KPTZ provides news coverage at high noon, six days a week. KPTZ Local News airs Tuesday thru Friday at noon. Currently, reporters are Jim Burke on Tuesday, Casey Dolan on Wednesday, Derek Firenze on Thursdays, and rotating reporters on Fridays. These daily reports are repeated at 5pm the same day. Archived Local News reports are available here soon after initial broadcast. Attention, Please! magazine features debut at noon every Monday and repeat at 5pm, as well as on Saturday at 12noon and 5pm.
March 18, 2020 – Local News: New case confirmed; students say goodbye. (TRANSCRIPT) March 5, 2020 – Local News: Automatic weapons shooting event; COVID-19 update; presidential primary. (TRANSCRIPT) NEW CONSTRUCTION IS UNDERWAY ON EMPTY LAND NEAR THE PORT TOWNSEND CITY LIMITS JUST EAST OF HOWARD CIRCLE. THE BUILDING WILL GO UP PRETTY QUICKLY AND WILL BE THE NEW OFFICE FOR THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL AND HEALTH SERVICES, FOR CHILDREN, YOUTH AND FAMILIES.
DSHS WILL BE LEASING THE BUILDING, WHICH WILL BE OWNED BY NELSON REALTY ADVISORS IN BELLEVUE. THE DEPARTMENT WON’T EXPAND ITS TWENTY-SEVEN MEMBER STAFF OR SERVICES FOR THE MOVE AND WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE VOCATIONAL REHAB, DEVELOPMENT DISABILITIES ADMINISTRATION, HOME AND COMMUNITY SERVICES AND ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES AT THE NEW LOCATION.
THE DEPARTMENT CURRENTLY OCCUPIES THE TOP FLOOR OF NINE FIFTEEN SHERIDAN STREET, IN A BUILDING OWNED BY JEFFERSON HEALTHCARE. THE MOVE WAS PRECIPITATED BY THE HOSPITAL’S DECISION TO NOT RENEW THE DEPARTMENT’S LEASE IN ORDER TO CREATE SPACE FOR ITS OWN EXPANDING SERVICES.
HOSPITAL SPOKESPERSON AMY YALEY TOLD KPTZ THAT THE NEW SPACE WILL HOUSE MORE PROVIDERS WHO WILL SERVE THE COMMUNITY’S HEALTH NEEDS. THIS EXPANSION WILL INCREASE LOCAL ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE. A DENTAL CLINIC IS ALREADY OPERATING IN THE SPACE.
THE CITY HAS CREATED A SHOVEL-READY ENVIRONMENT FOR NEW BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY ALONG RANIER STREET, BUT THERE HAVE BEEN FEW TAKERS. THIS BUILDING COULD OPEN THE DOOR FOR NEW DEVELOPMENT, AS NO ONE WANTS TO MOVE INTO AN EMPTY NEIGHBORHOOD.
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DOVE HOUSE ADVOCACY SERVICES PLANS TO OPEN A RECOVERY CAFE THIS SUMMER TO PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR PEOPLE LIVING WITH ADDICTION, HOMELESSNESS AND OTHER SOCIAL CHALLENGES.
THE PORT TOWNSEND RECOVERY CAFE IS PART OF A NATIONWIDE NETWORK WHERE PEOPLE CAN SEEK RECOVERY IN A WELCOMING, CAFE-LIKE SETTING.
BRIAN RICHARDSON, CURRENTLY THE VENTURE’S ONLY PAID EMPLOYEE, TOLD KPTZ THAT A LOT OF REMODELING WORK IS NECESSARY ON THE BUILDING AT THE CORNER OF KEARNEY AND BLAINE, ACROSS FROM THE MOUNTAIN VIEW CAMPUS. DOVE HOUSE HAS ENTERED INTO A PURCHASE AGREEMENT PROJECTED TO CLOSE IN JULY. ONCE COMPLETED, THE FACILITY WILL OFFER SPACE FOR PEOPLE TO RECEIVE COUNSELING, HOOK UP TO RESOURCES, OR JUST SIT FOR A WHILE.
CLIENTS WILL NEED TO BE SOBER WHEN THEY ENTER THE FACILITY AND MUST ALSO COMMIT TO A VOLUNTEER TASK, OF WHICH RICHARDSON SAID THERE IS AN INFINITE NUMBER AVAILABLE. THIS INCLUDES SERVING AS BOARD MEMBERS, TEACHING CLASSES, COOKING MEALS, ASSISTING WITH ACTIVITIES OR PARTICIPATING IN SPECIAL PROJECTS.
NOW IS A GOOD TIME TO DONATE MONEY TO THE VENTURE, AS THEY HAVE EARNED A TEN THOUSAND DOLLAR MATCHING GRANT. IF YOU WANT TO VOLUNTEER IN SUPPORT OF THE VENTURE, CONTACT THE DOVE HOUSE. IF YOU ARE IN NEED OF THESE SERVICES, THE FACILITY IS SCHEDULED TO OPEN IN AUGUST.
THE FACILITY, WHICH INCLUDES A COMMERCIAL KITCHEN, NOW HOUSES CANDACE’S COOKIES, WHICH WILL NEED TO RELOCATE. PERHAPS IT CAN FIND SPACE IN THE NEW DSHS BUILDING.
You, our valued audience, have asked for more local news coverage, and KPTZ delivers. As many want to know more about our community, we have recently expanded our local news offering with a twice weekly headlines program. KPTZ News now airs Tuesdays and Thursdays at 12:05pm.Hosted by journalist Charlie Bermant, the 5-minute program summarizes stories from local media including the Port Townsend Leader and Peninsula Daily News, along with original stories produced by the KPTZ news staff.
“Not everybody reads the local papers, so they can miss what is going on around them,” says KPTZ Program Director Larry Stein. “We monitor the local media and report those stories of greatest interest and relevance to area residents.”
During our first month of operation nearly half the reported stories were written and produced by Bermant, who worked as the Peninsula Daily News Port Townsend bureau chief for 6 years before retiring in 2016. Other members of the KPTZ News team will contribute over the next few months.
The short bursts of the KPTZ News program complements the deeper coverage of KPTZ’s weekly half hour Compass program, which highlights more in-depth, feature-oriented stories.
Bermant has retained many of his PDN sources, adding “I still have the same cell phone.” He also has held on to many of his previous Facebook friends, as the social network is a tremendous source for news tips.
While Bermant has written a fair share of longer pieces, this program caters to the prevailing short attention span of the listening public. “People don’t have the time or inclination to learn about issues in depth,” Bermant said. “So we are boiling down these stories to the barest bones. Still, it plugs listeners in to the latest issues, and they know where to go if they need more information.”
