Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886
Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886
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NOTE: This story was updated to include Wednesday's 4:30 p.m. second ballot count. Four levies supporting emergency medical services in Mason County are passing after the initial ballot count of Tuesday's primary election. An emergency medical services levy for the City of Shelton is passing with 998 "yes" votes and 653 "no" votes. Mason County Fire Protection District No. 4's levy lid-lift vote was easily passing in the second count, gathering 1,346 "yes" votes against 804 "no" votes. The levy...
After a mild and wet spring, temperatures are expected to rise dramatically this weekend. On Wednesday morning, the National Weather Service issued a special weather statement that temerperatures around Western Washington will reach into the upper 80s and low 90s from Saturday to Monday. The highest temperatures are expected Sunday. The NWS statement says that because of the cool weather so far this year there has been little opportunity to acclimate to warm temperatures. The expected...
Longtime Mason County resident and Shelton-Mason County Journal outdoors columnist Mark Woytowich died Friday after suffering a heart attack. He was 65. Woytowich wrote the Journal's popular column "On The Trail" - which became "On The Go" in January - beginning in 2015, providing colorful tales of hiking and adventure around the county and Olympic Peninsula. He wrote a book titled "Where The Waterfalls And Wild Things Are" that was published in 2019, detailing many locations throughout Mason,...
“I hope my hand is guided right.” Those were the final words of Mark Woytowich’s “On The Go” column in last week’s Shelton-Mason County Journal. They were the final printed words of his life. On Friday, Woytowich suffered a heart attack and died at Mason General Hospital in Shelton. The loss for our community is immeasurable, most of all for his wife, Linda. When he sent in his column last week, he told me it was “a bit of a love letter to my wife, as you will see. And some of the hardest-culle...
Fundraiser aims to honor victims of large 1907 fire Shelton Memorial Park is planning a May 28 fundraiser to raise money to go toward a memorial wall at the cemetary in tribute to the unmarked graves for unidentified people killed in a 1907 fire in Shelton. The fundraiser will be from noon to 6 p.m. May 28 at Shelton Memorial Park and will include lunch featuring Mount Moriah's Masonic Lodge's shrimp gumbo, which is served at OysterFest. Those interested in donations can do so at the Memorial...
As the editor of the Shelton-Mason County Journal, with the knowledge that 2022 was a major local election year - nearly all countywide offices will be on the ballot - I made a decision at the start of the year to keep the newspaper neutral to the best of my ability. I asked my reporters to use secondary sources whenever possible instead of those who were up for re-election, unless that person was speaking directly in their official capacity instead of a candidate. That's an important... Full story
People associated with a group called the Mason County Election Integrity Committee have been canvassing door-to-door in the county and aren’t associated with the Mason County Auditor’s Office or any other official government office, the state Auditor’s Office and Secretary of State’s Office said in separate news releases Monday. Despite the official-sounding title, the Mason County Election Integrity Committee is a group of private individuals who have no recognized authority, officia...
The calendar said it was Saturday, but at Highclimber Field, it was undoubtedly Tuesday. Senior right-hander Tuesday Palmer had a first-inning home run and five RBI, and threw a complete game two-hitter while fanning nine to lead the North Mason High School softball team to a 7-1 road win against Mason County Cup rival Shelton in both teams' season opener. "I was super-excited to start the season and play Shelton for the first time," Palmer wrote in a text message. "I've been looking forward to...
The 2021-22 winter high school sports season looked much closer to normal after nearly two years of pandemic restrictions. Many teams qualified for postseason play, as did several Mason County athletes who competed in the first state tournament action in two years. Today, the Shelton-Mason County Journal honors athletes from winter 2022 sports, which included boys and girls basketball, boys and girls wrestling, boys swimming and bowling. Eighteen Mason County athletes are being honored for...
In 1960, three teachers at Central Grade School in Snohomish created an elementary play day that include 50- and 75-yard dash races. Dan Dittmer finished third in both events. "Little did I realize those two races would be the beginning of a journey that finds me here 61 years later," Dittmer told an audience at the Washington Track and Field Coaches Association's Hall of Fame Banquet on Jan. 21 at Hotel Murano in Tacoma. A veteran of 51 years of coaching track and field across Western...
Shelton High School senior Ryan Mackiewicz's commanding 2A regional victory at 170 pounds led the way as six Mason County wrestlers advanced to this week's Mat Classic XXXIII at the Tacoma Dome. In the 2A Region 3 meet Saturday at Washougal High School, Mackiewicz pinned W.F. West's Waylen Land late in the second period to become the first Shelton wrestler to win a regional since 2009. "Over the last month [Mackiewicz] has become very disciplined with his positioning and technique," Shelton...
