News

Gig Harbor Now reporters chase down news that affects community residents, providing facts with context and perspective.

Rotary accepting applications for Mildred McColl scholarship

Feb 02, 2024 | By:

The Rotary Club of Gig Harbor is currently accepting applications for the Mildred McColl Scholarship, a scholarship fund established to assist deserving students to achieve a post-secondary education. The fund was established by a generous gift from the estate of Mildred McColl, a local resident and nurse anesthesiologist who lived on Hale’s Passage. To date,

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Gig Harbor Police Blotter: Officers nab a ‘jovial’ shoplifter

Feb 02, 2024 | By:

Editor’s note: The Blotter is written based on information provided by Gig Harbor Police , Gig Harbor Fire & Medic One  and the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office. Gig Habor police arrested a cheerful 27-year-old Spanaway man on suspicion of stealing more than $200 worth of alcohol from a Point Fosdick Drive grocery store on Jan. 29. Around noon that day, a

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State DOT explains why Wednesday’s Narrows Bridge repairs were an emergency

Feb 02, 2024 | By:

Emergency repairs to the old Tacoma Narrows Bridge backed up traffic to I-5 on Wednesday, Jan. 31, and left commuters wondering what the heck the state Department of Transportation was thinking. The agency explained its reasoning on Thursday. “We know a lot of people were frustrated. So what happened?” WSDOT wrote in a statement in

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Gig Harbor Council may ask voters for property tax increase

Feb 01, 2024 | By:

On Feb. 12, the Gig Harbor City Council will decide whether to ask voters to “lift the levy lid” to increase property taxes. If the council approves the request, voters would decide whether to increase their property tax rate from the current rate of 70 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value to $1.10 per

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State settles lawsuit following terminal cancer diagnosis for former inmate at Gig Harbor prison

Feb 01, 2024 | By:

The Washington state Department of Corrections agreed to a $9.9 million settlement with a former inmate diagnosed with terminal cancer after receiving inadequate medical care at the Washington Corrections Center for Women in Gig Harbor. The Seattle Times reported the settlement on Tuesday, Jan. 30.  Failure to perform follow-up Paula Gardner, now of Tacoma, was

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Impact fees delayed but en route to PenMet Parks

Jan 31, 2024 | By:

Pierce needed to change some code wording to allow properties not owned by the county to receive funds. PenMet is budgeted to get the $472,000 that was pegged for 2023, plus $300,000 in each of 2024 and 2025.

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City Council reinstates Creative Endeavor grants

Jan 30, 2024 | By:

The city of Gig Harbor’s $35,000 Creative Endeavor grants program is back on.  During a study session in November 2023, the council unanimously agreed to suspend the five-year-old grant program, which supports the arts. But a crowd turned out to criticize the move at the Dec. 11, 2023 council meeting. Many others emailed or called

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Harbor Happenings: Gorge on crab for a good cause

Jan 30, 2024 | By:

As the days get longer and warmer, the calendar is filling up with events and activities that educate, entertain, fill the belly, mind and spirit – and just bring people together. The Greater Gig Harbor Foundation hosts its annual crab feed at the Eagles Club at 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 3. Dinner includes all-you-can-eat fresh

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Pierce County weighs stripping urban growth designation from Purdy

Jan 29, 2024 | By:

If Purdy ever truly dreamed of an urban future, that possibility may be slipping away. The tiny agglomeration of businesses, schools, homes and utility company maintenance yards at the head of Henderson Bay, just over Gig Harbor’s northern border, has long been designated an urban growth area (UGA) under the Pierce County Comprehensive Plan. That’s

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Gig Harbor Now and Then: Steel buckets and hard work put out 1923 fire

Jan 29, 2024 | By: Greg Spadoni

Gig Harbor Now and Then’s question from last time concerned a major fire at the north end of Gig Harbor in 1923 that destroyed several waterfront buildings. A group of unorganized volunteers saved all the structures on the opposite side of the road. Question: What firefighting equipment did the unorganized Gig Harbor volunteer fire fighters

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