Blue Slough closures continue

Blue Slough will go through extended closures to finalize roadwork already underway.

Grays Harbor County crews will be working on the road periodically through June and July between 7 am and 4 pm.

Road closure signs will be in place at both ends of the road on the days when crews will be working to warn drivers.

Anyone traveling through SR 107 will still be able to use the connection to US 101 to connect between Montesano and Cosmopolis.

Grayland man arrested while reporting a crime

Aberdeen Officer Jeff Weiss was in parked at the Aberdeen Police Station on Wednesday when he saw a red Chevrolet Camaro drive through the lot and park in front of the department.

The driver got of the car and walk to the front door, and then to the staff door of the station. Officer Weiss said that the man walked appeared to be talking to himself.

The man walked back to the front of the station and the officer discovered that he had placed a bench up against the front doors of the station along with a flower planter. A second planter had the plant pulled out and thrown onto the ground.

The man told Officers Weiss and Perkinson that he had called the Grays Harbor Sheriff’s Office to his home in Grayland over alleged Domestic Violence involving his father. The 21 year old Grayland man said he was mad that the deputies did not arrest his dad so he drove to Aberdeen to complain and see if officers would go to Grayland with him to arrest his father.

The man was told the GHSO had already responded and investigated the complaint, and was then placed under arrest for DUI and for malicious mischief.

The Grayland man was booked into the City of Aberdeen jail without incident.

Aberdeen Windermere Real Estate changing owners

The Aberdeen Windermere Real Estate office has new owners.

Harborite Tom Quigg, who started the office in 1991, announced that he will be selling the Aberdeen location to Travis and Jill Jelovich. Quigg will remain at the office during the transition, and staff will remain under the new ownership. The office, staff and brokers will continue business as usual. The only change will be in the owners and the name, transitioning to “Windermere Real Estate Aberdeen”.

Quigg will stay with Windermere, maintaining his ownership of the Ocean Shores office, saying “I love being in the business and am looking forward to continuing to be actively involved in real estate”. He added, “I’m not retiring, this gives me the ability to transition out of management, while remaining active in listing and sales”.

The new owners are both from Aberdeen. Travis Jelovich said in a release, “We have hoped for some time to re-establish our Harbor roots, and this will provide us with that possibility.”

The new owners will take over on May 31.

Washington coastal advisory council now official

An advisory council to provide a coastal perspective on Washington’s ocean policies is now official under state law.

Under Senate Bill 5603, the Washington Coastal Marine Advisory Council will be written into state statute. The council was created by the Department of Ecology in 2011 as a group comprised of representatives from coastal industries. The bill will allow the governor to appoint representatives to advocate for the best interests of coastal communities and industries.

“Washington’s ocean policies have the biggest impact on coastal communities. The creation of the advisory council gave those communities a voice,” said Senator Brian Hatfield of Raymond. “The passage of this bill gives the council a little more clout and ensures that the opinions of fishermen and shellfish growers, hotel and bed and breakfast owners and port and shipping interests will help shape the future of Washington’s coastline.”

The creation of the statute would bring more than a dozen representatives of coastal industries together to work with representatives from the governor’s office and state agencies. Together they could make recommendations on state, local and tribal policies dealing with coastal waters issues, including resource management, fisheries, shellfish aquaculture and ocean energy.

Representative Derek Kilmer schedules local town hall

Representative Derek Kilmer will be holding a series of town hall meetings throughout Western Washington starting next week. This includes a meeting in Aberdeen.

Kilmer said, “I work for you, and I can’t do my job without hearing what’s on your mind.”

The purpose is to give an update on what he and his team has been working on and what are the priorities moving forward. Kilmer said, “I’ll get to hear about what’s on your mind and take your questions.”

The Aberdeen Town Hall will be held Friday, May 31 from 12pm – 1:30pm at the Rotary Log Pavilion.

4 Registered Sex Offenders moving within Aberdeen

The Aberdeen Police Department told KXRO that 4 Registered Sex Offenders are moving within Aberdeen.

52 year old Thomas G. Reed was convicted in 2001 of Assault in the 2nd Degree with Sexual Motivation in Grays Harbor. He is a Level 2 Sex Offender with a Moderate Risk to re-offend. He will be moving into the 400 block of West Wishkah.

32 year old Shane M. Dujardin was convicted in 1996 for Rape of a Child 1st Degree in Grays Harbor Juvenile Court. He was also convicted in 2001 for Sexual Misconduct with a minor 1st Degree. He is classified as a Level 3 Sex Offender with a High Risk to re-offend. He will be moving into the 900 block of West 1st Street.

30 year old John G. Gray was convicted in Grays Harbor Juvenile Court in 2000 for Unlawful Imprisonment and Assault. He was also convicted in Thurston County for Assault 3rd with Sexual Motivation in 2005. He is a Level 3 Sex Offender with a Moderate Risk to re-offend. He is moving in the 2300 block of Simpson Avenue.

32 year old Jesse E. Goetz was convicted in 2002 for Rape 3rd Degree, he is a Level 2 Sex Offender with a Moderate Risk to re-offend. He will be moving into the 200 block of East Wishkah.

 

 

None of the men are wanted by the police at this time. The state is authorized to inform the public of an offender’s move when that information will enhance public safety and protection.

The Grays Harbor Sheriff’s Office told KXRO that the level of sex offenders locally is comparative to both the state and national average of offenders per 1000 residents.
There are over 19,000 sex or kidnapping offenders who have registered since 1990 and are currently living in Washington. Approximately 400 of these are registered to Grays Harbor County, and approximately 150 are registered within Aberdeen.

