Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886
Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886
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Justice Center design study Mason County commissioners approved a request for qualifications for a community justice center design and development at its Aug. 15 meeting. According to the information packet, the county received $1,030,000 in grant money through the state Department of Commerce to study and design a Community Justice Center composed of a jail, mental health facility, and a substance use disorder facility. The Mason County Sheriff’s Office worked with experts in the county Public Health and Community Services Department to establ...
Central Mason crews douse fire sparked by burning vehicle Central Mason Fire & EMS extinguished a brush fire caused by a burning vehicle Friday on East Royce Road just north of Shelton. According to a news release, the fire was reported at 3:43 p.m. and crews arrived to find two vehicles on fire behind a residence. The fire spread to the surrounding brush and trees. CMFE crews deployed hand lines to attack the vehicle fires to protect nearby structures and upgraded the alarm. Multiple agencies...
Kids at Hope speaker Thursday at Shelton High Rick Miller, founder of Kids at Hope and a professor at Arizona State University, talks about the power of Hope as a youth and community development strategy from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday in the Shelton High School Performing Arts Center, 3737 N. Shelton Springs Road. Everyone is welcome. According to Southside Superintendent Paul Wieneke, the seven local school districts wrote and received a competitive grant from the state to install Hope Frameworks. According to the organization, “Hope Square i...
If you didn't show up early, it was hard to find a seat for the public hearing Aug. 9 as people showed up to tell Taylor Shellfish how they feel about a proposed floating oyster bag farm in Oakland Bay. About 100 people were either in the Mason County Commissioner Chambers or just outside the room watching the hearing on a TV broadcast by MasonWebTV. The hearing lasted four hours until the county had to close its doors at 5 p.m., and the hearing continued virtually Aug. 16 to allow anyone else...
Drivers familiar with downtown Shelton know that when state Route 3/North First Street is congested with traffic, an alternate, parallel route is available one block east on Front Street. Local drivers also know they've been in for a bumpy ride, with cracked surfaces and potholes that made the road alongside the railroad tracks resemble a riverbed. That changed in May when an interlocal agreement allowed Mason County Public Works to help the City of Shelton resurface Front Street between Cota...
Maryland lauds Kimball Tyler Kimball of Belfair earned a spot on the dean’s list for the spring semester at the University of Maryland Global Campus. To be eligible, a student must complete at least six credits during the term and earn a GPA of 3.5 for the term while maintaining a cumulative GPA of 3.5 of better at the school. Mehelich exceling at Austin Peay State Brittany Mehelich of Belfair earned a spot on the dean’s list for the summer semester at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee. To qualify, a student must earn a G...
Structure fire Saturday in Shelton Central Mason Fire & EMS responded to a structure fire Saturday night on Olympic Highway North in Shelton. According to a news release, the fire was reported at 8:22 p.m., and crews arrived on scene in four minutes to find a single-wide mobile home on fire. Crews entered to search for occupants and extinguish the fire. All occupants made it out of the home and three occupants were transported by medic units to Mason General Hospital for evaluation and then...
Port of Hoodsport Commissioner Cody Morris provided an update on the port's renewal of its lease of a state Department of Natural Resources dock. Hoodsport-based Integrated Northwest Construction conducted a preliminary inspection of the dock and expressed optimism, not only about the state of the pilings, but also about its ability to perform relatively inexpensive "surface-level fixes" to improve the dock's safety and appearance until long-term improvements are possible, Morris said at the...
The second ballot count in the Aug. 1 primary election didn’t change any of the results, which means George Blush and Tristen Smith will be the finalists for a Shelton City Council seat and Mason County Fire District 16’s proposed six-year EMS levy failed to reach the 60% super majority for passage. With the ballot update Aug. 3, voter turnout was 28.97%. Of the county’s 23,027 registered voters, 6,671 ballots had been tabulated. The results of the next ballot count is scheduled for 5 p.m. Monday, with certification slated for Tuesday. In th...
U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer, D-Gig Harbor, came to Veterans Memorial Hall in Shelton on Friday for a pinning ceremony for Vietnam veterans, hosted by VFW Post 1694. The ceremony started with posting the colors and singing the national anthem, followed by speeches from Shelton Mayor Eric Onisko and county commissioners Sharon Trask and Kevin Shutty. Kilmer gave the final guest speech before the pinning ceremony, with Vietnam War veterans or family members of Vietnam veterans coming to the front to...
Parents who say they're offended by some of the Shelton School District's literacy instruction books were told Monday that the district is following state laws and district policies while selecting books for students. At a work session at CHOICE High School, the school board gathered to discuss the district's curriculum. The session was scheduled after parents and guardians during regular board meetings in June and July complained about the content in about 10 of the 150 books for grades seven t...
Brinnon man hurt in U.S. 101 crash A 41-year-old Brinnon man was injured in a two-vehicle crash Saturday evening on U.S. Highway 101 just south of Lilliwaup. According to a Washington State Patrol news release, the Brinnon man was driving a 2001 Isuzu northbound and a 49-year-old Hoquiam man in a semitruck was driving south. The Isuzu crossed the centerline and struck the Hoquiam man’s vehicle, blocking the highway. The Brinnon man was transported to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle for his injuries. He was also charged with driving u...
