County Briefs

Route 106 closure begins on Monday

Drivers who use state Route 106 are asked to plan for extra travel time for trips from Monday to Wednesday for tree removal.

According to a state Department of Transportation news release, DOT crews will close a portion of the highway during the three-day period to remove trees above the highway. The closure is planned for 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will close state Route 106 to all travelers between mileposts 5.5 and 5.6. A detour will be set up through East McReavy Road and East Dalby Road. Oversized loads are not permitted on the detour route.

The work must be done during daylight hours for safety reasons. For more information, go to http://www.wsdot.com/Travel/Real-time/Map.

Union man involved in fatal accident

A 37-year-old Union man was not injured in a fatal two-car accident on state Route 105 near Westport in Grays Harbor County on Oct. 11.

According to a Washington State Patrol news release, William E. Meeks, 76, of Aberdeen was killed in the accident.

Meeks, who was driving a motorcycle, and the Union man, driving a dump truck, were southbound on state Route 105, according to the WSP report. The truck started slowing to take a right and Meeks tried to pass the truck on the right shoulder, striking the truck. Both vehicles ended up in the southbound lane.

The stated cause was unlawful passing and the road was blocked for four hours.

One injured in Belfair motorcycle crash

A 51-year-old Allyn man was injured in a two vehicle accident on state Route 300 on Wednesday in Belfair.

According to a Washington State Patrol news release, a 34-year-old Belfair man was driving east on SR300 in a shared turn lane. The Allyn man, on his motorcycle, was traveling west when the Belfair man turned left into a parking lot and struck the motorcycle.

The Allyn man was transported to St. Michaels Medical Center in Silverdale. The Belfair driver was charged with failure to yield, operating a vehicle without insurance and with a suspended license.

Peninsula Credit Union receives federal money

Peninsula Credit Union was named one of five credit unions in the state to receive Emergency Capital Investment Program funding.

According to a news release, the purpose of the money is to support the efforts of low- and moderate-income Community Financial Development Institutions. The Consolidated Appropriations Act in 2021 provided the U.S. Department of the Treasury $9 billion for ECIP to provide direct investments into CDFIs and Minority Depository Institutions.

The investments are designed to support the efforts of community financial institutions to provide lonas, grants and forbearance for small and minority-owned businesses and consumers, especially in low-income and financially underserved communities that struggled the most during COVID-19.

Butokukan Karate event Saturday

Shelton Butokukan Karate is hosting a three-part seminarat noon Saturday at the Shelton Athletic Club.

According to a flier, Check-in for the event is at noon, warmups are at 12:30 p.m. and rotations begin at 1 p.m. and go until 5 p.m. Everyone who registers will receive a white cotton T-shirt with the Butokukan crest. There are three one-hour workshops going over Kata, self-defense and sparring. People are asked to wear clean uniforms, practice your kata as if you are testing, and bring sparring gear, water and snacks.

The cost for the event is $35 and people can register at http://www.tinyurl.com/mry9xnrc.

Shelton Yacht Club hosts Pier Peer

The Shelton Yacht Club is hosting Pier Peer from 7 to 9 p.m. Oct. 29 on the dock at Oakland Bay Marina pier.

According to a news release, Puget Sound Estuarium trained biologists will use underwater lights that attract animals to safely scoop up and observe. Volunteer naturalists help you identify and learn more about the animals that approach, which could include octopus, anemones, sea stars and sea slugs.

The event is free, but registration is required at http://www.tinyurl.com/58y48aea.

COVID kills three as county ends reports

Mason County reported three COVID-19 deaths in the Oct. 13 report from the Mason County Division of Emergency Management.

The three deaths included one man in his 80s and two men in their 90s, bringing the total COVID death toll in Mason County to 164.

The county reported 17 new cases from Oct. 10 and 11. There were two people hospitalized at the time of the release and the seven-day case rate per 100,000 as 225.4 and the 14-day case rate was 316.8, putting the county in the high case rate category as of Oct. 5 along with Grays Harbor, Stevens, Lincoln, Spokane and Walla Walla counties. The county is 60.2% fully vaccinated.

According to a news release, as the emergency orders for COVID end in the state on Oct. 31, Mason County Public Health has decided to end reports on COVID sent through email and Facebook. The data can still be found on the state Department of Health’s COVID data dashboard at http://www.tinyurl.com/4rem935d. For more information, contact the county health office at 360-427-9670 ext. 588.