SHINE — The Hood Canal Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic several times each night through Friday — and that might mean the Peninsula Daily News is delivered late.
The state Department of Transportation announced the closures Tuesday.
The remaining closures will be between 11 p.m. and 4 a.m. tonight and Friday morning, and Friday night and Saturday morning.
During the five-hour closure times, crews will open the bridge to traffic for at least 30 minutes several times to ease congestion.
The traffic openings will be unscheduled and performed as workloads allow.
Depending on work progress, additional night closures might be scheduled.
The construction work and closures are dependent on the tides and might be adjusted.
“Drivers are advised to assume that the bridge will be largely unavailable for use,” Transportation said in a news release.
The closures could cause some delay in deliveries of the Peninsula Daily News, which is printed in Everett and brought back over the bridge in the early morning hours.
Construction crews are replacing mechanical components of the drawspan.
To receive email updates, go to https://service.govdelivery.com/accounts/WADOT/subscriber/new. To receive text messages, send a text message to 468311 with the words “wsdot hood.” Information also is on Twitter.
Contract extension
SEQUIM — The Sequim School District’s top administrator is locked in for another year — three years actually.
On July 17, Sequim School Board members approved a one-year contract extension for Gary Neal to continue as the school district’s top administrator through 2020.
As with previous superintendents, Neal’s is a three-year contract that employs him through June 30, 2020, though the board, by contract, is required to discuss the superintendent’s performance and working relationship with the board twice per year.
Neal’s salary for the 2017-18 school year is $143,273.
Neal was Sequim’s assistant superintendent in 2014-15, was promoted as interim superintendent in May 2015, and saw the interim part of his title removed in November 2015.
Neal was principal of West Valley High School in Spokane from 2006-14. He has a superintendent’s certificate from Washington State University and a master’s degree in administration and curriculum from Gonzaga University.
Law protest
TACOMA — At least 18,000 people have decided that a state law against distracted driving takes enforcement too far.
The News Tribune reported Tuesday that a petition to ban the law had gathered nearly 20,000 signatures just three days after it went into effect.
The law bans the use of handheld devices, including cellphones and tablets while driving. But it also allows officers to issue additional tickets if the driver is pulled over for using a handheld device.
Those additional $99 tickets can be issued for behaviors such as eating, drinking or grooming while driving.
Many people who signed the petition wrote that they are unwilling to give up eating or drinking while driving.
Volunteer orientation tonight in PA
PORT ANGELES — First Step is seeking volunteers for various activities throughout the summer and will hold a child care assistant orientation class from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday.
The orientation will be held at First Step’s administration building, 323 E. Sixth St.
Activities include literacy and school readiness; sorting, organizing and folding clothes for Clothing Closet; landscaping; interior maintenance and child care support groups.
Registration is required for the orientation.
To register, contact Rhonda Raymond at 360-457-8355 or rhonda_fstep@olypen.com.
Grant available
PORT TOWNSEND — Applications for an $8,200 Jefferson Community Foundation’s Fund for Women & Girls grant are currently being accepted.
The grant is slated to be awarded this November to a Jefferson County nonprofit that creates an
innovative project with a focus on women’s or girls’ health, according to a press release.
Nonprofits are invited to attend an informational meeting about the grant and organization Wednesday, Aug. 9 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Quaker Meeting House, 1841 Sheridan St.
The grant proposal and application can be downloaded at www.jcfgives.org or by calling 360-385-1729.
Applications are due by 5 p.m. Monday, Oct. 2.
Whitworth grad
SPOKANE — Former Port Angeles resident Danielle Schimschal recently graduated from Whitworth University with a Bachelor of Arts in mathematics.
She graduated magna cum laude.
Dakota state grad
MADISON, S.D. — Eric Wahl of Port Angeles graduated from Dakota State University during its spring commencement ceremony May 6 at the university’s Fieldhouse.
Wahl received his Bachelor of Science in exercise science.
