🌱 Prolific Shoplifter + 1 Hurt In House Fire + Food Bank Funding

Good morning, people of Gig Harbor! Hope your week has been off to a good start-- and if it hasn't, well at least Thanksgiving is just around the corner, so you should at least be able to get some good food soon.

Speaking of Thanksgiving, travel is about to get hectic across Puget Sound. Here's a look at a few tips to get you out of Sea-Tac over the next few days. Or, if you're driving, I've put together a list of WSDOTs most congested highways this week, so you'll know what to avoid.

Today's digest has a few more locally-relevant stories as well. The Gig Harbor Police Department is asking the public to identify a "prolific" shoplifter in your area. One person was also injured in a devastating house fire midday Monday, I've got a quick write-up on that. And finally, the Tacoma News Tribune has a longer piece about the new food bank from Gig Harbor Peninsula FISH Food Bank and Community Services. I know many of you don't have News Tribune subscriptions, so the crux of the story is this: they've almost raised all the money to build a new building next to their current location on Burnham Drive, but they've got a little left to go.

Meanwhile, the FISH Food Bank is also collecting winter clothes donations to help everyone through the winter season.

That all said, here's your daily digest:

First, today's weather:

Variable cloudiness. High: 49 Low: 38.

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Here are the top stories in Gig Harbor today:

1. 1 Hospitalized In Gig Harbor House Fire (Gig Harbor Patch)
2. Gig Harbor Police Ask For Help Identifying 'Prolific' Shoplifter (Gig Harbor Patch)
3. Ferries, buses, roads and Gorst: What the infrastructure package might mean for Kitsap (Kitsap Sun)
4. New Gig Harbor food bank to cost $7.5 million. Here’s what’s needed, when it opens (Tacoma News Tribune)
5. City Of Gig Harbor: City Phone Line Maintenance (Press Release Desk )

Today's Gig Harbor Daily is brought to you by our friends at Ring, the home security company. Ring does a lot more than doorbells: check out their full suite of smart home products at Ring.com. And thank you Ring for helping to make local news happen in Gig Harbor!

Today in Gig Harbor:

Gig Harbor Patch Notebook

• Peninsula School District: "Familiar faces in new spaces! Today was the first day of school inside the brand new Artondale Elementary school facility! Many positive comments and excited reactions from students experiencing the new school today, along with welcoming..." (Facebook)
• Peninsula School District: "Superintendent Bahr will be hosting three in-person coffee chats at local venues to continue her listening tour, which provides opportunities for community members, families, and other interested parties to share their ideas and perspect..." (Facebook)
• Gig Harbor Lacrosse: "Our ref friends at WALOA are telling us that we are VERY short of refs for the 2022 season. We need your help!!" (Facebook)
• Tom Taylor Family YMCA: "The next book we recommend to help celebrate Native American Indian Heritage Month is "The Only Good Indians" by New York Times bestselling author Stephen Graham Jones. Equal parts psychological horror and cutting social commentary on id..." (Facebook)
• Gig Harbor Chamber of Commerce: "NEW MEMBER MONDAY A2 PHYSICAL THERAPY At A2 Physical Therapy your health is their commitment. They believe that the highest level of one-on-one care makes for a better educated patient and leads to the best possible outcome. Please join ..." (Facebook)

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You're officially in the loop for today. I'll see you around! If you're enjoying these newsletters, consider inviting some of your friends and neighbors to read along. You can send them this link to subscribe.

— Charles Woodman

About me: Charles started as Field Editor for Patch in May 2020, covering western Washington. He is based in Seattle. In the past, he has written for various TV news stations in Seattle, Reno, Nevada and Fairbanks, Alaska. He has also worked as a music critic, weatherman, and soccer referee.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Gig Harbor Daily? Reach out anytime to charles.woodman@patch.com.