Gig Harbor Now reporters stay alert to crimes and emergencies and relay information that allows readers to understand and react to incidents.
His route to law enforcement wasn’t typical, but Nathan Betts has been collecting accolades as a Pierce County Sheriff’s deputy for years. His latest came Aug. 7, when he received the Deputy of the Year Award. Prior to becoming a deputy, Betts spent years in sales with the Seattle SuperSonics basketball team, in real estate,
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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
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When local firefighters deploy to battle big fires elsewhere in Washington, they come home with valuable experience and knowledge.
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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
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The Gig Harbor City Council adopted a three-year strategic plan for 2024 through 2026 on Monday, July 8. The plan calls for: Updating public works standards. Exploring new revenue sources, including a business and occupation tax. Completing Phase 1 of the Sports Complex and finding funding for Phases 2 and 3. Designing and building the
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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. The Pierce County Sheriff’s Department reported finding human remains along a creek near the Purdy Park and Ride on July 10. A passer-by found the remains and called for law enforcement. Deputies arrived at
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The Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office identified Reginald Anderson-Taylor as the man shot and killed at a home on Ray Nash Drive on June 26. Anderson-Taylor was a 39-year-old Gig Harbor resident. The Medical Examiner’s Office said he died of a gunshot wound to the torso and ruled the death a homicide. Pierce County prosecutors
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After overwhelmingly rejecting a property tax increase earlier this year, Gig Harbor voters will head to the polls again this summer to vote on a sales tax measure supporting the city’s police department and general fund budget. Revenue from the proposed Public Safety Sales Tax, which will appear on the Aug. 6 primary ballot, would
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April Kelly spent years in and out of jail because of her addiction. Her health suffered, she lost contact with family and eventually ended up homeless. None of it was enough to make her quit. “They talk about reaching your bottom,” she said, “but it didn’t matter what I lost or how alone I was.
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Pierce County prosecutors charged Melissa Dawn Wells, 34, with a count of second-degree murder and a count of first-degree manslaughter in the shooting death of her 39-year-old boyfriend on June 26 on Ray Nash Drive in Gig Harbor. Documents filed with Pierce County Superior Court indicate that Wells “seemed to be in a psychosis (disconnected
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