Free Daily Podcast Summary
by Jeff Slakey
From local leaders and hometown heroes to breaking stories and in-depth conversations, the KMAS Podcast brings you the voices that matter in Mason County, Washington. Hosted by longtime broadcaster Jeff Slakey, each episode dives into what’s happening around the Hood Canal—government, education, small business, the outdoors, and everything in between.New episodes drop throughout the week, featuring interviews, community spotlights, and extended versions of the stories you hear on the air at KMAS.Subscribe, listen, and stay connected to your community—wherever you are.
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Shelton is growing, and the city wants to make sure the community has a voice in what that looks like. City Manager Mark Ziegler joins Jeff Slakey on Focus on Shelton to break down the strategic planning work underway at City Hall, what the City Council identified as Shelton's strengths and challenges, and how residents can weigh in at a public open house on June 23rd at Shelton's Civic Center.They cover what the council worked on like, new housing developments near Olympic College, water infrastructure and storage capacity, walkability standards being built into new subdivisions, the former Simpson Railroad corridor as a potential crosstown trail, and the tension between preserving Shelton's small-town character while meeting the demands of a growing population.Ziegler also addresses the question that comes up with these types of studies: how does the city make sure this plan doesn't just sit on a shelf? 📅 PUBLIC OPEN HOUSE: Monday, June 23rd | 5–7 PM | Shelton Civic CenterNo registration required. Drop in and talk directly with city staff about the five draft strategic initiatives.Focus on Shelton is produced by KMAS Radio and sponsored by Peninsula Credit Union.Chapter Markers0:00 — Introduction: City Manager Mark Ziegler at Shelton City Hall0:23 — Strategic planning retreats and the focus question1:27 — Growth is at Shelton's doorstep: what the council agreed on2:33 — SWOT analysis: strengths, infrastructure, water storage challenge4:51 — Revenue diversification and transportation investments6:19 — Will this plan just sit on a shelf? KPIs and accountability8:12 — PUBLIC OPEN HOUSE: June 23rd, 5–7 PM — how to participate9:18 — How the strategic plan flows to city departments10:37 — Shelton on the rise: growth trends from both sides of Seattle11:33 — Preserving small-town character while welcoming new residents13:07 — City limits, the 98584 zip code, and who counts as a constituent14:21 — Development standards: park requirements, walkability, and livable neighborhoods15:33 — Simpson Railroad trail, Neyland Park, water supply, and police staffing16:22 — Event reminder and closing#SheltonWA #FocusOnShelton #MasonCountyWA #SheltonStrategicPlan #CityOfShelton #SheltonGrowth #KMASRadio #MasonCounty #HoodCanalWA #SheltonCommunity #WashingtonState #SmallTownWA #PacificNorthwest #LocalGovernment #CivicEngagement #PublicInput
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 "Ode to 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#SheltonWA #MasonCounty #FocusOnShelton #KMASRadio #PaulBunyan #ForestFestival #PacificNorthwest #LocalMusic #BrassQuintet #HoodCanal #WashingtonState #SheltonMasonCountyJournal #WhitworthUniversity #MusicComposition #PNWHistory
Shelton School District Superintendent Wyeth Jessee joins Jeff Slakey for an end-of-year conversation covering what families in Mason County and need to know about local education heading into summer.This week: the Class of 2025 earned nearly half a million dollars in scholarships. Third-grade reading scores have doubled in four years. And the district just completed 100 work-experience placements through its Career & Technical Education program.But Superintendent Jessee also shares what keeps him up at night: seniors who shrug when you ask them about their plan. He talks about what the district, and parents, can do differently, the "warm demander" approach to parenting teenagers, and a simple technique (borrowed from preschool) for getting your kid to actually talk to you in the car.Also covered: the Shelton Promise scholarship, community college affordability, the new School Links career-planning program (starting in 7th grade), the district's next strategic plan, enrollment trends, and what the Peacock Ridge development could mean for Shelton schools.RESOURCES MENTIONED:• Shelton School District: sheltonschools.org• Shelton Promise Scholarship — ask your school counselor• School Links Program — career planning starting in 7th grade• Evergreen State College• CTE / Work Experience Program — contact Ty Ramos, Shelton School DistrictFocus on Shelton airs on KMAS Radio 1030 AM / 103.3 FM, serving Mason County and the South Sound. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you listen.#SheltonWA #MasonCounty #SheltonSchools #FocusOnShelton #KMASRadio #Education #PublicSchools #SchoolDistrict #Scholarships #CollegeAccess #CareerReadiness #CTE #HoodCanal #WashingtonState #SheltonWashington #LocalNews #Community #HighSchool #StudentSuccess #TeacherAppreciation
