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Friday, October 16, 2026
TOP STORIES

Parents, students weigh in on proposed closure of McKenny Elementary School in Olympia

Local residents sounded off on the proposed closure of McKenny Elementary School at a public hearing in Olympia, with some people asking for it to stay ...

Consultant sought for food truck plaza feasibility study in Lacey

The City of Lacey is seeking a consultant to study the next phase of its food truck plaza. The search follows several years of a pilot program to foster ...

Thurston County Board of Health promotes Health Literacy Month 

The Thurston County Board of Health proclaimed October as Health Literacy Month, while encouraging residents to seek reliable health ...

Social Security benefits increase will hit 3.6 percent in 2027

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Social Security Administration announced on Wednesday, Oct. 14, that recipients will receive a 3.6 percent increase in ...

Homelessness response program reviewed amid funding uncertainty in Olympia 

The Olympia City Council is considering how to adapt the city’s homelessness response plan as demand grows and funding uncertainty ...

City of Lacey nominated for federal Opportunity Zones investment program 

The City of Lacey earned a nomination for a federal economic development program that could open new investment opportunities in ...

'No Kings' IV coming to Olympia on Oct. 17

In what is being billed as a “Nationwide Day of Action,” local organizers are encouraging people to join in an effort to promote early voting ahead of ...

Voting underway in Washington for midterm election

The wait is over in Washington. Washington’s 5.1 million registered voters are starting to cast ballots for the Nov. 3 General ...

Salmon recovery funding available for Nisqually Watershed 

Grant proposals for salmon habitat restoration and protection projects in the Nisqually River Watershed are being sought by the Nisqually ...
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 Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026

Thurston County Sheriff’s Office On 10/15/26 at 1:57 a.m. in the 600 block of Pattison Road SE, sheriff’s deputies arrested Rafael Mario Alegria, 25, on suspicion of first-degree unlawful …

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Gardening & outdoors

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 ...

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 ...

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Arts & Entertainment
IN THE AUDIENCE
Rachel Benton

Review: Olympia Symphony Orchestra’s Kaleidoscope season premiere concert ‘Lift’ 

George Gershwin, reflecting on his “Rhapsody in Blue,” once said, “I heard it as a sort of musical kaleidoscope of America – of our vast ...

Rachel Benton

Review: ‘Sanctuary City’ by Harlequin Productions

The posters around town announce that Harlequin Productions is presenting "Our Town" in repertory with "Sanctuary ...
Rachel Benton

Review: ‘An Evening with Amy Tan’ 

Birders and readers alike gathered under one roof for a special event hosted by the Washington Center for the Performing Arts on ...

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Opinions: Yours & our columnists
Cooking for one: Making mealtime matter again
If you live alone in Thurston County, you are part of a much larger community than you may ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...

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Calendar of events
Olympia headlines
Intercity Transit’s Walk N Roll representative Ali Fuller shared photos of McKenny Elementary School students participating in the Walk N Roll program. The Olympia City Council proclaimed October 2026 as Walk to School Month at a meeting on Oct. 6, 2026.
It's Walk to School Month in the City of ...
Olympia City Hall is located at 601 4th Ave. E in downtown Olympia.
The Olympia City Council will review an update on the One Community Plan at a meeting on Tuesday ...
City of Olympia Mayor Dontae Payne sponsored a referral to support the development of a student visitation program at the OlyAHA Museum in partnership with the Olympia School District. The city council approved $12,500 in funding for the program at a meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026.  
The Olympia City Council approved $12,500 to help develop a student visitation program and curriculum at Olympia Arts & Heritage Alliance ...
OSD Superintendent Patrick Murphy answered questions on the proposed school closures at an OSD Board of Directors meeting on Oct. 8, 2026.
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 ...
An aerial view of "The Jungle" homeless encampment in Olympia, as seen in January 2026.
A person wanted on felony warrants was arrested in "The Jungle" homeless encampment in Olympia after trying to hide ...

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Tumwater headlines
Tumwater Police Department Chief Carlos Quiles, center, and TPD Records Supervisor Ashleigh Clark, bottom left, met with the Tumwater Public Health and Safety Committee on Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026.
Requests for public records are on the rise and taking longer to process at the Tumwater Police Department, largely because of ...
City Attorney Karen Kirkpatrick (top right) briefe the Tumwater Public Health and Safety Committee on Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, about a contract with the Thurston County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office for criminal prosecution services. 
The Tumwater Public Health and Safety Committee recommended the adoption of two agreements with Thurston County for court ...
A presentation by Tumwater Water Resources and Sustainability Department Director Dan Smith showed the future progression of the Deschutes Estuary restoration project. He made his remarks at a Public Works Committee meeting on Oct. 8, 2026. 
The Tumwater Public Works Committee backed a resolution reinforcing the city's support for the Deschutes Estuary Restoration ...

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Thurston County
The Community Sustaining Fund of Thurston County announced the return of its grant program with the fall 2026 grant ...
Thurston County election workers processed ballots at the Ballot Processing Center in Tumwater on Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025.
The Thurston County Auditor’s Office Elections Division mailed more than 205,000 ballots to registered voters in 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 ...

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Lacey headlines
The Lacey City Council approved 2027 lodging tax awards that prioritize overnight tourism during its meeting on Oct. 6, 2026.
The Lacey City Council approved nearly $1 million in lodging tax awards for ...
Lacey Mayor Andy Ryder, left, presente the Walk to School Month proclamation with Intercity Transit representative Kerri Wilson during the Lacey City Council meeting on Oct. 6, 2026. 
The Lacey City Council proclaimed October as Walk to School Month, as a means to promote safer travel to schools and encourage healthy ...
Lacey Fire District 3 Chief Jennifer Schmidt spoke during a fire district ceremony. 
The Lacey City Council approved a resolution that endorses a multimillion-dollar bond measure from Lacey Fire District 3 in the Nov. 3 General ...
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 ...

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More local news
 Timing, housing and 'The Jungle' 
Timing is everything, especially when it comes to finding housing for homeless individuals living in "The ...
Public input sought on long-term plan for economic development 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 ...
$17.7M contract approved for construction of Jolene Unsoeld Park’s in Olympia
The Olympia City Council approved a $17.7 million contract for the first phase of Jolene Unsoeld Community Park on Yelm ....
Olympia designates Oct. 12 as Indigenous Peoples Day 
In recognition of a longstanding relationship with the Squaxin Island Tribe, the Olympia City Council endorsed a proclamation designating ...
Across-the-board utility rate hikes proposed in Olympia for 2027
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 ...
Utilities, striping work to close a stretch of Fones Road
A portion of Fones Road will be closed for a couple of nights, as crews continue raising utilities and striping a shared use ...
New assessment being done on damaged Davis Meeker Garry oak tree in Tumwater
The city of Tumwater is working with Todd Prager & Associates on a new assessment of the historic Davis Meeker Garry oak tree after ...
Olympia Planning Commission backs critical areas ordinance updates 
The Olympia Planning Commission backed updates to the Critical Area Ordinance (CAO), which covers wetlands, streams, fish and ...
Consultant sought for Grays Production Well treatment planning in Lacey
The City of Lacey is seeking a qualified consulting firm to guide the next phase of the Grays Production Well ...
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 ...

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