Podcast
KMAS Radio
Hosted by Jeff Slakey · EN
Long-form interviews and conversations from Mason County, Washington. Host Jeff Slakey sits down with local leaders, legislators, small business owners, and community voices for unhurried conversations about what's shaping the Hood Canal region — government, education, healthcare, the outdoors, and the people making a difference.
New episodes drop throughout the week. For daily local headlines, subscribe to KMAS Morning News with Jeff Slakey.
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KHCF's 2nd Annual Mother's Day Dash: Cancer Screenings, Community, and a 4-Mile Run
2w ago00:04:55Tap to summarizeIn this conversation, host Jeff Slakey sits down with Katie Arnold, treasurer of the Karen Hilburn Cancer Fund, to talk about the second annual Mother's Day Dash — a 4-mile run/walk that supports cancer screenings and treatment for uninsured and underinsured women right here in Mason County.For more than two decades, the Karen Hilburn Cancer Fund has helped over 600 Mason County residents access the screenings and care they need through partnerships with Mason Health. The Mother's Day Dash, alongside the fund's Denim and Diamonds auction, is one of the ways the all-volunteer board keeps that work going.Katie shares the race details — start time, route, parking, day-of registration — plus what brought her into the fund a decade ago, and why this work matters for women across our community. https://runsignup.com/Race/WA/Shelton/TheMothersDayDashEvent details:• Sunday morning · 8:00 AM start• Huff & Puff Park (across from Shelton High School)• 4-mile run or walk · medals at the finish• Registration open now; day-of registration available at the check-in tableConversations air on KMAS Radio and is available as a podcast and on YouTube. Follow KMAS for more conversations with the people, businesses, and organizations that make Mason County what it is.#MothersDayDash · #KarenHilburnCancerFund · #SheltonWA · #MasonCountyWA · #KMAS · #FocusOnShelton · #PNW · #CancerScreening · #CommunityRun · #4MileRun · #MasonHealth · #ShopLocalShelton · #PacificNorthwest · #WashingtonState · #MothersDay
Transcribe →Meet the Mason County Peacemakers: Republican & Democrat Women Teaming Up in Shelton
2w ago00:17:09Tap to summarizeIn a national climate where political divides feel impossible to bridge, something different is happening in Shelton. The Mason County Peacemakers — six women from the Mason County Republican Women's Club and six from the Mason County Democrat Women — have been meeting since last fall to do one thing: get community work done together.In this conversation, Jeff Slakey sits down with four of them at The Alibi Room at Wild Irish for a wide-ranging conversation about the group's origins, the blood drive that drew 33 pints on its first run, their partnership with the local Veterans Stand Down, a current food drive for Choice and CEDAR High Schools, and a joint picnic planned for August 16.You'll also hear the line that may stick with you longer than any of it — Jane's reminder, by way of a Native American chief, that "the right wing and the left wing are attached to the same bird, and it takes both for the eagle to soar."This is what grassroots, across-the-aisle community looks like. Quiet. Practical. And — in 2026 — quietly radical.Recorded at: The Alibi Room at Wild Irish, Shelton, WAMentioned in this episode: Mason County Republican Women • Mason County Democrat Women • Faith Lutheran Church • Veterans Stand Down • Choice High School • CEDAR High School • League of Women Voters of Mason County • T's CafeUpcoming events: Blood Drive — June 16 at Faith Lutheran Church • Joint Picnic — August 16#FocusOnShelton #KMAS #SheltonWA #MasonCounty #MasonCountyPeacemakers #BridgingTheDivide #CrossingTheAisle #BloodDrive #VeteransStandDown #CommunityOverParty #PNW #WashingtonState #LocalNews #CivicEngagement #SmallTownStories
Transcribe →Mason County Sheriff Spurling: 25 Cases Dismissed, Injunction Granted, Watch Revived
3w ago00:10:59Tap to summarizeMason County Sheriff Ryan Spurling joined Jeff Slakey at The Fjord Oyster Bank in Hoodsport for the monthly sit-down just before he met with the community for the monthly luncheon.Spurling walks through the Sheriff's Office's Neighborhood Watch revival under Deputy Matt Colbenson, why Mason County is again Washington's lowest-staffed sheriff's office per 1,000 residents (a point he traces back through department records to 1980), and what that means for rural communities like Hoodsport, Lake Cushman, Spencer Lake, and Allyn.He discusses the internal audit his office conducted in the wake of last month's double homicide, what they found, what they're changing, and the conversations he had with family members of the victims at the new evening community meeting at PUD 3. He addresses the 25 cases the district court had to dismiss without prejudice for lack of a public defender, and what concerned residents can actually do about it.And he gives his clearest public response yet to this week's Thurston County preliminary injunction blocking parts of SB 5974, the new state law that would have allowed an appointed panel to revoke a sheriff's certification and effectively remove them from office. "The sheriff is the only elected law enforcement official in the world," Spurling says. "It's controlled by voters, not by an appointment."Conversations with Sheriff Spurling are brought to you by OURCU.