Solid-waste public hearing Aug. 29 Mason County commissioners decided to table action until after a public hearing Aug. 29 on selecting and signing a contract for solid-waste long haul transportation and disposal services at a July 31 special meeting. According to the information packet, Public Works advertised a request for proposals for hauling and disposing of the county’s solid waste. Two proposals were received and deemed responsive from Republic Services and Mason County Garbage on July 12. Republic Services provides hauling and d...
Mason County is considering providing direct health care services to the community through the county Community Services and Public Health departments. The idea was discussed during the July 25 Board of Health meeting. County Health Officer Dr. Keri Gardner talked to the board about the idea, stating she and Director of Community Services Dave Windom have talked about the idea. Gardner said it would fill some gaps in the community’s public health needs. Gardner said the idea is still in the p...
The art wall at Belfair Self-Storage is doing something different for August — art wall founder and self-storage business manager Barbara Treick said its art exhibition is doubling as a silent auction through Aug. 31. “Area artists are displaying pieces ranging from ink drawings and acrylic paintings to collages,” Treick said. “The only information listed with each piece will be a number, with a corresponding bid sheet. Bids start at $1, with a minimum of $1 bid increments.” Treick has lined...
Hood Canal Summerfest Saturday at Belfair State Park The North Mason Rotary Club hosts Hood Canal Summerfest from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at Belfair State Park. The event includes a car show, firefighters’ breakfast, live music, food and art vendors, and a beer and wine garden. Pride and Diversity event Sunday in Belfair The Mason County Democratic Party presents the Belfair Pride and Diversity Celebration with a walking and driving parade through Belfair from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Participants are invited to gather at 11:30 a.m. at two loc...
George Blush and Tristen Smith will compete for a seat on the Shelton City Council in the November general election, and voters solidly support increasing the size of the Mason County Fire District 5 board of commissioners from three to five. Those are among the preliminary results of Tuesday’s primary election posted at 8 p.m. The next ballot count is scheduled to be updated at 5 p.m. Wednesday, after the Journal had gone to press. The initial voter turnout was 28.17%. The results are scheduled to be certified on Aug. 15. In the contest to w...
Former Mason County Fire District 12 commissioners John Pais, Albert Wilder and Brian Jutson were all recalled with more than 93% of the vote Tuesday. Wilder received the most votes against, 349-21, for 94.32% of people voting to recall. Jutson was recalled 348-21, for 94.57% of the vote, and Pais was recalled 344-25 for 93.22% of the vote. “I am pleased to see that the community was able to stick together to see this process through,” Kristin Masteller, who led the recall efforts, wrote to the...
Residents can make their voices heard at 1 p.m. Wednesday at 411 N. 5th Street in Shelton on a permit application for a proposed Taylor Shellfish floating oyster bag farm in Oakland Bay. According to the hearing examiner webpage, the permit will allow Taylor Shellfish to grow Pacific oysters and install a floating oyster bag system in Oakland Bay, which will take up an estimated 9.1 acres of surface water within a 50-acre area that will be used for floating oyster gear. According to Mason County...
Mason County Climate Justice and the Legacy Forest Defense Coalition will find out the results of their request for a preliminary injunction by Monday for the court to enjoin any operations and halt to operations on either of the sites of the Sure Wood and Plumb Bob Timber Sale forests while the court decides the merits of the case against the state Department of Natural Resources and Tacoma-based Stella Jones Corp. Superior Court Judge Cadine Ferguson-Brown presided over the hearing Monday...
Two injured in SR3 crash A two-car crash resulted in two people injured Monday on state Route 3 in Belfair. According to a Washington State Patrol news release, a 2019 Chevy Cruze driven by an 85-year-old Neah Bay woman was southbound on Route 3 and a 2021 Winnebago driven by a 65-year-old Missoula man was northbound on Route 3. Southbound traffic was stopped for a car trying to make a left turn, and the Chevy failed to yield for traffic and swerved into the northbound lane, striking the Winnebago. The 85-year-old Neah Bay woman and a...
Four scholarships awarded to Mason County women Philanthropic Educational Organization Chapter B of Shelton awarded four $1,000 Mary M. Knight Achievement Award scholarships to Mason County women. Breeana Ross and Linda Bonney will pursue their certification in medical assisting at Olympic College. Kenzie Smith will pursue her X-ray certification at Pima Medical Institute. Tamra Ingwaldson will pursue a bachelor’s degree in business at Western Governors University. The scholarship awards honor Mary M. Knight, a Mason County pioneer educator a...
Coroner gets toxicology tools Mason County commissioners approved the purchase of rapid toxicology screening tools for the Mason County coroner. According to the information packet, it can take 10 weeks to receive a toxicology report from the state lab, which can interfere with death certificates, analysis of drug use in the community, assessment, surveillance and delays law enforcement. Public health departments in the state are looking to shorten the delay. Mason County Public Health recommended the purchase of toxicology screening tools....
