Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886
Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 53
On Monday, the City of Shelton enacted a complete burn ban in city limits, according to a news release. “All burning, including recreational fires and charcoal, will be banned in the City of Shelton until further notice. Propane-fueled equipment and pellet grills will remain legal during this time,” the release says. The National Fire Rating System changed to Very High Fire Danger, prompting the ban. The rating system uses current and preceding weather conditions, fuel types, and live and dead fuel moisture to decide the dangers. The Dep...
Roadwork continues this week on state Route 108 west of Kamilche and travelers should expect periodic closures, according to the state Department of Transportation. Crews will be removing and replacing culverts to allow for fish passage. During each closure, drivers will be detoured to U.S. Highway 101 via Mud Bay and state Route 8 to McCleary. Times, dates and locations are: ■ 8 a.m. Friday to 8 a.m. Aug. 9: Just west of Eich Road. ■ 8 a.m. Aug. 14, to 8 a.m. Aug. 28: Just west of Eich Road. Travelers can sign up for email updates about maj...
Next week is “Paddle Safe Week,” as proclaimed by Gov. Jay Inslee July 22 – 28, with support from Washington State Parks. “Paddle Safe Week is a great opportunity to help reduce paddle sports-related fatalities by sharing resources and educating the community on how to recreate safely,” Boating Program Manager Rob Sendak said in a news release. The best way to stay safe while paddling is to wear a life jacket, according to WSP, and having at least one Coast Guard-approved life jacket for each person on board all vessels, including canoes, k...
Explore the Fjord Summer Camp for youths ages 12 - 16, sponsored by the Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group, starts Friday. Activities include hiking, learning about shellfish, exploring tide pools and kayaking, according to HCSEG. Sessions are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Fridays from July 12 to Aug. 16 for a $10 donation per camp session and financial assistance is available. Kids can register for the whole camp or just a single session. Campers meet at the Salmon Center, 600 Roessel Road, Belfair, where...
Travelers should expect periodic closures on state Route 108 west of Kamilche, according to the state Department of Transportation. Crews will be removing and replacing culverts to allow for fish passage. During each closure, drivers will be detoured to U.S. Highway 101 via Mud Bay and state Route 8 to McCleary. Times, dates and locations are: ■ 8 a.m. Monday, July 8, to 8 a.m. Monday, July 22: Between West Hurley Waldrip Road and Eich Road. ■ 8 a.m. Friday, July 26, to 8 a.m. Friday, Aug. 9: Just west of Eich Road. ■ 8 a.m. Wednesday, Aug....
The voter-approved merger of Grapeview Fire District 3 with Central Mason Fire District 5 happened July 1. The merger easily passed on May's ballot. Both District 3's Chief Patti Graber and District 5's Fire & EMS Chief Jeff Snyder said at the time they were happy with the vote. The main station on Grapeview Loop Road will have increased staff and will eliminate duplicate services, allowing more firefighters and paramedics to respond to calls, the chiefs said in May. "Our new Central Mason team...
Mason PUD 3 customers will benefit from two programs through the state Department of Commerce. The programs are available to low- and moderate-income households, one featuring bill credits and the other providing expended energy efficient incentives. Funding for both programs is limited and available now. Under the qualifications, a family of four in Mason County with an income up to $73,450 a year is considered low income. A family of four with an income up to $137,700 per year is considered moderate income. These programs are funded through...
Meg Quinlivan is the new executive director of Turning Pointe Survivor Advocacy Center in Shelton. Quinlivan has been executive director of the YWCA of Kitsap County and Prison Pet Partnership. In a news release, the nonprofit organization noted Quinlivan has more than 20 years of experience in executive leadership, nonprofit management, fundraising and program development. "Meg has held leadership positions in similarly focused organizations, but an order of magnitude larger than Turning Pointe...
