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Olympia appeals for increased Community Development Block Grant funding amid proposed budget cuts

In light of the proposed cuts to the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) fund in the Fiscal Year 2025 national budget, the Olympia City Council urged federal lawmakers to advocate for increasing …
Environmental Planning and Programs Director Shawn Gilbertson presented a slide showing how much more the Port of Olympia needs to continue the investigation work on Budd Inlet.
The Port of Olympia is seeking $6.6 million to complete the investigation into Budd Inlet's contamination, according to Environmental Planning and Programs Director Shawn Gilbertson, who spoke to the …
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Eli Sterling, organizer of Procession of the Species, attended the Thurston Board of County Commissioners meeting on April 16, 2024 to receive the Earth Day proclamation.
The Thurston Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) officially proclaimed April 22 as Earth Day, urging residents to participate in various events to foster environmental awareness and sustainability. …
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Mountain Chickadee
Introduction – In 2023 Liam Hutcheson located and documented 378 bird species in Washington, a new state record. I have asked Liam to tell write accounts of some of Washington birding places …
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Khamla “Kay” Kongmanivong Martin
Khamla “Kay” Kongmanivong Martin of Tumwater, passed away Saturday, March 30, 2024 at the age of 53 at Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia. She was born February 16, 1971, in Pakse, …
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In proposing a new tax audit program, Olympia's Tax and License analyst Brandie Andrews says its establishment would cost around $500,000 but the city would see a potential revenue increase through this program.
The Olympia City Council, on Tuesday, approved continued work on establishing a new tax audit program, which aims to improve business tax compliance for local establishments operating in the city. …
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April 16, 2024, Thurston’s Board of County Commissioners approved a Memorandum of Understanding with the Family Support Center in applying for the Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women Grants to Improve the Criminal Justice Response Program.
Thurston’s Board of County Commissioners (BoCC) approved the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the county and the Family Support Center (FSC) in applying for the Department of …
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Chelsea Yarwood, Lacey’s Accounting Manager, explained the city’s Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting Program from the Government Finance Officers during the Lacey City Council meeting on April 16, 2024.
The Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) honored the City of Lacey with the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting Program for its 2022 budget report. During …
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Roger Jones, the Community Engagement Director for Family Education Support Services (FES) distributed blue pinwheels to the Lacey Council on April 16, 2024, symbolizing national solidarity in preventing child abuse.
The City of Lacey joined the nation in dedicating April to the prevention of child abuse during its council meeting on April 16. Mayor Andy Ryder, on behalf of the city council, officially …
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Audiences can expect hand-crafted puppets that breathe life into the characters, adding an extra layer of wonder to the journey through the Land of Oz. Wizard of Oz poster.
The Olympia Family Theater (OFT) invites you to follow the yellow brick road as it proudly presents The Wonderful Wizard of Oz from May 10 to June 2 . Collaborating with String and Shadow Puppet …
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It is always a difficult time in one’s life when you lose a parent. You look to them to be there for you and expect them to be around forever. But when the surviving parent dies, you begin …
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Kathleen Anderson
When one reaches a certain age, losses occur with a frequency that cannot be ignored. The Olympia Host Lions Club, of which I am a member, has lost four valued members in the past six months. …
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Olympia Planning Commission
On Monday, April 15, the Olympia Planning Commission voted to recommend approval of the Capital Mall Triangle subarea plan to the Land Use and Environment Committee, with some amendments around …
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Finalists for Griffin School District Superintendent position: Cindy Orr, Dan Gregory, Kirsten Rue
Griffin School District announced three finalists for its Superintendent position after preliminary interviews witnessed by approximately 30 people online. From 12 applicants, the board picked …
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Modern happy mature women using mobile phone for image together
Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) Olympia has been selected as one of the ten YWCA associations in Washington State that will share a $12.1 million grant from the Ballmer Group over …
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Life
Chief Executive Officer of Experience Olympia & Beyond Annette Pitts met with Thurston’s Board of County Commissioners on Monday, April 8 for tourism updates.

11 million tourists visited Thurston County last year, says report

Experience Olympia & Beyond Chief Executive Officer Annette Pitts shared in her report that an estimated 11,081,763 tourists visited Thurston County from January 1, 2023, to December 31, 2023. …

Local artist Abe Singer presented a maquette of the entryway and bird blind concept at the Arts Commission meeting.

