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A bronze Marcus Whitman statue in the Washington State Capitol building weighs over 9,000 pounds with its stone base.

Marcus Whitman statue will soon have a new home in Washington State Capitol

Visitors to the Washington State Capitol won’t be greeted by the towering figure of missionary Marcus Whitman much ... more

By Jerry Cornfield | Washington State Standard | 7/29/26 | 4 comments

Fundraiser underway for Yelm man killed at Bite of Seattle food festival

A fundraiser is ongoing for a 44-year-old Yelm man, who was shot and killed at the Seattle Center during the Bite of Seattle event on ... more

By The JOLT Staff | 7/29/26 | 1 comment

Lacey City Council members discussed and passed Ordinance 1704 at a meeting at City Hall on July 21, 2026.

Lacey City Council adopts state-mandated housing, parking code changes

The Lacey City Council adopted state-required amendments to the Lacey Municipal Code that expand middle housing, revise parking rules and ... more

By Kameko Marquez | 7/28/26 | 1 comment

Tumwater School District Executive Director of Special Services Chris Burgmeier met with the Board of Directors to discuss the Service Animals In Schools policy at a meeting on July 23, 2026.

Tumwater School District updates policy on service animals

The Tumwater School District (TSD) Board of Directors unanimously approved revisions to Policy 2030 (Service Animals In Schools) at a ... more

By P. Jade Asumbrado | 7/28/26

A graphic details the proposed expansion of the Hands On Children's Museum in Olympia.

Public comment opens on expansion of Hands On Children’s Museum

The City of Olympia is inviting the public to submit comments on the proposed expansion of Hands On Children’s ... more

By Lorilyn Lirio | 7/28/26 | 6 comments

Three suspects were arrested in connection with a shoplifting complaint at Home Depot in Lacey on Saturday, July 25, 2026.

Shoplifting suspects tied to alleged theft ring along I-5 corridor

A shoplifting complaint at Home Depot in Lacey led to the discovery of an alleged retail theft ring that's resulted in approximately $400,000 in ... more

By The JOLT Staff | 7/28/26 | 6 comments

Food inspection results in Thurston County – July 28, 2026

Restaurant inspection reports focus on two types of violations: red and ... more

By Vanessa Casabuena | 7/28/26

The Lodge Building is located at 4315 Tumwater Valley Drive in Tumwater.

City Council authorizes funding for purchase of Tumwater Valley Lodge

The Tumwater City Council backed a $1.85 million amendment to the 2025-26 city budget to pay for the Tumwater Valley ... more

By Jerome Tuaño | 7/27/26

Olympia’s Land Use & Environment Committee explored a pilot program that would help tenants become homeowners through a tenant opportunity to purchase program during a meeting Thursday, July 23, 2026.

Committee explores options for tenant opportunity to purchase program in Olympia

The Olympia Land Use & Environment Committee is looking at a tenant opportunity to buy program, which would likely include targeted unit sizes ... more

By Lorilyn Lirio | 7/27/26 | 5 comments

Emily Clouse, left, Michelle Gipson and Nicolas Martinez-Dunning.

District 5 commissioner's race pits incumbent against two challengers in Aug. 4 Primary Election

A three-way race for the Thurston County Board of County Commissioners District 5 seat won’t end well for one of the contestants in the Aug. 4 ... more

By Keyan Gregoire-James | 7/27/26 | 9 comments

This photo shows damage to the State Reception Room at the Washington State Capitol after an intruder broke in on Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025.

$1M restoration recommended to address Washington State Capitol vandalism

Washington could spend $1 million repairing damage from vandalism at the state Capitol last ... more

By Jake Goldstein-Street | Washington State Standard | 7/27/26 | 3 comments

Two Saint Martin’s University students, Dulce Gonzalez Hernandez and Patricia Page won Benjamin A. Gilman scholarships.

Saint Martin’s University students receive Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship

Two Saint Martin's University students have been selected as recipients of the U.S. Department of State Benjamin A. Gilman International ... more

By P. Jade Asumbrado | 7/27/26

State board revisits environmental health, safety requirements for K-12 schools

The Washington State Board of Health (SBOH) is updating 60-year-old standards on minimum environmental health and safety ... more

By P. Jade Asumbrado | 7/27/26

A slide  shows the Port of Olympia Marine Terminal’s financial performance in the first half of 2026.

Port of Olympia revenue up in first half of 2026

The Port of Olympia reported a reduction in vessel activity from timber company Weyerhaeuser, but a rise in revenue in the first half ... more

By Jerome Tuaño | 7/24/26 | 16 comments

An alternate driving route around the Fones Road Corridor Project in Olympia.

Roundabout installation planned for Fones Road in Olympia

The installation of a new roundabout and continued paving work are going to lead to partial closures on Fones Road for a few weeks, as the ... more

By Wyatt Haupt Jr. | 7/24/26 | 3 comments

Lacey Professional Firefighters launch fundraiser for injured firefighter Jake Johnson

An official fundraising effort launched by Lacey Professional Firefighters is supporting Lacey Fire District 3 firefighter Jake Johnson, who is hospitalized ... more

By Kameko Marquez | 7/24/26 | 3 comments

A sidewalk in need of repair along State Avenue in downtown Olympia on Thursday, July 23, 2026.

Shared responsibility, more options sought to tackle sidewalk repairs in Olympia

A proposed shared responsibility approach to repairing damaged sidewalks has the support of the Olympia City ... more

By Lorilyn Lirio | 7/23/26 | 11 comments

A slide from Tumwater Sustainability Manager Alyssa Jones Wood’s presentation to the City Council on Tuesday, July 21, showed a table outlining a tiered system for subsidizing the costs of a Home Energy Score program.

Tumwater City Council refers Home Energy Score ordinance to Equity Commission

The Tumwater City Council agreed to table an ordinance that would require home sellers to get a home energy audit before listing a property for ... more

By Jerome Tuaño | 7/23/26 | 15 comments

A roadway in Lacey, as shown in the City of Lacey's State of the Streets report.

Lacey City Council green lights Transportation Improvement Program

The Lacey City Council adopted the 2027 Six-Year Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) and Transportation Improvement ... more

By Kameko Marquez | 7/23/26

Lacey Fire District 3 Chief Jennifer Schmidt explained the district's funding structure in Part 3 of a video series on the district's $98.3 million bond measure, which was released on July 15, 2026.

Lacey Fire District 3 funding limits behind $98.3M bond request

Lacey Fire District 3 continued its push on the value of a proposed $98.3 million bond measure in the latest in a series of informational ... more

By Kameko Marquez | 7/22/26 | 3 comments