Christina T Henry

Christina T Henry is a freelance journalist reporting on local news from the Kitsap Peninsula and beyond. Chris lives in Port Orchard and formerly wrote for the Kitsap Sun. Her beats have included education, local government and that quirky and capricious grab-bag we call community news. She enjoys our beautiful PNW trails, open water swimming and cycling.

Captain Seahawk slashes lunch debt at Peninsula High School

Mar 23, 2023

The $6,000 donation was one of several items deemed routine business. The gift “to pay off delinquent lunch accounts” at Peninsula High School was accepted without discussion or debate as part of the Peninsula School Board’s Feb. 9 consent agenda. The donor was none other than “Captain Seahawk,” a Gig Harbor resident who raises money

Peninsula School District embracing potential of ChatGPT

Mar 16, 2023

Kara Beloate, an English teacher at Peninsula High School, isn’t banning her students from using ChatGPT as part of their school work. She’s encouraging it. Released in November by OpenAI, ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence chatbot that has creating a buzz for its uncanny ability to engage in dialog and to create original written content

Peninsula School District likely facing $12 million budget gap in ’23-24

Mar 01, 2023

Peninsula School District is bracing for an estimated $12 million in budget cuts next year, stemming from reduced enrollment and the end of a pandemic school finance rule. The district announced the impending cuts Tuesday. The news came just two weeks after district officials and school supporters on Feb. 14 cheered the passage of a

Investigator unable to substantiate alleged slur at girls basketball game

Feb 25, 2023

Allegations of a racial slur at a Jan. 11 girls’ basketball game between Gig Harbor and Peninsula high schools are unsubstantiated, according to an investigation initiated by Peninsula School District. Following the game, administrators at both high schools received reports that a member of the Gig Harbor High team used the N-word in a comment

New Black Student Union at Gig Harbor High has big goals

Feb 20, 2023

Leila Jeneby and Jasmine Lopez felt an instant bond when they met this fall at Gig Harbor High School. Jeneby, a sophomore, had recently moved from Seattle. Lopez, a senior, gave her a tour of the school. Jeneby was surprised there was no Black Student Union among its list of clubs. “When she asked me

Voters approving two Peninsula School District levies

Feb 14, 2023

Voters gave the Peninsula School District two Valentine’s Day gifts. By comfortable margins, voters approved both a local levy to replace an expiring one and a security and technology levy. The Pierce County Auditor’s Office posted preliminary election results shortly after 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 14. Special Election results The three-year Replacement Educational Programs

Harbor Ridge students stage ‘Lion King’ with help from foundation

Feb 13, 2023

Students at Harbor Ridge Middle School entertained their peers Friday with a performance of “The Lion King Jr.” The beloved musical (adapted for youth actors) came to life through familiar songs, dramatic moments and silly punch lines from comic characters like Pumbaa the Warthog. It was the culmination of six weeks’ work for the cast

Hundreds of teddy bears on way from Peninsula High to Ukraine

Feb 08, 2023

How do you pack more than 700 teddy bears for a trip roughly halfway around the world to the middle of a war zone? Answer: With loving care and messages of encouragement. Peninsula High School Kiwanis Key Club members collected teddy bears over the winter for children in war-torn Ukraine. The club is partnering with

Gig Harbor speech and debate making a persuasive case

Jan 24, 2023

Members of the Gig Harbor High School speech and debate team are competing in person this year for the first time since the pandemic. During the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons, they debated virtually. For the first of those years, they were completely at home. It was a daunting challenge in a competition centered on interpersonal

School district investigating alleged racist comment at girls basketball game

Jan 23, 2023

Peninsula School District has launched an investigation into claims of racist comments made at a Jan. 11 girls basketball game between Peninsula High School and Gig Harbor High School. The district on Wednesday, Jan. 18, hired an independent third party to investigate allegations that a Gig Harbor player used a racial slur against a member