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
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
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
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
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
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
Mental health outcomes for Peninsula District students are comparable to their peers in Pierce County, according to a recent statewide survey. But results also underscore recent concerns from community members about bullying at district high schools. Data from the 2023 Healthy Youth Survey showed positive trends for students across Washington. The survey is an anonymous
West Sound law enforcement agencies arrested more people for drug and narcotic violations in 2023 than they have in either of the past two years, according to a new state report released this month. The 2023 Crime in Washington Report, an annual tally of arrests compiled by the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs
Virginia Mason Franciscan Health announced Tuesday that it plans to open a new hybrid emergency room and urgent care facility at its Port Orchard campus on South Kitsap Boulevard. Currently, VMFH offers only urgent care and other specialty services at the Port Orchard site. Creating the dual-purpose facility, the health care providers say, will vastly
A short-term residential facility supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities from across Washington is expected to open near Gig Harbor in the coming months. The facility will help its clients avoid institutionalization and return to their home communities. The facility, located along Highway 302 west of Wright Bliss Road, will provide crisis care and
