Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886
Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886
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North Mason Timberland Library seeks user input The North Mason Timberland Library in Belfair is asking users to take a survey to “better understand your needs, preferences and experiences with our library system,” according to its website. Staff want feedback to help decide priorities for the library. The survey takes about five minutes, according to the library and responses are anonymous. The survey is at www.trl.org. North Mason Chamber hosts cocktail party The North Mason Chamber of Commerce hosts a free end-of-summer cocktail party fro...
Judge protects some evidence in North Mason school suit A judge has ruled video recordings of a bus ride and a police interview of a kindergartner allegedly abused on the bus by another student are confidential and exempt from public disclosure. Mason County Superior Court Judge Monty Cobb granted a protective order Aug. 6 in the suit filed by parents of a 5-year-old kindergartner against North Mason School District after video footage showed the child being “sexually and physically abused” by a fifth grade student during a bus ride home, acc...
United Way of Mason County dissolves United Way of Mason County announced Aug. 14 it will dissolve. “With a heavy heart, United Way of Mason County announces its dissolution. After many years of dedicated service to the community, the organization will cease operations and quit taking pledges effective immediately,” Board of Directors Chair Dani Cook said in a statement. When Executive Director Ted Jackson resigned June 6, Cook told the Journal United Way was “taking time to evaluate the program,” and would not be immediately seeking a new exe...
Board approves Sand Hill Elementary emergency repairs The North Mason School Board authorized emergency replacement of a fire control panel at Sand Hill Elementary at a special meeting July 26. “There are not parts easily available or even available at all,” so replacement was not an option, Superintendent Dana Rosenbach said at the meeting. The board contacted the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction because the $88,780.50 needed for the panel was not in the district’s budget, according to Rosenbach. Board members agreed to decla...
Drunk driver crashes, thinks he’s home Police say an intoxicated Seabeck man drove into a ditch near Allyn and thought he was in his driveway. Shawn Ferguson, 29, drove off state Route 302 near the intersection of East Coulter Creek Road around 10 p.m. July 9 and his car landed “with its nose within the south bound ditch and the rear bumper of the vehicle was just outside of the southbound fog line,” Mason County Sheriff’s Deputy J. Ogden wrote in a probable cause document. Ferguson allegedly exited the crashed vehicle with a bottle in his han...
State Route 106 blocked after crash A suspected drunken driver allegedly caused a head-on collision on state Route 106 north of Twanoh State Park Sunday, injuring three people. Bremerton woman Katharine Cuyle, 40, was driving westbound near Twanoh Tides Drive at 7:25 p.m. when she crossed the center line and struck a vehicle driven by Sergey Bezzabara, 44, of Federal Way, according to the Washington State Patrol. The accident blocked both lanes. Cuyle was taken to St. Michael Medical Center in Silverdale and Bezzabara and two of his three...
Jackson resigns from United Way United Way of Mason County Executive Director Ted Jackson resigned June 6, the organization said in a news release. "Mr. Jackson has served UWMC with dedication, and the Board of Directors extends its gratitude for his service," according to the statement. UWMC Board President Dani Cook told the Journal in an email the group is "taking time to evaluate the program," and will not currently be seeking a replacement executive director. Jackson was a Port of Allyn commissioner until his resignation Jan. 19. He is...
Fight outside CHOICE graduation ends with arrests Shelton police arrested three men fighting outside the June 6 CHOICE High School graduation at the Shelton High School Performing Arts Center, according to court documents. Damien Castellane, 21, James Elmund, 19, and Malique Ekstein, 20, were arrested for assault and obstructing a law enforcement officer, according to a probable cause document. Shelton Police Officer M. Mullins got called for a “verbal disturbance” at the center at 6:10 p.m. and en route, MACECOM told him it escalated to a “ph...
