KMAS Radio

Jeff Slakey
  • 0.0 (0)
  • NEWS

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.

  1. 13H AGO

    Shelton Schools Superintendent: "Put a Book in Kids' Hands, Not a Phone"

    Shelton 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

    28 min
  2. South Mason Fire's Double Push-In: A Fire Tradition That Started With The Horse & Buggy

    1D AGO

    South Mason Fire's Double Push-In: A Fire Tradition That Started With The Horse & Buggy

    In 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

    4 min
  3. Shelton Farmers Market Returns May 2 — Tammy Ramsey on What's New for 2026

    4D AGO

    Shelton Farmers Market Returns May 2 — Tammy Ramsey on What's New for 2026

    The 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

    7 min
  4. Half a Cow, Hawaii, and a Hot Food Truck Lineup: Shelton's Saturday Fundraiser for Safe Grad Night

    APR 23

    Half a Cow, Hawaii, and a Hot Food Truck Lineup: Shelton's Saturday Fundraiser for Safe Grad Night

    Downtown 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 #HoodCanalCommunity Shelton 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

    7 min
  5. Mason County Sheriff Spurling: WA Decertification Law, 911 Center Grant & the DARE Car

    APR 8

    Mason County Sheriff Spurling: WA Decertification Law, 911 Center Grant & the DARE Car

    In 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 #PNW KMAS is the local radio station in Mason County Washington.

    10 min
  6. 35th District Legislators React: Income Tax Signed, Budget Cuts, and What's Next for Mason County | 2026 Session Wrap-Up

    APR 7

    35th District Legislators React: Income Tax Signed, Budget Cuts, and What's Next for Mason County | 2026 Session Wrap-Up

    One 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

    59 min
  7. Shelton's Citizen of the Year on Bridging Divides, Community Service & the 'We Need the Village' Mindset — Tamra Ingwaldson

    APR 4

    Shelton's Citizen of the Year on Bridging Divides, Community Service & the 'We Need the Village' Mindset — Tamra Ingwaldson

    Jeff 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 #WesternWashington KMAS is the local radio station in Mason County Washington.

    18 min
  8. Shelton Veterans Village: Inside the Tiny Home Community Changing Lives in Mason County, WA

    APR 1

    Shelton Veterans Village: Inside the Tiny Home Community Changing Lives in Mason County, WA

    Jeff Slakey sits down at Shelton Veterans Village on North 13th with Executive Director Colleen Carmichael and Program Support Specialist Tamra Ingwaldson for a wide-ranging conversation about what's really happening inside this unique community of 30 veterans — and why the data says permanent supportive housing is one of the smartest investments a community can make.   In this episode: •       Who lives at Shelton Veterans Village, how residents are selected, and what 'permanent supportive housing' actually means •       Why 85% of homeless individuals in any area were born or raised there — and the data behind the misinformation •       How the village uses Saint Martin's University and Olympic College interns to provide behavioral health and nursing services •       The real cost of homelessness vs. housing someone — and why leaving people on the streets costs taxpayers twice as much •       A new dog training / behavioral support animal pilot program launching in 2024 •       What expansion could look like — and what it would mean for Mason County's chronically homeless population   Shelton Veterans Village is located at N. 13th Street in Shelton, WA and serves disabled veterans experiencing chronic homelessness. The village operates as permanent supportive housing funded through HUD, with case management provided by Michael, Sondra, and supervisor Dave on site.   Want to learn more or schedule a tour? Contact through the village directly. Resources and data mentioned in this episode — including research from the National Alliance to End Homelessness and Colleen's LinkedIn data posts — are linked below. National Alliance to End Homelessness-  endhomelessness.org Colleen's LinkedIn data posts MASON COUNTY LOCAL HOMELESS HOUSING PLAN 2025-2030 Email for scheduling a village tour - info@nhcommunities.org   Focus on Shelton airs on KMAS Radio in Shelton, Washington. New episodes at kmas.com and wherever you get your podcasts. #SheltonWA #MasonCounty #VeteransVillage #SheltonVeteransVillage #WashingtonState #HomelessVeterans #AffordableHousing #PermanentSupportiveHousing #HousingCrisis #KMASRadio #FocusOnShelton #CommunityRadio #SheltonWashington #TinyHomes #VeteranSupport #HousingFirst #MasonCountyWA #WashingtonHomeless #ShelterNews #PublicAffairs

    49 min
See All (243)

About

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.

Information

  • Creator
    Jeff Slakey
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    243
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 KMAS Radio
  • Show Website
    KMAS Radio