County Briefs

U.S. 101 bridge repairs scheduled for June 17-20

U.S. Highway 101 over Shelton-Matlock Road will be repaired June 17 to 20 in both directions.

According to a state Department of Transportation news release, the repairs will begin at 8 p.m. June 17 and last until 6 a.m. June 20. Both directions of 101 will detour to the city center and Matlock exits and drivers will return to the highway via exit ramps. Flaggers will keep drivers moving and it will add travel time to people traveling the Olympic Peninsula.

From 7 p.m. June 20 to 6 a.m. June 21, travelers will see one-way alternating traffic approaching the city center and Matlock exits.

Work on the project could be rescheduled due to inclement weather. For more information and updates, go to wsdot.wa.gov.

Shelton man injured in accident

A 32-year-old Shelton man was injured in an accident after allegedly attempting to elude police in Grays Harbor County the evening of June 2.

According to a Washington State Patrol news release, the Shelton man ran a stop sign at Spruce and 3rd street in Elma while trying to evade police and T-boned a vehicle before striking a third vehicle that was parked and unoccupied.

A 68-year-old Seattle man was in the car that was T-boned and he was transported to Community Hospital. The Shelton man was also transported to community hospital.

The Shelton man was not wearing a seatbelt and has been charged with eluding and vehicular assault. The report states drugs or alcohol were involved in the accident.

North Mason district school bus rear ended

A North Mason School bus was rear ended in Belfair by QFC on June 3.

According to a North Mason School District Facebook post, students were evaluated by first responders and were fine. Another bus came to the scene and got the students home.

State fire marshal urges caution with campfires

The Washington State Fire Marshal’s Office urges people state parks to use extra caution when camping.

According to a news release, more than 1,800 wildfires were reported in the state in 2021, burning more than 674,000 acres. The National Interagency Fire Center and the National Weather Service forecasts below average precipitation and above average temperatures in the state with dryer conditions increasing throughout the summer. Eighty five percent of all wildfires are human-caused and escaped campfires are the biggest reason behind the numbers.

Campers are encouraged to take precautions before, during and after campfires, including clearing dry leaves and overhanging low

branches, avoiding burning on windy and dry days, attending campfires at all times, keeping campfires small, never using gasoline or other combustible or flammable liquids, and always having a bucket of water or a shovel with dirt or sand nearby to put out a fire.

For more information, contact the State Fire Marshal’s Office at 360-596-3929.

Mason Health earns multiple awards

Mason Health Chief Nursing Officer Melissa Strong and Chief Development and Communications Officer Jennifer Capps won the 2021 Hospital Administration Award from LifeNet Health.

According to a news release, Mason Health also won the 2021 LifeCenter Northwest Collaboration Achievement Award from LifeCenter Northwest. This was awarded to 32 hospitals in the region in recognition of hospital partners who excel in the area of planning a collaborative family conversation regarding donation with LifeCenter Northwest. The organization also awarded Mason Health with the 2021 LifeCenter Northwest Organ Donation Referral Achievement Award.

2 county residents die of COVID-19

Mason County reported two COVID-19 deaths in the June 2 update from Mason County Division of Emergency Management.

According to the Division of Emergency Management, the deaths were two men, one in his 70s and the other in his 80s. The June 7 update saw a seven-day case rate per 100,000 people of 175.2 and a 14-day case rate of 367.1. The county reported 37 new cases from June 3 to 5, but there is no one hospitalized as of June 7.

Mason County is 59.4% fully vaccinated.

Jim Walsh to speak at Lincoln Day Dinner

Washington Rep. Jim Walsh, a Republican from Grays Harbor County, will be the keynote speaker at Mason County’s Lincoln Day Dinner. This annual fundraiser will begin at 6 p.m. on Saturday, June 25, at The Pavilion, at 190 West Sentry Drive in Shelton. To purchase tickets, go to: https://mason-county-republicans.square.site/#

For more information, call Alice Wells at 360-463-9382.

Take Back Mason County meeting at Kneeland Park

Take Back Mason County, a group of citizens, is hosting meetings on the first and third Thursday of the month at 6 p.m. at Kneeland Park.

The group will have local candidates and guest speakers at the June 16 meeting.