Mason Health has again demonstrated its commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship by winning three awards this year from Practice Greenhealth, a national membership organization for sustainable health care systems. For the fourth consecutive year, Mason Health earned the Practice Greenhealth Excellence Partner for Change Award, recognizing superior performance in environmental sustainability in programs and services. For the second year in a row, Mason Health also won the Greening the Operating Room Award. For the first time,...
Crews from Central Mason Fire & EMS responded to several major fires in the past two weeks, including this June 5 fire at a home on the 1900 block of Laurel Street. The fire was reported by a passerby at 7:21 p.m., and units arrived on scene within four minutes to find active fire in the attic of the residence. Crews made entry to conduct a search of the home, and to extinguish the fire. Central Mason also responded to fires on the 200 West block of Seattle Avenue on June 3 and a hopper fire at...
Time is running short to people to register for the Goldsborough Creek Fun Run and Walk, a Mason County Forest Festival event, scheduled to kick off at 7 a.m. June 1, with the 7-mile walk event. The 7-mile run, 2-mile run and walk begin at 8 a.m. The quarter-mile Junior Jog will begin at 9:30 a.m. prior to the Kiddie Parade and Paul Bunyan Parade at 11 a.m. All participants must pick up their competitor number and Forest Festival button at the registration desk in front of the Shelton Post Office beginning at 6 a.m. before boarding the bus to...
The Olympic National Forest opened seasonal forest service road vehicle access gates in the southern part of the forest on Wednesday. The seasonal openings provide vehicle access to the following forest road systems and areas: ■ FSR-2451 access to North Fork Skokomish River Watershed. ■ FSR-2354, FSR-2353 and FSR-2361 access to South Fork Skokomish River Watershed. ■ FSR-2294 and FSR-2270 access to Wynoochee River Watershed. The access gates will remain open to vehicle traffic until Sept. 30. The closing of vehicle access between Oct. 1 and Apr...
Mason County’s Assessor’s Office mailed renewal applications this week to exempt recipients of the Senior Citizens and People with Disabilities Exemption from Real Property Taxes program. The intended recipients reside in the current inspection area, which includes Lake Limerick, Brockdale, McReavy, Hanks Lake, Eells Hill, California Road, Highland Road, Dayton Trails, Fawn Lake, Lynch Road, Kamilche, Cloquallum Road, Isabella Lake, Lost Lake, Lake Arrowhead, Star Lake, and Lake Nahwatzel out to Matlock, as well as parts of Tahuya, Belfair and...
Property-tax payments for the first half of 2024 are due Tuesday, according to a news release from the Mason Couny Treasurer’s Office. Payments can be made in person at the office at 411 N 5th St., Bldg. 1 (second floor) and pay in person between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. or can be deposited in the drive-up payment drop box located in the alley. Payments must be postmarked no later than Tuesday to be considered on time and avoid interest charges. Postmarks and delivery can be delayed when using USPS to mail payment, so the Treasurer’s Off...
Terry Mehl is this year's Shelton Yacht Club commodore. Mehl chose the theme for this year's cruise schedule: "Doing More in 24." He and his wife, Donna, cruise in a Bayliner 3688 motor yacht, named Weather Wizard in homage to Mehl's Marine Corps career. They travel with a Shih Tzu, Rocky, and an African grey, Merlin. After graduating from Redmond High School in 1972, Mehl joined the Marine Corps and married Donna after boot camp. The couple moved to Lakehurst, New Jersey, for Mehl's schooling....
Around 12:30 a.m. April 5, Central Mason Fire & EMS responded a house fire in the Shorecrest area. Crews arrived to find a fire in the attic. During firefighting efforts, a section of the home's ceiling collapsed striking firefighters and one firefighter was transported by ambulance to Mason General Hospital with nonlife-threatening injuries. The homeowner along with firefighters were able to rescue a mother cat and several kittens from the home. Crews remained on scene for several hours...
