Current weather conditions: Clear, 61 degrees Fahrenheit
Olympia, WA
Clear, 61° F Get the full forecast
JOLT The Journal of Olympia, Lacey & Tumwater logo
Monday, October 12, 2026
TOP STORIES

Tumwater committee advances Deschutes Estuary resolution 

The Tumwater Public Works Committee backed a resolution reinforcing the city's support for the Deschutes Estuary Restoration ...

City council approves $12,500 for school program at Olympia AHA Museum 

The Olympia City Council approved $12,500 to help develop a student visitation program and curriculum at Olympia Arts & Heritage Alliance ...

Lacey City Council promotes safer school commutes  

The Lacey City Council proclaimed October as Walk to School Month, as a means to promote safer travel to schools and encourage healthy ...

OSD superintendent answers questions about proposed school closures

The Olympia School District (OSD) is in the process of engaging with parents, students and residents ahead of a vote on whether to close three ...

Suspect wanted on felony warrants arrested in 'The Jungle'

A person wanted on felony warrants was arrested in "The Jungle" homeless encampment in Olympia after trying to hide ...

Community Sustaining Fund of Thurston County announces fall 2026 grant cycle

The Community Sustaining Fund of Thurston County announced the return of its grant program with the fall 2026 grant ...

Timing, housing and 'The Jungle' 

Timing is everything, especially when it comes to finding housing for homeless individuals living in "The ...

Lacey City Council backs $98.3 million Fire District 3 bond measure

The Lacey City Council approved a resolution that endorses a multimillion-dollar bond measure from Lacey Fire District 3 in the Nov. 3 General ...

Ballots mailed to registered voters for Nov. 3 General Election in Thurston County

The Thurston County Auditor’s Office Elections Division mailed more than 205,000 ballots to registered voters in Thurston County ...
Sports
A 90 percent site plan prepared by RWD Landscape Architects shows proposed pickleball courts, pingpong tables, spectator areas, pathway changes and ballfield safety netting at Rainier Vista Park in Lacey. 

Rainier Vista Park improvements reach 90 percent of planning stage 

The City of Lacey is preparing Rainier Vista Park’s recreation improvements for permitting after completing another planning ...

Swimmers ages 50 and over competde in the Washington State Senior Games in Lacey on Sunday, July 26, 2026.

Swimmers take center stage at Washington State Senior Games

Dozens of swimmers competed in the annual Washington State Senior Games swim meet on ...

Read more sports stories

Police Blotter

Police Blotter for Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026

Thurston County Sheriff’s Office On 10/11/26 at 8:02 a.m. in the 5400 block of Clearfield Drive SE, sheriff’s deputies arrested Adriana Rachelle Devaux, 35, on suspicion of fourth-degree …

Read more crime coverage

Facebook
Gardening & outdoors

Fall birding is in full swing

With the shorter days and leaves turning color, it’s no mystery that autumn has arrived. And with the turning of the seasons, our Thurston County bird life has ...

Deschutes Valley Trail's longest segment coming into focus

The City of Tumwater is looking to open bidding for the construction contract of Deschutes Valley Trail’s longest segment between late October ...

Nisqually birding notes

This coming weekend is the Nisqually Watershed Festival, and that prompted me to wonder just how important our Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually ...

See more gardening stories

Arts & Entertainment
IN THE AUDIENCE
Rachel Benton

Sneak peek: OSO’s 'Lift' season premiere concert with pianist Calder Failla 

Olympia Symphony Orchestra (OSO) will open the Kaleidoscope season with “Lift,” a concert spotlighting pianist Calder Failla performing George ...

Rachel Benton

Terry Shaw and his band play, discuss the music of Billy Joel 

Last time the band did this show, it sold out faster than I could spread the word! This show was truly extraordinary, which is why I’m excited to ...
Rachel Benton

Review: Thornton Wilder’s 'Our Town' by Harlequin Productions

Of all the shows Harlequin Productions (HQP) has put on, this is the one I have looked forward to ...

Read more arts & entertainment stories

Opinions: Yours & our columnists
A trailblazer's journey: Dr. Thelma Jackson reflects on community and systemic change 
Some people wait for change to occur; others dedicate their lives to creating positive change. For more than five decades, Dr. Thelma Jackson ...
Life lessons from a dead language
It has been said that there’s nothing new under the sun. I disagree with that statement in that there are unprecedented technologies creating ...
Fresh, smart and just enough
Every time I walk into a grocery store, one question comes to mind: Where did this food come ...
Things: You can’t live without them, but you can’t take them with you 
The word "thing" originally meant an assembly where Germanic tribes and Vikings met to settle ...
Wait. That's weird. God in Olympia. And 23.
A year ago, I put out The Jesus Beat, a review of Olympia churches. Since then, local clergy and lay religious leaders have …