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 Patton1:36 — Wildfire Season & Bear Gulch Fire Investigation3:01 — Firewise, Fireworks & 4th of July Call Volumes4:00 — World Cup 2026 & Summer Visitor Influx to Mason County4:32 — MACECOM AVA: The New AI-Powered Non-Emergency 9-1-1 Line6:23 — Sheriff Oversight Bill: Two Injunctions & the Constitutional Challenge9:34 — Law Enforcement Staffing & WASPIC Conference Takeaways12:15 — Non-Emergency Line Reminder (421-4441) & Sponsor Close#MasonCounty #SheltonWA #HoodCanal #FocusOnShelton #KMASRadio #MasonCountySheriff #SheriffSpurling #WildfirePreparedness #BearGulchFire #4thOfJuly #WorldCup2026 #MACECOM #LawEnforcement #WashingtonState #PublicSafety #CommunityRadio
One of the top 100 disc golf courses in the entire United States is tucked into the forest on Shelton Springs Road in Shelton, Washington, and unlike almost every other top-ranked course in the country, you can play it for free, any day of the year, on the same pads the pros throw.This weekend (May 29–31, 2026), the world's best disc golfers come to Mason County for the Discraft Cascade Challenge — the West Coast debut of the brand-new JomezPro Series on the Disc Golf Pro Tour. The number one men's and number one women's competitors in the world will both be in Shelton. And on Saturday night, in a Forest Festival weekend first, players and fans get to throw glow discs under stadium lights and the city fireworks, with the last tee time going off at 11:20 PM.Jeff Slakey sits down with three people who can tell you exactly why this is happening here: Ryan Smith and Justin Holzgrove from the Mason County Disc Golf Club, and Cascade Challenge Tournament Director Jeff Korns. They cover the course's UDisc Top 100 ranking, why the City of Shelton's partnership made it possible, what the pros actually say about the layout, and how a casual visitor can walk up, watch a 500-foot tee shot, and get an autograph from a world champion — all in the same afternoon.🎟️ Tickets: https://tickets.dgpt.com/event/cascade-challenge-h4yzzy🥏 Event info: https://www.dgpt.com/event/2026-cascade-challenge/#CascadeChallenge #DiscGolf #SheltonWA #MasonCounty #JomezPro #DGPT#PNW #PacificNorthwest #OlympicPeninsula #HoodCanal #Hoodsport #ExploreShelton #WashingtonState #Discraft #UDisc #UDiscTop100 #DiscGolfProTour #SheltonSprings #GlowGolf #ForestFestival #KMAS
Mason County is sitting in the lowest quartile in Washington state for community health — and Mason Matters, the local 501(c)(3) that quieted down during COVID, has come back online with a plan to move that number twenty percent.In this conversation, host Jeff Slakey sits down at the Economic Development Council building in downtown Shelton with Julie Knott, the director of Mason Matters. They cover where the organization came from (the steering committee behind Blue Zones Activate Mason County), where it’s going (a refreshed health-equity agenda built around food, the built environment, and child care), and the partnerships making it work — Mason County Public Health, Mason Health, the EDC, the YMCA of Shelton, and both hospital districts.You’ll hear how Mason Matters became the matching partner that helped the EDC land a major USDA grant — the largest awarded in Washington state and one of 43 nationally. You’ll hear about the Charlie Cart, a mobile teaching kitchen that just landed Mason County the distinction of being the first rural community in Washington to use one. And you’ll hear from a six-week pilot underway at South Side Elementary, where one student tasted homemade herb butter and asked, unprompted, if it had marjoram in it.Also in this conversation: Maria Parra and the work happening at Hope Plaza, the Catalyst Garden re-imagining at the Master Gardeners’ space on Harvard, the Salmon Center master plan, the new Mountain View Café at Mason Health, the Shelton and Belfair Farmers Markets, a county-wide child-care assessment landing in June, and what the multi-billion-dollar Bremerton shipyard project means for the workforce — and the kids — of Mason County.Plus: why Julie is biking from Shelton to Ketchikan, Alaska, this summer, and what Blue Zones founders bicycling across Asia have to do with Mason County life expectancy.📍 Mentioned in this episode:• Mason Matters — masonmatters.org (verify URL before publishing)• Economic Development Council of Mason County — choosemason.com (verify)• Mason County Public Health• Mason Health & Mountain View Café• YMCA of Shelton• Shelton Farmers Market & Belfair Farmers Market• Hope Plaza at Faith Lutheran (1212 Connection Street)• Master Gardeners’ Catalyst Garden• Salmon Center🎧 Subscribe to KMAS Radio & KMAS Morning News with Jeff Slakey wherever you get your podcasts.📻 Listen live on KMAS Radio.▶️ Watch the full conversation on the KMAS YouTube channel.