Local artist Abe Singer presents concept design to transform water tank at the Grass Lake Nature Park

The Olympia Arts Commission approved and accepted the design concept for the Grass Lake Nature Park public art project and recommended it to the city council for consideration. At the April 11 …
Shannon's Cheesy Cauliflower Mashed 'Potatoes'

Recipe: Cheesy Cauliflower Mashed 'Potatoes'

Looks like I am on a cauliflower trend, based on last week’s recipe for Cauliflower Spanish “Rice,” and today’s cauliflower mashed potatoes recipe! They share cauliflower as …
More than 100 people participated in South Puget Sound Habitat for Humanity's office-building dedication event on March 9, 2024.

Habitat for Humanity dedicates its new offices in Olympia

South Puget Sound Habitat for Humanity, the local agency of the national non-profit organization that works to provide affordable housing, officially opened its new office. The organization held a ribbon-cutting ceremony …

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Police Blotter

Police Blotter for Wednesday, April 17, 2024

Thurston County Sheriff’s Office On 4/17/24 at 12:29 PM in the 10200 block of SR 507 Rainier, Sheriff’s deputies arrested James Michael Elliot, 49, on suspicion of voyeurism. On …

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Opinions: Yours & our columnists
American Revolution exhibit open at Schmidt House -- with a big a surprise for a local descendant
How would you feel if you walked into a national exhibition and saw your own great-grandfather’s image and life narrative as part of the story? I would be absolutely shocked!
Free soup for everyone creates need for garden volunteers
Maybe you’ve heard of Chris Hyde, known locally as Souperman. Last fall, he had an idea: “Make good soup for everybody, and something special will happen.” Nearly every day, he …
Early April meandering thoughts
The Schmidt House hosts a monthly series of talks, and last week, I was the speaker. I had a PowerPoint presentation ready, and the slides provoked a great, wide-ranging discussion about birds. I …
They still are homeless 
For the past 15 months, I have been engaged in photographically documenting the homeless in Olympia for The JOLT and national media .  As such, I have had the opportunity to meet and talk with …
April is about volunteer appreciation and stress awareness
Every April since 1974, Global Volunteer Month is a time to recognize volunteers and people who actively support their communities, whether through volunteerism or other elements around the Points of Light Civic Circle®...

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Calendar of events
Olympia headlines
The Clippers golf team brings in Joey Woods as assistant coach.
After a six-month winter break, the South Puget Sound Community College (SPSCC) Men’s and Women’s Golf Teams are set to return to the golf course to compete in various meets as they vie …
VFW representative Darcy McGardee proposed a community dialogue to find potential solutions to neighborhood disturbances.
Representatives of the Martin Way Veterans of Foreign Wars post shared their concerns regarding the disturbances they are experiencing caused by residents at the nearby Unity Commons shelter.  …
Alauna Carstens (in green) books her tickets to the conference and national championships in women’s 1500 meters, her second national standard.
The Evergreen State College Track and Field competed again in another track meet, this time in the John Knight Twilight …
The Olympia City Council appoints 24 new committee members and honors 22 departing members at its Tuesday meeting, April 9, 2024.
The Olympia City Council approved appointments to fill vacancies on 11 advisory boards and committees on Tuesday, April 9. A total of 64 community members applied for the 31 open positions. The …
Dr. Justin Ainsworth, one of the finalists, is associate superintendent in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District in Palmer, Alaska.
The North Thurston Public Schools (NTPS) Board of Directors selected Dr. Justin Ainsworth to become the next superintendent, pending his acceptance. “Dr. Ainsworth’s leadership …

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Tumwater headlines
The suspect's vehicle.
Three law enforcement agencies collaborated to collar a felon crossing into Thurston County for Driving Under the Influence (DUI) and other charges. Thurston County Sheriff’s Office (TCSO) …
Tumwater City Council and Planning Commission members, along with citizens, listen to City Planning Manager Brad Medrud (right center of photo, in black jacket) pointing out features of a new development, Forest Park Townhomes, in a tour of existing middle housing. The tour serves to provide ideas as the city updates its Comprehensive Plan.
The Tumwater City Council and Planning Commission took to the road in a joint work session on Tuesday, April 9, to look at existing approaches to housing developments in the city and in Olympia. …
The estimated annual cost for Tumwater to implement body-worn cameras comes to $534,771, most of which would be primarily used to support additional personnel.
Tumwater Police Department is looking to secure funding from the city to implement the usage of body-worn cameras. Commander Jay Mason discussed this proposal with the Tumwater Public Health and …