Fatal crash on state Route 108 A 19-year-old died June 9 on state Route 108 near milepost 7 when his Lexis R33 left the road on a curve and went down a creek embankment, according to the Washington State Patrol. South Mason Fire stabilized the vehicle and “rapidly worked to extricate the sole occupant,” Casey Dickerson of Poulsbo, a SMF Facebook post states. Dickerson was removed from the car within 8 minutes of firefighters arriving at the scene and airlifted to an unidentified medical facility, but died “despite extensive resuscitation effor...
Airbnb guests find banana thief A couple staying at an Airbnb rental in Union awoke May 13 to find a thief stealing a banana. The suspect later told police he was looking for a house his friend had rented, “but was unable to provide any information about the residence or his friend,” Mason County Sheriff’s Deputy S. Fischer wrote in a probable cause document. Clay McKennell was staying at the rental on state Route 106 when the “unknown subject broke in and took a banana and started going through the bedrooms,” according to the document....
The Forest Festival carnival is open early this year at 1st and Grove streets in downtown Shelton. The company that runs the carnival had a cancellation, so it set up May 24 and will continue operating through Sunday, according to Forest Festival organizers. The carnival has a mini-Ferris wheel, rides "that make your head spin," games with stuffed animal prizes, and food booths offering cotton candy, candy apples and churros. Hours are 5-9 p.m. tonight, 4-10 p.m. Friday, noon-10 p.m. Saturday...
Shelton man headed to prison for crash A former Shelton resident will be spending up to 12 years in prison for driving drunk and killing a pregnant woman and her son in Olympia. Draedon James Jorgenson, 28, pleaded guilty in Thurston County Superior Court on May 3 to two counts of vehicular homicide and one count of vehicular assault. Jorgenson caused the wrong-way collision that killed Samantha Denney, 31, and Adonis Denney, 2, on Interstate 5 north of U.S. Highway 101 on Nov. 10, 2023. Prosecutors said Jorgenson had a blood alcohol content...
Taylor Shellfish break-in A man discovered inside Taylor Shellfish’s fenced property by Taylor Town Restaurant was arrested April 23 for allegedly stealing fuel cans. Mason County Sheriff’s Office Deputy J. Ogden said he received a dispatch call after Taylor employee Carl Goldsby saw a man walking inside the restricted area. “I approached the alleged suspect vehicle and noted a male, later identified as Edgar Mendoza Castillo, 29, lying down at the front of the vehicle, and appearing to be looking up under the vehicle. I also noted two gas c...
Public defenders receive honors Mason County commissioners recognized two county public defenders who have received the Washington Defender Association President’s Award at the April 23 commission meeting. The award singles out the state’s best public defender, according to Mason County Chief Public Defender Peter Jones. Rose Boughton was named this year’s recipient and Ron Sergi won the award in 2018, but was not recognized by the county at the time, Commissioner Randy Neatherlin said. “This is pretty huge for Mason County public defense...
Couple sue Harstine Island HOA over wheelchair modifications A Grays Harbor County couple is suing the Harstene Pointe Maintenance Association for improperly denying them a building permit that includes Americans with Disabilities Act modifications, according to a complaint filed in Mason County Superior Court April 9. Daniel and Jolene Tupper want to add wheelchair access features to their home on Harstine Island that’s subject to the nonprofit homeowners association covenants, conditions and restrictions (CC&Rs). The Tuppers submitted t...
Three convicted in murder cases with Mason County ties After a five-month trial, a jury in Kitsap County on Friday convicted three men of murdering a Seabeck family, including the father whose body was discovered on a tree farm on Northeast Dewatto-Holly Road, south of Forest Springs Road, in Mason County. The family, John Careaga, 43, his wife Christale Careaga, 37, and her 16-year-old son Johnathon Higgins and 16-year-old stepson Hunter Schapp were all killed in January 2017. The mother and sons were found inside their burned-out home near...
Bigfoot protection on agenda At a briefing April 8, Mason County commissioners unanimously agreed to put a resolution on the next meeting’s agenda “declaring Mason County a sasquatch protection and refuge area” after Grays Harbor County elementary school students wrote in asking for protection of the cryptid. “We are the students of Miss Andrews class in 5th grade at Lincoln Elementary school in Hoquiam, Washington. The reason we are writing this letter to you is because we believe that Mason County should have laws to protect Bigfoot...