🎙 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.📺 Watch on YouTube: KMAS Radio channel.📻 KMAS — Mason County's radio station, since 1962.#FocusOnShelton #KMAS #KMASRadio #MasonCounty #SheltonWA #HoodCanal #Hoodsport #SheriffSpurling #MasonCountySheriff #NeighborhoodWatch #PublicDefender #SB5974 #WashingtonState #LocalNews #PNW #PugetSound #OlympicPeninsula #CommunityRadio
Transcribe →Shelton Schools Superintendent: "Put a Book in Kids' Hands, Not a Phone"
3w ago00:27:39Tap to summarizeShelton School District Superintendent Wyeth Jesse joins Jeff Slakey for a wide-ranging conversation about what's happening in Mason County classrooms — and what's coming next.On this episode: a look back at the latest school board meeting and the marimba performance from Mountain View Elementary; the federal funding cuts threatening multilingual education programs; the departures of two longtime Shelton High School administrators, Ed Stewart and Bruce Kipper; how today's seniors — who started high school during COVID — are finishing strong; and the district's bold goal of having more than 50% of third graders meeting state reading standards.Plus, Wyeth announces a brand-new K–5 homeschool resource center launching for the 2026–27 school year, talks honestly about why district enrollment is shrinking, and explains why staff members — including the head of HR — are choosing to send their own kids to Shelton schools.And in the most candid stretch of the conversation: the superintendent's case for putting books — not devices — in students' hands, what national assessment data really shows about screens and learning, and why writing might be the single most powerful tool in education.Got a question for the superintendent? Email Jeff@kmas.com for the next visit.#FocusOnShelton #SheltonSchools #SheltonWA #MasonCounty #KMAS #KMASRadio #PNWPodcast #WashingtonEducation #PublicEducation #Superintendent #SchoolBoard #ScreensAndKids #SmartphonesInSchools #Homeschool #EarlyLiteracy #ThirdGradeReading #COVIDRecovery #MultilingualEducation #SheltonHighSchool #MountainViewElementary
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South Mason Fire's Double Push-In: A Fire Tradition That Started With The Horse & Buggy
3w ago00:04:22Tap to summarizeIn this conversation, Jeff Slakey is on the line with Amber Anderson of South Mason Fire as the department prepares for a rare double push-in ceremony on Arcadia Road. Two new pieces of apparatus — a new fire engine and a new water tender — are heading into service tonight, and the community is invited to literally help push them into the bay.Amber walks us through the origin of the push-in tradition (it goes all the way back to the horse-and-buggy days), the moment in the ceremony when the new rigs are officially called into service, and the backstory most people don't know: South Mason Fire lost their previous engine in a 4th of July rollover, and the replacement process led to an unexpected second piece of equipment.If you live in Shelton, on Hood Canal, or anywhere in Mason County, this is a 5-minute reason to get the family in the car tonight: dinner at 6, remarks from the chiefs, then the push-in. Plus — Amber previews South Mason Fire's annual Mother's Day breakfast.📍 Double Push-In Ceremony — Tonight 4/30/26, 6:00 PM — South Mason Fire, 2970 SE Arcadia Road, Shelton, WA🎙️ Subscribe for more conversations with the people behind Mason County's stories.#SheltonWA #MasonCountyWA #SouthMasonFire #FocusOnShelton #KMASRadio #HoodCanal #FireServiceTradition #PushInCeremony #FirstResponders #PNWLife #ArcadiaRoad #MasonCounty #SheltonNews #VolunteerFire #CommunityFirst
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Shelton Farmers Market Returns May 2 — Tammy Ramsey on What's New for 2026
