Krisa Bruemmer, KP News

The nationwide program Girls on the Run returned this spring to Evergreen Elementary School for a 12-week season. Eighteen girls from third through fifth grade met after school twice a week for … more

Bette (“Betty”) McCord has been one of the first faces students, parents, community providers, volunteers and visitors have seen when they enter Evergreen Elementary School for over three … more

Since its inception in 2017, Heartwood Haven, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and registered charity on the Key Peninsula, has rescued more than 1,400 farm animals suffering from cruelty and neglect, including … more

Peninsula School District is midway through a new pre-kindergarten, early learning program called Transitional Kindergarten that launched in January. TK is a state-funded, full-day, full-week, … more

Every night Violet’s dad reads “Go, Dog. Go!” at bedtime. Over time the story has grown, nearly doubling in length with the addition of words and lines that Violet has come up with … more

Amid high absence rates among staff and students, Peninsula School District Superintendent Krestin Bahr sent a message to district families Jan. 12 calling on parents and community members to … more

In the woods near Penrose Point State Park, Rod Collen and his fiancée Shannon Garrett have spent the last two years building a 900-square-foot mushroom-shaped cabin. They purchased a … more

After nearly two years of challenges brought on by the pandemic, including the loss of a local program for younger Scouts, Scout Troop 220 and Cub Scout Pack 222 are back together again, meeting weekly at the Key Peninsula Civic Center … more

After over 40 years practicing medicine on the Key Peninsula, Dr. William Roes is entering a phase of semi-retirement.  Starting Dec. 30, Roes will cut back to approximately two days a week … more

After over a year of adapting to changes brought on by the pandemic the Pierce County Library System has reopened its buildings to the public. more

As the Key Peninsula Partnership for a Healthy Community approaches its 6-year anniversary under the leadership of executive directors Ben and Susan Paganelli, the organization has filed for its own 501(c)(3) nonprofit status. more

Skate Night returns to the Key Peninsula Civic Center Sept. 10 with roller skate rental and concessions available from 6 to 9 p.m. There is a new Skate Night management team on board eager to get the program back up and running. more

Brookside Veterinary Hospital, owned and operated by Dr. Lisa Woods for nearly 30 years, has survived over a year of Covid protocols and restrictions. Brookside has been busier than ever and a second veterinarian, Dr. Justine Zingsheim-Nadeau recently joined the practice. more

The Peninsula School District plans to expand its half-day Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) Pre-K classes to a full-day schedule for the 2021-22 school year. more

When classrooms closed across the state in March 2020, Peninsula School District’s many responsibilities to its students didn’t end, including feeding them. more

In November, Purdy Cost Less Pharmacy changed ownership. Zimmerman’s son and daughter-in-law, Drew and Allison Zimmerman, bought the … more

Transportation Director Annie Bell will retire this month after 19 years with the Peninsula School District and over 30 years working in school transportation. more

Local students Angelina Cruz and Kyleigh Helland each won first place in the Pierce County Library System’s 24th annual Our Own Expressions Teen Writing & Art Contest, which celebrates the creative visions and voices of Pierce County youth and awards winners cash prizes and publication. more

Two members of Peninsula High School’s junior class, Indigo Clark and Issabella Marchio, qualified for the All-Nationals Mixed Choir, part of the National Association for Music Education’s All-National Honors Ensembles (ANHE) program. They are the first PHS students to be accepted. more

In the pre-pandemic era, over the course of a year the Greentrike organization’s Play to Learn outreach program served tens of thousands of people across 23 regional sites, including the Key Peninsula Civic Center in Vaughn. The grant-funded early childhood education program is now being offered virtually over Zoom, including thematic circle time, project-based activity time, pajama time and STEAM-focused lessons. more