Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886
Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886
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March or drive at Pride and Diversity Celebration 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. Aug. 13. Participants are invited to gather at 11:30 a.m. at two locations. The drivers will meet at the Belfair Post Office and drive to the Pacific Northwest Salmon Center barn. The walkers will gather at Key Bank to march to the barn. Attendees can vote on the best decorated vehicle, the best drag outfit, and the best drag performance,...
Two weeks ago, 12 cats in a box were dumped in front of Kitten Rescue of Mason County's gate on state Route 3 in Shelton. That brought the cat and kitten population at the nonprofit organization to 92 felines. Add to that the 110 cats at local foster homes, and the agency has 202 cats without permanent homes. The after-hours abandonment of unwanted cats, a drop in adoptions and a shaky economy have combined to create "horrendous" and "deplorable" problems for the nonprofit, said Dee Sigmond,...
The McEwan Fire that ignited July 4 near East McEwan Prairie Road is still burning, but has been moved to "patrol status" by the state Department of Natural Resources as of Monday, according to Central Mason Fire & EMS. According to the CMFE Facebook page, DNR will continue to monitor the fire to ensure the fire remains inactive and within its footprint. People might continue to see fire crews coming and going from the fire area during that time. It will remain in patrol status until a "season-e...
Motorcyclists and campers in the Tahuya State Forest, coho salmon and winter trout in Kennedy Creek, and summer chum in the Tahuya River will benefit from almost $6.3 million in state grants awarded in Mason County. The state Recreation and Conservation Office last week announced the award of almost $190 million in grants to communities statewide to improve outdoor recreation and conserve important wildlife habitat. "These grants advance our priority to protect Washington's world-class outdoor r...
Habitat for Humanity of Mason County last week celebrated the groundbreaking for its 37th house, the second of three structures that will house families in need on Park Street in Shelton. Kendra Martinsen and her two sons, 6-year-old Wyatt and 9-year-old Ryan, will live at 531 Park St., just down the road from the City of Shelton's Kneeland Park. The nonprofit organization hosted a ceremony for the family July 19. Habitat for Humanity of Mason County is a faith-based housing ministry partnered w...
Jail cameras replaced Mason County commissioners approved replacement of the Mason County jail camera system at the Tuesday meeting. According to the information packet, information technology was informed by the camera system vendor, Corrections Technology Group, that replacement parts for the existing system are no longer in production or available. If another hardware failure occurred, there would be no way to fix it. The county asked the vendor, CTG, to provide a quote for a full system replacement, which includes a non-proprietary...
Hoodsport Port commissioners Cody Morris and Terry Brazil approved an agreement July 19 with Integrated NW Construction to satisfy the conditions for renewing the lease on the port’s dock. During the commissioners’ most recent meeting, Port Executive Director Kathleen Wyatt said the port has $3,500 available for a professional services agreement, which she said is the first step required for any progress in inspecting and renovating the docks. Wyatt said the next steps would be a “desktop revie...
Special filing period Aug. 8-10 The Mason County Auditor’s Elections Department announced a special three-day filing period Aug. 8 to 10 for any challengers to the incumbent. There’s no filing fee. According to a news release, candidates for the positions of Mason County Cemetery District Positions No. 1, 2 and 3; Fire Protection District 18 commissioner position 1 and 4; Public Hospital District No. 2 commissioner position No. 4; Port of Dewatto commissioner district 2; North Mason School District school board director district No. 4; and Tah...
About six years after it was proposed, the Shelton Veterans Village finally opened its doors Tuesday to about 150 people celebrating the new residence for 30 homeless Mason County veterans. The nonprofit organization Quixote Communities operates the village on North 13th Street across from Christmas Village. It features seven four-plexes, one duplex and a community building that includes a laundry room, two bathrooms, three offices and a boardroom. The group also has homeless villages in Orting...
Central Mason Fire & EMS has a ballot measure Aug. 1 to expand its board of commissioners to five members. “We are a growing department and we are covering a lot of extra ground and having more representation across our entire district will better serve our community and our citizens,” CMFE executive secretary Norma Brock told the Journal. The board had six commissioners after the merger with Fire District 11 brought in the three commissioners from Island Lake Fire. By law, it has to be red...
Commissioner chair Albert Wilder resigned from Mason County Fire District 12 at Tuesday’s regular meeting at the fire station in Matlock. “At the conclusion of this day, I am resigning as a commissioner,” Wilder said right before the end of the meeting. “I will continue to serve the community as a volunteer firefighter and EMT, but as far as the commissioner, I am resigning at the end of this day.” Wilder joins two other Fire 12 commissioners, John Pais and Brian Jutson, who have resigned....
Special filing period Aug. 8-10 The Mason County auditor’s Election Department announced a special three-day filing period Aug. 8 to 10 for no filing fee. According to a news release, candidates for the positions of Mason County Cemetery District positions No. 1, 2 and 3, Fire Protection District 18 commissioner position 1 and 4, Public Hospital District No. 2 commissioner position No. 4, Port of Dewatto commissioner district 2, North Mason School District school board director district No. 4, and Tahuya River Water District commissioner p...
