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Dusk, late summer. A deer works the edge of the pasture. A lonely frog, peeping, is answered by a cricket. As the light slips, a bat skitters in and out of the shrinking circle I can see. more

Chris Rurik, KP News | 9/27/23

The gray whale was spotted in Mayo Cove days before its death.

Darkness and Light — The Life and Death of a Whale

The bones look like driftwood from a distance, half-submerged at the high tide line. Binoculars reveal them to be ancient stone artifacts. Or so it seems. This whale carcass is hard to believe. … more

Chris Rurik, KP News | 9/27/23

An Episode in Local Garden History from the Everlasting Age of Aquarius

Who said we have no sense of history around here? I mean, we love to retell the old stories of anarchists, contraception pioneers, free love, and —gasp — nude bathing in Home Colony … more

Dan Clouse | 9/27/23

PHS Swim Coach Athena Petterson after warm-up discussion.

New PHS Swim Coach Finding the Right Recipe for Success

When you are as busy as new Peninsula High School girls and boys swim coach Athena Petterson, your day job and night job start to blur together. When her team isn’t winning meets, … more

Eddie Macsalka, KP News | 9/27/23

Derek Grannes and Alex Donahou might look scarier than most ghosts.

Local Ghost Hunters Document Paranormal Experiences on YouTube

Derek Grannes and Alex Donahou were tossing back a few drinks at The Floatation Device Pub & Grill near the Purdy Spit last December. Nothing strange about friends of nearly 20 years getting … more

Eddie Macsalka, KP News | 9/27/23

Rachel Ostoyich at home with her kids (from left to right) Ayden, Ella and Wyatt.

The Key Peninsula is Thriving With the Paranormal

Rachel Ostoyich knows where she is going when she dies. She’s been there already. Because she died already. It was 2008. Ostoyich, then 19, was at Allenmore Hospital in Tacoma. She … more

Eddie Macsalka, KP News | 9/27/23

Alex Burley pulling tarot cards for a client.

Getting Advice From Your Mostly Friendly Local Spirit Guides

Water rippling on a windshield. That’s how Alex Burley describes the look of the spirits she speaks with. more

Eddie Macsalka, KP News | 9/27/23

Candidates seated from left to right: Kip Clinton, John Pat Kelly, Cambria Queen, Chuck West, Natalie Wimberley, Deanna Keller, Kristin Ang and Dave Bryant.

Election Candidates Answer KP Questions at Forum

The Key Peninsula Civic Center hosted candidates Sept. 12 for what has become a perennial KP election season tradition. Eight contenders participated in a 90-minute Q&A and reception to explain … more

Ted Olinger, KP News | 9/27/23

Connor Burton, No. 3, leads the Seahawk charge onto the field.

Gig Harbor Wins 45th Annual Fish Bowl 21-20

After a seven-year drought, the Tides overcame a 14-0 halftime deficit to win the Fish Bowl for the first time since 2015. more

Eddie Macsalka, KP News | 9/16/23

Puget Sound harbor seals number in the thousands and are generally healthy.

Bird Flu Found in Puget Sound Harbor Seals for First Time

The U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed that three adult harbor seals in Puget Sound tested positive for the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1 strain Sept. 8. The seals stranded on … more

Staff Report | 9/14/23

It was a busy night during Fish Bowl for Safety and Security Officer Brent Campbell at Roy Anderson Field.

Peninsula High School Has New Safety Officer

Brent Campbell, a former police officer and private investigator, comes to PSD from Monroe School District. more

Eddie Macsalka, KP News | 9/4/23

Here's What I Think About That

We need more stories like the one Lisa Bryan wrote about Larry the young duckling in the August edition ("Picking Up and Letting Go," Aug. 2023 ) I personally feel like most news reported these days … more

8/30/23

Sept 2023 edition

8/30/23

Peninsula Schools Implement New Restricted Cell Phone Policy

When students return to school in September they will find a new set of rules concerning the use of cell phones and other devices, including smartwatches. The new policy, passed at the … more

Sara Thompson, KP News | 8/30/23

Higgins, Leavengood Set the Pace for Seahawks XC Teams

The Peninsula Seahawks boys and girls cross-country teams returned to the trails last month, getting a head start on the fall sports season. Both teams are looking to build off momentum gained … more

Eddie Macsalka | 8/30/23

Loggers buck head-to-head at the logging show.

Out & About September 2023

8/30/23

Bluesman Doug MacLeod Returns to Play the KP Oct. 4

Doug MacLeod first picked up a guitar in 1960 or ’61. “I wish I could say it was a great artistic vision, but I wanted to get girls,” he said. Since then he has written … more

Ted Olinger, KP News | 8/30/23

AmeriCorps Volunteer Darnell Crumity of Tacoma at work in the shop.

AmeriCorps Members Leave Their Mark on Sound View Camp

You may remember the first few words of the intro to a popular MTV reality show: “This is the true story of seven strangers, picked to live in a house, work together … ” What … more

Eddie Macsalka, KP News | 8/30/23

Tom Bates came home with a refugee, a street cat named Bobby Reznick. “His favorite toy is a lightbulb.”

Local Rescue Volunteer to Return to Ukraine for Third Time

Tom Bates of Lakebay, 69, returned home June 23 after nine months of rescuing animals and delivering food and medical supplies as a volunteer to the battlefronts of Ukraine. He arrived for the first … more

Ted Olinger, KP News | 8/30/23

“The webs of summer seem to know just where I’ll be.”

Weather: Boring Small Talk or a Unifying Language That Will Save Us All?

I recently overheard someone giving a small sermon about how they no longer wish to entertain “small talk.” Initially, I understood the sentiment and even quietly cheered for … more

Kamryn Minch | 8/30/23