Led by senior Ryan Mackiewicz's commanding win in the 170-pound final, the Shelton High School boys wrestling team finished third overall at the Evergreen League subregional wrestling tournament on Saturday at the Mini-Dome in Shelton. W.F West won the team title with 386 points. Aberdeen was second with 208.5 and Shelton tallied 174.5. In all, nine Shelton wrestlers qualified for this week's Region 3 championship meet Saturday at Washougal High School. Mackiewicz dominated the mats at the...
The North Mason High School girls basketball team returned from an 11-day layoff to face rival Bermerton on Jan. 18 in Belfair. It was just the second game since Dec. 20 for the Bulldogs after the holiday break, inclement weather and COVID pauses scrambled schedules throughout the Olympic League. The Knights edged the Bulldogs 46-45....
A surge of COVID-19 cases primarily related to the omicron variant is putting additional pressure on hospitals, emergency rooms, urgent care centers and 911 emergency medical services systems, North Mason Regional Fire Authority Chief Beau Bakken told the Shelton-Mason County Journal in an email statement Friday. “Here at the NMRFA we are experiencing a lot of 911 calls for mild to moderate symptoms that are related to a COVID infection,” Bakken wrote. “Mild to moderate symptoms includes dehydra...
Torrential rain on top of significant snowfall a week earlier led to flooding and collapsed structures in northern portions of Mason County last week. Rain gauges at Sanderson Field in Shelton recorded 5.54 inches of rain in a 48-hour period that ended at 3:53 a.m. Friday. On the Tahuya Peninsula, the swollen Tahuya River and other streams and tributaries inundated roads, land and homes. Northshore Road was closed briefly. "North Mason experienced a significant rainfall event Thursday and...
Shelton Girls basketball The Shelton girls were finally back in action and fell 45-31 at home to Rochester on Monday at Terry Gregg Court. Climbers’ junior Gabi Munro led Shelton with 11 points. Ana Pinon and Jasmine Rivera each added five for the Climbers Shelton briefly led in the first quarter and trailed 14-10 after one. Rochester built a 34-24 lead at halftime. The Climbers closed the gap to single digits several times in the second half, holding the Warriors to just 11 points after halftime, but could not convert on several key o...
Extreme weather wreaked havoc throughout Mason County this week. Freezing temperatures, snow, ice and rain contributed to power outages, road and school closures, delayed garbage pickups and other maladies. The most disruptive effect was the closure of a 50-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 101 from Hoodsport to state Route 104 due to downed trees and power lines. The road closed at 9:20 Sunday night and had yet to fully reopen as of Tuesday afternoon. State Route 119 from Hoodsport to Lake Cushman...
Entering her senior year on the hardwood for North Mason High School, Rachel Youngman had a clear goal. "This year, I was hoping for a better year than last year," the 5-foot-9 guard/forward said. "I just wanted a better season because it's my senior year. It's going great. We have a good team. I'm just proud of how we're doing. We still have a few things to work on, but we're getting there." Despite a turbulent, COVID-delayed junior season in which the Bulldogs' girls basketball coach quit...
Beginning today, a series of storms could affect much of the Northwest through the weekend and into next week. The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning for much of the Olympic Peninula and the Cascade Range until 4 p.m. today. A second storm system is expected to move from the ocean early Christmas morning. The Seattle/Tacoma office of the NWS forecasts that snow is likely on Christmas Day, Christmas night and into Sunday. While little accumulation is forecast in Shelton, the N...
Intricately detailed creations in the third annual Christmastown Gingerbread Challenge are on display in businesses along West Railroad Avenue between South Second and South Third streets through Friday....
In a short email conversation with Mason County Auditor Paddy McGuire, I learned that as of Monday afternoon the turnout of the 2021 General Election is just 13.5 percent. McGuire wrote that was “pretty typical” and puts the county on track for a turnout of about 45 percent. We can do better than that. Last year’s General Election, which included a presidential and gubernatorial ballot, Mason County’s turnout was 84.94% I get it. Everyone gets excited by the major leagues, but let’s face it,...
Imagine a crisp, cool fall morning, much like this one. Blue skies mingle with a patchwork of clouds, a slight breeze stirs the air. In the streets, families gather. It's the first week of September 1942. The Lodz Ghetto, created after the German invasion of Poland, is home to more than 200,000 Polish Jews. In the morning stillness, dread fills the air. Jewish parents are ordered to turn over all children under 10 and all adults over 65. Within a week, more than 15,000 children will have been...
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