Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886
Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886
Sorted by date Results 551 - 575 of 987
The City of Shelton stores a couple million gallons of water in five tanks, but needs more to meet growth. "We don't have adequate storage in our reservoir system," Jay Harris, the city's public works director, told the Shelton City Council at its March 21 meeting. "We're having a problem with new development and new connections." At that meeting, the council voted unanimously to award a $79,985 contract to the firm of BHC Consultants of Tacoma to study the city's water reservoir system and prop...
The COVID-19 pandemic began three years ago, and the last remnants of the pandemic era restrictions are set to end next week throughout the state. The mask mandate will end at Mason Health and Mason General Hospital on April 3, as directed by the state Department of Health to end the statewide mask order. Employees who interact with patients will still be required to wear masks while in the facilities, according to Mason Health Chief Medical Officer Dr. Dean Gushee. “Mason (Health) is taking a...
Forest McCullough of Hoodsport-based Northwest Land & Tree recently told the Port of Hoodsport Commission that “snow has put a damper on our progress,” but he still expects work on the Hoodsport trail park to be complete for the port commissioners’ planned opening around Memorial Day weekend. While the early part of March still saw onsite logging work continue, McCullough said work on the parking lot had to be suspended at times while he waited for snow to melt. When Port of Hoodsport Commi...
Shelton man killed in U.S. 101 collision A 27-year-old Shelton man died in a three-car accident March 22 on U.S. Highway 101. According to a Washington State Patrol news release, Aparicio Mendoza Matias died in the accident. Matias was southbound on U.S. 101 in a 2002 Volkswagen just north of state Route 3. A 2020 Jeep driven by a 60-year-old Shelton woman, was in front of the Shelton man. A third car, a 2004 Audi driven by a 64-year-old Shelton woman, was northbound on U.S. 101. The Volkswagen struck the rear of the Jeep, lost control and...
Proposals sought for homeless grants Mason County Public Health and Human Services announced the request for proposal application for homeless response grants is open for the 2023-2025 grant term. According to a news release, the homeless response grant program includes money from the consolidated homeless grant and the local document recording fees administered by Mason County. Public Health and Human Services is responsible for contracting and compliance activities related to these homeless response money. The money provides resources to...
Shelton educator earns honor Shelton resident Ellen Shortt Sanchez, director of the Center for Community Based Learning and Action at The Evergreen State College, was selected as the 2023 Continuums of Service Western Region Community Engaged Professional. The award was conferred at the group's regional conference March 14-17 in Honolulu. A Shelton resident since 1990, Shortt was recognized for her commitment to providing leadership on campus to foster civic/community engagement. She also was...
West Mason Fire will be on the ballot in August with a $0.50 emergency medical services levy and a lid lift to $1.50. If the levy and lid lift are approved, it would be $2 per day for a $400,000 house, West Mason Fire Chief Matthew Welander told the Journal. The levy and lift will pay for staff and a new fire engine. The lid lift requires a simple majority to pass, while the EMS levy needs 60% approval to pass because it is a new tax for the area. “We need people to come out to the c...
Mark Ziegler, director of the City of Shelton's Parks, Recreation and Facilities Department, is the city's interim city manager as the search begins to replace Jeff Niten. The Shelton City Council voted 7-0 Tuesday evening to name Ziegler to the interim position until a replacement is found. The Shelton native has worked for the city for 30 years. March 31 is the last day for Niten, who departs after four years to be the city manager for the City of Mountlake Terrace. Like Shelton, the suburban...
Improving the city's Western Gateway on West Railroad Avenue, and building two roundabouts on Wallace Kneeland Boulevard, remain the top three priorities on the City of Shelton's proposed Six-Year Transportation Improvement Plan. The Shelton City Council on Tuesday evening hosted its first public hearing on the proposed plan. The council is scheduled to vote on the document at its April 4 meeting. No one from the public offered comments Tuesday. The city's code states that the plan is designed...
The owner of 40 acres of Mason County land north of the Shelton Springs subdivision and south of Island Lake wants to annex the property into the City of Shelton to build a subdivision. The Shelton City Council on Tuesday accepted the initiation of the annexation process for the property known as Meadows Edge. The square, wooded property, which also borders a corner of the city's Huff'n'Puff Trail, is inside Shelton's urban growth area. The council is scheduled to have a preliminary vote on the...
A bus is now available to North Mason School District students who want to be involved in extracurricular activities. North Mason School District Superintendent Dana Rosenbach said her schools’ partnership with Mason Transit Authority and the North Mason Teen Center of the Boys & Girls Clubs of South Puget Sound stemmed from Mason Transit and the Teen Center striking up a collaboration. Rosenbach credited North Mason School District Director of Transportation Maurine Simons, Mason Transit A...
Free dump vouchers The United Way of Mason County and Youth Connections of Belfair is handing out vouchers for the 2023 Days of Caring. According to a news release, vouchers became available Wednesday at the United Way of Mason County 790 E. Johns Prairie Road in Shelton and at the Youth Connection of Belfair on state Route 3. There are 300 vouchers available in Shelton and 150 available at Youth Connection of Belfair. To receive a voucher, you must fill out the required paperwork, have a valid identification and proof of a Mason County...
