KMAS

06/16/2026

Shelton is growing and the city wants input before the plan is set. City Manager Mark Ziegler joined me to talk about the strategic work underway at City Hall and what the next 3–5 years could look like for Shelton.

📅 PUBLIC OPEN HOUSE, Tuesday, June 23rd | 5–7 PM, Shelton Civic Center
No registration needed.

Full conversation at https://youtu.be/a3jSUCJo8wo

06/13/2026

This is the day to enjoy Fjordin Crossin! We'll be there from 11-3 cheering on the nearly 250 paddlers! Come down and join us!

06/11/2026

If you check out this week's Shelton Mason County Journal, you will see Isaac Dorcy on the front page. Isaac just graduated from Whitworth University in Spokane with a degree in music composition, and for his senior recital, he composed an original piece for brass quintet called "The Adventures of Paul Bunyan."
The piece is rooted in Pacific Northwest Paul Bunyan lore, including the first-ever Paul Bunyan storybook set in the Pacific Northwest, written by James Stevens in 1925. Isaac pulled one quote per movement to shape each section of the music, which takes listeners from the wintry first meeting of Paul and Babe the Blue Ox, through a bluegrass-inflected forest section complete with performers stomping their feet for a hoedown feel, into a somber stretch, and finally a joyous resolution.

🎺 Listen to "Ode to Paul Bunyan" on YouTube: https://youtu.be/WA7jq2NpzRY

06/11/2026

Our friends over at South Mason Youth Soccer are taking over the FC Olympia match this Friday 6/12 to kick off a rivarly weekend. Great weather is expected and a fun night for sure! At the RAC in Lacey 7pm. Check out some of the best soccer in the South Sound.

Tickets 🎟️ www.fcoly.com

06/10/2026

Welcome to Cota Street Sparky Mountain Wellness & Arts! We had a chance to be at the ribbon cutting along with the Shelton-Mason County Chamber of Commerce 218 W Cota in downtown Shelton today.

06/09/2026

Jeff Slakey sat down with Superintendent Wyeth Jessee for a wide-ranging end-of-year conversation, and there's a lot to cover.

Here's what we talked about:
✅ The Class of 2025 earned nearly a half-million dollars in scholarships
✅ Third-grade reading scores have doubled in four years
✅ The new School Links program, career planning that starts in 7th grade
✅ 100 student work-experience placements through the CTE program this year
✅ The Shelton Promise scholarship and why community college may be the smartest first step
✅ Why too many seniors still shrug when you ask them what comes after graduation and what the district is doing about it
✅ A surprisingly simple trick (borrowed from preschool) for getting your teenager to actually talk to you

Jeff also brought a question to Wyeth from a listener, someone who reached out after his reporting of a recent school board meeting and felt the teacher survey results showing concerns about top-down decision-making and teacher retention.

📅 Speaking of school board meetings — there's one TONIGHT, Tuesday June 9th at 6:00 PM. You can attend in person or watch live on MasonWebTV at masonwebtv.com.

Full conversation is on the KMAS radio podcast and YouTube now.

Shelton School District Superintendent Wyeth Jessee joins Jeff Slak...

06/09/2026

Mason County Sheriff Ryan Spurling joins Jeff Slakey for their monthly conversation, recorded at the Fjord Oyster Bank ahead of the Sheriff's Luncheon. This episode covers the full range of what's on the Sheriff's radar heading into summer 2026.

Topics include: the leadership transition at the Shelton Police Department as a new chief takes over following Chief Kostad's departure; wildfire preparedness and the Forest Service's determination that the Bear Gulch Fire near Lake Cushman was likely caused by fireworks; how the Sheriff's Office handles the 4th of July surge with limited resources (up to 250 calls, six deputies, a thousand square miles); the new MACECOM AVA non-emergency AI dispatch line and how it's designed to improve coverage during high-volume events; and a full update on the legal fight over the state legislature's sheriff oversight bill, including two injunction wins that have frozen the law pending court review.

Sheriff Spurling also shares encouraging news on law enforcement staffing levels across Washington State, and WASPIC research data showing public trust in law enforcement ranks among the highest of any profession.

The Sheriff Sit-Down is produced by KMAS Radio and serves Mason County and the south Hood Canal area. Sponsored by Our Community Credit Union.

0:00 — Introduction / Location / New Shelton Police Chief Patton
1:36 — Wildfire Season & Bear Gulch Fire Investigation
3:01 — Firewise, Fireworks & 4th of July Call Volumes
4:00 — World Cup 2026 & Summer Visitor Influx to Mason County
4:32 — MACECOM AVA: The New AI-Powered Non-Emergency 9-1-1 Line
6:23 — Sheriff Oversight Bill: Two Injunctions & the Constitutional Challenge
9:34 — Law Enforcement Staffing & WASPIC Conference Takeaways
12:15 — Non-Emergency Line Reminder (421-4441) & Sponsor Close

06/08/2026

Downtown Shelton's Best Friends Fridays is back — this month celebrating Dads & Grads! Shop local antique, vintage & specialty stores from 3:30–7:30 PM on Friday, June 12. Enter to win a "Patio Daddy-O" gift package at any stop along the route.

06/08/2026

This weekend!