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Sunday, November 15, 2026
TOP STORIES

OSD board votes to close three elementary schools in Olympia

The Olympia School District Board of Directors voted to close three elementary schools ahead of the start of the 2027-28 school ...

Lacey City Council questions affordability of proposed PSE rate plan 

Puget Sound Energy (PSE) customers could see their monthly bills climb through 2029 under a proposed three-year rate plan that ...

Clouse wins second term as county commissioner, clerk's race still undecided

The race for the Thurston County Board of County Commissioners District 5 seat has been decided with incumbent Emily Clouse earning a second ...

Olympia fire chief seeks additional firefighters to cut overtime, ease workload

Olympia Fire Department Chief Hillory Flowers is proposing four additional firefighters in the city’s 2027 budget to reduce overtime expenses, improve ...

Port commissioners weigh in on Spokane-Olympia direct flight  

Port of Olympia commissioners shared optimism and concern about the newly announced flight serice between Olympia and ...

Commissioner Clouse inches from win in District 5 race

Thurston County District 5 Commissioner Emily Clouse was on the verge of a second term in office, as she continued to maintain her roughly ...

City of Lacey plans more summer youth camp spaces in 2027 

Lacey Parks, Culture & Recreation is scaling up its summer youth camps for next year after strong enrollment in 2026 showed growing interest from ...

Houselessness emergency declaration renewed in Olympia  

The Olympia City Council unanimously approved a resolution extending a public health emergency on houselessness for ...

Joint Animal Services reports fewer adoptions, higher cat count

Fewer animals have gone home with new families from Joint Animal Services (JAS) this year, even though the shelter's intake level ...
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 Friday, Nov. 13, 2026

Thurston County Sheriff’s Office On 11/13/26 at 3:51 p.m. in the area of 89th and Littlerock Street SW, sheriff’s deputies arrested Michael Richard Faber, 65, on suspicion of 1) …

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Gardening & outdoors

Cackling goose vs. Canada goose

A favorite radio broadcast for bird enthusiasts is BirdNote, the daily two-minute NPR show that combines bird sounds with interesting ...

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 ...

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Arts & Entertainment
IN THE AUDIENCE
Rachel Benton

Artistic Director Nadine Bozeman discusses Olympia Youth Chorus 

Growing up, I was always curious about the Olympia Youth Chorus, but my busy schedule never let me take the opportunity to join the ...

Rachel Benton

Review: Ballet Victoria brings ‘Alice in Wonderland’ to town 

Last week, I gave JOLT readers a sneak peek at what was coming to the Washington Center for the Performing Arts stage: Ballet Northwest’s ...
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 ...

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Opinions: Yours & our columnists
Livin' la vida local 
I borrowed the title of this column from Ricky Martin’s 1999 pop song, "Livin' la Vida Loca" (Livin’ the Crazy Life) because I think living the local ...
Can Thurston County learn from Seattle’s social housing? 
What can Thurston County learn from Seattle’s efforts to make housing more affordable? That question brought a packed room of community ...
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 ...
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 ...

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Calendar of events
Olympia headlines
Dave Milne, co-author of “A New Percival Creek Estuary and Capitol Lake: A Win-Win Alternative for Olympia (and Washington State),” during an interview on Nov. 2, 2026.
It’s running over old ground, but better late than never, say advocates with an alternative to the removal of the 5th Avenue dam in downtown ...
The Olympia School District held a work session on Nov. 5, 2026, to discuss transition plans related to proposed school closures.
The Olympia School District (OSD) superintendent has outlined initial transition plans for the district ahead of a vote on school ...
A conceptual site plan shows the proposed Western Trails development at 607 and 709 Sleater Kinney Road NE in Olympia. Design Review Board recommended approval of the proposal at a meeting on Nov. 5, 2026.  
The Olympia Design Review Board recommended approval of the conceptual design for Western Trails, a proposed 228-unit multifamily ...
SeaPort Airlines announced a new air service between Spokane and the state capital. Flights start Jan. 8, 2027.
Traveling from Eastern Washington to Olympia for the state’s legislative session just got ...
After seven years of absence, the Jinglebell Parade is coming back to downtown Olympia, complete with holiday floats, lights and marching ...

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Tumwater headlines
Tumwater Fire Department Chief Brian Hurley plans to retire in March 2027.
Tumwater Fire Department Chief Brian Hurley announced he will retire after 32 years with the ...
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 ...

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Thurston County
Planning Manager Paul Brewster presented the recommended grant awards under TRPC’s Federal Transportation Call for Projects during a planning council meeting on Nov. 6, 2026. 
The Thurston Regional Planning Council (TRPC) approved recommendations to award $16 million in federal transportation funding to ...
A ballot dropbox in Olympia on March 12, 2024.
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 ...
The ballot intake and scanning area at the Ballot Processing Center in Tumwater on Monday afternoon, Nov. 9, 2026.
Thurston County District No. 5 Commissioner Emily Clouse widened her lead to nearly 7,000 votes over Nicolas Martinez-Dunning in the ...

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Lacey headlines
Lacey Fire District 3 Chief Jennifer Schmidt .
Amid a backdrop of a successful bond measure, Lacey Fire District 3 Chief Jennifer Schmidt has vowed to maintain transparency and accountability ...
Lacey Transportation Benefit District funding supported roadway improvements near College Street NE. 
In preparation for the February election, the City of Lacey is seeking community members to serve on committees supporting and opposing a ...
Lacey Transportation Benefit District funding has supported road rehabilitation, street overlays and sidewalk improvements across the city since 2017. 
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 ...
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 ...

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More local news
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 ...
Food inspection results in Thurston County — Monday, Nov. 9, 2026
Restaurant inspection reports focus on two types of violations: red and ...
Updated Nov. 3 General Elections results for Thurston County
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 ...
Updated November General Election results for Thurston County
A second term in office remained within the grasp of Thurston County Commissioner Emily Clouse, who has maintained a consistent margin ...
Lacey Fire District 3 welcomes early bond measure results 
Support for the Lacey Fire District 3 (LFD3) bond measure is running strong, based on unofficial returns from the Nov. 3 General ...
Olympia seeking residents to fill vacancies on advisory committees 
The City of Olympia is looking for residents who would like to serve on advisory bodies that help shape local policies, preserve historic ...
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 ...
Barriers hinder middle housing development in Olympia
The City of Olympia allows four to six homes per lot in designated low-density residential zones, plus up to two accessory dwelling units ...
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 ...
Locals weigh in on Deschutes Estuary Restoration Project at public hearing
A handful of community members gave their input at a public hearing held on Wednesday evening, Oct. 28, in downtown Olympia on new ...

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