Amber Anderson from South Mason Fire & Rescue joins Jeff Slakey to preview a Mother's Day weekend full of community events on Arcadia Road in Shelton, Washington.First up: a FREE car seat checkup event Friday, May 8, from 11 AM to 2 PM at the South Mason Fire station on Arcadia. Certified car seat installers — being trained across multiple counties — will check your car seat is installed correctly, walk you through which seats fit your vehicle, and answer the question every parent eventually asks: when does my kid graduate to a booster, and when can they age out? No appointment needed.Then Saturday, May 9, from 9:30 AM to noon — the third-annual Mother's Day Pancake Breakfast. Pancakes, sausage and bacon courtesy of Taylor Station, served by your South Mason firefighters. Every mom gets a rose and a walk to her seat from a firefighter. Donations welcome (cash or check).Both events at South Mason Fire & Rescue, 2970 SE Arcadia Road, Shelton, WA 98584.#FocusOnShelton #KMASRadio #SheltonWA #MasonCountyWA #SouthMasonFire #MothersDay #PancakeBreakfast #CarSeatSafety #PNW #HoodCanal #ArcadiaRoad #FireDepartment #CommunityFirst #FirstResponders #SheltonNews #MothersDayWeekend
In this conversation, host Jeff Slakey sits down with Katie Arnold, treasurer of the Karen Hilburn Cancer Fund, to talk about the second annual Mother's Day Dash — a 4-mile run/walk that supports cancer screenings and treatment for uninsured and underinsured women right here in Mason County.For more than two decades, the Karen Hilburn Cancer Fund has helped over 600 Mason County residents access the screenings and care they need through partnerships with Mason Health. The Mother's Day Dash, alongside the fund's Denim and Diamonds auction, is one of the ways the all-volunteer board keeps that work going.Katie shares the race details — start time, route, parking, day-of registration — plus what brought her into the fund a decade ago, and why this work matters for women across our community. https://runsignup.com/Race/WA/Shelton/TheMothersDayDashEvent details:• Sunday morning · 8:00 AM start• Huff & Puff Park (across from Shelton High School)• 4-mile run or walk · medals at the finish• Registration open now; day-of registration available at the check-in tableConversations air on KMAS Radio and is available as a podcast and on YouTube. Follow KMAS for more conversations with the people, businesses, and organizations that make Mason County what it is.#MothersDayDash · #KarenHilburnCancerFund · #SheltonWA · #MasonCountyWA · #KMAS · #FocusOnShelton · #PNW · #CancerScreening · #CommunityRun · #4MileRun · #MasonHealth · #ShopLocalShelton · #PacificNorthwest · #WashingtonState · #MothersDay
From local leaders and hometown heroes to breaking stories and in-depth conversations, the KMAS Podcast brings you the voices that matter in Mason County, Washington. Hosted by longtime broadcaster Jeff Slakey, each episode dives into what’s happening around the Hood Canal—government, education, small business, the outdoors, and everything in between.New episodes drop throughout the week, featuring interviews, community spotlights, and extended versions of the stories you hear on the air at KMAS.Subscribe, listen, and stay connected to your community—wherever you are.
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