The effort to recall Mason County Fire District 12 commissioners was not heard in the state Supreme Court on March 9 as originally scheduled. According to court documents, the respondents, Matlock residents Kristin Masteller and Amanda Gonzales, had an attorney file a motion March 16 for the Supreme Court to issue an order announcing the decision of the court with an opinion to follow. The document states the respondents proposed a briefing schedule and requested the case be on the court’s M...
Woman found dead at High Steel Bridge The Mason County Sheriff’s Office confirmed to the Journal an incident of a woman found dead at the High Steel Bridge this weekend. The Journal did not have more information by press time but will report more information as it becomes available. Belfair pedestrian killed in accident A 22-year-old Belfair man was killed Friday while walking along state Route 300 near Belfair. According to a news release, Alexander M. Kendall, 22, was declared dead at the scene. A 2014 Volkswagen Jetta driven by a 2...
Scholarships available for Harstine residents The Harstine Island Women’s Club and the Judy and Charles Chase Scholarship Fund Management Committee are offering scholarships to full-time residents of Harstine Island who are entering or continuing their post-high school education. Applicants must have obtained a diploma with an accredited high school program or earned a GED. Applications will be accepted through May 15. Winners will be announced by May 31. The number and amount of the scholarships will be determined at the time the s...
Rep. Dan Griffey, R-Allyn, and Travis Couture, R-Allyn, hosted a telephone town hall for 35th District constituents Friday, talking about the legislative session and matters that have an effect on Mason County residents, including police pursuits and the Belfair Bypass. Couture shared his thoughts on his first legislative session, saying he’s been enjoying the “chaos of it all.” “I kind of thrive in that environment. It is fast-paced and before you know it, it’s already the end of the day and t...
Homeless veterans in Mason County can apply to live in one of the 30 units at the long-delayed Shelton Veterans Village, under construction on North 13th Street near Olympic College Shelton and projected to open in June. Local homeless veterans can apply for residency through Crossroads Housing by calling 360-490-6510, the local "coordinated entry system" for the nonprofit Quixote Communities. The village will feature seven four-plexes, one duplex and a community building. On Friday, a crew...
The City of Shelton amended its code to allow rooming houses in most zoning districts. The Shelton City Council on March 7 voted unanimously for the amendment. The amended code allows rooming houses as a permitted use or conditionally permitted use in almost all zoning districts in the city, except commercial and industrial zones. A report to the council by Jae Hill, the city’s director of economic development, states that “rooming houses have been a traditional form of rental housing in cities and towns throughout history. The City’s code defi...
Shelton credit union has scholarships for 2023 grads April 30 is the deadline for local graduating high school seniors to apply for 10 $5,000 scholarships offered by Our Community Credit Union. The scholarships are open to graduating 2023 high school seniors who attend school in Mason, Grays Harbor and Thurston counties, and on Vashon Island. The students must be a member of OCCU to be eligible. Applications and guidelines for the scholarship are available for download at ourcu.com/scholarship-program. The winners will be announced in May. For...
Mason County commissioners approved Title 15 and 17 amendments related to the Shelton urban growth area by a 2-1 vote following a continuation of a public hearing Tuesday. According to the information packet, the Title 17 amendments are related to the Shelton urban growth area to allow higher residential densities within the Shelton urban growth area by use of the City of Shelton's Planned Unit Development standards. Title 15 amendments include amending the development code to add to the...
Katherine and John Yackel, co-owners of the YSS Dive Shop in Hoodsport, addressed Port of Hoodsport commissioners March 8 about the shop’s third-annual scuba expo and “Dive Against Debris” event May 6. “The underwater world is so amazing, and it needs all the help it can get,” Katherine Yackel told the Shelton-Mason County Journal. Through a separate correspondence to port commissioners, she vowed YSS Dive’s returning cleanup event would also impart to the public “why people should not po...
Mason County Heritage grants approved The Mason County Historic Preservation Commission received approval from Mason County commissioners for Heritage Grant applications. According to the information packet, at the February meeting, the historic preservation commission voted to approve five heritage grants. The grants include Mason General Hospital Foundation’s Arts Commission chapter for $5,000 toward the showcasing of Mason County’s history through historic pictures within Mason Health’s Rehabilitation Services and Patient Connection Cente...
If the Port of Shelton property at Sanderson Field is annexed from Mason County into the City of Shelton, the city would gain about 1,100 acres of land and the taxes and user fees that come with it. With annexation, the Port of Shelton might get quicker response from Shelton police than Mason County sheriff's deputies, but would lose sales taxes, stormwater fees and might have to change building codes under city regulations when port tenants change. Annexation could also be a mixed bag for port...
The Shelton City Council on Tuesday evening annexed 370 acres of Peacock Ridge into the city. Four property owners petitioned the city for annexation of forested Mason County land behind Olympic College Shelton. Green Diamond Resources owns two parcels totaling 240 acres, JPS Properties has almost 40 acres, Alpine Evergreen owns 50 acres and Bence Parcels owns 41 acres. The neighborhoods bordering the properties are Terrace Heights, Manke's Alpine View and Hiawatha Park. The land is designated...
Shelton City Manager Jeff Niten will leave his job to become the city manager of Mountlake Terrace. Niten made the announcement Tuesday evening at the Shelton City Council meeting. His last day is March 31. Niten prefaced his remarks by saying his departure was in "the rumor mill." "It's bittersweet," he said. "I really enjoyed my time here and I can't tell you how much I appreciate the opportunity to work with council to address the issues we wanted to address." Niten said he set up...
