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Articles from the January 20, 2022 edition


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  • County Briefs

    Compiled by reporter Matt Baide|Jan 20, 2022

    Mason Health’s Pam Schlauderaff recognized by national organization Mason Health’s Director of Quality, Patient Safety and Regulatory Compliance Pam Schlauderaff was recognized as the community star for the state by the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health. According to a news release, the NOSORH honors people throughout the country who make contributions to improve rural health in the U.S. Schlauderaff was nominated by the Office of Rural Health within the state Department of Health. “To me, to even be nominated by the...

  • Bill would post signs about cold-water peril

    Brooklynn Hillemann, Washington State Journal|Jan 20, 2022

    March 23, 2021, was a sunny day in Lewis County. Zachary Lee Rager, an 18-year-old Centralia teen wanting to take advantage of the pleasant weather, headed to a familiar hangout with some friends, a bridge connecting the banks of the Chehalis River. When Rager jumped, he did not know how cold the water would be. He did not know the temperature would be 42 degrees Fahrenheit. “He jumped off this bridge so many times, he’d done this time and time again with all his friends,” Lee Hines, Zachary’s stepfather said. “But the difference...

  • Bill would add protection for election officials

    Juan Morfin, Washington State Journal|Jan 20, 2022

    Election officials will get more protection from harassment if SB 5148 becomes law. The bill was approved in the Senate on Jan. 12 with 48 yeas and 0 nays. It will be up to the House to approve or amend it. In debate on the Senate floor, Sen. David Frockt, D-Seattle, said the bill will address a "grievous threat" to our democratic system. "Here in our own state, in Washington state, which inspired this legislation last year, the top elections official, a deputy to our former Secretary of State h...

  • Additional aid for college students proposed

    Brooklynn Hillemann, Washington State Journal|Jan 20, 2022

    College students struggling to balance the cost of higher education with daily expenses will have the burden eased if lawmakers pass a bill increasing access to money through the Washington College Grant program. The House College & Workforce Development Committee had a hearing for HB 1659 on Jan. 12. It aims to modify the WCG program by increasing award eligibility and providing an annual stipend for expenses beyond tuition and fees. The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Vandana Slatter, D-Bellevue, said, “You should not have to be extraordinarily...

  • Bill increases access to sexual assault examiner training

    Azeb Tuji, Washington State Journal|Jan 20, 2022

    Harborview Medical Center is the only hospital in Washington that provides training for nurses to become sexual-assault nurse examiners, also known as SANE. A bill in the Legislature is aimed at taking down barriers to training, especially for those coming from rural and underserved areas. The House Health Care & Wellness Committee had a virtual session Jan. 10 to discuss HB 1621, which would establish a stipend program for nurses for them to complete a training course designed by the international association of forensic nurses. “We try to f...

  • Inslee: We must act on housing, climate change

    Brooklynn Hillemann, Washington State Journal|Jan 20, 2022

    Immediate action must be taken to address climate change, the housing crisis, transportation and education, Gov. Jay Inslee said in his annual State of the State address Jan. 11. "We face a variety and dimension of demands greater than ever as we enter 2022," he said. "We must take action this day to keep and strengthen our commitments to those in need right now and in the future." With a 2021-23 budget supplemented with leftover COVID relief money and new federal revenue sources, Inslee said le...

  • Chemicals in cosmetics targeted in new law

    Azeb Tuji, Washington State Journal|Jan 20, 2022

    For a large portion of Washingtonians, the use of cosmetic products is a part of their daily routine, but some of those products often contain harmful chemicals that pose health risks. A bill making its way through the Legislature will require manufacturers to adhere to more transparent label requirements. Similar bills that monitor and prevent the distribution of cosmetic products have already passed in California and Maryland. “It’s a simple bill that will have a huge impact on the health and well being of many of our community...

  • Bill aims to help homeless and foster care college students

    Juan Morfin, Washington State Journal|Jan 20, 2022

    mmunity and technical colleges across the state will get help if HB 1601 becomes law. The bill would provide homeless students and students who age out of the foster care system help with laundry storage, shower facilities, locker rooms, food banks, technology, reduced-price meals or meal plans, case management services and short-term housing/housing assistance. Not addressing the problem “results in people not being able to graduate or go onto a career. It hurts our students, our institutions and our local communities,” Rep. Mari Leavitt,...

