Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886
Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886
Sorted by date Results 851 - 875 of 1021
The Mary M. Knight School District has received the first electric school bus in Mason County, a $275,000 gift from the state Department of Ecology. The bus was delivered last week, and should be transporting students in the next couple weeks, said Superintendent Matt Mallery. The grant also paid for a charger for the bus. The bus can travel about 100 to 120 miles on an electric charge, Mallery said. That means the bus can pick up and deliver students to the two schools in the morning, be...
The League of Women Voters of Mason County heard from a pair of veteran journalists on "The Decline of Local Journalism and Its Impact on Democracy" during its March 15 meeting. Sally Carpenter Hale retired in 2019 after 40 years with The Associated Press, most recently as director of regional media for Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey. As the AP's bureau chief in New Jersey, she directed that state's coverage of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and their aftermath. Dee Anne Finken reported for the Fresno and Sacramento Bee newspapers early in...
Mason County Fire District 12 commissioners received a lesson about the state Public Records Act at their March 15 meeting. State Assistant Attorney General Morgan Damerow was on the agenda to talk about the Public Records Act. Damerow spoke for about 30 minutes of the meeting, addressing why people should care about transparency laws, what agencies must do under the PRA and what a PRA request looks like. The commissioners answered more community questions during the meeting. Commissioner John P...
Tim Sheldon joined the state Legislature during the year Bryan Adams' "I Do It for You" was the No. 1 song, the New York Giants defeated the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXV and "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" was the top grossing movie. That year was 1991, and now 31 years later, Sheldon has decided it's time to retire. "It came along during this term. It's been 32 years in Olympia and before that I had six years as a port commissioner, so it overlapped two years so 32 and four, that's 36 years...
Taggers have vandalized Shelton Mayor Eric Onisko's Texaco station with paint three times in the past month. "The graffiti's gotten pretty crazy lately, all over town," Onisko said during the Shelton City Council's work session March 8. Other council members agreed. "I've definitely seen an uptick of this in the community, not just downtown," said Joe Schmit. "You drive by an alley and 'boom,' and it wasn't there yesterday," said Kathy McDowell. "When did they do it?" City Manager Jeff Niten...
Erika Edgin, Tryssa Robertson and Hailey Lohman were Mary M. Knight ninth-graders when they donned face masks to ward off the COVID-19 virus. On Monday, as high school juniors, they took off their masks. "It feels like we're supposed to go back to normal, but it's not our normal," Edgin said as the trio stood together outside during a class project Tuesday. She added, "I go to pull up my mask, and it's not there." Monday was the first day students, teachers and other school staff were allowed...
In June, Shelton High School anticipates that 331 of its 363 seniors will graduate, a 91% rate. That would exceed the school's goal to increase the percentage of seniors graduating in four years from 78.1% - the rate from 2016 to 2020 - to 90% at the end of the school year. Shelton High School Principal Bruce Kipper on March 8 presented the school's improvement plan to the Shelton School Board. He also talked about the efforts to return a sense of "normalcy" to the campus two years into the...
Four junk removal companies last week hauled away 50 tons of cars, sofas, wooden pallets, doors, toys and other debris from Evergreen Mobile Estates near Shelton's Sanderson Field. The Evergreen Mobile Homeowners Cooperative that oversees about 50 manufactured homes on East Blevins Road North received a grant for the pickup. The cooperative hired Mason County Clean Outs & Junk Removal, WashingTone's Junk Removal, R&K Recycle and Transport, and Dirt & Stuff Mason County Clean Outs to haul away...
Mason County covers slightly more than 1,000 square miles and medical services aren't a short drive away for most people. That's where the Behavioral Health Transportation program is stepping in to provide a ride to those who need it. After being approved at the Feb. 1 Mason County commissioners meeting, the program is new, having started officially about two weeks ago. According to the information packet, the program is set up to transport people to services such as inpatient, detox, medical...
The $17 billion transportation package dubbed “Move Ahead Washington,” is on its way to the Governor’s Office for final signature. House legislators passed the 16-year plan on a pair of votes of 54-44 and 57-41 on the final day of the 2022 legislative session. Senators voted an hour later, passing the package 29-20 and 30-19. One of the package’s sponsors, Sen. Marko Liias, D-Everett, said in a news release: “We’re investing in projects from rural to urban areas across our state, letting kids ride free on buses, ferries and trains, and so much...
The Port of Hoodsport is still dealing with the fallout of its hazard trees and is considering upcoming waste disposal needs. The port’s vouchers for February totaled $14,797.30, which port Operations Manager Kathleen Wyatt said is higher than the usual total of about $8,000. Wyatt said the port’s vouchers included $7,000 for Hoodsport-based Northwest Land and Tree to have hazardous trees removed, plus $900 for the port’s annual IT, domain and web tech fees, and attorney fees of $225 from when Wyatt consulted with legal counsel about the Fjord...
More than 2 million poisonings are reported yearly to the nation’s poison control centers, which can be reached through the Poison Help line, 800-222-1222. Established in 1961, National Poison Prevention Week is observed during the third week of March every year and was established to focus national attention on the dangers of poisonings and how to prevent them. According to the American Association of Poison Control Centers, 93% of poisonings happen at home, with 45% involving children under t...
