Gig Harbor Now reporters chase down news that affects community residents, providing facts with context and perspective.
“I am a military child. That means moving every few years and constantly fighting change,” said Brendan Masini Jr., as he spoke in Olympia in early 2023 to support a bill creating a Purple Star Award for military-friendly school districts. “Whether those changes were new schools, new people, new surroundings, or watching my dad leave
Read More
As the largest 911 call center in Washington, a growing number of the nearly 1 million calls South Sound 911 handles annually involve someone experiencing a mental or behavioral health crisis. Aiming to better support these callers, the emergency call center launched a first-of-its-kind model that will bring counselors from the state’s 988 mental health
Read More
The Gig Harbor-based Russell Family Foundation this week awarded 27 grants worth $819,000 to several organizations serving youth and young adults in Pierce, Kitsap, Thurston, Jefferson, Mason and South King Counties. The grants are part of the foundation’s Environmental Education portfolio and provide focus on organizations that provide outdoor environmental learning experiences. “We recognize the
Read More
I don’t know if it was the magnetic pull of seeing a 36-foot-tall climbing tower or the sure-fire promise of thrills zipping down its double-digit tube slide – but Metro Parks Tacoma’s brand-new playground unveiled earlier this month definitely convinced us to make a trip over the bridge to see what’s up.
Read More
I know. This is Day Tripper. I’ve established limits: No more than 100 miles each way, and an adventure that can be accomplished in just one day. Each of my destinations is just that, a one-day trip that does not exceed 200 miles total, out and back again. I’ve been thinking about places I want
Read More
The Gig Harbor (7-6, 6-2 South Sound Conference) girls fastpitch team did it again, as they came up with a thrilling come-from-behind victory over River Ridge on April 22. The 7-6 win keeps Gig Harbor in the hunt for a league championship. The Tides were behind most of the game, but excellent relief pitching from
Read More
For decades, research into substance use treatment has found that a rigid focus on abstinence-only models has caused just a small fraction of those in need to seek treatment. But as the opioid epidemic surges in Kitsap and across the country, Wayne Swanson, director of Subacute Recovery Services at Kitsap Mental Health Services, says providers
Read More
Gig Harbor voters soundly rejected a proposal to increase property taxes inside city limits. Preliminary vote totals released by the Pierce County Elections Office on Tuesday, April 23, show 69% (2,379 votes) against the proposed increase and 31% (1,069) in favor of it. The elections office will post updated vote totals at 4 p.m. Wednesday.
Read More
Peninsula School District Superintendent Krestin Bahr on Friday sent a letter to families responding to prosecutors charging Evergreen Elementary School teacher Jordan Roy Henderson with first-degree child molestation. In it, she reaffirmed the district’s commitment to safety and offered a link to resources for children and families. “I am committed to being an advocate for
Read More
Inspiration struck George Long in 2015, when he visited an art studio and watched as an artist created a sock monkey. At the time he lived in York, Penn., and was nearing retirement after owning and operating a successful commercial roofing business. In an instant, he had an idea for what he wanted to do,
Read More