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Wednesday, November 11, 2026
TOP STORIES

Sanders sails to win in Thurston County sheriff's contest, Clouse zeroing in on second term

With roughly 10,000 ballots left to be counted from the Nov. 3 General Election, a couple of races for partisan offices have been decided ...

LFD3 Chief Schmidt vows responsible bond spending after strong voter backing 

Amid a backdrop of a successful bond measure, Lacey Fire District 3 Chief Jennifer Schmidt has vowed to maintain transparency and accountability ...

Olympia School District leadership presents transition plan for school consolidations 

The Olympia School District (OSD) superintendent has outlined initial transition plans for the district ahead of a vote on school ...

Lacey opens application window for voters’ pamphlet committees on transportation measure 

In preparation for the February election, the City of Lacey is seeking community members to serve on committees supporting and opposing a ...

Clouse builds lead in Thurston County Commissioner District 5 race, library bond measure cruising

Thurston County District No. 5 Commissioner Emily Clouse widened her lead to nearly 7,000 votes over Nicolas Martinez-Dunning in the ...

Western Trails multifamily project advances with design conditions in Olympia 

The Olympia Design Review Board recommended approval of the conceptual design for Western Trails, a proposed 228-unit multifamily ...

Lacey City Council tees up transportation tax renewal for February ballot 

The City of Lacey is going to ask voters in February to renew a sales tax that has funded more than $28 million in transportation improvements ...

Air taxi to Washington Legislature: Spokane-Olympia direct flights to launch in 2027

Traveling from Eastern Washington to Olympia for the state’s legislative session just got ...

Thurston Regional Housing Council looking to fill Homeless Services Advisory Board positions 

The Thurston Regional Housing Council (RHC) is recruiting Thurston County residents to serve on the Homeless Services Advisory ...
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 ...

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Police Blotter

Police Blotter for Monday, Nov. 9, 2026

Lacey Police Department On 11/9/26 at 5:38 p.m. in the 8500 block of Steilacoom Road SE, police arrested Jareth B. Roldan, 20, on suspicion of violation of anti-harassment/protection order. …

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Gardening & outdoors

November notes

We are bird watchers, ever curious. But have you ever wondered whether birds are also curious about we humans and engage, from time to ...

Bird watching in late October

As we reach the end of October, cooler weather, shorter days and frequent rainfall have entirely changed bird ...

Rare birds at Nisqually

As I opined in a recent Thurston’s Birds column, the Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge is the premier ...

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Arts & Entertainment
IN THE AUDIENCE
Rachel Benton

Review: Olympia Symphony Orchestra partners with Aaron Lamb for ‘Evolve’ concert 

Coming together once again for a legendary performance, the Olympia Symphony Orchestra (OSO) partnered with Aaron Lamb of Harlequin ...

Rachel Benton

Phones and performances 

Today, I’m breaking from my usual pattern to discuss something important to our performing arts scene — an issue that comes up at ...
Rachel Benton

A conversation with Kevin Mason and Mary Miller of Capitol City Caramels 

Raise your hand if you were feeling tense about the election. Me too, so I wanted to offer us something extra sweet, buttery, and warm to ...

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Opinions: Yours & our columnists
Thurston County’s biggest local charity drive is underway
Give Local, the annual campaign by the Community Foundation of South Puget Sound, that matches donors to nonprofit ...
The heart of the holidays
There is something special about November. The beautiful shades of orange, gold, and brown covering the trees, the crisp Washington ...
Fresh eyes 
If life on Earth could be said to have a purpose, it may be creation’s way of experiencing itself. From the first animalcules, through ...
Timberline High School students discuss 'Come From Away'
A couple of weeks ago, Dr. Adam Jones and the cast of Timberline High School’s “Come From Away” let me join them for a conversation ...
Don’t throw away the whey! The art of making ingredients work twice 
Have you ever started preparing one dish in the kitchen and ended up creating something entirely different with the ingredients left ...

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Calendar of events
Olympia headlines
After seven years of absence, the Jinglebell Parade is coming back to downtown Olympia, complete with holiday floats, lights and marching ...
Olympia City Hall is located at 601 4th Ave. E in downtown Olympia.
The City of Olympia is looking for residents who would like to serve on advisory bodies that help shape local policies, preserve historic ...
Olympia Planning Director Nicole Floyd presented AI-generated illustrations of a single-family home with two adult dwelling unitss, showing attached and detached configurations, during an Olympia Planning Commission meeting on Monday, Nov. 2, 2026.  
The City of Olympia allows four to six homes per lot in designated low-density residential zones, plus up to two accessory dwelling units ...
The 260-acre Capitol Lake, 5th Avenue dam, Port of Olympia, and South Puget Sound as seen on Thursday morning, Oct. 29, in downtown Olympia. Rafts of wigeons and other migratory birds could be heard from the Washington State Law Enforcement Memorial. 
A handful of community members gave their input at a public hearing held on Wednesday evening, Oct. 28, in downtown Olympia on new ...
The Council of Neighborhood Associations (CNA) is inviting Olympia residents to a community forum to discuss neighborhood needs and ...

