Browse | The JOLT News Organization, a 501(c)(3) Nonprofit

City officials hire new department directors

TUMWATER –– The Tumwater City Council is expected to approve two current city employees moving into new roles with the city government on Tuesday night, Aug. 4. more

By Prachi Gohil of JOLT | 7/30/20

Police Blotter Wednesday, July 29

Lacey Police Department Alejandro J.F. Rathbun, 22, was arrested around 6:15 a.m. in the 1100 block of College Street Southeast in Lacey. He was charged with driving without a license. … more

By Andrew Oslin of JOLT | 7/30/20

The state's first diverging diamond interchange is coming to Lacey, and will be constructed on Marvin Road and Interstate 5.

State prepares for first-ever diverging diamond interchange in Lacey

LACEY –– Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is building the state's first-ever diverging diamond interchange in Lacey next month, a project intended to improve travel and safety. more

By Prachi Gohil of JOLT | 7/30/20

Thurston County business leaders spoke about child care and working families in the area at this week's Declassified meeting, a virtual meeting between business professionals in the area.

Local business leaders talk childcare and the workforce

OLYMPIA –– Business leaders gathered in this week’s “Declassified” meeting to discuss challenges to working families accessing local childcare and impacts to lack of access on the workforce in Thurston County. more

By Madeline Shannon of JOLT | 7/30/20

Olympia School Board to approve a school reopening plan

OLYMPIA –– The Olympia School Board, the governing body of the Olympia School District, is meeting Monday, Aug. 3 to discuss the district’s fall reopening plan. more

By Prachi Gohil of JOLT | 7/30/20

Road Stripe Painting – Avoid Wet Paint

Road crews will paint new center lines, edge lines and bike lanes on streets citywide from 6 a.m. - 6 p.m., Aug. 1 & 2, 2020. more

Courtesy of City of Tumwater | 7/29/20

Firefighters from the Tumwater Fire Department responded to a fire by a storage facility off of Interstate 5 late Tuesday. The fire was caused by a boat that fell off a trailer, which caused dry grass and trees on the side of the road to start burning. Officials from other fire departments also responded to the incident.

Fallen boat results in fire on I-5

TUMWATER –– A boat that fell off the trailer was the cause of a fire early Tuesday evening on Interstate 5 at milepost 102, according to Tumwater Fire Department officials. more

By Madeline Shannon of JOLT | 7/29/20

Olympia city officials talked about a new apartment building set to go up on 7th Avenue. The project is expected to be completed in two phases.

Plans for new Olympia apartment building on 7th avenue SW

OLYMPIA –– A new four-story apartment building is in the works in Olympia. more

By Andrew Oslin of JOLT | 7/29/20

The Tumwater City Council talked trees this week to discuss the city's urban forestry program.

Tumwater tree canopy to be expanded in coming years

TUMWATER –– Tumwater city officials talked about the city’s aims for 50 percent of its land to integrate a natural tree canopy by 2040 after the issue came up at the Tuesday night city council meeting. more

By Andrew Oslin of JOLT | 7/28/20

Police Blotter Tuesday July 28, 2020

Lacey Police Department Hannah Rose Bracy, 29, was arrested around 2:37 p.m. in the 600 block of 4 th Avenue East. She was charged with domestic violence. Joshua M. Beacon, 32, was arrested … more

By Andrew Oslin of JOLT | 7/28/20

Police blotter Tuesday, July 27

Lacey Police Department Arthur Earl Shaw, 60, was arrested around 1:48 a.m. in the 2400 block of Marvin Road Northeast. He was charged with shoplifting and had a warrant issued for his arrest … more

By Andrew Oslin of JOLT | 7/28/20

Japanese Knotweed, deceptively beautiful, is a pesky plant local man Denny Hamilton continues to battle in his yard.

Knotweed: the opposition

OLYMPIA –– Even in human time, it hasn’t been long. From the beginning until now, it’s been a bit more than two months. more

By Denny Hamilton for JOLT | 7/28/20

Local man Denny Hamilton took this photo when out on a hike in Watershed Park recently. His walks through nature in the time of COVID-19 prompted him to think about types of hikers he's encountered when outdoors.

Trail etiquette in the time of COVID

OLYMPIA –– I have only lived in Olympia for a few months. Most of that time has been during social distancing, face masks and hand washing in the COVID era. more

By Denny Hamilton for JOLT | 7/27/20 | 1 comment

Police Blotter July 24-26, 2020

Friday, July 24 Lacey Police Department Joshua Lee Bryant, 37, was arrested around 12:23 a.m. July 24 in the 200 block of West Bay Drive Northwest. He was charged with driving without a … more

By Andrew Oslin of JOLT | 7/26/20

Nicole Barer, 16, started her own soap company, NRB's Beauty, in March. Her first quarter of sales was so successful, she said, that she wanted to host two pop-up shops this summer to celebrate.

Local girl launches successful soap company

OLYMPIA –– It started with sensitive skin and pretty soap. The then-10-year-old Olympia resident, Naomi Barer, would walk into a store that sold beautiful soaps that the sensitive-skinned Barer couldn’t use. more

By Madeline Shannon of JOLT | 7/26/20

The now-empty Olympian building, where The Olympian set up shop. The current staff at the local daily moved operations to a new, nondescript building in Olympia.

McClatchy sold to New Jersey hedge fund

OLYMPIA –– A bankruptcy court judge issued a decision in a New York court late Friday that McClatchy, the 163-year-old news media company that owns more than two dozen newspapers nationwide, including The Olympian, would be sold to one of the two major hedge funds that owns most of the company’s debt. more

By Madeline Shannon of JOLT | 7/24/20

A protestor holds a Black Lives Matter flag at Heritage Park in Olympia.

Olympians gather in Heritage Park to support Portland protests

OLYMPIA –– A crowd of protestors gathered in Heritage Park in Olympia on Friday, July 25 to stand in solidarity with protestors in Seattle and in Portland, Ore. who have come under attack in recent days from federal forces sent in by President Donald Trump. more

Madeline Shannon of JOLT | 7/24/20

Police blotter July 23, 2020

Olympia Police Department James Earl Jones, 23, was arrested around 3 a.m. in the 1900 block of 4 th Avenue West in Olympia. He was charged with the possession of drug paraphernalia and driving … more

By Andrew Oslin of JOLT | 7/24/20

Dr. Dimyana Abdelmalek is Thurston County's new public health officer.

Thurston County Health Officer releases new letter to the public

Hello Thurston County! We are definitely seeing an increase in COVID-19 cases in Thurston County. The most common ways people are becoming infected is through travel, social gatherings, and from other people within their household. Now is the time to be physically distant, but socially connected. more

Dr. Dimyana Abdelmalek | 7/24/20

Lacey officials allocate CARES Act money

LACEY –– The Lacey City Council approved the use of the remaining $408,100 in CARES Act funding to be divided equally between Economic Recovery and Social Services on Thursday night. more

By Prachi Gohil of JOLT | 7/24/20