Jeff Clemens

Seaview resident Jim Sayce, manager of the Port of Willapa Harbor, oversees Bendiksen Landing, a large and picturesque waterfront complex in South Bend. The facility is being redeveloped to serve a variety of retail, industrial and educational functions.

Charles J. Watts, 43, had a five-year sentence formally handed down in Pacific County Superior Court Dec. 13, bringing to a conclusion a long-stalled case surrounding the beating death of Jeffrey Beach in Long Beach in 2015. JEFF CLEMENS

SOUTH BEND — Nestled on the waterfront near U.S. Highway 101 in South Bend is what Port of Willapa Harbor Manager Jim Sayce says is a vision he dreamed of but wasn't sure would become a reality. Just two years ago, the port took a gamble on buying what is known as Bendiksen Landing thanks to a $1.5 million small business innovation grant in 2023 from the Washington State Department of Commerce.

OCEAN PARK — Two weeks after a not-so-nifty prowl and theft, a man was captured by the Pacific County Sheriff’s Office and booked into the Pacific County Jail. The incident unfolded in the early morning hours of Dec. 2 at a property on the 2000 Block of 245th Pl in Ocean Park.

The Pacific County Public Safety Building behind the courthouse in South Bend houses the sheriff’s office and jail. JEFF CLEMENS

The Pacific County Courthouse Annex, site of many budget-related meetings. JEFF CLEMENS

Pacific County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Ciko aided in the arrest of a suspect in 2019 when this photo was taken. PACIFIC COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE

SOUTH BEND — Formal charges have been filed against a man after he allegedly tormented the Long Beach Peninsula with a crime spree that lasted two weeks earlier this year. The charges against Jacob D. Smart, 39, were filed in the Pacific County Superior Court on Dec. 16 — 10 months after the crime spree.

The Washington Counties Risk Pool, the insurer for Pacific and 23 other counties, is on the hook when inmates die in custody. Two such deaths in Pacific County, after decades without any, have spurred a sharp examination by the insurer of financial risk associated with the Pacific County Jail. Washington Counties Risk Pool

The Washington Counties Risk Pool, the insurer for Pacific and 23 other counties, is on the hook when inmates die in custody. Two such deaths in Pacific County, after decades without any, have spurred a sharp examination by the insurer of financial risk associated with the Pacific County Jail. Washington Counties Risk Pool