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Tuesday, November 10, 2026
TOP STORIES

Clouse builds lead in Thurston County Commissioner District 5 race, library bond measure cruising

Thurston County District No. 5 Commissioner Emily Clouse widened her lead to nearly 7,000 votes over Nicolas Martinez-Dunning in the ...

Western Trails multifamily project advances with design conditions in Olympia 

The Olympia Design Review Board recommended approval of the conceptual design for Western Trails, a proposed 228-unit multifamily ...

Lacey City Council tees up transportation tax renewal for February ballot 

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 ...

Air taxi to Washington Legislature: Spokane-Olympia direct flights to launch in 2027

Traveling from Eastern Washington to Olympia for the state’s legislative session just got ...

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 ...

Development agreement approved for Costco warehouse in Tumwater

The Tumwater City Council authorized Mayor Leatta Dahlhoff to sign a development agreement with Costco Wholesale Corporation for a ...

City of Lacey prepares road deicing measures ahead of winter

The City of Lacey has expanded its snowplow routes and increased on-call staffing for the 2026-27 winter ...
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 Monday, Nov. 9, 2026

Lacey Police Department On 11/9/26 at 5:38 p.m. in the 8500 block of Steilacoom Road SE, police arrested Jareth B. Roldan, 20, on suspicion of violation of anti-harassment/protection order. …

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Gardening & outdoors

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 ...

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 ...

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Arts & Entertainment
IN THE AUDIENCE
Rachel Benton

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 ...

Rachel Benton

A conversation with Kevin Mason and Mary Miller of Capitol City Caramels 

Raise your hand if you were feeling tense about the election. Me too, so I wanted to offer us something extra sweet, buttery, and warm to ...
Rachel Benton

Timberline High School students discuss 'Come From Away'

A couple of weeks ago, Dr. Adam Jones and the cast of Timberline High School’s “Come From Away” let me join them for a conversation ...

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Opinions: Yours & our columnists
Fresh eyes 
If life on Earth could be said to have a purpose, it may be creation’s way of experiencing itself. From the first animalcules, through ...
Don’t throw away the whey! The art of making ingredients work twice 
Have you ever started preparing one dish in the kitchen and ended up creating something entirely different with the ingredients left ...
Nonprofits are back in the news starting today
Editor’s note:  Today, we’re welcoming Clarissa Lundeen as our new columnist focusing on nonprofits in Thurston ...
Sneak peek: 'Alice in Wonderland' by Ballet Victoria
Alice — you know, Lewis Carroll’s girl who went to wonderland — is coming to Olympia! Thanks to our beloved Ballet ...
The NAACP of Thurston County
For more than 100 years, the NAACP has fought for equality. Founded in 1909, our work continues today to protect voting rights and ...

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Calendar of events
Olympia headlines
After seven years of absence, the Jinglebell Parade is coming back to downtown Olympia, complete with holiday floats, lights and marching ...
Olympia City Hall is located at 601 4th Ave. E in downtown Olympia.
The City of Olympia is looking for residents who would like to serve on advisory bodies that help shape local policies, preserve historic ...
Olympia Planning Director Nicole Floyd presented AI-generated illustrations of a single-family home with two adult dwelling unitss, showing attached and detached configurations, during an Olympia Planning Commission meeting on Monday, Nov. 2, 2026.  
The City of Olympia allows four to six homes per lot in designated low-density residential zones, plus up to two accessory dwelling units ...
The 260-acre Capitol Lake, 5th Avenue dam, Port of Olympia, and South Puget Sound as seen on Thursday morning, Oct. 29, in downtown Olympia. Rafts of wigeons and other migratory birds could be heard from the Washington State Law Enforcement Memorial. 
A handful of community members gave their input at a public hearing held on Wednesday evening, Oct. 28, in downtown Olympia on new ...
The Council of Neighborhood Associations (CNA) is inviting Olympia residents to a community forum to discuss neighborhood needs and ...

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Tumwater headlines
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 ...
The Tumwater School District Board of Directors adopted revisions of three policies related to student health and wellness at a meeting on Oct. 26, 2026.
The Tumwater School District Board of Directors (TSD) adopted three revised policies related to student health and wellness to align with state ...
The Davis Meeker Gary oak tree on Old Highway 99 in Tumwater on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026. Two branches fell from the southwestern portion of the historic tree on Sept. 25, 2026.
Tumwater City Council members weighed in on the  future of the historic Davis Meeker Gary oak tree ahead of a decision on funding for ...

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Thurston County
Election workers inspected ballots for the Nov. 3 General Election at the Ballot Processing Center in Tumwater on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026.
A second term in office remained within the grasp of Thurston County Commissioner Emily Clouse, who has maintained a consistent margin ...
A team of election workers inspected ballots at the Ballot Processing Center in Tumwater on Wednesday afternoon, Nov. 4, 2026.
Thurston County Commissioner Emily Clouse padded her lead over challenger Nicolas Martinez-Dunning in a battle for the District No. 5 seat in ...
The ThurstonCounty Ballot Processing Center in Tumwater on Tuesday afternoon, Nov. 3, 2026.
Incumbent Emily Clouse held a nearly 5,000 vote advantage over challenger Nicolas Martinez-Dunning in the race ...

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Lacey headlines
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 ...
Lacey Fire District 3 shared a message of appreciation in the aftermath of the Nov. 3 General Election.
Support for the Lacey Fire District 3 (LFD3) bond measure is running strong, based on unofficial returns from the Nov. 3 General ...
Deputy Mayor Malcolm Miller, left, presented the Veterans Appreciation Month proclamation to Hire Heroes USA Program Manager Dave Martinez during a Lacey City Council meeting on Monday, Nov. 2, 2026. 
Veterans and military families are at the center of a citywide recognition in ...
The Lacey Commission on Equity engaged with community members at its booth during a public event in 2025. 
The City of Lacey is accepting applications for a vacant position on the Commission on ...
The LOTT Clean Water Alliance presented its regional wastewater system map during a Lacey City Council work session on Oct. 27, 2026. 
The LOTT Clean Water Alliance is preparing a major wastewater infrastructure upgrade in the City of ...

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More local news
 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 ...
TRPC to mull transportation grant awards for a number of proposals 
The Thurston Regional Planning Council (TRPC) is going to consider approving $16 million in federal transportation grant awards at a meeting ...
Olympia unveils 2027 Water Resources calendar featuring student artwork 
The Olympia City Council recognized middle school students for using their creativity to promote stormwater pollution prevention in the ...
Governor mobilizes National Guard for added security for ballot drop boxes in Washington
In a precedent-setting move, members of the Washington National Guard are being deployed in seven counties to help protect ballot drop boxes in ...
Food inspection results in Thurston County — Monday, Nov. 2, 2026
Restaurant inspection reports focus on two types of violations: red and ...
Six-year transportation plan features major corridor improvements in Olympia
Millions of dollars in transportation improvements are planned over the next six years in the City of Olympia, including enhanced pedestrian ...
Tumwater committee advances reinstitution of fire impact fees 
The Tumwater Budget & Finance Committee recommended the adoption of an ordinance that would reinstate fire impact fees on ...
Idled coal power plant generates a natural gas fight near Centralia
The owner of the only remaining coal power plant in the Pacific Northwest is doggedly proceeding with a plan to extend its life by converting to ...
Active listings jump, median price for a home unchanged in Thurston County
Single-family home and condominium listings remained firmly above the 1,000 mark in the final weeks of summer, as sellers continued to look to ...
Regional education team wins state awards for communication efforts 
The communication team at the regional office responsible for school districts within Thurston County won 12 awards from the state for communication ...

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