Gig Harbor Hospital Stressed + Vaccine Mandates Impact On Schools

Happy Wednesday, Gig Harbor!

Today, I've got a few important stories to start your morning. One, courtesy of the Peninsula Gateway, is about how St. Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor has been increasingly stressed with a high number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients— most of whom are unvaccinated.

I've also put in a longer write-up on the legal charges filed against Pierce County Sheriff Ed Troyer, and an interesting story from Puyallup, where dozens of voters accidentally received two ballots for the upcoming election.

Finally, my coworker Lucas Combos spent the day Tuesday taking a broader look at how vaccine mandates impacted state employees and WSP troopers, but the Peninsula School District has also shared an update with us, saying it believes the mandate will have "minimal impact" on Gig Harbor schools. A full statement on that issue from Peninsula School District Superintendent Krestin Bahr can be found in the digest below.

So, without any further hold-ups, here we go:

First, today's weather:

Rain and drizzle. High: 59 Low: 49.

Here are the top stories today in Gig Harbor:

1. Unvaccinated patients stress Gig Harbor hospital, administrator says. ‘We are full’ (Tacoma News Tribune)
2. PSD : COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate - Impact On PSD (Press Release Desk)
3. Criminal Charges Filed Against Pierce County Sheriff Ed Troyer (Puyallup Patch)
4. Some Puyallup Voters Received Two Ballot Packets (Puyallup Patch)

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Today in Gig Harbor:

• PHS- Boys Water Polo Mini Tournament (9:00 AM)
• PHS- Boys Water Polo vs South Kitsap (5:30 PM)
• PHS- Girls Froshmore Soccer vs Bonney Lake (6:00 PM)

Gig Harbor Patch Notebook

• Gig Harbor Living: "“It’s time to level up and to help the Peninsula School District soar to new heights of success.” By day, Juanita Beard is the mother of two young children in the PSD, the wife of a district CDL driver, a mental health therapist and a s..."
• Peninsula School District: "Last night, Pioneer Elementary School hosted a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, math) Lighthouse Award celebration! Since 2012, the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) has declared several schools across the stat..."

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That's it for today. I'll be back in your inbox tomorrow with a new update! If you're enjoying these newsletters, consider bringing some more friends and neighbors on board. 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? You can reach me at charles.woodman@patch.com.