Maria Coryell-Martin explores light and atmosphere through watercolor field paintings. Open Thursdays- Sundays, 12 – 3 p.m. Read more...
Doyle Sturm, 7, reads the name of a fallen veteran at the Fort Worden Post Cemetery. Port Townsend’s American Legion Post 26 held several wreath-laying ceremonies in cemeteries in and...
Following a whistleblower complaint and reports of animal abuse and neglect at the Jefferson County Humane Society, an investigation revealed a “dysfunctional work environment” under former Executive Director Jen Dupree,...
A 65-year-old Port Townsend man, who had been reported as a man overboard from his own 12-foot dinghy in the vicinity of Point Wilson on the evening of Thursday, May...
Port Townsend and Chimacum school district superintendents say steep declines in timber revenue and rising insurance costs are exacerbating already difficult budget decisions fueled by inadequate state funding. “It sort...

BY ALEX FRICK
REPORT FOR AMERICA CORPS MEMBER AFRICK!PTLEADER.COM | May 27, 2026
The City of Port Townsend said it will not pursue further settlement discussions with Affordable Hometown Port Townsend in an ongoing appeal over the city’s comprehensive plan. In a May 21 letter to AHPT attorney Bryan Telegin, the city stated the city council unanimously voted May 18 to reject the...

BY ALEX FRICK
REPORT FOR AMERICA CORPS MEMBER AFRICK@PTLEADER.COM | May 27, 2026
A longtime Port Ludlow resident and construction consultant has entered the race for Jefferson County Commissioner District 3, becoming the fourth candidate — and only Republican — seeking the seat currently held by outgoing Commissioner Greg Brotherton. Stephen T. Nieman rounds out the field of candidates for Jefferson County Commissioner...

BY MALLORY KRUML
MKRUML@PTLEADER.COM | May 27, 2026
A runner who collapsed from cardiac arrest during the annual Rhody Run is expected to make a full recovery after a group of off-duty healthcare workers performed CPR and treated him with an automated external defibrillator. Tommy Hertenstein recalled the incident that occurred near New Life Church on Hastings Avenue...

BY MALLORY KRUML
MKRUML@PTLEADER.COM | May 27, 2026
From Jefferson County to Washington, D.C., a proposal to transfer federal land into trust for the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe is in the early stages of the legislative process. Still, it remains a priority for U.S. Rep. Emily Randall. “The first conversation we had was late 2025, November, December,” Randall told...

BY ALEX FRICK
REPORT FOR AMERICA CORPS MEMBER AFRICK@PTLEADER.COM | May 27, 2026
The Quilcene Rangers baseball team capped off a strong season with a 12-4 overall record, earning a berth in the...

BY ALICE FRASER
SPECIAL TO THE LEADER | May 13, 2026
The East Jefferson track and field team traveled to the 16th annual BCS Invitational at Sammamish High School May 2,...

BY ALEX FRICK
REPORT FOR AMERICA CORPS MEMBER
AFRICK@PTLEADER.COM | May 13, 2026
The East Jefferson boys soccer team kept its season alive May 9 with a dramatic 2-1 overtime playoff victory over...

BY ALEX FRICK
REPORT FOR AMERICA CORPS MEMBER
AFRICK@PTLEADER.COM | May 6, 2026
The East Jefferson fast pitch softball team is starting to put it together, and it is translating on the scoreboard....

May 27, 2026
A chill wind blew out of the east, ripping across the shipping lanes and up onto the bluff at Nordland's...

May 27, 2026
With support from primary sponsors Sen. Maria Cantwell and State Rep. Emily Randall (WA-06), the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe is seeking...

May 20, 2026
Saturday morning, just hours before the Rhody Parade, social media blew up with a post from Morgan Chaffee expressing outrage...