North Mason Fire, county sign lease North Mason Regional Fire Authority and Mason County have agreed to a lease agreement for the old fire authority building at 490 NE Old Belfair Highway in Belfair for certain county services. According to the information packet, the term of the lease is 10 years for $2,000 per month. The county will make improvements to accommodate county offices and during the period of initial construction, NMRFA will forgo monthly rental payments for a period not to exceed two years. Mason County Sheriff’s Office North P...
Three of the four people involved in a January shooting death in Tahuya were each sentenced to at least 12 years in prison July 7 in Mason County Superior Court. Judge Monty Cobb sentenced all three people, handing down a 15-year sentence to Jacob Elijah Joe Ualika. Ualika, 24, pled guilty to one count of second-degree murder in the killing of Alejandro Rodriguez, 28, who was killed by gunshot wounds to the head and chest, according to the affidavit of probable cause. Brenda Maja Hudson-Culp,...
With increasing disruptive student behavior in its secondary schools, including vandalizing bathrooms, the Shelton School District has revised its disciplinary policy to better define procedures aimed at keeping students in the classroom. The Shelton School Board unanimously passed June 27 the revised policy, which calls for “ensuring fairness, equity and due process in the administration of discipline.” The board gave the revisions preliminary approval at its June 13 meeting. The revised policy states the district will administer dis...
Mason County implemented a burn ban July 7 to prohibit all recreational fires in the county. According to the state Department of Natural Resources website, the fire danger rating in the county is "very high," which is the second highest rating possible. Campfires, recreational fires and charcoal briquettes are prohibited in the county, but cooking stoves, barbeques and recreational fire pits fueled by propane or gas with a shutoff valve are authorized. Mason County Fire Marshal Randy Collins...
Mason County Fire District 12 commissioners Albert Wilder and Cinda Compton appointed Kelli Walsworth, Wilder’s daughter, to a vacant commission position at a special meeting Tuesday in Matlock. Walsworth is the district’s former fire chief who was dismissed and subsequently rehired as chief pro tempore prior to the state Auditor’s Office audit release in September. The audit found several fiscal problems in the district, and stated nepotism as a possible reason. Commissioner Brian Jutson resign...
Mason County Fire District 4 has named itself South Mason Fire and Rescue. South Mason Fire and Rescue Chief Greg Rudolph said this was something that was on the staffs' radar to refresh the department with new leadership coming in. Rudolph said he has done renamings at previous departments and it gets people to "buy in a bit more when they have some say in what the logo and name say or represent about us." "It feels good. The crews are excited about it, everybody had input with the new...
The McEwan Fire that began July 4 is now 85% contained, according to a Wednesday update from Central Mason Fire and EMS. According to the news release, 232 acres have burned and the fire has slowly been contained by crews. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. As of 7 a.m. Wednesday, the fire had been turned over to a state Department of Natural Resources team that will continue to manage the burned area, which continues to show heat pockets with some smoke and potential for...
With certification of the April 2023 special election, voters passed measures that merged Fire Protection District 11 with District 5 and renewed the property tax levy for Fire Protection District 3. The Aug. 1 primary is next, and your dedicated elections team is ready. We moved the Vote Center to the second floor of the County Administration Building next to the Licensing & Recording counter where voters will continue to receive terrific customer service. We reorganized the ballot processing...
The Mason General Hospital Gift Shop, operated by the hospital's auxiliary to raise money for scholarships, has reopened after being closed for three years due to the COVID pandemic. The shop reopened June 30, and is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Most of the volunteers are seniors, which factored in how long the shop was closed following the worst of the pandemic, said volunteer Monica Bates. "They didn't allow volunteers in ... They wanted to protect...
Motorcyclist, 71, hurt in accident near Triton A motorcyclist was injured Saturday on U.S. Highway 101 near Triton. According to a Washington State Patrol news release, a 71-year-old Quilcene man was northbound near Triton when the motorcyclist pulled over to the soft right shoulder, but the man lost control, causing him to lay the motorcycle down. The rider was unable to get out from underneath the motorcycle. The man was transported to Mason General and charges are pending an investigation. Skydiver hospitalized A skydiver became stuck in a...
State Route 106 between Belfair and Union will be closed beginning 7 a.m. Monday through 4 a.m. July 30. Route 106 will close, except for local access, for about 9 miles from Dalby Road to Trails Road, which includes access to Twanoh State Park. The full closure will have a detour to U.S. Highway 101 and state Route 3 through Shelton. Emergency responders will have access through the work zone. The closure will allow crews to work on removing and replacing a barrier to fish at Twanoh Creek. The...
The Shelton Police Department and Mason County Sheriff's Office had a 12-hour standoff Friday on Railroad Avenue in Shelton. According to a news release, David Thomas Sanchez, 27, is still at large and anyone who has information should contact Shelton Police. Sanchez was known by law enforcement prior to the incident. Law enforcement responded at 2:15 p.m. to a radio call in the 1400 block of West Railroad Avenue, according to the release. Officers contacted a domestic violence victim and...
A brush fire about 4 miles northeast of Shelton forced the mandatory evacuation of 200 structures, including homes and businesses, July 4. The mandatory order was downgraded to voluntary at noon Wednesday. The fire, driven by wind, began about 2 p.m., just west of the Rainbow Lake community near the intersection of East McEwan Prairie Road and East Mason Lake Road. According to a news release from Central Mason Fire & EMS, the fire is burning on industrial timberland and private land that's on...
