THURSTON COUNTY –– The Thurston County Chamber of Commerce (TCCC) started hosting “ribbon tying” events at local stores this week in an effort to celebrate the beginning of re-opening businesses. more

TUMWATER — A fire that broke out Saturday at the empty Olympia Brewery was deemed the work of an arsonist, according to a press release from the Tumwater Police Department, and some local officials said the latest fire highlights the need to restore the community staple to its original glory. more

LACEY –– North Thurston Education Foundation (NTEF) awarded scholarships this week to several graduating high school students in the area totalling $136,000 between 41 students. more

TUMWATER –– As the community begins to open up after months of a coronavirus-induced shutdown, the Tumwater Valley Golf Club is one of the first local businesses to celebrate the reopening with ”Rock the Range,” a weekly event scheduled for Friday nights starting June 19. more

To JOLT: Serious question: (two actually) 1 - Why is there no coverage of the demonstration regarding the murder of George Floyd and racial inequality? 2- Why are there no people of color … more

THURSTON COUNTY, May 28, 2020 -- Several hundred supporters of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Thurston County watched the 17th annual Foundation for the Future fundraiser live on Facebook this … more

OLYMPIA, May 27, 2020 – Seventy-two days after Governor Jay Inslee’s statewide lockdown orders were issued, the Washington State Department of Health granted Thurston County permission to … more

One of my greatest memories, and that which separated South Sounders from others, is berry picking. Every kid during the 1950’s and 1960's picked berries.  As soon as school let out in … more

OLYMPIA, May 22, 2020 - Two firetrucks and a batallion from Olympia Fire Department remained on the scene of the fire that destroyed the Quality Inn on Quince St., 21 hours after it was reported just … more

OLYMPIA - Fri., May 22 - The Quality Inn at 1211 Quince St. SE was substantially destroyed last night by a fire that started at approximately 12:01 a.m.  Approximately 80 guests were … more

OLYMPIA - Thu., May 21- Thurston County's Board of Health is set to meet Friday, May 22 at 8:30 a.m. about whether to apply to the state to move to Safe Start Phase 2 re-opening rules. This board … more

The Journal of Olympia, Lacey & Tumwater and The Daily JOLT are published by The JOLT News Organization, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, EIN 87-2868827. Our mission: The JOLT News … more

Alexis Rae Baker -- Lexis@theJOLTnews.com -- has written the "Advice from A Lexis" column each Monday in The JOLT  since December 2020.  She grew up in Thurston County and earned her … more

Danny Stusser -- danny@theJOLTnews.com -- is the publisher of The JOLT and executive director of The JOLT News Organization , its nonprofit owner. He has been a news junkie since age 12 when he … more

Ken Balsley is Thurston County's most experienced journalist and columnist.  He has published "Ken's Corner" in several different local newspapers.  He's done it on the air for several local radio stations - currently KGY FM 95.3 and has published it in his blog "Ken's Corner & The Real News" which can be found at  kenbalsley.com. He has been in the media, journalism, radio, social media business for 49 years.  more

Linda Villegas Bremer grew up speaking Spanish in Mission, TX.  The first member of her family to earn a college degree, she worked in a series of progressively more challenging consulting and … more

Janine Gates has published more than 500 articles covering land use in Thurston County, local government, social, economic, racial and environmental justice, business, politics, and individuals and organizations making a difference in the blog she started in 2009, Janine's Little Hollywood. She lives in her 1914-built house in Olympia. more

Meta Hogan has been a promoter of local and citizen journalism since 2001, when she started as a copyeditor at the Cooper Point Journal.  She founded the Voice of Olympia street newspaper in 2003, actively participated in the heyday of OlyBlog, and co-owned and published Olympia Power & Light newspaper 2009-2016. more

Bob Jacobs describes himself as a "full-time advocate for good government and a positive future."  He served on the Olympia City Council and as mayor of Olympia from 1993-1999. Surrounding those years he was a policy and budget analyst for the states of Washington and Alaska.  He owns and manages residential rental properties, serves on non-profit boards and is a U.S. Army veteran. more