St., Bldg. 1 (2nd Floor) in the office between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. or at the drive-up payment drop box in the alley. For those mailing in their payment, payments must be postmarked no later than Oct. 31 to be considered on time and avoid interest charges. Postmarks and delivery can be delayed when using USPS to mail payment(s), so mail early. D...
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...
Meet candidates at event tonight The League of Women Voters of Mason County hosts Speed Dating with the Candidates from 6:30-8:30 tonight at the Mason PUD 3 meeting room, 2621 Johns Prairie Road, Shelton. The event is an opportunity for people to meet and ask questions of candidates running for state House Legislative District 35, Positions 1 and 2; Mason County commissioners, Districts 1 and 2; and Superior Court judge, Position 1. For a list of confirmed candidates, go to lwvmasoncounty.org. Rededication ceremony at Huff’n’Puff memorial Twe...
On Tuesday evening, the Shelton City Council awarded a $947,571 contract to Keystone Utility Systems to install already-purchased new meter boxes, lids and transmitters to replace every water meter in the city. With the new system, employees will no longer be physically reading the meters at the sites but collecting the numbers with transmitters. The City of Shelton’s water customer meters are more than 20 years old and have “reached the end of their useful life,” the city states. The city is close to falling out of compliance with the state De...
Shelton moves on tourism grants The Shelton City Council on Tuesday evening gave preliminary approval to awarding $97,000 in tourism grant requests to local organizations for 2025. The grant awards can be finalized with a vote at the council's meeting at 6 p.m. Nov. 5 at the Shelton Civic Center. The money comes from taxes collected from motels in the city. The city's Local Lodging Tax Advisory Committee met Sept. 18 to review the tourism grant applications, with local groups requesting...
The Shelton-Mason County Journal won 33 awards, including nine first-place prizes, at the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association’s 2024 Better Newspaper Contest. Staff members received their awards at the 137th annual convention Oct. 5 at the Indian Summer Golf & Country Club in Olympia. The entries were judged by members of the Arizona Media Association. Fifty Washington newspapers sent entries. “Over the last four years, our paper has received more than 100 awards from WNPA,” Journal Publisher John Lester wrote in a statement. “Our reade...
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...
