Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886
Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886
Sorted by date Results 726 - 750 of 1021
The City of Shelton’s proposed capital improvement plan for 2023 calls for upgrading well No. 1, replacing downtown trees that are cracking sidewalks and removing two railroad crossings. Jay Harris, the city’s Public Works director, gave a presentation on the proposed projects Tuesday at the Shelton City Council meeting. The proposed plan includes $1 million to replace a 16- to 24-inch steel pipe from the city’s well No. 1 to the high school tank, replacing the pump, and improving the chlorine disinfection system and backup power gener...
The Mason Conservation District updated the public on federal regulations and the Skokomish Valley Road project at its Aug. 30 meeting at the Skokomish Community Church. Senior Conservation Manager Keith Underwood led the meeting and talked to the 20 people in attendance. He said the Federal Emergency Management Act states that if a rise is created for the 100-year flood event by making changes in the floodway, as some of the projects Mason Conservation District might do, the public must be...
Shelton City Council member Deidre Peterson will be the new president and CEO of the Shelton-Mason County Chamber of Commerce. Peterson, a Shelton native who was elected to the council in April 2018, is the chamber's vice president of business development. She will replace Heidi McCutcheon, who is leaving the organization after 14 years for a new job at the Thurston County Economic Development Council and Center for Business & Innovation. Peterson is a fourth-generation Mason County resident....
One person had a confirmed case of Monkeypox in Mason County, but a county official said it’s unlikely that “a lot of” cases will occur. According to Mason County Public Health Nurse Audrey O’Connor, there was one case and one contact from the case who has been treated. There were 650 cases in the state as of Sept. 2, with most of those cases in either King, Pierce or Clark counties. O’Connor said case rates have declined steeply in the past two weeks in urban areas such as New York City and Chi...
Shelton-Mason County Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Heidi McCutcheon is leaving for new employment after being with the chamber for 14 years. According to a Tuesday news release, McCutcheon was the president and CEO for 12 of her 14 years. She's taken a new job at the Thurston County Economic Development Council and Center for Business & Innovation. During her time at the chamber, she helped coordinate the Shelton Downtown Visioning Plan, produced the Business Matters publication,...
Downtown Hoodsport business co-owner Katherine Yackel and the Port of Hoodsport appear to have settled their concerns about the community at the port’s Aug. 17 meeting. Yackel, instructor and operations manager of YSS Dive in Hoodsport, acknowledged using the port’s park without an event form April 30. She said she’d been unaware of such event forms beforehand. “I do apologize for that,” Yackel said. “We did instruct our divers to use the parking lot where we had our tents. We did have one te...
Are the men and women living on the streets of downtown Shelton natives of Mason County or transients bused in from Thurston County to take advantage of homeless services? And do those services "enable" homeless people, or help them move on to more stable lives and housing? Downtown business owners, service providers and others shared their thoughts during the public comment period Aug. 16 at the Shelton City Council meeting. The comments came two weeks after the council voted 6-1 to approve...
The North Mason community shared its feelings with the state Department of Transportation at a community forum Aug. 11 in Belair. Most of the almost-two-hour forum focused on one intersection in particular: state Route 3 and Northeast Ridgepoint Road. The intersection next to McDonald’s, NAPA Auto Parts and the U.S. Post Office will soon see more traffic with the intersection being the only point of entry to the Olympic Sunset View apartments and the Olympic Ridge housing project, which are b...
As part of the third generation of a newspaper family, Stephen Gay helped bring the present into focus as a printer and advertising manager at the Shelton-Mason County Journal. But his passion in his spare time was bringing the past back to life, re-enacting settlers’ battles with Native Americans of the 1870s as a founder of the Frontier Soldiers Association, and World War II battles as a co-founder of Friends of Willie & Joe. “In my mind’s eye I shall always remember Stephen driving around Shelton in his World War II-era Jeep,” Jeff Green,...
Mason County Fire District 12 won’t look for a new fire chief until after the State Auditor’s Office completes its audit. At the Mason County Fire District 12’s commissioner meeting Aug. 16, commissioner John Pais said, “At this point, we’re not going to actively search for a fire chief until the audit is complete because the chief needs to stay on until that is all done.” The commissioners voted at the April 19 meeting to dismiss fire chief Kelli Walsworth without cause. The district posted an...
