County Briefs

Hood Canal Communications receives $5.3 million in grant money

Hood Canal Communications announced the award of a $5.3 million broadband grant received from the Washington State Broadband Office in partnership with the Washington Independent Telecommunications Association.

According to a news release, the grant is to extend broadband to residents and businesses in several unserved, low-density pockets of Mason County. HCC will contribute about $600,000 in matching money to bring the total investment to $5.9 million. The project will serve homes and businesses with broadband speeds up to 1,000 megabytes per second.

According to HCC General Manager Mike Oblizalo, the company is extremely grateful for the partnership with WITA and WSBO for making the project possible.

Mason Health names Schmit employee of month

Mason Health Emergency Department nurse Kristen Schmit is the January employee of the month.

According to a news release, Schmit recently recognized a critical diagnosis in a patient that led to a better chance of recovery and avoid severe life-threatening events. She grew up in Great Falls, Montana, and worked as a nurse technician after joining Mason Health in 2014 while completing her bachelor's degree in nursing at Pacific Lutheran University. She graduated in 2017 and after obtaining her nursing license, she began her career as a registered nurse in the ER.

"I really like it at Mason Health, everyone is really friendly and a lot of people on staff are from the community and they're very much invested in the health of the community," Schmit said in a news release. "I work with people who know everyone who comes in through the door. I like that it's a small hospital and the people that work here don't get lost in the system."

Schmit deployed to Kuwait in 2007 and met her future husband and Shelton City Council member Joe Schmit.

Volunteers sought for Olympic Peninsula Resource Advisory Committee

The Olympic National Forest is looking for volunteers to serve on the Olympic Peninsula Resource Advisory Committee.

According to a news release, committee members review and recommend projects that benefit Olympic National Forest resources through Title II funding of the Secure Rural Schools Community and Self Determination Act. Members are

appointed by the secretary of Agriculture for a four-year term. The committee is a volunteer position and only travel expenses will be reimbursed. Members are expected to meet at least once per year and must be state residents, preferably in Clallam, Jefferson, Mason, Grays Harbor or Thurston counties.

The committee has proposed projects and allocated for improvements that benefit the residents of the Olympic Peninsula and visitors of Olympic National Forest.

Each committee member is to be balanced among three interest categories. Category A is organized labor or nontimber forest product harvester groups; category B is nationally recognized environmental organizations; and category C is state-elected office or county or local-elected office.

Residents interested in applying for the committee membership can go to at https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/olympic/workingtogether/advisorycommittees/?cid=fsbdev3_049547. Completed forms can be submitted to Olympic National Forest, Attn: Amber Brazil, 295142 U.S. Highway 101 South, Quilcene, WA, 98376. All applications must be received or postmarked by Feb. 28.