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Monday, October 5, 2026
TOP STORIES

Port of Olympia Commission authorizes contract amendments for Cascade Pole site cleanup, new headquarters  

Contract amendments with firms involved with the cleanup of the Cascade Pole site, design of a new headquarters and auditing work passed muster ...

Olympia City Council to weigh in on resolutions related to November ballot

The Olympia City Council will consider resolutions related to one regional proposition and two statewide initiatives on the Nov. 3 General Election ...

Washington's minimum wage rising to nearly $18 an hour in 2027

Washington’s minimum wage workers will get a 3.5 percent pay bump in ...

Port of Olympia Commission raises concerns over Deschutes Estuary communication

Port of Olympia Commission members criticized the lack of communication with the Washington State Department of Ecology ahead of a vote on ...

Committee reviews Swantown expansion project from Port of Olympia

The Port of Olympia is proposing a 32,500-square-foot expansion of its Swantown Marina & Boatworks yard to increase capacity and improve ...

PSE new rate hike proposal draws public ire at hearing in Lacey

The room was packed with a line out the door during the public comment hearing for a Puget Sound Energy rate proposal ...

Two more projects eyed as part of Olympia Crossings initiative

The City of Olympia plans to advance two public art projects at Harrison Avenue and Division Street and Henderson Boulevard and ...

Lacey utility boxes to feature more historical stories 

More local history could soon appear in public spaces around the City of Lacey, as it continues the utility box art program this ...

Home sales fall, active listings jump in Thurston County

Single-family home sales retreated in the final full month of summer despite a wide range of options for prospective buyers in the ...
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 Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026

Thurston County Sheriff’s Office On 10/4/26 at 7:09 p.m. in the 3300 block of 78th Avenue SE, sheriff’s deputies arrested Hannah Rose Garcia, 30, on suspicion of 1) hit and run attended, and …

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Gardening & outdoors

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 ...

Nisqually birding notes

This coming weekend is the Nisqually Watershed Festival, and that prompted me to wonder just how important our Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually ...

California condors

Weeks ago a JOLT reader asked, “Will we ever see California condors in Thurston County?” She had read an article about the ...

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Arts & Entertainment
IN THE AUDIENCE
Rachel Benton

A conversation with Angi Swan 

Every time I attend a choir concert, I love taking a few moments to focus on the pianist — the “unsung hero,” if you ...

Rachel Benton

Death Dancer’s new location, The Edge, to open during Olympia Fall Arts Walk  

When you hear the name “Death Dancer,” what images come to mind? Perhaps Walt Disney’s dancing skeletons from ...
Rachel Benton

Review: Olympia Family Theater’s 7th annual ‘Tales Told in Ten!’  play festival

Olympia’s most charming play festival, Olympia Family Theater’s 7th annual 24-hour play festival, “Tales Told in Ten!,” took place ...

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Opinions: Yours & our columnists
Things: You can’t live without them, but you can’t take them with you 
The word "thing" originally meant an assembly where Germanic tribes and Vikings met to settle ...
Wait. That's weird. God in Olympia. And 23.
A year ago, I put out The Jesus Beat, a review of Olympia churches. Since then, local clergy and lay religious leaders have …
It’s time to raise our game downtown
I recently went downtown with my family for breakfast on a Saturday, and the conditions and behaviors we saw were very ...
Dangers on the Oregon Trail
In leading my weekly walking tours of Olympia, I ask, “Where does the Oregon Trail end?” Most people answer California or ...
How Germany shaped the way I view food
When I look back on my five years in Germany, it is not just the food that comes to mind. I remember the picturesque ...

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Calendar of events
Olympia headlines
Browse a huge selection of used books, attend a festival or participate in a pinochle tournament this weekend in Thurston ...
A crime trends summary from Olympia Police Department, which was presented by Chief Shelby Parker at a Community Livability & Public Safety meeting on Sept. 23, 2026.  
The Olympia Police Department (OPD) reported declines in several crime categories in the first half of 2026, while dealing with staffing challenges ...
Students and parents weighed in on proposed school closures at an Olympia School District Board of Directors meeting on Sept. 24, 2026.
Parents and students sounded off on proposed school closures ahead of a looming decision on the issue by the Olympia School District Board ...
People are invited to join a walk audit in Olympia on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026.  
Local residents are invited to join an Olympia walk and bike audit on Saturday, Oct. 3, as local organizations aim to highlight everyday challenges faced ...
The Esther R. Knox Building is located at 111 Bethel St. NE in Olympia.
October is Disability Inclusion Month at Olympia School District, the Board of Directors proclaimed at a ...