3w ago00:07:13Tap to summarizeThe Shelton Farmers Market is back in downtown Shelton for the 2026 season, opening Saturday, May 2 in the Civic Center parking lot and running every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. through October. Market manager Tammy Ramsey joined Jeff Slakey on Focus on Shelton to preview what's new this year, including an expanded push to bring small farms and backyard growers to market, a returning partnership with anchor vendor Skokomish Farms, and the market's SNAP and Market Match program that helps families stretch their food dollars on fresh, local produce.In this conversation, Tammy talks about why the Civic Center location on Cota Street has worked so well for the market, how the Shelton community has shown up week after week, and the barriers that keep smaller growers out of traditional markets — and what the Shelton Farmers Market is doing to change that. She also shares the single best argument for shopping local: the tomato on your plate might have been on the plant yesterday instead of shipped hundreds of miles to your grocery store.If you're a farmer, a crafter, a musician, or a volunteer looking to get involved, visit SheltonFarmersMarket.org or find the Shelton Farmers Market on Facebook.#SheltonWA #SheltonFarmersMarket #MasonCountyWA #ShopLocal #FarmersMarket #PNWFarms #SkokomishFarms #FocusOnShelton #KMAS #SNAPBenefits #MarketMatch #SmallFarms #BackyardFarmers #LocalProduce #PugetSound #WashingtonState #EatLocal #FarmToTable #CivicCenterShelton #DowntownShelton
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Half a Cow, Hawaii, and a Hot Food Truck Lineup: Shelton's Saturday Fundraiser for Safe Grad Night
4w ago00:06:53Tap to summarizeDowntown Shelton is about to get loud, full, and fired-up for a good cause. On Saturday at 2 p.m., the Mason Hotel parking lot at 111 East Railroad Avenue becomes home to a food truck rodeo, a silent auction that runs all afternoon, and a live auction starting at 6 p.m. — all benefiting the Shelton High School Class of 2026 Safe & Sober Graduation Party.In this interview, Jeff Slakey talks with Jessica and Allyson from the parent committee about everything on the books: the food truck lineup (Radio Fryer, Sweet Lila's, the Filipino Food Truck, Hood Cow Eats, Sweet Lila's Snow Cones, and Tack Box), the beer garden, the lawn games for kids, the silent auction baskets, and the big-ticket items on the live auction block — a quarter cord of firewood, a Hawaii vacation, and yes, half a cow. Kelly Frazier returns to call the live auction.The money raised goes toward Casino Night on June 2nd — a free, chaperoned, alcohol-free party for the Shelton High Class of 2026 featuring food, a photo booth, and prizes. It's the kind of event that gives parents peace of mind on one of the most meaningful — and most risky — nights of a graduating senior's year. The event is presented in partnership with the Martha Reed Foundation.Admission to Saturday's event is by donation.#FocusOnShelton #KMAS #SheltonWA #MasonCountyWA #SheltonHighSchool #ClassOf2026 #SafeAndSoberGradParty #FoodTruckRodeo #PNWFoodTrucks #ShopLocalShelton #DowntownShelton #MarthaReedFoundation #CommunityFundraiser #PNWCommunity #WashingtonState #SupportLocal #GraduationNight #KellyFrazier #HoodCanal #HoodCanalCommunityShelton WA food truck rodeo; Shelton Class of 2026 Safe and Sober grad party; downtown Shelton fundraiser; Mason Hotel event Shelton; Shelton High School graduation party; Mason County community event
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Mason County Sheriff Spurling: WA Decertification Law, 911 Center Grant & the DARE Car
Apr 800:09:57Tap to summarizeIn this month's check-in, Jeff Slakey sits down with Mason County Sheriff Ryan Spurling for a wide-ranging conversation covering some of the most significant issues facing local law enforcement and the Mason County community right now. Governor Ferguson has signed the controversial law enforcement decertification bill into law — and sheriffs across Washington state are pushing back. Spurling breaks down what the 'may decertify' provision actually says, why he believes it threatens voters' rights to choose their elected officials, and what the upcoming constitutional challenge in the courts could mean for elected sheriffs statewide. On a brighter note: the 35th Legislative District's representatives helped secure a major federal grant for Mascom — Mason County's 911 emergency communications center. That funding will help modernize the system and eventually support the center's move from the Civic Center to the Port of Shelton facility. Spurling also shares the Sheriff's Office approach to growing community involvement in public safety — including a new partnership blending neighborhood watch programs with emergency preparedness efforts being led in part by the Hood Canal Improvement Club. The goal: help neighbors know their neighbors before the next major earthquake or snowstorm. Plus: the Mason County DARE patrol car is turning heads on I-5 — and has just been invited to lead the pace car at a Moto America motorcycle racing event at Ridge Motorsports Park. This conversation is brought to you by Our Community Credit Union.#MasonCounty #SheltonWA #FocusOnShelton #KMASRadio #MasonCountySheriff #RyanSpurling #WashingtonState #LocalNews #PublicSafety #LawEnforcement #EmergencyManagement #NeighborhoodWatch #DAREProgram #MotoAmerica #CommunityPolicing #911 #MasonCom #WashingtonSheriff #SheltonWashington #PNWKMAS is the local radio station in Mason County Washington.
