Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886
Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886
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Fire District 12 is set to lose its insurance Friday and can’t provide EMS services until new coverage is found, Commissioner Nick Jones told community members Monday at a meeting in the Matlock Grange. Jones said Fire 12’s insurer, VFIS, canceled the policy due to “serious failure” to comply with financial reporting and accounting, among other things. The insurer sent a certified letter to Fire 12 “but no one ever received it. It got returned back to VFIS,” Jones said. Jones then read a portion of the letter. “The reasons for this policy c...
In the City of Shelton in 2023, sexual and aggravated assaults increased from the previous year, while burglaries, thefts and larcenies, hit-and-run incidents and criminal traffic citations decreased. But no big trends emerged from the figures compiled in the Shelton Police Department’s annual report, Chief Chris Kostad told the Shelton City Council May 7 at its regular meeting. “Everything is pretty much consistent with the past couple years,” said Kostad, who replaced the retiring Carole Beason in November. The department’s call for service...
The Mason County Planning Advisory Commission presented draft short-term rental regulations to Mason County commissioners in a workshop May 7. Commissioner Randy Neatherlin said the briefing was “only a work study” and nothing had been finalized yet regarding potential new rules. “The Planning Department has been directed by the Mason County Board of Commissioners to review the short-term vacation rental (Airbnb, VRBO, HomeAway, etc.) situation in Mason County. The county has never regulated, nor does it currently regulate short-term renta...
The Shelton City Council on Tuesday evening selected Lyndsey Sapp to replace Joe Schmit on the seven-member council. The council chose Sapp from four candidates following interviews at the work session at the Shelton Civic Center. Sapp will be sworn in at the council’s regular meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday. Schmit’s resignation was announced at the April 2 council meeting, giving the city 90 days to find a replacement. The term expires at the end of 2025, so the seat will be up for grabs in the November 2025 election. In an interview with the Jou...
Six men are competing for two seats on the three-member Mason County Commission in the Aug. 6 primary election, with the two top vote- getters in each race facing off in the November general election. Mason County Commissioner Randy Neatherlin last week filed to run for another term representing District 1. Neatherlin, who is running as an independent, faces two Republican challengers, William Harris and Ted Jackson. Kevin Shutty declined to seek another term representing District 2. Seeking the seat are Republicans Richard Beckman and Pat...
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...
StoryTrail event for kids at Bayshore The Shelton Timberland Library and the Capitol Land Trust host a StoryTrail event from Saturday through the end of August at the Bayshore Preserve, at 3800 state Route 3, 3 miles north of Shelton. StoryTrails combine a love of nature and reading. Pages from the children’s book “How to Find a Bird” by Jennifer Ward will be spaced out along the Johns Creek Trail in large signs. Birding concepts from the book will unfold and come to life as children progress through the pages along the trail. The book is de...
A man recovering from hip replacement surgery alleges that his Mason General Hospital nurse improperly asked him to walk on his own, causing him to fall and break his leg. Bryan Palmer claims his 2021 surgery “was uneventful and went as planned,” in a suit against Mason Public Hospital District No. 1 dba Mason General Hospital filed May 10 in Mason County Superior Court. Palmer says his injuries happened after a nurse failed to help him walk while he was on medication, still recovering from the surgery. “Following surgery, the plaintiff was m...
Three men convicted of killing a Seabeck family, including the father whose body was discovered on a tree farm in Mason County, were sentenced to life in prison May 7. Kitsap County Superior Court Judge Kevin Hull handed down a life sentence without the possibility of parole to Danie Kelly Jr. and brothers Robert and Johnny Watson for the murders. 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...
After 26 weeks of training and 10 weeks of coaching, Mason County has two new Washington State Patrol troopers. A.J. Gomez and C.B. Zimmerman are now patrolling county roads from busy U.S. Highway 101 to remote Forest Service Road 23. Both troopers spoke to the Journal about the job from the Shelton detachment office on the grounds of the WSP Academy. The 190-acre academy, at 631 W Dayton Airport Road, has been a training facility since 1969. The campus has dorms, classrooms, a gym, water...
A project design that includes a 1,613-foot-long bridge over the Duckabush River Estuary on U.S. Highway 101, 5 miles north of the Jefferson-Mason County line, is about 65% complete, and people interested in the project's progress got a preview at an open house Saturday at the Brinnon Community Center. Feasibility studies for the project to reconnect the Duckabush River to its historic floodplain began in 2016. The project is led by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the state Department of...
