February 23, 2023 Shelton Mason County Journal | ![]() |
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SINCE 1886 VOL. 137, N0. 8
MASON COUNTY, THURSDAY, FEB. 23: 2023
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By Matt Baide
matt@masoncounty. com
A suspected arsonist who authorities be
lieve started two structure fires in the county
last week was arrested after a standoff with
police Friday at the Shelton Inn in downtown
Shelton.
The suspect, Alexander Hoyle, 37, allegedly
started fires at Gethsemane Ministries prop—
erties on West Pine Street in Shelton and East
Misty Acres Road near Union.
The fires occurred in the early morning on
Feb. 15 and Friday, respectively.
Hoyle was taken into custody and booked
into Mason County Jail. He is charged with
two counts of arson — a class A felony. Hoyle
is also charged with four other felonies: as-
sault, automobile theft, a weapons offense and
intimidation.
“As you can imagine, we’re still in a state of
shock more than anything else,” Gethsemane
Ministries Pastor and Director Brian Hellen-
thal told the Journal. “Our reaction is to try
to adapt and overcome. We know that we’re
still going to be ministering in the community,
there seems to be large-scale support. We’ll
continue our outreach and we’ll continue our
recovery and discipleship program.”
see ARSON, page 11
By Gordon Weeks
gordon@masoncouniy. com
The City of Shelton is of-
fering to trade 3 0r‘4 acres
of wooded land north of the
Huff’n’Puff Trail to the Port
of Shelton for 25 acres on
the south end of Sanderson .
Field to expand its satel-
lite wastewater treatment
system.
The city also expressed in-
terest in annexing the Sand-
erson Field area from Mason
County into the city limits
during a joint session with
the Port of Shelton Commis-
sion on Friday morning at
the Ridge Motorsports. That
land is part of the [Shelton
urban growth area.
The two-hour conversa—
tion between the two gov-
ernment entities was de-
signed “to talk about issues
that are beneficial to both
organizations” and to plan
for successful economic de-
velopment, said City Man-
ager Jeff Niten.
“I know there’s been some
concern about annexation
from previous years,” Ni-
ten said. “This isn’t a ‘This
is what we’re going to do’
conversation. I want it to
a, offers land sWap‘r‘With‘ port"
conversation, and just make
sure the concerns you have
are addressed.”
The city wants the port
property, some of it on the‘
former site of the Mason
County Fairgrounds,
triple the capacity of the
current satellite wastewa-
ter treatment plant from
400,000 gallons per day to
1.2 million a day, Niten said.
to
“These are the places fu-
ture employment opportuni-
ties are going to happen,” he
Shelton City Council members Kathy McDowell and
Miguel Gutierrez listen to a presentation at a joint ses-
sion with the Port of Shelton on Friday at the Ridge Mo-
torsports. Journal photo by Gordon Weeks ,
In exchange, the city is of—
fering about 3 or 4 acres of
woods near the Huff’n’Puff
Trail and Island Lake. A
proposed neighbdrhood ,de-2
velopment on the site fell
through a couple years ago.
The three members of the
Port of Shelton Commission
and port staff didn’t share
their preferences on either
proposal.
“I think it will be very in-
teresting to find out what
48.13%. The Pioneer levy re—
for every $1,000 of assessed
property value from_ 2024
Mayhem in Shelton
Arsonist captured
at Shelton Inn *
Authorities take Alexander Hoyle, at center in jacket, into custody after.
a brief standoff Friday at the
Shelton Inn in downtown Shelton. Hoyle is accused of two counts of class A
felony arson for setting fire
last week to two Gethsemane Ministries properties in the county. Hoyle also
allegedly stole a pickup
truck and faces weapons and intimidation charges. Journal photo by Gordon
Weeks
Schoollevies pass '
By Gordon Weeks' district states. '
gordon@masoncounty.com The levy will col-
Voters approved replace- sgifgz’llgn m
ment lev1es 1n the Shelton $2:972:758 in 2026, and
and Pioneer school districts
on the Valentine’s Day ballot.
The Shelton levy received
2,539 “yes” votes for 51.87%,
and 2,356 “no” votes for
ceived 1,810 “yes” votes for
54.9%, and 1,487 “no” votes
for 45.1%. Both needed a
simple majority to pass. ,
The final ballot count is
set for 4 p.m. today, with
an estimated five ballots to
add to the total. The count
is scheduled to be certified
Friday. Voter turnout was
36.56%.
Ninety Mason County res-
idents also cast ballots on an
Elma School District bond,
which failed with 35.36% of
the “yes” vote. The Mason
County voters cast 36 “yes”
votes, and 60 “no” votes.
In the Pioneer School Dis-
trict, property owners will be
assessed an estimated $1.28
the rest.
(science,
science.
through 2027. The owner of
a home valued at $300,000 ,
$3,061,940 in 2027.
The district states that
levy dollars cover 21% of the
overall cost of school district
operations. State and federal
programs fund almost
all of
In the Pioneer School Dis-
trict, which has about 750
students in prekindergarten
through the eighth grade,
the levy partially or entirely
pays for lower class sizes, af-
terschool academic tutoring
for students, athletic pro-
grams, transportation costs
not covered by the state, mu-
sic and art education, STEM
technology,
engi-
neering and math) programs,
classroom paraeducator sup—
port, reading and math spe-
cialists, student field trips,
outdoor school, the commu-
nity garden, counselors, and
updated curriculum in read-
ing, math, science and social
The levy also pays for
support staff not covered by
will pay about $384 per year,
be a ‘mutually beneficial’ said. I see SWAP, page 14 or about $32 per
month, the see LEVIES, page 2
‘ INSIDE TODAY , . ‘ , i
i I US. Rep. Derek Kilmer Meet the county’s newest Area grapplers shine
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‘ visits Mason County Superior Court judge at Mat Classic XXXlV
8 53263 0.01“ 2‘ Page3 ’ PageiZ “ ' Pageig ‘