Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886
Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886
Sorted by date Results 401 - 425 of 1021
Set to retire in five days, Carole Beason calls her three years as Shelton's police chief "the highlight of my law enforcement career." Beason became Shelton's first female police chief when she replaced the retiring Darrin Moody. On Nov. 1, she'll be replaced by Chris Kostad, who has worked for the department for 21 years. Beason said she'll miss the people of Shelton and attending local events. "This is such a great community," she said. "Chief Beason is the consummate professional," City...
The Humane Society of Mason County is providing around-the-clock care for seven puppies found abandoned in a Walmart bag at the Matlock logging gate Oct. 17. The puppies were less than two days old and still had their umbilical cords attached, according to HSMC. The finder called police to report the incident and HSMC Executive Director Katherine Johnson said she hopes the sheriff will pursue criminal charges for abandonment and abuse. “At HSMC, we believe in not just rescuing animals but also in education. We are actively working toward r...
Tourism grants get preliminary approval The Shelton City Council on Oct. 17 gave preliminary approval to granting $97,247 in tourism fund grants to seven organizations that draw visitors to the area. The council can make the grants official with a final vote at its Nov. 7 meeting. The money comes from the collection of lodging taxes from the hotels and motels in the City of Shelton. The grants were recommended by the city's Lodging Tax Advisory Committee. If approved, Kristmas Town Kiwanis will...
Compared with 2021, the number of reported burglaries and vehicle thefts in Shelton were up last year, vandalism and intimidation were down, and unlawful imprisonments remained the same at five both years. Those are among the statistics presented to the Shelton City Council on Oct. 17 by Captain Chris Kostad, who on Nov. 1 will replace the retiring Carole Beason as Shelton's police chief. The department's annual report found that in 2022, the department responded to 12,070 calls and 246 911...
Police arrested Shelton homicide suspects William Williams, 40, and Kennedy Karpf, 24, “without incident,” on Oct. 11 in Medford, Oregon, according to the Medford Police Department. The pair were sought in connection with the shooting death of Janus Afo on Sept. 28 in downtown Shelton. Police say they used a SWAT team, drones and crisis negotiators to surround a residence in Medford where Williams was staying. Williams surrendered within 15 minutes. Karpf was at a nearby business and was also arrested without incident, according to police. Pros...
Hundreds of proposed housing units may be on their way to the Shelton area. Pending projects in the works include subdivisions in Grandview, Coffee Creek, Meadows Edge, Olympic Heights, Natalie Heights and Bayview Terrace, Jae Hill, the City of Shelton's community and economic development director, told an audience Oct. 12 at Windermere Real Estate's Economic and Housing Market Forecast at Mason General Hospital in Shelton. Those six proposed subdivisions are on 1,024 lots, Hill said. Another ha...
A Shelton motorcyclist died after being struck by a suspected drunken driver on state Route 16 near Gig Harbor on Oct. 7. Shelton resident Alicia Perrin, 30, died at the scene after her motorcycle was struck by Mecca Kay Berkin, 54, of Federal Way. Berkin was speeding on the wrong side of the road when she struck Perrin, according to the Washington State Patrol. Perrin's boyfriend was riding another motorcycle and managed to dodge Berkin's 2014 Honda Civic, according to charging documents....
The Mason County Assessor’s Office asks residents to report anyone claiming to be assessor “volunteers” after a constituent called about a suspicious encounter that happened Oct. 8. The landowner said someone claimed to be a volunteer with the Assessor’s Office, but refused to answer questions. The man was about 40 years old, slender, about 185 pounds and riding a KTM-like motorcycle, according to the landowner. The Assessor’s Office does not have volunteers and only sends out field appraisers who travel in marked county vehicles and wear visi...
Police are still searching for Shelton residents William Williams, 40, and Kennedy Karpf, 24 in connection with the shooting death of Janus Afo on Sept. 28 in downtown Shelton. A 1999 beige Toyota Camry allegedly belonging to the couple was found abandoned at 390 E. Batstone Cutoff Road in Shelton by police after they received an anonymous tip. The car is being processed for evidence. Prosecutors have charged Williams with second-degree murder and felony possession of a firearm. Karpf is charged with first-degree rendering criminal assistance....
Board OKs money for Coroner’s Office Mason County commissioners approved $10,640.64 for the purchase of a new body lift, storage rack and walk-in cooler storage boards for the Mason County Coroner. County inmates to be housed at Nisqually center Mason County commissioners approved a jail services agreement at Tuesday’s meeting that will pay $130 per inmate per day to house inmates of Mason County in the Nisqually Detention and Corrections Center operated by the Nisqually tribe. Chief Deputy of Corrections Kevin Hanson said jail staffing “ha...
League schedules speed dating event for candidates The League of Women Voters of Mason County hosts “Speed Dating with the Candidates” at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in the PUD3 meeting room at 2621 E. Johns Prairie Road, Shelton. Candidates for Mason County Superior Court judge, Shelton School Board and Shelton City Council have been invited to participate. At this event, the public sits at tables around the room and the candidates rotate from table to table to answer questions directly from the voters. Contact [email protected] for more inf...
Police were searching Wednesday afternoon for two suspects allegedly involved in the shooting death Sept. 28 of a man in downtown Shelton. Shelton residents William Charles “Brother” Williams, 40, and Kennedy Marie Karpf, 24, are wanted for questioning in the death of Janus Afo, who was shot early Thursday morning in front of a house in the 700 block of Cedar Street in Shelton. Williams was inside a vehicle when Afo began kicking the side of the car, according to court documents. Williams opened the passenger door and shot Afo in the neck, acc...
