He will run against incumbent Commissioner Charlotte Garrido in the Aug. 7 Democratic primary for the District 2 seat, which represents South Kitsap.

Coppola, 61, was elected mayor of Port Orchard in 2007 and was widely credited with improving the business climate as well as making city government more efficient and customer service oriented. During his four years in office, the city annexed McCormick Woods and the Bethel Corridor area that includes the Fred Meyer store and other significant commercial property that brought considerably more sales tax revenue to Port Orchard.

Coppola’s leadership in managing the city’s budget helped Port Orchard avoid staff and service cuts that many other cities had to make during the recession of the past few years. read more »

The bank he’s retiring from is a whole lot bigger than it was when Jim Carmichael came to Port Orchard 35 years ago, joining the executive management of Kitsap County Bank in 1977 when it had $47 million in assets and four offices.

Carmichael will retire as president and CEO at the end of June, having shepherded Kitsap Bank’s steady growth into an institution that has more than $900 million in assets and operates 21 locations across five counties in Western Washington.

“I have experienced both triumphs and great challenges during my tenure,” Carmichael said in a news release announcing his retirement. “We have achieved record growth, numerous mergers and acquisitions, assumed a failed bank, raised capital for the first time in over 50 years, and successfully navigated through the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. read more »

Though it took an early-morning second special session, lawmakers finally approved a revised 2011-13 budget but more importantly adopted several significant structural reforms.

It was 201 days ago that Gov. Chris Gregoire held a press conference calling on lawmakers to balance the state’s budget. At midnight this morning she called the third special session to achieve this goal and the second special session of 2012. Rather than let lawmakers take a break, however, the governor had lawmakers pull an all-nighter to work through the remaining compromise bills. read more »

Online media outlets are reporting that Rick Santorum has dropped out of the race for the Republican presidential nomination.

The former Pennsylvania senator’s announcement effectively ends the GOP primary season and concedes the nomination to former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney before the April 24 primary in Pennsylvania.

According to politico.com, Santorum’s youngest daughter, Bella, had been hospitalized in the past week with a chronic and serious medical condition, although the candidate’s campaign team said Monday night that Bella had been released from the hospital and Santorum was set to resume his campaign schedule.

But in Gettysburg today, Santorum said his family had conferred over the weekend and concluded it was time to bring his White House bid to a close, the website reported.

The Port of Bremerton is pleased to announce the selection of Rich Peterson as the new Port Director of Business Development. Mr. Peterson, who more recently served as publisher of the Port Orchard Independent, will fill this critical position recently vacated by the current CEO Tim Thomson.

Mr. Peterson of Port Orchard brings to the Port a strong background in creative marketing and community service that the Port values in this important position. With over forty years experience in business management, sales and advertising, his organizational and management skills exceeded the Port’s requirements. His energy and strong people skills are certain to take the Port to a higher level of economic development which is the Port’s intention. read more »

Tim Kelly has been named as the editor of the Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal. The announcement was made by Publisher and Founder Lary Coppola.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Tim to our staff,” stated Coppola. “He’s a great fit for not only the Business Journal, but in helping position our company for its next level of growth.”

Kelly, a 1980 graduate of the University of Missouri, brings over 18 years of journalistic experience to the publication, and is a veteran of the Associated Press, as well as writing and editing for several newspapers in Washington and Oregon. Most recently, he spent 8 years at the Yakima Herald-Republic before coming to Port Orchard last summer to become editor of the Port Orchard Independent. His even-handed, in-depth reporting — especially on political issues — was immediately viewed by the South Kitsap business community as a welcome change. He served there until the editor’s position was eliminated by recent extreme budget cuts and consolidation moves made by Sound Publishing, owners of the Independent. read more »

State Senator and Pierce County Economic Development Board Vice-President Derek Kilmer today announced his candidacy for Washington State’s 6th Congressional District seat.

“My job is creating jobs,” Kilmer said. “When I’m not in Olympia, my job is to work with businesses in Pierce County to help them grow and thrive. We could use more folks in Washington who are focused on creating more jobs with better pay, and that’s what I’ll do in the U.S. House of Representatives.”

Kilmer continued, “I grew up in Port Angeles on the Olympic Peninsula, the son of two schoolteachers. The Peninsula was really suffering from job losses in the timber industry, and a lot of my friends had parents who were out of work. read more »

After 18 terms representing Washington State’s 6th District in the U.S. House of Representatives, Congressman Norm Dicks announced he will not be running again for office.

“I am announcing today my intention to complete my service in the House of Representatives at the end of the current session but not to be a candidate for re-election to the 113th Congress. After 18 terms representing the people of the 6th Congressional District of Washington, preceded by eight years on the Staff of Senator Warren G. Magnuson, Suzie and I have made the decision to change gears and enjoy life at a different pace,” Dicks said in a released statement. read more »

A memorial procession honoring fallen Trooper Tony Radulescu will cover three counties and travel seven highways tomorrow, Thursday, March 1.

The Washington Department of Transportation and the Washington State Patrol encourage motorists to find alternate routes; expect delays; rolling slowdowns; and ramp and lane closures as the procession travels through Kitsap, Pierce and King Counties on State Routes 3, 16, 166, 512, 167, 516 and Interstate 5. The following ramps and roadways are subject to closure between 10 a.m. and noon: read more »