Drug Busts, Departures, Debates, and Divisions
A week of arrests, business struggles, political debate, and residents asking tough questions about the direction of Clallam County
Suspected drug dealers arrested outside the county’s Health and Human Services building. A former Port Angeles family explains why they moved to Idaho. A local steakhouse closes its doors temporarily. A new housing policy in Snohomish County challenges the low-barrier model. Plus debate videos, public safety concerns, and a question many voters are asking this Social Media Saturday: is there a better way to campaign?
Drug Bust Outside County Health Building
Last week, Social Media Saturday featured reports from residents about a blue Dodge Durango that appeared to be attracting frequent short-stay traffic consistent with drug activity.
Just days later, the PAPD and Olympic Peninsula Narcotics Enforcement Team (OPNET) announced the arrest of a suspected street-level drug dealer after conducting surveillance on that same vehicle in downtown Port Angeles.
According to OPNET, detectives observed activity consistent with drug sales and coordinated with law enforcement partners to stop a suspected buyer. The operation ultimately led to the arrest of 44-year-old Daun Layton and 52-year-old Dennis Tierney on allegations of delivery of a controlled substance and the seizure of fentanyl, drug paraphernalia, scales, methadone, weapons, police scanners, and other items commonly associated with narcotics trafficking.
One detail that caught the attention of many residents: the arrest occurred directly in front of Clallam County’s Health and Human Services building, the same department that oversees the county’s harm-reduction program, which distributes supplies such as meth pipes, crack pipe cleaning kits, foil, and other materials that encourage drug consumption.
Also visible in the background of the photos was the Clallam County Courthouse.
Both suspects have since been released pending further court proceedings.
“We Wanted Out”
Journalist Brandi Kruse recently released a series featuring Washington families who relocated to Idaho. One interview featured Tyler, a former Port Angeles resident and military veteran who described why he and his family decided to leave the Olympic Peninsula.
Tyler told Kruse that increasing drug activity, theft, public disorder, and what he viewed as ineffective law enforcement convinced his family to move. He contrasted Port Angeles with what he experienced in Coeur d’Alene, saying the visible absence of tents, RVs, needles, and open drug use immediately stood out to his family.
Whether residents agree with his assessment or not, the interview offers an unfiltered perspective from a former local resident who felt conditions had deteriorated enough to move his family across state lines. Tyler said he knew of six other Clallam County families who had also moved.
Let the Expansion Begin
With the recent levy now approved, the North Olympic Library System can turn its attention back to core priorities—like hiring a Marketing & Communications Manager.
Crazy Harry’s Hits Pause
Sequim steakhouse Crazy Harry’s announced it will temporarily close its doors.
Running a restaurant has never been easy. Thin margins, rising labor costs, food inflation, insurance expenses, and regulatory requirements make survival difficult even in good times.
Now imagine competing against a restaurant backed by a corporation generating more than $100 million annually in revenue. Imagine competing against a business that doesn’t pay property taxes on trust land, doesn’t pay state business and occupation taxes, and has access to resources and capital far beyond what most local family-owned restaurants could ever hope to obtain.
That is the reality facing many private businesses in Clallam County.
Another Democratic Debate Online
The Clallam County Democrats have posted video from their Legislative District 24 Position 2 candidate forum.
The debate features Bradley Callaway, Patrick DePoe, Mark Hodgson, Marcia Kelbon, and Kaylee Kuehn discussing issues ranging from housing and public safety to state policy and economic development.
For voters still getting acquainted with the candidates, it provides an opportunity to hear directly from each participant before ballots arrive next month.
Indivisible to Host Another “Public” Meeting
After advertising a meeting as open to the public and then calling police when members of the public attempted to attend, Indivisible is inviting residents to another public event focused on “Meaningful Conversations.”
The group’s next gathering is scheduled for July 11 at the Sequim Library and is being promoted as an opportunity for community discussion and civic engagement.
