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Friday, October 23, 2026
TOP STORIES

Commission directs Tumwater to accelerate treatment of Davis Meeker Garry oak tree

The Tumwater Historic Preservation Commission unanimously agreed to expedite treatment of the Davis Meeker Garry oak tree after ...

Lacey City Council appoints Kim Sauer to fill vacant position on governing body

The City of Lacey has a new council member. The Lacey City Council appointed Kim Sauer, a state government employee with more than 25 years of public ...

House Speaker makes case for unseating Gluesenkamp Perez in heated congressional race

House Speaker Mike Johnson returned to Washington state on Wednesday, Oct. 21, to campaign alongside Republican John Braun, a sign of how ...

Man arrested in connection with death of 5-year-old child

A man wanted in connection with the death of his 5-year-old child was arrested after a traffic stop in the Yelm ...

Olympia City Council votes to end 3 advisory bodies, plans new approaches to community engagement 

A trio of advisory bodies are going to sunset, while another one is going be restructured, after a year-long evaluation of the groups in ...

Last public hearing on school closures held at Madison Elementary School 

Madison Elementary School students and parents had strong feelings about the proposed closure of the school at a public hearing in ...

Spending tops $20M in hottest congressional race in the state: Gluesenkamp Perez vs. Braun

Candidates in Washington state’s most closely watched congressional race have spent more than $10 million entering the final weeks of the ...

JAS Commission approves 60 percent cut in Nisqually Indian Tribe agreement 

A cost-cutting request from the Nisqually Indian Tribe has resulted in changes to its animal control agreement with Joint Animal Services ...

Food inspection results in Thurston County — Oct. 21, 2026

Restaurant inspection reports focus on two types of violations: red and ...
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 Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026

Thurston County Sheriff’s Office On 10/21/26 at 7:39 a.m. in the area of Old Pacific Highway SE and Winlock Court SE, sheriff’s deputies arrested Alexander Paul McKrill, 32, on suspicion of …

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Gardening & outdoors

Rare birds at Nisqually

As I opined in a recent Thurston’s Birds column, the Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge is the premier ...

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 ...

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Arts & Entertainment
IN THE AUDIENCE
Rachel Benton

Sneak peek: Pug Bujeaud talks ‘A Spirited Manor’ by Theater Artists Olympia 

Just in time for the spooky season, Theater Artists Olympia (TAO) is opening its penny dreadful, "A Spirited Manor," this ...

"The Resistance: The HeART of the Matter" exhibit is open until Oct. 31, 2026.

Local organization holds free exhibit on American democracy

An art exhibition on a crisis in American democracy, "Resistance: The HeART of the Matter," is nearing an ...
Rachel Benton

Review: 'The Luna Sisters of Element' by Olympia Family Theater

What a privilege it was to be in the audience on Friday, Oct. 16, for the premiere of " The Luna Sisters of Element ," the new show based on ...

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Opinions: Yours & our columnists
What can I do with this fruit? 
Have you ever walked through a farmers market, spotted an ingredient you would not normally cook with and wondered: What can I do with ...
Review: Standing Room Only Theater’s ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ 
Do you remember the first time you saw "Little Shop of Horrors?" Did you see it on stage, watch the movie, or have you yet to experience this ...
Librarians and barbarians 
The Library of Alexandria in Alexandria, Egypt, was one of the largest, richest, and most famous research institutions and libraries of the ancient ...
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 ...
Review: ‘Sanctuary City’ by Harlequin Productions
The posters around town announce that Harlequin Productions is presenting "Our Town" in repertory with "Sanctuary ...

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Calendar of events
Olympia headlines
Local residents attended a public hearing about the possible closure of LP Brown Elementary School in Olympia gathered on Oct. 15, 2026.
A proposal to shutter LP Brown Elementary School in Olympia was questioned by a number of people who attended a recent public hearing on the ...
Washington Center for the Performing Arts Executive Director Jill Barnes updated the Olympia Finance Committee on facility improvements, including new carpeting and stair nosing intended to address concerns about the stairs. She made her remarks at a meeting on Monday, Oct. 19, 2026.
The Washington Center for the Performing Arts reported a clean audit, and outlined plans for facility improvements and community programming ...
Shaded areas on a state map show seven Olympia, Lacey and Tumwater neighborhoods that qualify for federal Opportunity Zones, four of which have been nominated.
From the Capital Mall area in Olympia to central Tumwater and Midtown Lacey, four Thurston County areas have been nominated for designations as ...
The Olympia City Council and Mayor Dontae Payne. Top row: Robert Vanderpool, left, Clark Gilman, Yến Huỳnh and Kelly Green. Bottom row: Dani Madrone, Payne and Paul Berendt.
State funding for environmental and transportation projects, as well as housing and homelessness services, have emerged as legislative priorities ...
An alternate driving route around the Fones Road Corridor Project in Olympia.
Partial daytime closures of Fones Road are going to take place next week, as work crews march toward completion of the multimillion-dollar street improvement ...

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Tumwater headlines
A preliminary rendering of the new city hall in Tumwater by architecture firm Artisan's Group.
The City of Tumwater is one step away from locking down a new location for city ...
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 ...

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Thurston County
Thurston County Emergency Management is urging residents to prepare for the upcoming flood season, know the risks involved and be ...
A map of the Yelm-Rainier-Tenino Trail in Thurston County.
The Thurston County Board of County Commissioners is proposing to transfer ownership of a section of the 14.5-mile Yelm-Rainier-Tenino Trail to ...
At a Transportation Policy Board meeting on Oct. 14, 2026, TRPC senior planner Aidan Dixon presented an update on the regional safety action plan, which draws on an analysis of 20,097 crashes recorded over five years.  
The Thurston Regional Planning Council (TRPC) is developing a plan to reduce traffic deaths and serious injuries in the ...

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Lacey headlines
The Lacey City Council considers a resolution supporting the Timberland Regional Library levy during a work session on Oct. 13, 2026.
The Lacey City Council endorsed a proposed levy lid lift measure from Timberland Regional Library that would generate millions of dollars in ...
The Joint Animal Services Commission discussed a proposed ASPCA mutual aid agreement during a meeting on Monday, Oct. 12, 2026. 
Joint Animal Services (JAS) will have a new avenue for requesting national assistance during major disasters and large-scale animal cruelty ...
Lacey City Hall is located at 420 College St. 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 ...
The City of Lacey earned a nomination for a federal economic development program that could open new investment opportunities in its Midtown District. 
The City of Lacey earned a nomination for a federal economic development program that could open new investment opportunities in ...
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 ...

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More local news
 At Washington State Capitol Campus, 'No Kings' rally is all about voting early
A smiling Judy Caron sat on a metal bench on the grounds of the Washington State Capitol campus, her face partially shielded from Saturday’s bright ...
New ad fires up debate in closely watched Gluesenkamp Perez, Braun race
Democratic U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez and Republican state Sen. John Braun faced off for their final debate on Tuesday, Oct. 13, each ...
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 ...
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 ...
'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 ...
Olympia proclaims October as Walk to School Month 
It's Walk to School Month in the City of ...

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