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Monday, November 2, 2026
TOP STORIES

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 ...

Tumwater committee advances reinstitution of fire impact fees 

The Tumwater Budget & Finance Committee recommended the adoption of an ordinance that would reinstate fire impact fees on ...

Idled coal power plant generates a natural gas fight near Centralia

The owner of the only remaining coal power plant in the Pacific Northwest is doggedly proceeding with a plan to extend its life by converting to ...

Active listings jump, median price for a home unchanged in Thurston County

Single-family home and condominium listings remained firmly above the 1,000 mark in the final weeks of summer, as sellers continued to look to ...

Regional education team wins state awards for communication efforts 

The communication team at the regional office responsible for school districts within Thurston County won 12 awards from the state for communication ...

Olympia City Council honors 40 years of gay rights

The 40th anniversary of Olympia's first gay rights law was recognized with a proclamation honoring a 1986 ordinance that protected ...

Remembering Olympia’s first gay rights law

In 1986, Olympia was not the gay-friendly place we know today. At best, gay folks found little pockets where we found acceptance and felt ...

Tumwater council establishes fee for body camera footage requests 

The Tumwater City Council adopted a resolution to establish a fee structure for charging nonexempt public disclosure requests for ...

LOTT Clean Water Alliance recognizes City of Lacey for 50 years of regional cooperation 

The City of Lacey was honored for its longtime partnership with the regional wastewater utility serving Thurston ...
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 Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026

Thurston County Sheriff’s Office On 10/31/26 at 12:40 a.m. in the 3300 block of Lilly Road NE, sheriff’s deputies arrested Nicole Irene Jackson, 40, on suspicion of 1) residential burglary, …

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Gardening & outdoors

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 ...

Chasing a rare longspur

From time to time a rare bird visits Thurston County. After learning of the sighting, serious birders generally commit to chase this initial ...

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Arts & Entertainment
WEEKEND ROUNDUP

What’s happening this weekend in Thurston County

A number of Halloween-themed events are taking place this weekend in Thurston County, including Trunk or Treat in Tumwater and a pet costume contest in ...

Rachel Benton

Sydney goes on a ‘Journey’ with Olympia Chamber Orchestra 

It remains an honor to attend performances and give you all, JOLT readers, an insider scoop on our local arts scene. While I believe my ...
Rachel Benton

Review: 'Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery' by Olympia Little Theatre

When you think of Sherlock Holmes, what images come to mind? Perhaps you picture a film or television adaptation, a stage production, or ...

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Opinions: Yours & our columnists
Respite: We could all use a break
As if managing the challenges of aging wasn’t enough, we are in a time of unprecedented technological and societal ...
Happy Halloween!
In my recurring columns, I try hard to be clear about what is documented history versus folkloric tales. History includes societal, political ...
A guide to shopping fresh on a budget 
Eating fresh does not have to mean spending more. For older adults living on a fixed income, grocery shopping often requires careful planning, especially ...
When a noose is more than a Halloween decoration
Let’s look at this human skeleton I recently saw hanging outside a home in Thurston County. It might seem like an ordinary Halloween ...
A 'heckler's veto'
Free speech is canceled in Olympia, Washington. Brian Heywood, founder of Let’s Go Washington, was scheduled to attend ...

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Calendar of events
Olympia headlines
An alternate location is shown here for a proposed dumpster enclosure to help maintain garbage truck access at 1217 Cooper Point Road SW in Olympia.
The Olympia Site Plan Review Committee reviewed a proposal for a pharmacy drive-thru on Cooper Point Road that comes with some ...
The Olympia School District (OSD) has created a web page that addresses frequently asked questions about proposed school closures, consolidation ...
Traffic revisions will be in place on Election Day, as a means to support accessible, safe and secure voting at the Thurston County Auditor's Office in ...
The Olympia School District is looking at the idea of adopting a community schools model. The idea was discussed during a meeting of the OSD Board of Directors on Oct. 22, 2026.
The idea of adopting a community schools model is being considered at the Olympia School District (OSD), as a means to transform it into a hub of ...
Members of the Hindu community joined Olympia City Council members in proclaiming October as Hindu Heritage Month at a meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026. 
The Olympia City Council endorsed a proclamation designating October as Hindu Heritage ...

