Clallam County Watchdog

Last week, Clallam County Auditor candidate Virginia Shogren argued that the Clallam Conservation District changed its election procedures after the official ballot request deadline, expanding the voting pool in an election decided by just 37 votes. Since then, additional public records—including political articles published during the campaign and the district’s replacement ballot log—have added...

Campaign season is underway, and so is endorsement season. One organization expected to weigh in is Olympic Climate Action, a local advocacy group that says it bases its endorsements on addressing climate change. But after being denied an endorsement without ever receiving a questionnaire or interview, CC Watchdog looked closer at the organization’s leadership, philosophy, and reasoning. The exper...

Every summer, drought warnings return, along with calls to conserve water. But does more than a century of USGS data from the Dungeness River support the increasingly dire narrative? One CC Watchdog subscriber analyzed the public record dating back to 1923, and, together with criticism from renowned meteorologist Cliff Mass, the findings raise an important question: are Washingtonians getting the...

When an independent candidate makes a mistake, Democratic leaders demand tens of thousands of dollars in fines. When a sitting Democratic congresswoman appears to make the same mistake, there's silence. Read why this is about far more than campaign signs. Clallam County was alive on Saturday. The Forks and Port Angeles parades were incredibly well attended, with residents celebrating America’s 250...

In this Sundays With Seegeers , Clallam County Commissioner candidate Jake Seegers argues that local government has become more focused on managing public perception than improving public outcomes. Citing public safety concerns, rising homelessness, overdose deaths, and examples from county boards and agencies, Seegers contends that officials increasingly respond to criticism with messaging campai...

Guest contributor and Clallam County Auditor candidate Virginia Shogren writes that the 2026 Clallam Conservation District election procedure was altered after the official ballot request deadline, expanding the voter pool in an election decided by just 37 votes. Her investigation argues the changes violated the district's own rules, fits a broader pattern of election irregularities, and raises ur...

For months, the public has been told there have been "no incidents" associated with the William Shore Pool's controversial shower voucher program. But newly uncovered emails, reports from patrons, and the facility's own director tell a more complicated story. Two registered sex offenders—including one accused of photographing young girls at the pool—were ultimately banned from the facility. They d...

The Jamestown Corporation says transferring ownership of Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge and Protection Island into trust would strengthen stewardship while preserving the refuges for future generations. Recent public statements, however, have revealed details that deserve much closer scrutiny. Rather than settling the debate, they raise new questions about why the transfer is being pursued and...

When a $118,000 county contract funds just three parking spaces, taxpayers deserve clear receipts. Instead, local leadership is hiding behind non-profit privacy walls, with the Homelessness Task Force officially adopting a policy of silence toward public inquiries. This investigation exposes how public money is quietly propping up private NGO payrolls, directly contradicting official claims that t...

A nearly two-year-old church video has suddenly resurfaced on social media, drawing sharp criticism and raising questions about County Commissioner candidate Jake Seegers ’ character. Rather than ignore the controversy, Seegers sat down for a candid conversation about what he meant, what he wishes he had said differently, and why he believes context matters. Whether you agree with him or not, this...

How much should government be allowed to see from the sky? In this guest column, Clallam County Auditor candidate Virginia Shogren details her legal challenge to the County's use of EagleView technology—an aerial imaging system that combines high-resolution photography, 3D modeling, and AI-powered change detection. Shogren argues the program goes far beyond traditional property assessment and may...

Race has become a recurring theme in local politics—from school board disputes and county appointments to public health resolutions and campaign rhetoric. But as accusations of racism multiply, many residents are beginning to ask whether everyone is being held to the same standard. Last week, the Port Angeles School Board voted to censure fellow board member Nancy Hamilton. Every board member exce...

When Clallam County Health Officer Dr. Allison Berry declared the science behind harm reduction "rock solid," she left little room for debate. But from Oregon's failed Measure 110 experiment to concerns raised by recovery advocates, public records, and even local data discrepancies, the evidence tells a more complicated story. If the science is truly settled, why are questions increasingly treated...

