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Thursday, October 8, 2026
TOP STORIES

Across-the-board utility rate hikes proposed in Olympia for 2027

A package of proposed utility rate hikes would lead to a roughly 5.5 percent overall rise to the average bi-monthly utility bill in the ...

Lacey City Council urges support for domestic violence survivors

The Lacey City Council proclaimed October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month during a meeting on ...

Utilities, striping work to close a stretch of Fones Road

A portion of Fones Road will be closed for a couple of nights, as crews continue raising utilities and striping a shared use ...

New assessment being done on damaged Davis Meeker Garry oak tree in Tumwater

The city of Tumwater is working with Todd Prager & Associates on a new assessment of the historic Davis Meeker Garry oak tree after ...

Olympia Planning Commission backs critical areas ordinance updates 

The Olympia Planning Commission backed updates to the Critical Area Ordinance (CAO), which covers wetlands, streams, fish and ...

Consultant sought for Grays Production Well treatment planning in Lacey

The City of Lacey is seeking a qualified consulting firm to guide the next phase of the Grays Production Well ...

Public hearing to be held on potential closure of McKenny Elementary School in Olympia

The registration window is open for people interested in participating in a public hearing about the proposed closure of McKenny Elementary School in ...

Burglary suspect uses handcuffs to escape from patrol vehicle, gets tracked down by K-9

A burglary suspect who used handcuffs to short out a switch and escape from the back of an aging patrol vehicle was recaptured and hauled ...

TRPC backs continued funding for Nisqually River Bridge project 

The Thurston Regional Planning Council (TRPC) approved legislative priorities for 2027, focusing on continued funding for the Nisqually River Bridge ...
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. 7, 2026

Thurston County Sheriff’s Office On 10/7/26 at 12:12 a.m. in the 5300 block of 79th Court SW, sheriff’s deputies arrested Jessica Dawn Curtis, 41, on suspicion of 1) second-degree assault, …

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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

Terry Shaw and his band play, discuss the music of Billy Joel 

Last time the band did this show, it sold out faster than I could spread the word! This show was truly extraordinary, which is why I’m excited to ...

Rachel Benton

Review: Thornton Wilder’s 'Our Town' by Harlequin Productions

Of all the shows Harlequin Productions (HQP) has put on, this is the one I have looked forward to ...
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 ...

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Opinions: Yours & our columnists
Fresh, smart and just enough
Every time I walk into a grocery store, one question comes to mind: Where did this food come ...
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 ...

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Calendar of events
Olympia headlines
The Cascade Pole site is located at the northern end of the Port of Olympia peninsula. The area is listed under the state’s Model Toxic Control Act due to contamination from past industrial wood treating operations. 
Contract amendments with firms involved with the cleanup of the Cascade Pole site, design of a new headquarters and auditing work passed muster ...
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.
The Olympia City Council will consider resolutions related to one regional proposition and two statewide initiatives on the Nov. 3 General Election ...
A conceptual rendering of the 5th Avenue Bridge, looking toward Budd Inlet.
Port of Olympia Commission members criticized the lack of communication with the Washington State Department of Ecology ahead of a vote on ...
The Olympia Site Plan Review Committee held a pre-submission conference on Wednesday Sept. 30, 2026, for the Port of Olympia’s proposed 32,500-square-foot expansion of its Swantown Boatworks yard. 
The Port of Olympia is proposing a 32,500-square-foot expansion of its Swantown Marina & Boatworks yard to increase capacity and improve ...
The entrance to the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission offices in Lacey.
The room was packed with a line out the door during the public comment hearing for a Puget Sound Energy rate proposal ...

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Tumwater headlines
Browse a huge selection of used books, attend a festival or participate in a pinochle tournament this weekend in Thurston ...
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 ...

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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 ...
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 ...

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Lacey headlines
Lacey Fire District 3 Headquarters Station 31 is located at 1231 Franz St. SE in Lacey. 
A resolution expressing support of a ballot measure that would authorize up to $98.3 million in general obligation bonds ...
Lacey City Hall is located at 420 College St. in Lacey.  
The City of Lacey is approaching six decades since ...
Evergreen Ballroom.
More local history could soon appear in public spaces around the City of Lacey, as it continues the utility box art program this ...
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 ...

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More local news
 Thurston County judge permanently blocks sheriff standards law
A judge on Friday, Oct. 2, threw out tough new job standards for county sheriffs approved by Washington lawmakers this year that critics ...
Food inspection results in Thurston County — Oct. 5, 2026
Restaurant inspection reports focus on two types of violations: red and ...
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 ...
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 ...
Olympia Police Department reports drops in some crime categories, staffing shortages 
The Olympia Police Department (OPD) reported declines in several crime categories in the first half of 2026, while dealing with staffing challenges ...
Students, parents push back on proposed school closures in Olympia
Parents and students sounded off on proposed school closures ahead of a looming decision on the issue by the Olympia School District Board ...
O-POP, Walk N Roll to host Capitol Way walk and bike audit 
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 ...
Tumwater City Council reviews funding requests for utilities, golf course 
Funding requests from the Tumwater Water Resources & Sustainability Department and Tumwater Valley Municipal Golf Course have been ...
'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 ...

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