Local animal shelters at capacity The Shelton Animal Shelter announced March 7 it was at capacity and no longer accepting strays or surrendered pets. A technician working at the shelter, who did not wish to be identified, said it was unusual to have so many pets at the facility and the shelter doesn’t know when it will be able to accept new animals. “I’ve never seen it this crowded,” the employee told the Journal. Adoptable pets from the Shelton facility are available on Petfinder.com. People who have safety concerns about animals can call 91...
Alleged drunken driver causes 3-car collision A woman who allegedly caused a three-car collision March 3 on state Route 3 has been arrested for vehicular assault. Charges are pending for Shelton resident Suzan Rolland, 57, after a trooper at the scene found Rolland “smelled heavily of alcohol,” according to a probable cause document. Rolland was traveling north in a Ford Explorer of milepost 5 just north of Shelton when she crossed over the center line and sideswiped a Toyota Tacoma driven by Mario Lucas, 57, of Shelton. She then hit a Hon...
Owners can opt out of spraying Herbicide spraying will start in April, the Mason County Department of Public Works announced. Property owners who want to opt out can enroll in Public Work’s Owner Will Maintain program by calling 360-427-9670 Ext. 450. Property owners who have already enrolled and designated their land “no spray” do not need to contact Public Works. A detailed list of roads being sprayed is available on the Public Works Herbicide Spray Program webpage at www.masoncountywa.gov. Harstine timber sale postponed The state Depar...
Commissioners lower gambling tax Commissioners approved 2-1 lowering the county gambling tax rate from 5% to 3% at the Feb. 26 meeting, with Commissioners Sharon Trask and Randy Neatherlin voting “yes” and Commissioner Kevin Shutty voting “no.” The change will mean about $35,000 less annually for the Mason County Sheriff’s Office, according to Mason County Treasurer Lisa Frazier. The sheriff’s office gets the revenue collected from the tax, Frazier said. Mason County’s gambling tax rate will now match Kitsap’s at 3%. Three businesses in B...
Police: Drunken driver rips up Shorecrest farmers’ hayfield James and Nancy Hancharik, who raise cattle in the Shorecrest area of Shelton, called police after seeing a pickup truck drive into their pasture, “ripping it up” and “doing donuts,” on Feb. 9, according to a Mason County Sheriff’s probable cause document. Deputies found John Gardenhire, 33, standing beside a Chevrolet pickup truck stuck in a muddy pasture waving his cellphone, the document says. “Initially I bypassed the truck and went straight to the residence where I was able to c...
Public defense attorneys get raise Mason County commissioners approved a pay raise for public defense attorneys at their Jan. 30 meeting. Attorneys providing indigent defense for misdemeanors, heard in district court, will get a pay raise from $75 an hour to $100 an hour. Attorneys providing indigent defense for felonies, heard in superior court, will see their pay increase from $100 an hour to $125 an hour. Hourly indigent defense investigators will now make $75 an hour. Chief Public Defender Peter Jones thanked the commissioners at a...
Adams Street car fire Central Mason Fire & EMS crews fought a car fire on Adams Street in Shelton Monday morning. The call was reported about 10:15 a.m. and fire crews arrived in minutes to find a passenger vehicle in the alley between Adams Street and Olympic Highway North on fire. Crews quickly extinguished the blaze. The driver of the vehicle was evaluated at the scene for minor burns and transported to Mason General Hospital for further evaluation and care. The cause of the fire is under...
Alleged shoplifter returns to confront store employee A convenience store clerk obtained a temporary protection order against an alleged shoplifter after he was released from jail and returned to harass her, according to court documents. Police arrested James Elmlund, 19, at the Airport Grocery in Shelton on Oct. 15, for allegedly stealing candy and soda and assaulting employee Kimberly Espinoza, who tried to stop him. “Kimberly told me that she had witnessed the suspect in the store place items into his sweatshirt pocket. Kimberly, who was d...
