NEWS BRIEFS: Man in PA brandishes knife, escapes … and other items

PORT ANGELES — A man who brandished a knife after being told he wasn’t allowed at a downtown Chevron escaped police Tuesday.

Port Angeles Police Chief Brian Smith said the man, wearing a bandana, took off on a bike and was chased by an employee at the 402 Marine Drive gas station.

He said it was reported at 11:16 a.m.

“Witnesses observed him being chased by a Chevron store employee all the way up to Oak Street,” he said.

Smith said it was unknown if the brandishing was related to the Monday night armed robbery across the street at Jackpot Food Mart, 331 W. First St.

Forum tonight

PORT ANGELES — The League of Women Voters of Clallam County will sponsor a free public forum featuring candidates for Port Angeles City Council Positions 1 and 2 at 6:30 p.m. today.

The forum will be in the commissioners meeting room (160) at the Clallam County Courthouse, 223 E. Fourth St. The after-hours entrance is to the west of the main courthouse entrance.

Candidates for Position 1 are James “Jim” Moran, Todd Negus and Marolee Smith. Candidates for Position 2 are incumbent Lee Whetham and opponents Mike French and Jacob Oppelt.

Audience members are encouraged to bring questions for the candidates. Candidates for other offices who are in attendance will be invited to introduce themselves at the conclusion of the forum, after which there will be time for a one-on-one question-and-answer session with all candidates.

These two Port Angeles City Council races will appear on the Aug. 1 primary ballot.

2 injured in ONP

PORT ANGELES — Hurricane Ridge Road just outside the Olympic National Park’s Heart o’ the Hills entrance gate was blocked for more than an hour Tuesday morning after the driver of a Dodge pickup hit several trees before plunging 45-50 feet down an embankment, injuring the vehicle’s two occupants.

Stacy Dyar-Brown of Sequim and Mark Major, a Bremerton resident who is living in the Port Angeles area, were transported to Olympic Medical Center in Port Angeles for treatment, Penny Wagner, Olympic National Park acting spokeswoman, said late Tuesday afternoon.

An Olympic Medical Center spokeswoman said that the two were treated and discharged.

Wagner said Hurricane Ridge Road was blocked about two-tenths of a mile north of the park’s main entrance from about 9:30 a.m. to 10:50 a.m. while Dyar-Brown was extricated with Jaws of Life apparatus and the vehicle was extracted by a tow truck.

She said the call reporting the wreck was at 8:05 a.m. Both occupants denied driving the vehicle, Wagner said.

Wagner said traffic at the entrance was diverted to Lake Dawn Road and turned around at the mishap site.

More in News

Port Townsend Main Street Program volunteers, from left, Amy Jordan, Gillian Amas and Sue Authur, and Main Street employees, Sasha Landes, on the ladder, and marketing director Eryn Smith, spend a rainy morning decorating the community Christmas tree at the Haller Fountain on Wednesday. The tree will be lit at 4 p.m. Saturday following Santa’s arrival by the Kiwanis choo choo train. (Steve Mullensky/for Peninsula Daily News)
Decoration preparation

Port Townsend Main Street Program volunteers, from left, Amy Jordan, Gillian Amas… Continue reading

Port Angeles approves balanced $200M budget

City investing in savings for capital projects

Olympic Medical Center Board President Ann Henninger, left, recognizes commissioner Jean Hordyk on Wednesday as she steps down after 30 years on the board. Hordyk, who was first elected in 1995, was honored during the meeting. (Paula Hunt/Peninsula Daily News)
OMC Commissioners to start recording meetings

Video, audio to be available online

Jefferson PUD plans to keep Sims Way project overhead

Cost significantly reduced in joint effort with port, city

Committee members sought for ‘For’ and ‘Against’ statements

The Clallam County commissioners are seeking county residents to… Continue reading

Christopher Thomsen, portraying Santa Claus, holds a corgi mix named Lizzie on Saturday at the Airport Garden Center in Port Angeles. All proceeds from the event were donated to the Peninsula Friends of Animals. (Dave Logan/for Peninsula Daily News)
Santa Paws

Christopher Thomsen, portraying Santa Claus, holds a corgi mix named Lizzie on… Continue reading

Peninsula lawmakers await budget

Gov. Ferguson to release supplemental plan this month

Clallam County looks to pass deficit budget

Agency sees about 7 percent rise over 2025 in expenditures

Officer testifies bullet lodged in car’s pillar

Witness says she heard gunfire at Port Angeles park

A copper rockfish caught as part of a state Department of Fish and Wildlife study in 2017. The distended eyes resulted from a pressure change as the fish was pulled up from a depth of 250 feet. (David B. Williams)
Author to highlight history of Puget Sound

Talk at PT Library to cover naming, battles, tribes

Vern Frykholm, who has made more than 500 appearances as George Washington since 2012, visits with Dave Spencer. Frykholm and 10 members of the New Dungeness Chapter, NSDAR, visited with about 30 veterans on Nov. 8, just ahead of Veterans Day. (New Dungeness Chapter DAR)
New Dungeness DAR visits veterans at senior facilities

Members of the New Dungeness Chapter, National Society Daughters of… Continue reading

Festival of Trees contest.
Contest: Vote for your favorite tree online

Olympic Medical Center Foundation’s Festival of Trees event goes through Dec. 25