News Briefs

PUD 1 plans Bellwood water outage Thursday

Mason County PUD 1 announced a water outage for Bellwood A&B system users from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Thursday to do electrical work to install a generator.

According to a Twitter post, PUD 1 is asking people to have extra drinking water on hand and turn off the breaker to their hot water heater. If you have any questions, call the district office at 360-877-5249.

PUD 1 also asked people to share the notice with others who might not have heard about the outage.

Candidate filing period ends Friday

Mason County residents seeking elected office have until 4 p.m. Friday to file online for a declaration of candidacy.

Candidates must verify their voter registration information is correct, have a valid email address and pay the filing fee online if it is required.

Candidates who want to withdraw their candidacy have until the close of business on May 23.

COVID-19 cases rising in Mason County

Mason County COVID-19 case counts are rising, according to the most recent data from the Mason County Division of Emergency Management.

There were 40 cases in the latest report from May 13 to 15. The seven-day case rate per 100,000 people was 120.3 and the 14-day case rate was 231.5. The seven-day case rate reported May 1 was 77.8, meaning cases have increased 54 percent from the beginning of the month.

The county is 59.1% fully vaccinated. According to the state Department of Health, 81.8% of people 5 and older have received at least one dose and 74.4% of people are fully vaccinated as of May 9. Mason County’s case rate is in the high category of cases per 100,000 population, which it shares with all neighboring counties. Thurston County has a seven-day case rate per 100,000 people of 204.

Commissioners approve Evergreen Mobile application

Mason County commissioners approved an application and proposed project for Evergreen Mobile at the May 10 meeting.

According to the information packet, the county proposed an application to the 2022 Community Development Block Grant to assist residents at Evergreen Mobile Homeowners Cooperative with water and septic concerns, located on East Blevins Road North. The septic system is in disrepair and combined with shallow, gravely soils, has created a condition where the water supply used by the homeowners has the highest nitrate levels in the county. Nitrate is a potential health hazard and drinking water with high levels of nitrate can cause health problems.

Connecting the park with city-serviced water would alleviate the nitrate contamination and provide for a clean, consistent water supply for one of the most economically stressed neighborhoods in the county.

Sheriff’s Office participates in inter-county pot bust

The Mason County Sheriff’s Office participated in a marijuana bust May 9 with Washington State Patrol and the Department of Ecology.

According to a MCSO Facebook post, search warrants were served May 9 in Mason County near Shelton and in Thurston County near Lacey. The warrants were part of an investigation into organized criminal activity operating multiple, large-scale, illegal marijuana grow operations.

Commissioners approve facilities, parks name policy

Mason County commissioners approved a facility and parks naming policy resolution at its May 10 meeting.

According to the information packet, the county recently received a request to rename Union Community Park. The resolution includes purpose, eligibility criteria, procedure, request and cost, requirements, restrictions, signage design and location. The naming policy allows the county the opportunity to honor those who have made significant contributions to the community or county. Individuals eligible include a resident or county native of particular importance or an organization that has been in operation for a minimum of 25 years and has a base of operations in the county. Signs will meet the standard sign criteria for size and shape and location as determined by the parks department. Honorary park and facility names shall not expire.