COUNTY BRIEFS

Belfair Sheriff’s Office moving this month

The Belfair office of the Mason County Sheriff’s Office is make its long-planned move to the former North Mason Regional Fire Authority headquarter sbuilding, 460 NE Old Belfair Highway, Nov. 22.

The move should be completed by Dec. 5, officials said.

During this time, the Belfair office will be closed for walk-ins and people needing assistance should call the main office at 360-427-9670, ext. 313, according to the sheriff’s department.

Recovery court gets grant

The Mason County Family Recovery Court received a $890,675 federal grant awarded to local organizations that help with substance abuse.

The money will be used to increase services offered by the court, including increasing parent engagement, compliance with court orders, improve family reunification rates and reduce substance use and mental health issues among parents.

The money comes from the Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Family Treatment Court Program and is part of a $5.9 million federal grant given to Western Washington tribes, counties and cities to deal with the drug crisis, according to a news release by U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell.

“The state of Washington saw an alarming 33% increase in reported drug overdose deaths from May 2022 to May 2023, the highest increase in the nation. This funding will help six different Western Washington communities fight the scourge of fentanyl and other drugs by aiding first responders, expanding drug court recovery programs, and giving locals better access to the most effective treatments,” Cantwell said about the grant.