State Route 3 runs through Belfair and is the main artery connecting north Mason County communities. In Belfair, the intersection of Route 3 and Ridgepoint Boulevard has become a contentious topic of conversation between residents and the state. The intersection is the only entrance to the new Olympic Ridge and Olympic View developments, up the hill from the post office, McDonald’s and NAPA Auto Parts, among other businesses. Department of Transportation spokesperson Doug Adamson said about 17,000 vehicles per day use both directions of Route 3...
Five years after receiving state money, ground is finally set to be broken this summer for a village for homeless veterans in Shelton. The Shelton Veteran's Village will feature seven four-plexes, two duplexes and a community center on a triangle of land leased from the City of Shelton on North 13th Street in the Mountain View area, near Olympic College Shelton. Homeless veterans from Shelton and Mason County will be given preference in housing. Construction is expected to be completed in April...
The Mason County Sheriff's Office breakfast featured retired Brig. Gen. Stan Flemming as the guest speaker Feb. 25 at Little Creek Casino Resort. The Shelton NJROTC program presented the colors before Flemming took the podium. Fleming, who received his doctorate in osteopathic medicine and is board certified in family medicine and a retired officer in the Army and Army Reserve, talked about senior mental health throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Flemming is a University Place city councilor and...
Pioneer Schools seek old photos of school buildings Pioneer School District seeks old photos of the schools – and former schools such as Grant, Oakland Bay and Harstine Island — and the community in general so they can be posted March 19 at the annual school board retreat in the school’s commons. The photos can be dropped off March 18 to Lynn Chakos in the district office. The name of the photo’s owner and a phone number should be on the back of the photo so they can be returned. The school board is hosting a special meeting and executi...
Gov. Jay Inslee announced the state mask mandate will end Saturday. Inslee announced the new end date Feb. 28 after receiving new guidance from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention and continued decreases in hospitalization rates in the state. Masks won’t be required in schools, child care sites, libraries, restaurants, bars, houses of worship, gyms, recreation centers, indoor athletic areas, grocery stores, businesses and retail establishments. Masks will still be required in health care and medical facilities, long-term care s...
Mason County Superior Court penalized Fire District 6 $94,300 on Monday for violating the state’s Public Records Act. Judge Amber Finlay reviewed the courts findings, saying this was “a challenging case for a variety of factors.” Finlay said the court is concerned because the court found negligence due to altering records. Finlay said agencies need to be transparent. The penalty of $94,300 comes from the tax base multiplied by $50. Jeffrey Brittig was the plaintiff in the case against Mason County Fire District 6 and filed his lawsuit again...
Since September 2016, state Attorney General Bob Ferguson has been working toward implementing gun changes that would prevent acts like the Mukilteo mass shooting July 30, 2016. Now, a ban on high-capacity magazines that hold more than 10 rounds is on its way to Gov. Jay Inslee’s desk for his approval. If signed by the governor, the bill would go into effect July 1. It makes manufacturing, importing, distributing and selling large-capacity magazines a gross misdemeanor. “Today is the fulfillment of years of hard work from so many,” Fergu...
Sen. Tim Sheldon, D-Potlatch, the longest-serving member of the Washington Legislature and its most independent voice, will be stepping down at the end of his current term, Sheldon announced Thursday as the Washington Legislature prepared to adjourn its 2022 legislative session. Sheldon, who celebrated his 75th birthday Wednesday, said he will not seek re-election. He will remain through the end of his term in January 2023. "When they swore me in all those years ago, I had no idea I'd be...
Starting March 12, students and employees in Mason County’s seven school districts will no longer be required to wear face masks in school buildings or on buses. People have the option to continue to wear masks, which will remain available at schools. Gov. Jay Inslee made the announcement Monday. Schools in Oregon and California passed identical measures. In a post Tuesday, North Mason School District stated, “Students and staff will have the choice to wear a mask at school, with the expectation that others’ choices will be respected. One s...
The Shelton City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved new and amended noise ordinances that outlaw sounds of repetitive squealing tires and screeching car engines, continuous noise from pets and off-hours construction. The council gave preliminary approval to the ordinances at its Feb. 15 meeting. The rules go into effect Sunday. No one from the public or the council commented on the changes. The city’s current noise ordinances were adopted in 2006. The council discussed the proposed additions and changes Nov. 23 at a study session. The laws...
Mason County commissioners resumed a public hearing Tuesday about the Belfair sewer, and once again, decided to continue the public hearing to allow more time for county staff to gather information. After the first public hearing Jan. 31, which lasted more than four hours, the commissioners voted 2-1 to continue the public hearing at 6 p.m. April 5. Commissioners Kevin Shutty and Sharon Trask voted again to continue the public hearing in April, with commissioner Randy Neatherlin opposed. The...
Two years into the pandemic, CHOICE High School is in “a bit of an uphill battle,” Principal Stacey Anderson told the Shelton School Board. “This has been the toughest year for me and my staff and for the kids, harder than last year by far,” Anderson said as she presented the school’s improvement plan Feb. 23. “We’ve had more fights this year than any year I have been principal.” Those conflicts prompted the school last week to begin limiting one student at a time in the restrooms. Anderson also delivered encouraging news to the board, and...