Are you looking to serve your community in a way that will truly make a difference? The Mason County Fire Chiefs Association is seeking applications for its Volunteer Fire Chaplain Program. Fire chaplains meet emotional and spiritual needs in times of crisis. They provide comfort, reassurance and guidance to those in Mason County who are displaced by fire or experience a traumatic event. Additional duties include assisting with contacting family members or pastors as needed, as well as...
Two more property owners on Peacock Ridge east of Olympic College Shelton have petitioned the City of Shelton to be annexed into the city. The Shelton City Council on Tuesday gave preliminary approval to accept the proposed annexation of two properties totaling 50 acres owned by the Alpine Evergreen Co., and two properties totaling 51.44 acres owned by Terry and Patricia Bence. The council can give final approval with a vote at its meeting at 6 p.m. Sept. 6. The council April 5 voted to accept...
One dead in Timberlake fire A person died Aug. 11 in a single-family residence fire at Timberlakes near Shelton, according to Central Mason Fire & EMS. According to a news release, another resident was hospitalized at Mason General Hospital with severe smoke inhalation. The victim was found on the floor of a bedroom near the window by firefighters while firefighters were extinguishing the blaze. Central Mason Fire was dispatched at 2:50 p.m. and the cause of the fire is still under investigation, but it is believe to be an accidental equipment...
The Haven in Allyn, an assisted living and home-care agency, invites the community to attend Aging Smarter, a presentation from 10 a.m. to noon on Aug. 25 that’s designed to help people “prepare for life’s unexpected turns” as they age, according to Debra Jamerson, director of resident care. Jamerson, who’s been the resident care director at the Haven since 2007, said she’s seen an increase in people “who are in crisis” and don’t know where to start when it comes to arranging proper care for their elderly loved ones. “Aging comes with a unique...
Motorists driving into downtown Shelton on West Railroad Avenue face delays and one-way traffic as the city launches its ambitious Western Gateway construction project. On Tuesday, crews began work to install a new water main, water service improvements and storm drain improvements on the West Railroad Avenue corridor between Eighth Street and Pacific Court, the city's western border. After the underground utilities are installed, new pavement, curbs, gutters and sidewalks will be laid. A new...
Guns, throwing stars and other weapons are banned at Shelton School Board meetings. The Shelton School Board on Tuesday evening gave final approval to rule revisions on meeting conduct, the order of business and language considered "uncivil." The board have preliminary approval to the rules at its July 26 meeting. The new rules note the meeting site has changed to the Mountain View Elementary School cafeteria the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month. The new rules also state "It is unlawful...
The City of Shelton started a plastic film recycling program in April. Three months in, the program is going strong, according to City Manager Jeff Niten. The program added plastic film as part of the city’s curbside recycling program, which allows residents to recycle clean and dry plastic bags, plastic storage bags such as Ziploc brand bags, dry cleaning bags and other flexible plastic film. Shelton partnered with SC Johnson to help with sending the plastic to a company that can recycle the p...
Transient killer whales have been spotted in the southern reaches of the Salish Sea. Julie Watson, killer whale policy lead for the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, said transient killer whales are the ones most often spotted in Oakland Bay or Pickering Passage in recent months. Southern resident orcas are endangered, while transient killer whales are not. "They are called transient because they come and go, but we have been seeing in recent years more transients and them spending longer p...
The Shelton School District is considering a $78-million budget for the 2022-2023 school year. Brenda Trogstad, the district’s director of finance, gave the Shelton School Board a final overview Tuesday of the proposed budget. The board will host a public hearing on the budget at its meeting at 6 p.m. Aug. 23 in the Mountain View Elementary School cafeteria. The meeting can also be viewed live on MasonWebTV. The district is required to approve its budget by Aug. 31. The budget is based on the district’s projected enrollment of 4,125 ful...
Assessor’s notice of value mailed The Mason County Assessor’s annual notice of value has been mailed out to taxpayers to notify them of any change in the true and fair market value of their property. In a news release, the county states it is saving money by printing notices of value in postcard format. Property owners can sign up to receive their annual property valuation notice via email instead of through the United State Postal Service. People can sign up for the paperless option at www.enoticesonline.com. If you do not agree with the value...