Commissioner Mike French says homelessness services aren’t attracting people to Clallam County. But when a convicted sex offender with arrests in Illinois and Bremerton ends up living steps away from a Port Angeles shelter and receiving services funded by local taxpayers, residents are asking a simple question: if people aren’t coming here because of the services, why do so many seem to arrive whe...

For this week’s Sundays with Seegers podcast, County Commissioner candidate Jake Seegers sits down with Sequim resident Anniemarie Hogenboom for one of the most powerful and personal conversations he has ever recorded. Anniemarie’s story begins in places most people can scarcely imagine. As a teenager, she was trafficked, became addicted to heroin, and found herself living on the streets of San Fr...

In this guest column, Clallam County Auditor candidate Virginia Shogren recounts a legal battle stemming from allegations of noncitizen voter registrations and her subsequent disciplinary hearing. She argues that election integrity questions deserve greater scrutiny and outlines her vision for restoring public trust through voter ID, hand-counted ballots, and increased transparency. A Gordian knot...

When residents of Three Crabs ask for help with flooding, when citizens request answers about public safety, or when constituents seek meetings with county officials, they often report silence. Yet public records show Commissioner Mark Ozias regularly making time for private meetings, research discussions, and information-sharing with a network of environmental activists working on timber and trus...

A Port Angeles resident in recovery is urging Clallam County to shift its focus from drug-use supplies to treatment and accountability. In response, Health Officer Dr. Allison Berry defended the county’s harm reduction efforts, cited declining overdose rates, and accused Clallam County Watchdog and County Commissioner candidate Jake Seegers of misrepresenting her work. The exchange highlights a gr...

Tonight’s first debate between Mike French and Jake Seegers comes amid controversy after the official Clallam County Democrats Facebook page referred to Seegers as “Fake Jake.” As local politics grows increasingly personal, some voters may be wondering whether civility has become the first casualty of campaign season. Tonight’s Debate Tonight marks the first public debate between incumbent County...

In this Sundays With Seegers, County Commissioner candidate Jake Seegers examines public records showing Clallam County nearly launched a program that would have tested illegal drugs and returned them to participants for use. Despite warnings of significant legal and financial liability, commissioners unanimously approved the effort. The program was ultimately stopped after a county risk manager i...

Can voters truly verify how their ballots are counted, or are they being asked to trust a system they cannot see? In this guest column, Clallam County Auditor candidate Virginia Shogren argues that elections have become increasingly dependent on proprietary software, private vendors, and technology that operates beyond public scrutiny. She questions whether transparency has been replaced by trust...

Olympic Medical Center, Clallam County’s largest employer, lost more than 180 employees in less than a year, according to newly obtained public records. The departures come as auditors warn of serious financial trouble and providers report staffing shortages, declining morale, and threats to patient care. After taxpayers approved a major property tax increase to support the hospital, many are left...

“No incidents.” That was one of the key arguments used to defend the William Shore Aquatic Center’s free shower program which distributes vouchers to active drug users at the Harm Reduction Center. Yet nearly 80 police reports obtained through a public records request tell a different story. The records reveal years of calls for service at and around the facility while board members continued to a...

With nearly $80,000 in penalties now being sought through separate complaints, Jake Seegers’ campaign is facing mounting legal and financial pressure before voters ever cast a ballot. The latest complaint, filed by Clallam County Democrat leader Paul Pickett, seeks $49,200 over content published by Clallam County Watchdog and challenges the publication’s status as an independent media platform. Ru...

For this special podcast-only edition of Sundays with Seegers , Clallam County Commissioner candidate Jake Seegers sits down with one of the most outspoken and recognizable voices in the community: Mary Bickar. Many residents may recognize Mary as the woman who gained local notoriety after reading the county’s explicit harm reduction “boofing” instructions aloud during public comment before the Bo...