  • 'Cobra Kai' succeeds in its fourth season in spite of itself

    Kirk Boxleitner|Jan 20, 2022

    I've spoken before about what a gravity-defying franchise "The Karate Kid" films already were, even before they became the foundation for the ongoing "Cobra Kai" Netflix series, and that's never been more true than now, in the wake of the show's fourth season. "Cobra Kai" continues to thread the needle between empathetically reflecting the minefields of modern adolescence and sharing the Marvel Cinematic Universe's ability to whistle past what would happen if certain events occurred in the real...

  • Area art scene looks ahead to 2022

    Kirk Boxleitner|Jan 20, 2022

    Area art exhibitors offered their outlook on what lies ahead this year in their world of art. When asked what she looks forward to in 2022, Belfair Self-Storage owner and manager Barbara Treick expressed hopes of generating a good turnout for the “Keep Music In School” show she has planned for March. “I am working on a prospectus for a call to artists to celebrate MIOSM (Music In Our Schools Month) by creating art that shows their favorite song or musical instrument,” Treick said. “My...

  • Taking it to the next level

    Jan 20, 2022

  • Salmon group buys Big Beef Creek property

    Matt Baide|Jan 20, 2022

    The Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group has purchased 50 acres of the Big Beef Creek property. HCSEG now has 302 acres of habitat at Big Beef Creek, located near Seabeck in Kitsap County, across Hood Canal from Brinnon. A creek nearby is called Little Beef Creek. The name comes from cows pastured in the nearby upland areas. It was not easy to acquire the land, according to HCSEG Executive Director Mendy Harlow. The property was previously owned by the University of Washington with a research...

  • Owl hoopers

    Jan 20, 2022

  • Climbers steamroll Bearcats

    Jan 20, 2022

  • Prep Roundup

    Compiled by reporter Matt Baide|Jan 20, 2022

    Shelton Boys basketball Shelton played its first game in almost a month, losing to Tumwater before defeating W.F. West at home. The Highclimbers fell 68-49 on Jan. 11 at Terry Gregg Court in Shelton before earning a 58-38 win against W.F. West on Jan. 13. Chuckie Thompson led Shelton with 20 points against the Bearcats and Mason Goos added 12 points. Shelton (5-5, 3-3) hosted Black Hills on Wednesday before traveling to Centralia on Friday to take on the Tigers in Evergreen Conference games. Girls basketball Shelton lost 76-18 on the road...

  • Making a splash

    Jan 20, 2022

  • Port of Allyn assesses storm damage to dock

    Kirk Boxleitner|Jan 20, 2022

    Port of Allyn Executive Director Lary Coppola addressed the port's damage claims and security measures during the board of commissioners' Jan. 3 regular meeting. Coppola had previously conferred with the commissioners regarding the "severe damage" to the finger pier on the dock during an Oct. 25 storm, with waves so strong they fractured the 4-inch galvanized brackets holding the finger pier to the main dock and tore 4-inch lag bolts out of the beams holding the brackets to the pier. Coppola...

  • Mary fractures hand while moving furniture

    Clydene Hostetler|Jan 20, 2022

    Sam is at his convention for most of the week and returns toward the end. First thing that happens is he and Mary try to move a bed and Mary fractures her left hand. Ow! Good news is they put her arm on a board and so now Sam is doing all the cooking. While Sam is gone, Mary does not waste any time. Just an FYI, Mary's father had retired from the farm and lives with her and Sam. There was an apartment above their garage. That is why he is more a part of Mary's daily life. He eats meals with...

  • Port of Allyn provides updates on ongoing projects

    Kirk Boxleitner|Jan 20, 2022

    Port of Allyn Executive Director Lary Coppola gave progress reports on several projects and expenditures, including the port’s upcoming update to its comprehensive to-do list, at the port’s Jan. 3 board of commissioners meeting. Coppola noted the port posted a community survey on its website and its Facebook page, and included a copy of the survey in its meeting packet. “I posted it in every Facebook group that I can identify for Mason County,” Coppola said. “There’s about 10 of...