Millions Available for (Some) New Recreation Projects
While Olympic National Park visitors are still waiting for Olympic Hot Springs Road to reopen and Hurricane Ridge Lodge to be rebuilt, a new federal funding opportunity is opening up for tribes nationwide.
Under the EXPLORE Act, federally recognized tribes can now apply directly for outdoor recreation grants ranging from $300,000 to $15 million for parks, trails, cultural spaces, and recreation facilities.
It’s another reminder that while new recreation projects continue to receive funding, the Olympic Peninsula is still waiting on progress for two of its most beloved destinations. Years after the road closure and three years after the lodge fire, many locals are wondering when restoring access and rebuilding existing infrastructure will become a priority.
Redefining Common Courtesy
Indivisible Sequim is protesting for common courtesy.
Snohomish County Changes Course on Housing
The Snohomish County Council voted 3-2 this month to adopt a new housing funding policy that could have implications far beyond county lines.
The ordinance prohibits county housing funds from prioritizing “low-barrier” housing models and prevents providers from being penalized for requiring sobriety, treatment participation, counseling, or drug testing.
Supporters argue the measure restores balance and allows recovery-focused housing providers to compete on equal footing.
While the ordinance applies only to Snohomish County, the debate mirrors many of the same discussions taking place in Clallam County about harm reduction, Peninsula Behavioral Health’s North View luxury homeless housing complex, recovery, accountability, and how public dollars should be spent.
Is Port Angeles Still Safe?
A local social media post generated significant discussion this week after a mother described being repeatedly approached by a woman seeking money. The resident reported encounters at a gas station and grocery store parking lot and said she felt unsafe when strangers came within arm’s reach of her children.
The post sparked comments from residents debating whether public safety and quality-of-life conditions have changed in recent years. The discussion comes as County Commissioner candidate Jake Seegers continues to make public safety a central issue in his campaign.
Meanwhile, Commissioner Mike French has publicly argued that Clallam County remains as safe as it was several years ago, highlighting a growing divide in how residents and local leaders view conditions on the ground.
A Different Way to Campaign?
With more than four months remaining until Election Day, some voters are already expressing fatigue with the increasingly divisive tone of local politics. One resident posed a simple question: Is there a way to support a candidate without attacking their opponent?
It’s a fair point.
Campaigns inevitably involve disagreements, criticism, and competing visions for the future. But many voters say they would like to hear more about what supporters like about their candidate, opposed to what they dislike about a challenger.
For supporters of Commissioner Mike French, that means highlighting his record from the past three and a half years as county commissioner and his previous five years on the Port Angeles City Council.
From the Police Scanner
The commissioners did not respond to an email asking how they ensure their constituents are treated fairly and impartially. Here is today's email to the commissioners:
Dear Commissioners,
This week had multiple arrests in the Port Angeles area. Several of the individuals arrested reportedly had ties to Pierce County, Mason County, Cowlitz County, and even Florida. One arrest occurred in front of the County Health and Human Services building and within view of the courthouse.
Do you believe Clallam County's current harm-reduction policies are attracting individuals struggling with addiction from outside our county, and if not, what evidence do you rely upon to conclude that county-funded distribution of drug-use supplies and related services are not acting as a regional draw?
Many residents are increasingly concerned that Clallam County is becoming known as a destination where active drug use is accommodated rather than a place focused on treatment, recovery, and accountability. Given the number of out-of-county individuals appearing in recent law enforcement reports, do the commissioners track where clients accessing county-funded harm-reduction services originate, and has the county ever studied whether these programs influence migration into the area?
Speaking of leaving, a good friend and his new wife and young children are moving to Arkansas this summer. He has a great job, is involved civically with service organizations, grew up here. They're the kind of family you hate to see leave your community -- but they're tired of the economic environment that keeps nickel-and-dime taxing them to death, and simply don't want to raise their kids in the "new" PA. His father, a retired military veteran, is also moving out of state. These are the kind of people work hard, pay their taxes, never appear on a police scanner, don't ask anybody for anything, but when they've had enough, quietly move on, leaving a void in a community that's hard to replace.