Key Peninsula News

DNR Plans Timber Harvest in Key Central Park

At the Key Pen Parks commissioner meeting held via Zoom April 11, forest managers from the Department of Natural Resources presented its plan to harvest 110 acres of timber from the Key Central … more

Lisa Bryan, KP News | 4/27/22

Erden Eruç hoists the Philippine pennant on arrival, delivered by the local kayak club

KP Man Completes First Solo Row from U.S. to Asia

Solo circumnavigator Erden Eruç of Wauna, 60, made landfall at Legazpi City in the Philippines March 24, becoming the first person to row from North America to Asia after launching from … more

Ted Olinger, KP News | 4/26/22

“We don’t call them hogs; we call them big pigs.”

Local Farm Animal Rescue Organization Saves Lives

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

Krisa Bruemmer, KP News | 4/26/22

Letter from KPFD Volunteers

It is important for the public to understand why Key Peninsula volunteer firefighters have been outspoken at recent board of commissioner meetings. Volunteers are all citizens who live on the Key … more

4/26/22

Key Peninsula Fire Department Hires New Chief

Dominick “Nick” Swinhart was hired as the new chief for KP Fire District 16 by the board of fire commissioners at their biweekly meeting April 12. He will start the job May 16, succeeding … more

Ted Olinger, KP News | 4/26/22

Meet the New Boss

Nick Swinhart grew up in Montesano. “As a paid firefighter I started in Raymond in 1992, but I started before that in 1989 as a volunteer in Grays Harbor. Most of my career was spent at the … more

Ted Olinger, KP News | 4/26/22

New elder homes take shape on the hill above Key Center.

Mustard Seed Project Receives Major Grant

Six months after breaking ground on the first assisted-living homes for elders on the Key Peninsula — a dream that took over a decade to launch — the Mustard Seed Project received the … more

Ted Olinger, KP News | 4/26/22

KPCCA Fundraiser and Great Brick Reveal Celebrate 66th Anniversary

Held in honor of its official date of incorporation, April 10, 1956, the Key Peninsula Civic Center Association unveiled its newly installed brick path near the entrance of the civic center during an … more

Staff Report | 4/26/22

New Transitional Kindergarten Program at Evergreen Elementary

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

Krisa Bruemmer, KP News | 3/31/22

Local Highlights from 2022 Legislature

The Washington state legislature adjourned its 60-day session March 10 after approving a large transportation package and some legislation that will affect the Key Peninsula region, raising state … more

Staff Report | 3/31/22

More Growth and Development on the KP

As the pandemic wanes, real estate development continues its recent rise on the Key Peninsula, seemingly despite planning restrictions limiting population density. But the rural zone designations … more

Sara Thompson, KP News | 3/31/22

Local Firefighters Climb for a Cure

Three KPFD firefighters donned full gear and climbed all 69 floors of the Columbia Center Tower in Seattle March 13 to raise funds for blood cancer research and patient services. The 31st annual … more

Staff Report | 3/31/22

Costly removal of a sinking derelict vessel from Lakebay Marina Jan. 28.

Legislature Funds Increased Derelict Boat Removal on Puget Sound

Removing derelict or abandoned boats from the waters of Puget Sound is a high priority for the Department of Natural Resources. The department’s underfunded Derelict Vessel Removal Program got … more

Lisa Bryan, KP News | 3/31/22

Local Relief Worker Back From Ukraine

Lakebay resident Siu-May “Sil” Wong-Underwood, 44, returned home March 12 from an 11-day mission to the Polish border with Ukraine to assess needs and provide resources for the … more

Ted Olinger, KP News | 3/31/22

Longbranch Cemetery Poised to Expand

A walk through the gate of the Longbranch Cemetery reveals a place that invites reflection. Past and present intermingle. Some stones are covered with moss while others reflect sunlight from polished … more

Sara Thompson, KP News | 3/31/22

Road Rage in the Time of COVID-19

Traffic fatalities across the U.S. increased 12% in the first nine months of 2021 compared to the same period in 2020, the largest annual rise since 1975 according to an October 2021 study from the … more

Ted Olinger, KP News | 3/31/22

Assistant Fire Chief Wolverton Exonerated, Returned to Duty

Assistant Fire Chief Hal Wolverton was returned to duty by the Key Peninsula Board of Fire Commissioners 14 weeks after it placed him on paid administrative leave during a third party investigation … more

Ted Olinger, KP News | 3/23/22

Reenacting a 19th-century tradition, KPFD personnel perform the “push-in” ceremony with a new ambulance at Longbranch station in February. In the 1800s, horses were unharnessed after returning a fire wagon to its station and firefighters pushed it into the bay.

KPFD Confronts Budget Crunch and Skeptical Residents

The bimonthly Key Peninsula fire commission meetings have been unusually well attended since the public first learned the fire district bought $2.125 million worth of Key Center real estate at the … more

Ted Olinger, KP News | 2/28/22

From left to right, CISP Executive Director Colleen Speer, Volunteer and Communications Director Myka Cranford, and Program Director Laurel Shultz.

Windfall Donation for Communities In Schools of Peninsula

Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott donated $133.5 million to the national nonprofit Communities in Schools Feb. 3. It was the largest unsolicited and unrestricted gift in the organization’s … more

Carolyn Wiley, KP News | 2/28/22

Eruç shared his boat with a red-footed booby for a few days in December.

KP Man Rowing Across the Pacific Now Aims for Singapore

Solo circumnavigator Erden Eruç, 60, of Wauna, made landfall on Guam Feb. 12 after 208 days rowing from California by way of Oahu on his second human-powered trip around the world. He has … more

Ted Olinger, KP News | 2/28/22