Conor Wilson

New hospital staffing standards aim to ease the burden on health care workers

Aug 29, 2024

A decade ago, it was difficult to get a full-time position at St. Michael Medical Center in Silverdale, says Aimee Oien, a union rep for the hospital’s nurses and other staff. Turnover was low. Most staff started in per diem or on-call roles. The last several years — even before the COVID-19 pandemic rocked the

Gig Harbor needs more housing density, but where? Comp Plan update will help decide

Aug 28, 2024

The state requires the city to accommodate the development of 892 units by 2044. A majority of those need to be affordable to people making below median incomes.

Firefighters have stalled progress of blaze on Olympic Peninsula

Aug 22, 2024

Firefighters appear to have a handle on the wildfire that ignited on the Olympic Peninsula last week, as cooler temperatures and light rainfall have aided the hundreds of personnel battling the blaze five miles west of Brinnon.  The 2620 Road Fire, which ignited near Mt. Jupiter on Aug. 14, has remained at approximately 398 acres

Fire near Brinnon now estimated at 445 acres

Aug 16, 2024

More than 100 firefighters are battling a wildfire in Jefferson County, five miles west of Brinnon. The 2620 Road Fire had burned 445 acres near Mt. Jupiter since igniting Wednesday evening, according to the state Department of Natural Resources. The cause of the fire is under investigation. Jan Glarum, director of Kitsap County Emergency Management,

Crowd backs Olalla Bay Market at Kitsap commissioners meeting

Aug 14, 2024

Olalla residents, waving signs that read “Gathering Places Matter” and “Save Olalla Bay Market,” flooded the Kitsap County commissioners meeting Monday, supporting the popular grocery store and community space after its owners submitted a well publicized complaint against the county. Over an hour of public comments, residents told commissioners the market was a crucial gathering

Olalla Bay Market owners allege harassment, file tort claim against Kitsap County

Aug 08, 2024

Owners of the Olalla Bay Market and Landing, a popular grocery store and meeting space along Colvos Passage, submitted a tort claim against Kitsap County last week, requesting a combined $35 million in damages.  Owner Gregg Olsen says he and his family have been the target of hundreds of baseless and frivolous complaints from a

Two organizations serving Gig Harbor area get Pierce County grants to aid the homeless

Aug 07, 2024

Pierce County awarded grants to nearly 50 project proposals last month as part of its Homeless Housing Program, including two nonprofits working to reduce homelessness in the Gig Harbor area. The county’s largest regular funding opportunity for housing service providers will deliver more than $17.6 million to projects across the Pierce, including nearly $200,000 to

Air quality is OK for now; here’s how to monitor it if conditions get worse

Aug 01, 2024

Wildfires are burning across the Pacific Northwest, and public health officials are encouraging West Sound residents to prepare for the possibility of smoky conditions and poor air quality. What are conditions like now? Washington is in the midst of what is likely to be an unusually hot and dry summer, according to the state Department

On the Issues | Sixth Congressional District

Jul 30, 2024

Following the retirement of its longtime congressman, three state officials are running to fill an open seat in Washington’s Sixth Congressional District. Rep. Derek Kilmer, D-Gig Harbor, has represented the district — which spans the Olympic and Kitsap Peninsulas plus a large swath of Tacoma — for the last decade. He decided not to seek

Kroger opioid settlement funds on their way to Gig Harbor, other cities

Jul 25, 2024

Most jurisdictions in the West Sound have signed on to a settlement agreement with grocery company Kroger following a lawsuit over its role in the opioid crisis. Others are expected to follow suit. Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced the $47.5 million settlement in April. The grocery company, which does business in Washington as QFC