The date of Sound Learning's Spell-E-Bration fundraiser was changed from early May to June 29 because the Shelton-based nonprofit is seeking more spellers for the 28th annual event. Six three-member teams have signed up for the event that features a community spelling bee, silent auction, dessert buffet and live music, hosted 4 to 8 p.m. June 29 at The Pavilion at Sentry Park at the Mason County Senior Activities Center at 190 W. Sentry Drive. Sound Learning has plenty of sponsors for the teams...
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...
Six people who inspired local youths in the classroom and on the playing field were inducted into the Shelton School District & Community Hall of Fame at a ceremony Tuesday in the Shelton High School Performing Arts Center. The inductees are Sheryal Balding, Brian Fairbrother, Mike Fox, Dann Gagnon, Leslie Orme and Dick Wentz. The hall recognizes students, alumni, faculty, staff, friends, benefactors and residents who have contributed to the success, tradition, integrity, development and promotion of the district, and/or excelled in athletics,...
Some Mason County elected officials will be getting raises, a commission studying the issue said in a news release April 23. The Mason County assessor, auditor, clerk, coroner, county commissioners and treasurer will make $104,501 per year and the sheriff will make $164,232 per year, starting Jan. 1, 2025. The salaries will increase in steps starting May 1 for all the officials except the sheriff, so salaries will rise from the current $87,565 to $95,979 this year. Sheriff Ryan Spurling’s current salary of $160,226 is 5% above Undersheriff T...
With the results of the final ballot count set for 5 p.m. today, two fire and medical service measures on the April 23 special election ballot were passing overwhelmingly. Grapeview Fire District 3's proposed merger with Central Mason Fire District 5 to provide fire and emergency medical services to areas served by the two districts had 573 approval votes for 77.64%, and 165 rejection votes for 22.36%. West Mason Fire District 16's proposed property tax levy of 50 cents or less per $1,000 of ass...
The goals of the National Alliance on Mental Illness’ NAMIWalks Thurston-Mason fundraiser June 1 in Shelton are to promote awareness of mental health and reduce the stigma, raise money for NAMI’s free mental health programs and to build community and let people know they are not alone. NAMI Thurston-Mason is seeking volunteers to collect donations and participate in the walk that begins and ends at Shelton High School at 3737 N. Shelton Springs Road. Registration and check-in is at 8 a.m., the opening ceremony at 9:30 a.m., and the walk beg...
Come celebrate four decades of CHOICE CHOICE High School celebrates graduates and employees from the past 40 years from 5 to 7 p.m. May 10 in the school’s auditorium at 807 West Pine St. in downtown Shelton. Everyone is welcome to attend. Matlock fair hosts Southside’s Primary Choir Southside School’s Primary Choir, under the direction of Andrea Maplica, will honor local heroes at a concert at 10 a.m. Sunday at the Matlock Old Timers Historical Fair at Mary M. Knight Schools, 2987 W. Matlock-Brady Road in Matlock. Shelton native excel...
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...
Six people will be inducted into the Shelton School District & Community Hall of Fame at a ceremony from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Shelton High School Performing Arts Center. The inductees are Sheryal Balding, Brian Fairbrother, Mike Fox, Dann Gagnon, Leslie Orme and Dick Wentz. Everyone is invited to attend. Translation services are available. The hall recognizes students, alumni, faculty, staff, friends, benefactors and residents who have contributed to the success, tradition, integrity,...
Increased fecal bacteria may cause harvest changes in Annas Bay and the Hood Canal 6 area near Hoodsport, according to the state Department of Health. The state analyzed water sample data and found increased levels, the DOH said in a news release April 25. High fecal bacteria levels can prompt the state to change “harvest classification which could lead to a seasonal, environmental, or year-round closure,” the release says. Fecal bacteria come from “many different sources throughout the watershed,” Kara Kostanich, with the DOH, told the Jou... Full story
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...
Did you know that harmful metals such as lead and arsenic could be in your garden, yard or play- area soils? As we transition from spring to summer, the increase in hot, dry and windy weather can increase your risk of exposure to those contaminants. The Mason County WSU Master Gardener Program is excited to join with staff from the state Department of Health to offer free soil and toy screening for lead and arsenic at our upcoming Master Gardener Foundation of Mason County Plant Sale from 9...