Trio of bluegrass bands at Shelton High on Friday The groups Runaway Train Bluegrass Band, the Union City Council Bluegrass Band and The Rank Strangers perform at the ninth annual Bluegrass from the Forest Midwinter Celebration from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday in the Shelton High School Performing Arts Center, 3737 N. Shelton Springs Road. Tickets are $20 and are available at the door and at www.bluegrassfromtheforest.com. Children ages 15 and younger are admitted for free. Kristmas Town Kiwanis hosts the concert. The group also presents the 19th...
FEBRUARY 2023 A profile on an anti-government and law enforcement extremist set to air on NBC's "Dateline" on Feb. 4 featured the recollections of his former wife, a longtime Shelton resident, and his son, a 2002 Shelton High School graduate. Lloyd Barrus is serving three concurrent life sentences without parole in a Billings, Montana prison. He was in the driver's seat when he and his now deceased son Marshall Barrus lured Broadwater County Deputy Mason Moore into chasing them, and Marshall...
MARCH 2023 Shelton City Manager Jeff Niten will leave his position to be the new city manager of Mountlake Terrace. Niten made the announcement March 7 at the Shelton City Council meeting. His last day is March 31. Niten prefaced his remarks by saying his departure was in "the rumor mill." "It's bittersweet," he said. "I really enjoyed my time here and I can't tell you how much I appreciate the opportunity to work with council to address the issues we wanted to address." Niten said he will set...
APRIL 2023 The Shelton City Council gave final approval for the annexation of 40-acres of land, known as “Meadows Edge,” into the city at the April 4 meeting. According to the background information, the city of Shelton received notice in February of intent to petition for annexation. The property being annexed is in the Shelton urban growth area and is north of the Shelton Springs subdivision and south of Island Lake. The property is owned by one person and is the subject of a 36-lot subdivision, which is under review by Mason County staff. Th...
MAY 2023 Lance Gibbon, a former superintendent of the Oak Harbor and Snoqualmie Valley school districts, will be the new superintendent of the Hood Canal School District, pending a contract agreement. On May 1, the Hood Canal School Board voted unanimously to hire Gibbon. He replaces Jose-de-Jesus Melendez, who resigned in February after seven months on the job to return to his family in Oregon. According to the district at the time, he was to complete the remainder of his contract on...
JUNE 2023 A former Shelton High School freshman counselor was arrested June 2 at his Shelton residence by Mason County Sheriff's Office deputies after a two-month investigation. Samuel Martin Caffey, 29, faces charges of child rape, child molestation, sexual misconduct with a minor, delivery of a controlled substance and possession of child pornography. Caffey was booked into Mason County Jail on Friday afternoon and made his initial court appearance Monday in Mason County Superior Court, where...
JULY 2023 A brush fire about 4 miles northeast of Shelton forced the evacuation of 200 structures July 4. The fire, driven by wind, began at about 2 p.m., just west of the Rainbow Lake community near the intersection of East McEwan Prairie Road and East Mason Lake Road. According to a news release from Central Mason Fire & EMS, the fire is burning on industrial timberland and private land that is flat and accessible terrain. "The crews did an outstanding job of protecting life and structures,"...
AUGUST 2023 George Blush and Tristen Smith will compete for a seat on the Shelton City Council in the November general election, and voters solidly support increasing the size of the Mason County Fire District 5 board of commissioners from three to five. Those are among the preliminary results of the Aug. 1 primary election posted at 8 p.m. The initial voter turnout was 28.17%. The results are scheduled to be certified Aug. 15. In the contest to whittle the Shelton City Council member No. 1 seat race from three candidates to two, Blush...
SEPTEMBER 2023 Chris Kostad, who has worked for the Shelton Police Department since 2002, will be the city's new police chief starting in November. The city in early September announced that Kostad will replace Carole Beason, who recently announced her intention to retire. She has served in that position since January 2021. Kostad is currently serving as a captain, a position he has held since 2021. He has also served in the department as a corporal, sergeant and lieutenant. A news release from...
