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December 18: Canada sent an early Christmas gift to Western Washington this week, as wintry weather from the north blasted Mason County, closing schools, making driving treacherous and generally wreaking a bit of havoc throughout the area. Schools in Shelton, Pioneer, Southside and Hood Canal school districts closed Monday, then opened two hours late Tuesday only to be closed again Wednesday. As of Wednesday, Saint David’s Church Emergency Cold Weather Shelter had taken in 84 people. Shelton police officers were alerted to look out for people out in the cold. PUD 3 commissioners Tuesday adopted a $54.8-million budget for 2009, up some $2.4 million from the utility’s 2008 budget. Meanwhile, Mason County cut $2 million from its 2009 operating expenses while adopting a $119.8-million budget. The county eliminated 37 positions, which will remain unfilled next year or until the economy improves. Giselle Eugenia Mejia, 39, an officer of the Washington Department of Corrections from King County is accused of having a romantic and sexual relationship with a client under her supervision. During their relationship, she and Brian E. Pierce traveled to a cabin in
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Mason County owned by Piece’s parents and engaged in a sexual relationship there, according to court documents. Mejia was arraigned recently in Mason County Superior Court and pled not guilty to custodial misconduct in the first degree. A trial is scheduled to begin on February 24. North Mason School District Superintendent David Peterson last week told school board members the state is experiencing a serious budget problem and he has started discussing spending freezes with his administrative team. “I have not made any decisions or taken any actions, but am likely to seriously restrict spending by the end of January,” Peterson said. The Shelton girls’ varsity basketball team beat Foss 52-39 and are now in fifth place in league standings at 3 and 1.
Deaths: Theodore J. Hawk, 42; Carlos Gimenez, 85; Nora Patricia Jost, 81; Marc Anthony Jones, 34; Thomas Livingston Lawton, 68; Ronald Lee Spoon, 76; Erma Rose Coleman, 71; Noelen H. Avery, 87.
Births: Kiauna Marie Olsen, Jaryn Manuel Hainline. |