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35th District Legislators React: Income Tax Signed, Budget Cuts, and What's Next for Mason County | 2026 Session Wrap-Up
Apr 700:59:23Tap to summarizeOne day after Governor Ferguson signed Washington's new 9.9% income tax into law, State Senator Drew MacEwen and Representatives Dan Griffey and Travis Couture sat down with KMAS Radio's Jeff Slakey at the annual 35th District Legislative Wrap-Up breakfast in Shelton. In this candid hour-long conversation, the three Republican legislators discuss the longest floor debate in Washington House history (24.5 hours), the $880 million rainy day fund withdrawal, cuts to child care and rural school funding, the Belfair Bypass, federal Medicaid and SNAP changes, and what they say has become a "structural deficit" in Olympia.Hosted by the Economic Development Council of Mason County, the Shelton-Mason County Chamber of Commerce, and the North Mason Chamber of Commerce. Sponsored by Peninsula Credit Union and RCU. Catered by Taylor Station. Recorded March 31, 2026 at Shelton Civic Center.🎙 KMAS Radio — AM 1030 / 103.3 FM📺 Also available via Mason Web TV #35thDistrict #WALeg #MasonCounty #WashingtonState #Olympia #IncomeTax #SheltonWA #BelfairWA
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Shelton's Citizen of the Year on Bridging Divides, Community Service & the 'We Need the Village' Mindset — Tamra Ingwaldson
Apr 400:18:12Tap to summarizeJeff Slakey sits down with Tamra Ingwaldson, named the 2025 Citizen of the Year by the Shelton Mason County Chamber of Commerce. Over nearly 20 minutes, they explore what it means to truly serve a community — and what keeps Tamra showing up.Tamra shares how growing up watching her parents coach sports she wasn't allowed to play planted the seed for a lifetime of civic engagement. As a single mother of two daughters in the mid-90s, she figured out how to model citizenship even when time and resources were thin — bringing her girls to board meetings with Happy Meals and coloring books, turning every community interaction into a teaching moment.She and Jeff dig into one of Shelton's most persistent challenges: how to get factions and silos talking to each other. Tamra's answer draws on 20+ years of nonprofit work — United Way of Kitsap and Mason counties, the Home Builders Association, and now New Horizon Communities and Shelton Veterans Village. She also introduces 'The Peacekeepers,' a local group of equal numbers of Democratic and Republican women who break bread together, do service projects together, and work to prove that compromise isn't a dirty word.Plus: her philosophy on volunteering for families who feel too stretched or unqualified to give back, the 'time, talent, or treasure' framework for finding your contribution, and a personal story about stepping into a church where she was the only person who looked like her — and what she found there.Recorded six years to the day from the COVID lockdowns, the conversation is a timely reminder that community is built one small act at a time — and that none of us can do it alone.#FocusOnShelton #SheltonWA #MasonCountyWA #CitizenOfTheYear #KMASRadio #CommunityService #CivicEngagement #Volunteerism #SheltonVeteransVillage #UnitedWay #ThePeacekeepers #LocalLeadership #PNWCommunity #WashingtonState #NonprofitLife #ServiceAboveSelf #NeighborhoodPodcast #CommunityRadio #MasonCounty #WesternWashingtonKMAS is the local radio station in Mason County Washington.
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