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Tumwater headlines
The proposed Costco development on Tumwater Boulevard west of Interstate 5 includes a new warehouse, fueling station, car wash and several commercial out-lots, as well as land for a future multi-family residential project. 
The Tumwater City Council authorized Mayor Leatta Dahlhoff to sign a development agreement with Costco Wholesale Corporation for a ...
A map of the Tumwater Brewery District, which covers the area surrounding the former Olympia Brewery properties, as well as the area surrounded by Custer Way, Cleveland Avenue and Capitol Boulevard. 
The Tumwater City Council approved a $290,000 contract with BERK Consulting to complete a planned action environmental impact ...
The Tumwater School District Board of Directors adopted revisions of three policies related to student health and wellness at a meeting on Oct. 26, 2026.
The Tumwater School District Board of Directors (TSD) adopted three revised policies related to student health and wellness to align with state ...

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Thurston County
Restaurant inspection reports focus on two types of violations: red and ...
Election workers inspected ballots at the Ballot Processing Center in Tumwater on Friday afternoon, Nov. 6, 2026.
The path to a second term in office remained on track for Thurston County Commissioner Emily Clouse, who upped her lead over rival Nicolas Martinez-Dunning ...
Election workers inspected ballots for the Nov. 3 General Election at the Ballot Processing Center in Tumwater on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026.
A second term in office remained within the grasp of Thurston County Commissioner Emily Clouse, who has maintained a consistent margin ...

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Lacey headlines
Two covered bins store regular salt, left, and salt containing magnesium chloride, right, in Lacey. The site holds up to 160 tons of salt. 
The City of Lacey has expanded its snowplow routes and increased on-call staffing for the 2026-27 winter ...
Gibson’s Custom Meats “Pay It Forward” program will be held on Sunday, Nov. 8, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
A butcher shop in Lacey will celebrate its first year of operations by matching every single purchase of a meat pack to help combat holiday ...
Lacey Fire District 3 shared a message of appreciation in the aftermath of the Nov. 3 General Election.
Support for the Lacey Fire District 3 (LFD3) bond measure is running strong, based on unofficial returns from the Nov. 3 General ...
Deputy Mayor Malcolm Miller, left, presented the Veterans Appreciation Month proclamation to Hire Heroes USA Program Manager Dave Martinez during a Lacey City Council meeting on Monday, Nov. 2, 2026. 
Veterans and military families are at the center of a citywide recognition in ...
The Lacey Commission on Equity engaged with community members at its booth during a public event in 2025. 
The City of Lacey is accepting applications for a vacant position on the Commission on ...

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More local news
 Updated Nov. 3 General Election results in Thurston County
Thurston County Commissioner Emily Clouse padded her lead over challenger Nicolas Martinez-Dunning in a battle for the District No. 5 seat in ...
Gluesenkamp Perez cruising toward win over Braun in 3rd Congressional District
Democratic U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez enjoyed a comfortable lead over Republican state Sen. John Braun on Tuesday, Nov. 3, as she pursues ...
Election Night in Thurston County
Incumbent Emily Clouse held a nearly 5,000 vote advantage over challenger Nicolas Martinez-Dunning in the race ...
TRPC to mull transportation grant awards for a number of proposals 
The Thurston Regional Planning Council (TRPC) is going to consider approving $16 million in federal transportation grant awards at a meeting ...
LOTT proposes $18M upgrade to Martin Way wastewater system 
The LOTT Clean Water Alliance is preparing a major wastewater infrastructure upgrade in the City of ...
Olympia unveils 2027 Water Resources calendar featuring student artwork 
The Olympia City Council recognized middle school students for using their creativity to promote stormwater pollution prevention in the ...
Governor mobilizes National Guard for added security for ballot drop boxes in Washington
In a precedent-setting move, members of the Washington National Guard are being deployed in seven counties to help protect ballot drop boxes in ...
Tumwater City Council members address Davis Meeker Garry oak tree status
Tumwater City Council members weighed in on the  future of the historic Davis Meeker Gary oak tree ahead of a decision on funding for ...
Food inspection results in Thurston County — Monday, Nov. 2, 2026
Restaurant inspection reports focus on two types of violations: red and ...
Six-year transportation plan features major corridor improvements in Olympia
Millions of dollars in transportation improvements are planned over the next six years in the City of Olympia, including enhanced pedestrian ...

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