Grays Harbor unemployment drops, yet highest in state

Grays Harbor unemployment dropped an entire percentage point in April, down to 12.1%. Pacific County also dropped a percentage point, moving to 10.5%. Despite dropping in the rate, Grays Harbor once again shows the highest unemployment rate in the state.

Statewide, numbers released last week show 7% unemployment. Counties, such as King and Snohomish, show figures between 4-5% compared to higher numbers throughout the state.

Ferry and Pend Oreille Counties, showing the highest figures for months, had drastic changes in their unemployment numbers. Ferry County dropped over 2% from 14.2-11.9%, while Pend Orielle also dropped 2% in April.

New construction jobs anticipated in the coming months for Port of Grays Harbor expansion, the re-opening of Harbor Paper, and various construction projects throughout the county are expected to bring jobs to the area.

Elma man arrested for domestic violence and assaulting officers

Just after 2 am this morning, Grays Harbor Sheriff’s Deputies responded to a Domestic Violence call at the Greenwood Mobile Home Park outside of Elma. A 55 year old woman called and said that her 49 year old live-in boyfriend had punched her in the face. Dispatchers could hear a man yelling in the background of the 911 call that he was going to harm her.

Deputies, along with Elma Police, made contact with the couple, in addition to the 69 year old mother of the man. The man was highly agitated and appeared to be intoxicated. When officers attempted to intervene, the man assaulted the officers by kicking and biting before being eventually subdued. During the process, his mother attempted to come to his aid and assaulted the officers herself. Both subjects were arrested.

The man was taken to Summit Pacific Hospital in Elma where he yelled profanities at hospital staff. He was booked into the Grays Harbor County Jail for Assault 3rd degree on the officers, Domestic Violence Assault 4th degree on his girlfriend, and resisting arrest.

The girlfriend received minor injuries from being hit in the face. The officers’ injuries were also reported to be minor.

The man from the assault was the subject of a death investigation back in 2006. In August of that year, deputies responded to an incident where his girlfriend at the time, then 43 year old Mallory Quinn, had sustained severe burn injuries. Quinn eventually died at Harbor View Medical Center as a result of the burns. The incident had occurred at a campfire on the D-line of Capitol Forest in Grays Harbor County. The man alleged that the female had poured fuel on several objects, including herself, due to an argument they were having. The female then sat next to the campfire and caught on fire. There were no witnesses to this event. Investigators submitted the case to the prosecutor’s office for review, however charges were not filed.

State officials warn of fake Oklahoma tornado relief funds

In the wake of the massive tornados that touched down in Oklahoma this week, Better Business Bureau , the Washington State Attorney General’s Office and the Secretary of State are warning of opportunistic fraudsters. Cons follow the headlines and can easily create bogus charities under the guise of helping victims.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with all of those affected by this disaster,” said Robert W.G. Andrew, CEO of BBB serving Alaska, Oregon and Western Washington. “Everyone wants to do their part to help, but without being careful a meaningful donation can easily end up in the wrong hands.”

Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson joins the BBB in cautioning donors to exercise restraint before sending money.

“I join the Better Business Bureau in expressing sympathy to the families who’ve lost loved ones or their homes in this disaster,” said Attorney General Bob Ferguson. “I know many share my concerns and want to provide assistance right away—but it is important to exercise caution and make sure your money helps those who truly need it.”

Secretary of State Kim Wyman also recommends exercising caution when donating funds.

“Our hearts go out to the families, friends and neighbors of those who died or were injured in the tornado in Oklahoma,” said Secretary of State Kim Wyman. “I’m sure that a number of Washingtonians will be stepping forward to contribute to the relief effort and to help the victims of this tragedy.

“As the Attorney General and I continue to underscore, it is important that donors use their heads, as well as their hearts, in responding. Sadly, there will always be rip-off artists looking to line their pockets, so we urge donors to use caution in making decisions about where to contribute their hard-earned money.”

BBB, the AG and SOS advise consumers to be mindful of certain red flags before making donations.

1. Be suspicious of solicitors requesting immediate donations. Don’t rush decisions and consider contributing at give.org, a website run by the Council of Better Business Bureaus.

2. Make sure that charities are qualified to provide the type of disaster relief that is necessary.

3. Avoid cash donations. Write a check directly to the charity, not the fundraiser.
Never give out credit card numbers over the phone.

4. Be wary of “new” charities with unverifiable background information.
Watch out for solicitations from fake “victim” or memorial social media accounts.

5. Don’t be fooled by a name. Be watchful of charities that use sympathetic sounding names or names similar to well-known legitimate charities.

The Better Business Bureau, the Washington Attorney General and Secretary of State advise consumers to contact potential charities directly. For more information on finding charities, visit BBB’s charity review or the SOS charity lookup. Consumers can also visit the SOS web site for tips on giving wisely.

$950,000 in fire damage to Aberdeen office complex

The Aberdeen Fire Department was called to black smoke near the Wishkah River Bridge early this morning. When crews arrived at 600 E. Wishkah, they saw smoke and flames coming from the backside of the office complex.

Responders began to fight the fire from the outside of the building, but quickly realized the fire was moving through the attic at the complex. Multiple crews were sent inside the attic. It took approximately 90 minutes to bring the fire completely under control. Crews remained on scene for 6 hours extinguishing the blaze.

There were no injuries to civilians or firefighters. The building and contents, holding Hagen and Bates Law Firm, Cheryl Demoss Massage, The Body Shop Massage, and A Classic Cuts Hair Salon, is approximately 85% damaged.

Initial estimates put the damage cost at $950,000.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.