BY ERIC JONES
LOCAL 20/20 | May 20, 2026
First off, can we all agree that “density” is not the most appealing neighborhood descriptor? How about “connected communities," “...
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May 6, 2026
The Jefferson County Public Utility District Board of Commissioners President, Dan Toepper, was elected president of the Washington Public Utility Districts Association for the 2026-2027...
May 6, 2026
The state fire marshal is warning of warmer, drier conditions ahead, and shared wildfire prevention and preparedness tips. In 2025, the State Fire Marshal’s Office...
May 27, 2026
A Port Ludlow man had been scheduled for sentencing May 8, after being found guilty of two counts of child molestation in the first degree,...
May 27, 2026
The Port Townsend Police Department logged at least 211 calls from May 7-14 and conducted at least 60 traffic stops, making DUI arrests. PTPD received...

The holidays are a time of gathering, gratitude, and looking out for one another. This December, you have a chance to make an even bigger...

In an age of digital innovation and financial giants, community banks continue to stand out by building strong relationships and investing where it matters most—locally....

From misty mountains to dynamic coastal wildlife, the Pacific Northwest’s natural splendor takes center stage in the winning images of First Fed ’s 2025 Proudly...
May 27, 2026
Our supposedly progressive town is becoming decidedly less so lately, due largely to a few folks who either can't mind their own business, or think that their opinion is the only one that matters. Two recent example come to mind: The first was the "uproar"...
May 27, 2026
Re: “City manager's pay up 56% …” I acknowledge there are complexities and challenges in determining salaries, but I would like to hear the city council question the employment contract of our city manager. In terms of our tax dollars, my priorities would not be...
May 27, 2026
Thank you Leader for your recent article about the city manager’s pay raise. Really? Do I live in a different dimension than the city council? Those “representatives” who recently endorsed the performance evaluation of our city manager for yet another pay raise? People who work...
May 27, 2026
In response to Al Bergstein’s Soapbox editorial in The Leader, I would ask what input we, the citizens of Jefferson and Clallam counties, had in the recent reduction of funding and staffing for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service? We can write letters or attend...

May 27, 2026
Victoria “ Tori” Cavallero, born 7/16, 1957 passed on April 14, 2026, in Port Townsend, WA. For full obituary please...

May 27, 2026
Saturday, May 30th, from 1-4 pm at the Elks Club, 555 Otto Street Come and bring your stories.

May 27, 2026
Deeply loved and widely respected, Colin Malcolm Foden passed away peacefully at home in Port Townsend, Washington on April 9,...

May 27, 2026
Carolyn Lee, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, greatgrandmother, organizer-in-chief, professional interrogator, and the glue that held the family together, passed away...

May 27, 2026
On the morning of March 11th, 2026, Margaret Nancy Iuro passed away in Caledonia, Minnesota at the end of a...

BY KIRK BOXLEITNER
KBOX@PTLEADER.COM | May 20, 2026
The Jefferson County International Airport received a new guest on the morning of Thursday, May 14, as visitors from across Western Washington greeted a painstaking replica of Charles Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis. Michael Payne, director of the Port Townsend Aero Museum, explained that John...

May 20, 2026
Centrum news Centrum confirmed $1 million in funding from the Washington state capital supplemental budget. The state’s $1 million award is set to be matched by the Sage Foundation, with which Centrum intends to improve its program facilities at Fort Worden State Park, under its...

BY KIRK BOXLEITNER
KBOX@PTLEADER.COM | May 20, 2026
Port Townsend author Margaret Mizushima was given another reason to smile on the evening of Friday, May 15. Mizushima was already one of three finalists for the mystery fiction category of the latest Independent Book Publishers Association Awards, when her 10th novel, 2025’s “Dying Cry,”...

BY KIRK BOXLEITNER
KBOX@PTLEADER.COM | May 20, 2026
Nobody does horror onscreen quite like the Japanese, and “Exit 8” showcases so much of what makes J-horror work. From the “Ring” and “Ju-On” (“Curse Grudge”) film franchises, to a standalone anime miniseries such as Satoshi Kon’s “Paranoia Agent,” J-horror plays upon a more meditative,...

BY KIRK BOXLEITNER
KBOX@PTLEADER.COM | May 20, 2026
Quilcene High School students were recently recognized by the 2026 Olympic Peninsula High School Art Exhibition at Peninsula College's PUB Gallery of Art. Quilcene students competed in the regional art exhibition, presenting their art alongside several other school districts from throughout the Olympic and Kitsap...
