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Police Blotter for Fri.-Sun., Aug. 13-15, 2021

Lacey Police Department On 8/13/2021 at 12:16 a.m. in the 4300 block of Wonderwood Ln SE, police arrested Mark-lois O Mina, 38, for an 1) out-of-town warrant and 2) violation of the ignition … more

8/16/21

Timothy David Valentine, accused of felony assault against a restaurant employee on August 8, 2021

Felony assault charge for disorderly bar patron

A man allegedly assaulted an employee at a downtown nightspot, tackling and wrestling him to the ground, on Sunday, August 8. Timothy David Valentine, 38, of Graham, had allegedly been harassing … more

By Danny Stusser | 8/16/21

The only thing missing from this image, used to illustrate this story is a stolen handgun.

Drunk, gun-toting felon found asleep at the wheel, police say

An allegedly intoxicated felon was found slumped over the steering wheel and possessing an illegal handgun when he was contacted by Lacey Police on Thu., Aug.12, just past midnight. Carlos Reyna … more

By The JOLT Staff | 8/16/21

A staff member at the Thurston County Correctional Facility removes water from floors flooded after damage to sprinkler heads on August 4, 2021.

Three Thurston jail inmates accused of destroying fire suppression and intercom components

Three Thurston Jail inmates allegedly caused over $1,000 in damage, destroying each of their cell’s fire suppression/sprinkler system and intercom system on Wed., Aug. 4. Austin Roy-Levi … more

By Danny Stusser | 8/16/21 | 1 comment

This feature documentary is available to stream at no charge from Sun., Aug. 15 through Tue., Aug. 17. It shows the experiences of five American Muslim families in 2017-18.

“American Muslim” film free this Sunday through Tuesday

“American Muslim” tackles relevant issues such as racism, and bigotry in the age of social media. “This film is really into bridge-building work and helping to shatter the … more

By Danny Stusser | 8/13/21

The new sign for the VA Olympia Outpatient Clinic was still in its protective shipping wrapper as recently as the week before the official opening of the clinic on Aug. 16, 2021.

New VA healthcare clinic in Olympia opens Aug. 16

Veterans seeking healthcare won’t have to travel to American Lake for many services after this Mon., Aug. 16, when the new VA Olympia Outpatient Clinic opens its doors to in-person … more

By Danny Stusser | 8/13/21 | 1 comment

Dr. Dimyana Abdelmalek, the Thurston County Health Officer.

County health officer tells more about the new masking directive

Hello Thurston County! I hope you are finding ways to stay cool in this hot weather we are having this week. On August 12, 2021, I issued a masking directive for Thurston County and joined … more

8/13/21

Color in the garden

Gertrude Jekyll, a wonderfully eccentric artist and gardener, was born in London in 1843 and spent most of her life in the English countryside. She was the author of several gardening books that … more

By Jill Severn | 8/13/21

Police Blotter for Thu., Aug. 12, 2021

Lacey Police Department On 8/12/2021 at 12:34 a.m. in the 5300 block of 24th Ave SE, police arrested Carlos Reyna Reyes, 36, on suspicion of 1) possessing a stolen firearm, 2) unlawful possession … more

8/13/21

EMBRACING – Laura embraces her son Nathan. She says kids who need special help are harmed further when the Department of Children, Youth, and Families puts them in unstable living conditions: It piles ‘trauma on top of trauma,’ she says. Laura and Nathan asked that their real names not be used in this report.

Can a court victory provide refuge for foster youth?

Laura was afraid her autistic son, Nathan, would accidentally kill himself. After a brain injury, the 13-year-old had begun setting fires in their house and had climbed onto the roof. Unable to find … more

By Allegra Abramo | InvestigateWest | 8/12/21

This image shows United States artillery technology that might or might not be the same as that being used in training at Joint Base Lewis McChord on July 22, 2021. The image is from Feb. 22, 2021 in a joint U.S.-French artillery training event in Djibouti.

JBLM to train with artillery until midnight Aug 13

Joint Base Lewis-McChord will conduct day and nighttime training with artillery from 12 a.m. Aug 10 to 11:59 p.m. Aug 13. Public queries or comments about noise may be directed to JBLM … more

8/12/21

The county began using this graphic on Aug. 12, 2021 in its social media postings to promote the new masking directive.

Back to masks: County health officer issues "directive" to boost use in indoor public settings

With Thurston County seeing near-record numbers of new COVID-19 cases, County Health Officer Dr. Dimyana Abdelmalek signed a joint statement today along with Health Officers from all 35 local health … more

By Danny Stusser | 8/12/21 | 1 comment

The Olympia City Council agreed that adopting the Department of Enterprise Services Estuary Alternative will be the most beneficial to the future of Capitol Lake. The council discussed their comments during the regular city council meeting on Tuesday, August 10.

Olympia City Council to State: Bring back the Estuary

The Olympia City Council shared their support for the Estuary Alternative which suggests the removal of the 5th Avenue Dam during the regular city council meeting on Tuesday, August 10. In a draft … more

8/12/21 | 2 comments

This Tumwater police vehicle is shown in daylight. The case the photo is illustrating happened before sunrise.

First-time DUI suspect fails to provide breath sample, winds up giving blood samples

An allegedly intoxicated woman driving 25 mph in a 35 mph zone, with her car’s right turn blinker on, aroused enough suspicion on the part of a Tumwater police officer to be pulled over for … more

By Danny Stusser | 8/12/21 | 1 comment

Pistol-whipped before being forced to drive, alleged kidnapping victim runs into Fred Meyer asking for help

A man allegedly pistol-whipped and kidnapped an acquaintance, forcing him to drive to the Fred Meyer story in Tumwater where the alleged victim ran inside, screaming for help, on Thu., July … more

By Danny Stusser | 8/12/21

Police Blotter for Wed., Aug. 11, 2021

Lacey Police Department On 8/11/2021 at 12:45 a.m. in the 5100 block of Yelm Hwy SE, police arrested Blake Paul Decou, 39, on suspicion of theft - shoplifting. On 8/11/2021 at 7:17 a.m. in the … more

8/12/21

Under the regulations being considered by the Olympia City Council, owners of short-term lodgings will need to register their businesses; some will need to purchase a city license.

Olympia considering regulations for short-term rentals

After a four-year process, the Olympia City Council saw the first reading of an ordinance that would regulate short-term rentals in the city. Community Planning and Development Director Leonard … more

8/11/21 | 2 comments

Police Blotter for Tue., Aug. 10, 2021

Lacey Police Department On 8/10/2021 at 12:46 p.m. in the 400 block of College St SE, police arrested Luke J Dye, 32, on suspicion of an out-of-town felony warrant. On 8/10/2021 at 7:58 p.m. … more

8/11/21

Police Blotter for Mon., Aug. 9, 2021

Lacey Police Department On 8/9/2021 at 1:14 a.m. in 2836 Mahogany St NE, police arrested Matias Tarango, 30, on suspicion of felony assault in the second degree. On 8/9/2021 at 3:06 p.m. in … more

8/11/21

Cooling centers open to the public Thu.-Fri., Aug. 12-13 from 1 - 7 p.m.

Too hot? Here is a list of "Cooling centers" -- locations open to the public along with their operating hours and Intercity Transit routes to get you there. Lacey Timberland Library500 College … more

8/11/21