Thurston County | The JOLT News Organization, a 501(c)(3) Nonprofit

The Thurston County Board of County Commissioners postponed votes on two Encampment Resolution Program contracts after the Washington State Department of Commerce removed Unity Commons and Quince Street Village from its final budget allocation. The vote to table the contracts occurred during the board’s agenda setting meeting on Tuesday, July 15, 2025.

Thurston County delays encampment aid vote after state defunds two Olympia projects

Two Olympia shelter projects were axed from a multimillion-dollar homelessness grant by the Washington State Department of Commerce ... more

By Kameko Marquez | 7/21/25 | 4 comments

Intercity Transit honors longtime bicycle challenge coordinator

Intercity Transit honored Duncan Green, the coordinator of the annual Bicycle Community Challenge (BCC), who is retiring after 17 years of leading ... more

By Jerome Tuaño | 7/21/25 | 1 comment

TCSO Corrections sergeant resigns amid internal investigation

A Thurston County Sheriff's Office (TCSO) Corrections sergeant, who stands accused of first-degree voyeurism, resigned in the middle of an internal ... more

By Darlanne Cruz | 7/21/25

ESD 113 receives $75,000 grant to promote AI literacy in rural communities

Students from rural and indigenous communities across Grays Harbor, Lewis, Mason, Pacific and Thurston counties have the opportunity to learn more about ... more

By P. Jade Asumbrado | 7/21/25 | 1 comment

The Thurston Economic Development Council and partner agencies have released the semiannual Economic Vitality Index. The report tracks five key indicators of the local economy and is now publicly accessible via the council’s digital reports archive.

Thurston County business confidence falls to 15-year low in midyear economic report

Business sentiment in Thurston County has fallen to its lowest level since 2010, a Thurston Economic Development Council ... more

By Kameko Marquez | 7/18/25 | 10 comments

Two men arrested for allegedly using a firearm to celebrate Fourth of July

Two men were arrested for discharging a firearm in a residential area on McNiece Drive SE in Yelm during a Fourth of July celebration, according to the ... more

By Darlanne Cruz | 7/18/25 | 2 comments

Ballots mailed out for Aug. 5 primary election in Thurston County

The Thurston County Auditor's Office announced it has mailed more than 147,000 ballots to registered voters for the Aug. 5 Primary Election. more

By Maven Navarro | 7/17/25

Fun with Merlin in Thurston County

This week I have continued to experiment with the Merlin app and the dawn chorus, turning the app on and placing my smart phone in the window sometime around ... more

By George Walter | 7/17/25 | 1 comment

Joe Seymour (center) stands before his mural “Welcome to Squaxin Territory”, located at the La Lurana building near Percival Landing in Olympia, together with co-artists Vince Ryland, left, and Ira Coin. Joe Seymour is the lead artist of a proposed mural on the marine terminal warehouse building in Olympia.

Port of Olympia plans to create large-scale mural at marine terminal

The Port of Olympia is planning to create a huge mural on the marine terminal warehouse building. The scale of the project is so immense that the Olympia Art ... more

By Jerome Tuaño | 7/16/25 | 9 comments

Michelle O’Dell of the Thurston-Mason Developmental Disabilities Coalition gestured toward her son Nathan during Thurston County’s proclamation for Disability Pride Month on Tuesday, July 15, 2025.

Thurston County honors ADA legacy with Disability Pride recognition

July has been officially hailed Disability Pride Month, as the Thurston County Board of County Commissioners aligned the county with the national commemoration of the ... more

By Kameko Marquez | 7/16/25 | 1 comment

Registration period open for Estuary Explorers summer camps

Registration is now open for the Estuary Explorers summer camps for fourth through eighth graders, organizers said. The summer camp is hosted by the Puget ... more

By Maven Navarro | 7/16/25

A panel featuring Measures for Justice and Thurston County Prosecutor’s Office discussed the criminal justice tracking dashboard during the public rollout of the Commons Data Dashboard. The Thurston County Commons Data Dashboard is now live and publicly accessible.

Commons platform goes live for criminal justice tracking in Thurston County

Felony cases in Thurston County can now be accessed online through an interactive data dashboard available to the ... more

By Kameko Marquez | 7/15/25 | 3 comments

Heat advisory, red flag warning issued for Thurston County

A heat advisory and red flag warning are in effect for Thurston County, amid a backdrop of hot, dry and unstable weather conditions. The National Weather Service Office in Seattle issued the … more

By Wyatt Haupt Jr. | 7/15/25

The Bike Rescue collection container is open at Thurston County’s recovery site in Lacey. Donated bikes are refurbished by volunteers and redistributed for free by Intercity Transit.

Bike Rescue Project debuts in Thurston County

Intercity Transit and Thurston County Solid Waste launched the Bike Rescue Project on July 1, opening a daily bike donation site for residents to drop off used adult ... more

By Kameko Marquez | 7/14/25 | 2 comments

Observer training session offered for upcoming primary election

Observer training is being offered for the Aug. 5 primary election in Thurston County. The training will take place via Zoom on Tuesday ... more

The JOLT News Staff | 7/14/25 | 2 comments

Thurston County man arrested for alleged rape

A 38-year-old man was arrested over the weekend on suspicion of second-degree rape following an incident involving his landlady at her residence in ... more

By Darlanne Cruz | 7/10/25 | 5 comments

The WET Science Center’s schedule for July includes free boat-building workshops and science education activities for families in downtown Olympia.

WET Science Center brings back free summer pop-ups and themed Saturdays

Families in Olympia can chart a course through water-themed science this month without leaving downtown, as the WET Science Center launches ... more

By Kameko Marquez | 7/10/25 | 1 comment

A motorist allegedly tried to escape from Thurston County Sheriff's Office deputies after two precision immobilization technique (PIT) maneuvers, but ended up hitting a power pole and destroying a vehicle on Tuesday morning, July 9, 2025.

Alleged cannabis shop burglary leads to pursuit

A 26-year-old man was arrested on Tuesday morning, July 8, after an alleged burglary at a cannabis business resulted in a pursuit that ended with a ... more

By Darlanne Cruz | 7/9/25 | 4 comments

Thurston Regional Planning Council to review new vision for expansion of high-capacity transportation options

The Thurston Regional Planning Council (TRPC) is set to review a new vision for expanding high-capacity transportation options throughout ... more

Lorilyn Lirio | 7/9/25 | 5 comments

Thurston County is under a temporary burn ban from Wednesday, July 9, 2025, through Sept. 30, 2025. The restriction blocks yard waste and land clearing fires in unincorporated areas due to elevated wildfire risk.

Thurston County enacts burn ban, as fire risk hits ‘high’

A temporary ban on residential yard waste burning and all land clearing burns is in effect for unincorporated areas of Thurston County from Wednesday, July 9, to ... more

By Kameko Marquez | 7/9/25