(Airdate: May 30, 2025) Co-hosts Jim Burke and Commissioner Heidi Eisenhour talk with Chris Macklin, Assistant Manager of Parks and Recreation, and Sam Miller, Recreation Supervisor for Jefferson County about athletic and recreational programs with Parks and Recreation this summer and fall mostly for children but also adults.

(Airdate: May 23, 2025) KPTZ’s Taylor Clark got together with Jefferson County Commissioner Greg Brotherton and they talked with Brent Butler, Jefferson County Strategic Planner, Ben Majors from the Department of Health, and Vince Maniaci from the DCD about the Coordinated Water System Plan (CWSP) for water systems management.

(Airdate: May 16, 2025) KPTZ’s Jim Burke and Jefferson County Commissioner Heidi Eisenhour sat down with Jefferson County Fire Marshal Phil Cecere, Deputy Fire Marshal Brian Tracer, EJFR Community Risk Manager Robert Wittenberg, and EJFR Chief Bret Black.

(Airdate: May 9, 2025) Co-hosts Jim Burke and Commissioner Heather Dudley-Nolette welcome Prosecuting Attorney James Kennedy. This is part of Heather’s County Government 101 series (What does the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office do?) It turns out, a lot more than prosecute. The office also advises and defends the county.

(Airdate: May 2, 2025) This week on County Connections County Commissioner Greg Brotherton and Phil Andrus highlight the work of the Center for Inclusive Entrepreneurship in the persons of staff members Micah Jonet and Devin Gonzalez.  On their home page, the Center introduces their organization with these words, “Our mission is to make business ownership possible for people with limited resources in marginalized rural communities. We envision rural places with resilient, self-reliant, and just local economies benefiting all life.”

(Airdate: April 25, 2025) Co-hosts Jim Burke and Commissioner Heather Dudley-Nollette welcome County Administrator Mark McCauley. They talk about the role of the County Administrator and the process right now to hire his successor after his retirement at the end of June, plus some ideas about what the CA does and Mark’s plans for his retirement.

(Airdate: April 18, 2025) This week on County Connections, co-hosts Jim Burke and Commissioner Greg Brotherton welcome Matt Stewart, Director of JeffCom 911, and Heather, a 911 dispatcher. It is Public Safety Telecommunicators Week. We also talked about the basics of 911 call protocols and dispatch, with a detour into what happens when your cellphone or connected watch calls 911 when you fall down or even when you don’t. (HINT: if it is not an emergency, stay on the line and make sure you tell the 911 operator, okay?) We played out to Tombstone Blues by Bob Dylan.

(Airdate: April 11, 2025) This week on County Connections, co-hosts Jim Burke and Commissioner Greg Brotherton welcome Cheryl Weinstein, Program Manager of Dove House Advocacy Services, and a member of the county’s Housing and homelessness task force. There is a fact-finding meeting that the public (especially the unhoused) of the south Jefferson County are encouraged to attend on Thursday, April 17 at the Quilcene Community Center from 6-7:30 pm. Free pizza is included! The idea is to get input, especially from those who need housing and services in that area about what is needed both in terms of soft things (services) and hard thing (housing and other actual THINGS…)
Go to the county web page for details co.jefferson.wa.us, or for other Dove House related events go to dovehousejc.org. Or call Dove House at 360 385-5292.

DOVE HOUSE 24 HOUR CRISIS LINE: 360 385-5291

(Airdate: April 4, 2025) Taylor Clark sat in for KPTZ’s Jim Burke, and co-hosted along with Jefferson County Commissioner Heather Dudley Nollette as she continued her “County Government 101” course by welcoming Jefferson County Auditor Brenda Huntingford to the show. Tune in to learn about what the auditor’s office does. It is very public-facing and chances are you already have used their services.

(Airdate: March 28, 2025) This week on County Connections co-hosts Jim Burke and Commissioner Greg Brotherton welcome Viki Sonntag and Audrey Morford from the Housing Fund Board to talk about the new 5-year homeless and affordable housing plan. Our outro is Five Years by David Bowie.