Twenty-four years ago, a teenage Abe Gardner as an Eagle Scout project led a campaign to create a memorial to Shelton-area students who died young. Today, Gardner - an emergency prevention specialist with North Mason Regional Fire Authority - is seeking permission from families to add the names to the two-sided memorial at the entrance to the trail across the street from Shelton High School. No names have been added since 2014. Interested families can contact him at 360-801-9555. In 1996 or...
Meeting Oct. 18 on Theler wetlands trail projects A public information meeting on the planned restoration and improvements to the Mary E. Theler Wetlands trail in Belfair will be from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Oct. 18 at the Belfair branch of the Timberland Library, 23081 NE state Route 3. Email www.pnwsalmoncenter.org to RSVP. On Sept. 26, the Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group Project Manager Andy Hokit and state Department of Fish and Wildlife employees talked about the goals and benefits of the...
Voters in the Hood Canal School District will vote Nov. 7 on a proposed $33.5-million building bond that would create space for preschool classrooms, an ADA-accessible playground, arts, music and science, and replace a 70-year-old transportation facility. The district states voters should start receiving their ballots about Oct. 12. A 60% majority is required for the bond to pass. A similar bond proposal failed by 80 votes in February 2020. Passage of the bond would add a tax of $1.05 per...
The Port of Hoodsport temporarily closed the public pier and dock in downtown Hoodsport. According to Port of Hoodsport Commissioner Lori Kincannon, the port has been awaiting the results of a new site inspection report before beginning the bid process for needed repairs. “The port has not yet received the contractor’s inspection report, or the engineers’ letter on their findings,” port Executive Director Kathleen Wyatt said. On Sept. 16, representatives of Hoodsport-based Integrated Northwe...
Commissioners approve purchases for Sheriff’s Office Mason County commissioners approved three separate purchases for the Sheriff’s Office at Tuesday’s meeting. According to the information packet, the Sheriff’s Office was approved to buy a scanner and accessories from FARO Technologies. The scanner is the primary tool used to measure and document evidence at crime scenes. It is used to investigate fatality accidents, homicides and is important in preserving and documenting a scene. The office’s current FARO scanner is outdated and has been rep...
League hosts school candidate discussion The League of Women Voters of Mason County is hosting an informational panel discussion on the work of school boards while at the same time providing the opportunity to learn about 2023 school director incumbents and new candidates. Candidates from North Mason, Grapeview, Hood Canal and Elma school districts have been invited to participate in a Zoom panel discussion at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 4. The public is invited to attend. The Zoom link to the meeting can be found at www.masoncountylwv.org or by contacting...
People using state Route 3 will soon see a pair of changes while traveling through Belfair. Beginning Monday, left-hand turns from Northeast Ridgepoint Boulevard onto Route 3 will be restricted. Drivers will need to use the roundabout at Log Yard Road in order to travel south. The state Department of Transportation plans to install signs on the roadways Monday. Also, beginning in October, the speed limit on Route 3 from mileposts 25.4 to 26.9 will be reduced to 30 mph. A release from the state...
The Shelton City Council voted Tuesday evening to raise basic monthly water service rates from $46 to almost $75 by 2029 and basic monthly sewer rates 4.5% in each of the next three years to meet operating expenses and pay back loans. The council unanimously gave preliminary agreement to the rates at its Sept. 5 regular meeting. They were recommended by the consulting firm of FCS Group. No one spoke Tuesday during the public comment period on the rate increases. The basic rate for monthly water...
Chris Kostad, who has worked for the Shelton Police Department since 2002, will become the city’s new police chief in November. The city last week announced Kostad will replace Carole Beason, who recently announced her intention to retire. She has been in that position since January 2021. Kostad is a captain, a position he has had since 2021. He has also been a corporal, sergeant and lieutenant in the department. A news release from the city states that as captain, Kostad manages the department’s daily operations, including hiring, sta...
The Shelton City Council is slated to vote Tuesday evening to raise basic monthly water service rates from $46 to almost $75 by 2029 to meet operating expenses and pay back loans. The council unanimously gave preliminary agreement to the proposed rates at its Sept. 5 regular meeting. They were recommended by the consulting firm of FCS Group. The proposed basic rate for monthly water service, before any water is used, would rise 14% from $46.09 currently to $52.54 in 2024; increase 14% again in 2025 to $59.90; another 14% in 2026 to $68.28; 3%...
Turning Pointe Survivor Advocacy Center in Shelton recently completed redesigning and renovating its kitchen that serves adults and children who are victims or witnesses of domestic violence. The project was funded by $130,000 in private donations, including money from the Ben B. Cheney Foundation, Mary Kay Ash Foundation, Sampson Family Foundation and Forest Foundation. The kitchen was closed to clients for three months while staff and volunteers prepared meals for them. "The idea was to...
League hosting schools discussion The League of Women Voters of Mason County is hosting a panel discussion on the governance role of school directors at noon Tuesday at Olympic College Shelton library, located at 937 Alpine Way. Representatives from the Washington State School Directors Association and Washington Association of School Administrators will be joined by six school directors and superintendents from across Washington. This civics education program is designed to increase the understanding of the roles and responsibilities of...
MCSO buys drone system The Mason County Sheriff’s Office agreed with county commissioners to an annual contract with Brinc Safeguard LEMUR Tactical Drone system, and to provide supplemental funding to the 2024 budget and allow the office to purchase two drones this month. According to the information packet, the drones will be used by the SWAT team for calls and to assist patrol when appropriate. The LEMUR is a purpose-used drone “specifically designed to be flown into buildings in order to clear rooms ahead of deputies, to identify pot...