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Tumwater headlines
A slide from Tumwater Finance Director Troy Niemeyer’s presentation to the Tumwater City Council on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026, showed proposed rate increases to drinking water, sewer and stormwater fees. 
Utility rates are poised to climb in Tumwater over the next two years, as the city looks to raise the money needed to pay for capital projects and ...
The Davis Meeker Garry oak tree in Tumwater, as seen on Monday, Sept. 28, 2026.
A storied oak tree near Olympia Regional Airport took a hit when a large branch broke off and fell to the ground during a windstorm on ...
Tumwater City Hall is located at 555 Israel Road in Tumwater.
Funding requests from the Tumwater Water Resources & Sustainability Department and Tumwater Valley Municipal Golf Course have been ...

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Thurston County
Intercity Transit Authority approved the purchase of up to two tube trailers for the storage and transfer of fuel for the agency’s hydrogen bus fleet. 
Intercity Transit will procure up to two tube trailers to support its hydrogen ...
A Thurston County Sheriff’s Office patrol SUV.
A Thurston County Sheriff’s Office patrol deputy was terminated for allegedly failing to investigate a domestic violence incident and ...
Offutt Lake in Thurston County.
Health advisories have been issued for Clear Lake and Offutt Lake in Thurston County because of toxic algae ...

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Lacey headlines
Thurston County Realtors Association representatives presented their Voluntary+ Home Energy Score proposal to the Lacey City Council on Sept. 22, 2026. 
The City of Lacey is facing competing arguments over Home Energy ...
The Lacey City Council Chambers inside of Lacey City Hall at 420 College St. SE. 
Twenty-nine people applied to fill the Lacey City Council seat vacated by Nicolas Martinez-Dunning, but not all of them are guaranteed an interview ...
Lacey City Council members discussed community partnerships with Joint Base Lewis-McChord Garrison Commander Col. Joseph Handke during a work session on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026. 
The City of Lacey and Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) are looking for new ways to serve military personnel and families living in the ...
Lacey City Hall is located at 420 College St. in Lacey.  
The City of Lacey is looking to add new members to a couple of advisory ...
Lacey City Council members discussed the Franz Anderson regional housing agreement before members of the public during a meeting on Sept. 15, 2026. 
The City of Lacey is proceeding with a $3 million contribution to the Franz Anderson housing project despite concerns over spending and ...

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More local news
 'Better than before': Historic Washington State Capitol Campus building reopens in Olympia
More than two years of construction and $131 million later, a historic building on the Washington State Capitol Campus is ...
Tumwater School District board adopts revised policies related to students
The Tumwater School District Board of Directors adopted policies related to the welfare of students with disabilities and responsible phone use, along ...
Food inspection results in Thurston County — Sept. 28, 2026
Restaurant inspection reports focus on two types of violations: red and ...
Report: Washington voters of color more likely to have ballots challenged
Younger voters and voters of color in Washington state see their ballots challenged for signature issues more often than their older and white ...
Olympia City Council explores workplace protections for low-wage workers 
The Olympia City Council moved away from reviving the failed Workers’ Bill of Rights, instead agreeing to direct staff to focus on low-wage ...
Trump administration’s voter roll lawsuit dismissed in Washington
SEATTLE — A federal judge in Seattle on Tuesday, Sept. 22, tossed the Trump administration’s lawsuit against Washington seeking the state’s voter ...
Ballots mailed to military, overseas voters for Nov. 3 General Election in Thurston County
The Thurston County Auditor’s Office Elections Division said it has mailed more than 10,000 ballots out to military and overseas voters for the ...
Olympia School District superintendent presents written analysis for school closures 
A written analysis has been published to give the Olympia School District (OSD) Board of Directors and residents an overview of the proposed closure ...
Committee sends proposed home-based business rules back to Olympia Planning Commission
Proposed changes to the home-based business regulations are heading back to the Olympia Planning Commission for further review because of a ...
CARES Program agreement renewed in Tumwater
The Tumwater City Council authorized the renewal of a grant agreement to continue funding a referral program that connects individuals to ...

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