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Thurston County
Zandt Bryan, Sexual Health and Prevention Program Manager at the Department of Health, underscored the urgent need for heightened awareness and proactive measures to combat the increasing prevalence of STIs, particularly syphilis, during the Thurston’s Board of Health meeting on April 9, 2024.
A representative from the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) raised concern about the increasing number of cases of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs), particularly syphilis, in the …
Thurston’s Joint Animal Services Commission (JASCOM) has entered into a service contract with the Nisqually Tribe during its meeting on April 8, 2024.
In a move aimed at bolstering animal welfare services, Thurston’s Joint Animal Services Commission (JASCOM) has entered into a service contract with the Nisqually Indian Tribe.
Olympic Region Clean Air Agency’s board of directors amended its policy to exclude small gas facilities from its registration program.
Twenty-four sites may now be exempted from the Olympic Region Clean Air Agency’s (ORCAA) registration program after its board of directors amended its policy on Wednesday, April 10. The …

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Lacey headlines
The shotgun allegedly used by the suspect on the victim was retrieved from the scene.
Lacey police arrested a suspect yesterday, April 14, for allegedly hitting his wife and threatening her at gunpoint after reading some messages she received on her phone. According to the Lacey …
Ethan Guidry is GNAC player of the week after his performance in the men’s javelin throw.
The Saint Martin’s University Track and Field team had one of their best track meets this outdoor season so far. The men’s team collectively finished fifth out of 13 schools, and the …
The shooting suspect fled the scene, chased by authorities and collided with another vehicle.
A shooting suspect who fled from the scene was chased by law enforcement, which resulted in a collision on Interstate 5. This information was released on April 7. In a post by Thurston County …
Puget Sound Energy’s Senior Local Government Affairs Representative Kristine Rompa (right) briefed Thurston’s Board of County Commissioners (BoCC) for the facility’s features and goals.
“Climate change is an existential threat that cannot be ignored, and we are doing our part to move further and faster to save our planet,” said Puget Sound Energy (PSE) President and CEO …
Lacey City Hall
Lacey has announced the launch of its Human Services Grant Program for 2024, which will allocate up to $300,000. A Lacey press release said the city is seeking the participation of seven …

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More local news
 Lacey MakerSpace unveils expansion, celebrates collaboration, innovation
Lacey MakerSpace celebrated its recent expansion with , marking a significant stride towards innovation and providing cutting-edge resources for workforce development.  The ribbon-cutting …
Olympia City Council votes down proposal to allow drive-throughs on Plum Street
After almost an hour of discussing options for balancing housing, climate goals, safety, and health, the Olympia City Council voted not to adopt the proposed amendment to allow drive-throughs on Plum …
Washington Department of Ecology launches anonymous air quality survey for those affected by pollution
The Washington Department of Ecology (DOE) launches Air Quality Program aiming to gather input from residents regarding air pollution and its impacts on the community. Despite the enactment of …
Thurston County Sheriff working to procuring helicopter exclusive to search, rescue, and pursuit missions
“Thurston County Sheriff's Office (TCSO) is the 5th largest sheriff's office in the state. All four sheriff's offices that are larger than us have aviation programs,” Thurston County …
Olympia modifies, extends rental housing regulations
In a unanimous vote, the Olympia City Council approved a first reading that would lead to additional rental housing policies with some tweaks on key elements. The additional elements would …
Tumwater committee recommends new emergency management plan
Tumwater Public Health and Safety Committee endorsed to its city council Tuesday, April 9, a resolution updating its comprehensive emergency management plan (CEMP).
Tumwater’s search for Barnes Lake’s new environmental consultant yields one response
Bellingham-based aquatic management firm AquaTechnex was the sole responder to Tumwater’s search for a new firm to manage and monitor the vegetation on Barnes Lake
Study: Thurston has limited industrial lands
Thurston County received an in-depth study of its industrial lands inventory to help guide future land use and economic development decisions. The 2023 Industrial Lands Study was commissioned by …
LOTT extending deadline for Tumwater’s purchase of Deschutes Valley properties
The City of Tumwater and LOTT Clean Water Alliance are looking to extend the deadline for a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that will lead to Tumwater’s purchase of three LOTT properties in …
Intercity Transit extends contract with wireless communications vendor
Intercity Transit’s (IT) board of directors authorized General Manager Emily Bergkamp to execute a $275,000 purchase order with Day Wireless Systems to provide digital radio communications for …

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