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Tumwater headlines
Tumwater School District Assistant Superintendent Meagan Dawson discussed the need to add procedures to the community service policy at a TSD Board of Directors meeting on Monday, Oct. 26, 2026.
The Tumwater School District (TSD) is considering adding procedures to its community service policy to provide consistency and clarity for ...
Tumwater School District Director of Capital Projects and Facilities Alec Burkheimer presented a resolution to adopt the district’s Capital Facilities Plan.
The Tumwater School District (TSD) Board of Directors unanimously approved a resolution to adopt the 2026-32 Capital Facilities Plan after ... 
The Tumwater City Council approved the purchase of a 67.5-acre land as part of the city’s habitat conservation plan at a meeting on Oct. 20, 2026. 
The Tumwater City Council agreed to a $12 million purchase and sale agreement for 67.5 acres of property that's going to be part of the city’s habitat conservation ...

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Thurston County
A conceptual rendering of the 5th Avenue Bridge, looking north toward Budd Inlet.
A sweeping environmental project received the backing of the Thurston County Board of County Commissioners, as regional partners continue to ...
A number of Halloween-themed events are on tap this weekend, including Boo Bash! and Haunted Hustle 5K Fun Run in ...
A man was arrested in connection with the death of his 5-year-old child. The arrest occurred during a traffic stop in the Yelm area on Oct. 18, 2026.
A man wanted in connection with the death of his 5-year-old child was arrested after a traffic stop in the Yelm ...

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Lacey headlines
Utility boxes in Lacey showcase community figures in the first phase of the Utility Box Art Wraps project. 
The City of Lacey is calling on artists to transform ordinary utility control boxes into colorful public artwork that celebrates local history and ...
The proposed budget for Lacey decreases to $245.5 million in 2027 from $274.6 million in 2026.
Lacey residents and business owners who review the proposed spending plan for 2027 are going to find a slimmed down budget ...
A preview of the draft interactive map featuring the Bowker House was presented during the Lacey Historical Commission meeting on Oct. 21, 2026. 
The City of Lacey is getting closer to publishing its online historic markers map. However, limitations in the current version have prompted ...
Lacey City Hall is located at 420 College St. in Lacey.  
The City of Lacey is seeking qualified attorneys to represent indigent defendants in misdemeanor and gross misdemeanor ...
City Attorney Dave Schneider administered the oath of office to newly appointed Lacey City Council member Kim Sauer during a special meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026. 
The City of Lacey has a new council member. The Lacey City Council appointed Kim Sauer, a state government employee with more than 25 years of public ...

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More local news
 Regional Housing Council seeks state support for 2027 housing programs 
The Thurston County Regional Housing Council is going to consider a number of legislative priorities for the upcoming 2027 session of the Washington ...
Feds allege over 400 noncitizens vote in Washington
The top federal prosecutor in Seattle claimed on Monday, Oct. 26, that more than 400 noncitizens have been voting in Washington, as the Trump ...
More than 700,000 voters have cast ballots in Washington
Washington state voters are getting the message: Don’t wait to turn in your ...
City council backs purchase of building to serve as new Tumwater City Hall
The Tumwater City Council unanimously voted to authorize Mayor Leatta Dahlhoff to complete the purchase of a property priced at $14,080,000 to ...
Commission directs Tumwater to accelerate treatment of Davis Meeker Garry oak tree
The Tumwater Historic Preservation Commission unanimously agreed to expedite treatment of the Davis Meeker Garry oak tree after ...
House Speaker makes case for unseating Gluesenkamp Perez in heated congressional race
House Speaker Mike Johnson returned to Washington state on Wednesday, Oct. 21, to campaign alongside Republican John Braun, a sign of how ...
Olympia City Council votes to end 3 advisory bodies, plans new approaches to community engagement 
A trio of advisory bodies are going to sunset, while another one is going be restructured, after a year-long evaluation of the groups in ...
Last public hearing on school closures held at Madison Elementary School 
Madison Elementary School students and parents had strong feelings about the proposed closure of the school at a public hearing in ...
Spending tops $20M in hottest congressional race in the state: Gluesenkamp Perez vs. Braun
Candidates in Washington state’s most closely watched congressional race have spent more than $10 million entering the final weeks of the ...
JAS Commission approves 60 percent cut in Nisqually Indian Tribe agreement 
A cost-cutting request from the Nisqually Indian Tribe has resulted in changes to its animal control agreement with Joint Animal Services ...

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