Read more perspectives

Calendar of events
Olympia headlines
The site of Jolene Unsoeld Community Park in Olympia.
The Olympia City Council approved a $17.7 million contract for the first phase of Jolene Unsoeld Community Park on Yelm ....
Olympia City Council members celebrated with representatives of the Indigenous community after proclaiming Oct. 12, 2026, as Indigenous Peoples Day.  
In recognition of a longstanding relationship with the Squaxin Island Tribe, the Olympia City Council endorsed a proclamation designating ...
A 2027 utility rate proposal summary for the City of Olympia.
A package of proposed utility rate hikes would lead to a roughly 5.5 percent overall rise to the average bi-monthly utility bill in the ...
A map of the multimillion-dollar Fones Road Corridor Project in Olympia.
A portion of Fones Road will be closed for a couple of nights, as crews continue raising utilities and striping a shared use ...
The Olympia Planning Commission endorsed proposed changes to the city’s Critical Area Ordinance at a meeting on Monday, Oct. 5, 2026.  
The Olympia Planning Commission backed updates to the Critical Area Ordinance (CAO), which covers wetlands, streams, fish and ...

Read more Olympia coverage

Tumwater headlines
Tumwater City Hall is located at 555 Israel Road in Tumwater.
The City of Tumwater is seeking input from the public as part of an effort to update the Economic Development Element of its ...
The Davis Meeker Garry oak tree on Old Highway 99 in Tumwater on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026. Two branches fell from the southwestern portion of the historic tree on Sept. 25, 2026.
The city of Tumwater is working with Todd Prager & Associates on a new assessment of the historic Davis Meeker Garry oak tree after ...
The entrance to the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission offices in Lacey.
The room was packed with a line out the door during the public comment hearing for a Puget Sound Energy rate proposal ...

Read more Tumwater coverage

Thurston County
State Senate Republican Leader John Braun and Democratic U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez are dueling in southwest Washington's 3rd Congressional District.
Democratic U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez and John Braun, the top Republican in the Washington state Senate who is challenging her in a ...
Shop at different events, learn about a wastewater plant, attend a fundraising gala, visit an exhibit or help build homes this weekend in Thurston ...
Body cam footage from a Thurston County Sheriff's Office deputy shows a burglary suspect being taken into custody in the Black Lake area on Monday, Oct. 5, 2026.
A burglary suspect who used handcuffs to short out a switch and escape from the back of an aging patrol vehicle was recaptured and hauled ...

Read more Thurston County covergae

Lacey headlines
Woodland Creek at Woodland Creek Community Park, which is located at 6729 Pacific Ave. SE in Lacey. 
State conservation workers will be hired to speed up a restoration effort at a park in Lacey following struggles to control invasive ...
The Lacey City Council proclaimed October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month at a meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 6.
The Lacey City Council proclaimed October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month during a meeting on ...
The City of Lacey is evaluating the Grays and Judd Hill parcels as possible sites for facilities associated with Grays Production Well. 
The City of Lacey is seeking a qualified consulting firm to guide the next phase of the Grays Production Well ...
Lacey Fire District 3 Headquarters Station 31 is located at 1231 Franz St. SE in Lacey. 
A resolution expressing support of a ballot measure that would authorize up to $98.3 million in general obligation bonds ...
Lacey City Hall is located at 420 College St. in Lacey.  
The City of Lacey is approaching six decades since ...

Read more Lacey coverage

More local news
 Public hearing to be held on potential closure of McKenny Elementary School in Olympia
The registration window is open for people interested in participating in a public hearing about the proposed closure of McKenny Elementary School in ...
TRPC backs continued funding for Nisqually River Bridge project 
The Thurston Regional Planning Council (TRPC) approved legislative priorities for 2027, focusing on continued funding for the Nisqually River Bridge ...
Thurston County judge permanently blocks sheriff standards law
A judge on Friday, Oct. 2, threw out tough new job standards for county sheriffs approved by Washington lawmakers this year that critics ...
Food inspection results in Thurston County — Oct. 5, 2026
Restaurant inspection reports focus on two types of violations: red and ...
Port of Olympia Commission authorizes contract amendments for Cascade Pole site cleanup, new headquarters  
Contract amendments with firms involved with the cleanup of the Cascade Pole site, design of a new headquarters and auditing work passed muster ...
Olympia City Council to weigh in on resolutions related to November ballot
The Olympia City Council will consider resolutions related to one regional proposition and two statewide initiatives on the Nov. 3 General Election ...
Washington's minimum wage rising to nearly $18 an hour in 2027
Washington’s minimum wage workers will get a 3.5 percent pay bump in ...
Port of Olympia Commission raises concerns over Deschutes Estuary communication
Port of Olympia Commission members criticized the lack of communication with the Washington State Department of Ecology ahead of a vote on ...
Committee reviews Swantown expansion project from Port of Olympia
The Port of Olympia is proposing a 32,500-square-foot expansion of its Swantown Marina & Boatworks yard to increase capacity and improve ...
Two more projects eyed as part of Olympia Crossings initiative
The City of Olympia plans to advance two public art projects at Harrison Avenue and Division Street and Henderson Boulevard and ...

Read more local news

Copyright © 2026 The JOLT News Organization, a 501(c)(3) Nonprofit, EIN 87-2868827. WA CFD Reg. No. 2010214. Telephone +1-360-357-1000
Powered by Creative Circle Media Solutions