Search Results for 'jm simpson' | The JOLT News Organization, a 501(c)(3) Nonprofit

Will AI end us?

Why would companies like OpenAI, Anthropic and Google develop artificial intelligence (AI) programs they do not fully understand and cannot ... more

By JM Simpson | 9/17/26 | 3 comments

Debt and the loss of America’s role as a world leader

As the current and rising total public debt outstanding of $40 trillion continues to skyrocket, the country’s inability to pay it down ... more

By JM Simpson | 9/9/26 | 3 comments

The threat of a diminished Social Security system

Senators elected in this November’s elections will be in office in 2032, the year the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance ... more

By JM Simpson | 8/31/26 | 7 comments

A demolition excavator prepares to finish leveling the last standing part of the old General Administration Building on Friday, Aug. 14, 2026.

General Administration Building on Capitol Campus gets demolished

The mechanical Tyrannosaurus rex swung its massive head around and bit into the side of what once was the General Administration Building in ... more

By JM Simpson | 8/17/26 | 5 comments

Rowers on the SLAP Dragons KC Dragon Boat Team rested after completing their first qualifying row.

Dragon boats play on the water

For the third year in a row, the Olympia Dragon Boat Club hosted the Olympia Dragon Boat Festival at Port Plaza on July ... more

By JM Simpson | 7/14/26 | 2 comments

The "By Name List," as seen at "The Jungle" homeless encampment in Olympia.

Accountability, transparency key in effort to close 'The Jungle'

In July 2025, officials from the cities of Olympia and Lacey toured "The Jungle," a homeless encampment located between Martin Way and ... more

By JM Simpson | 7/13/26 | 10 comments

The Olympia Union Gospel Mission is wrapping up work on the addition of 10 new tiny houses in order to broaden its mission to help the homeless. The houses are seen here on June 3, 2026.

Building on a prayer

Camp Mercy is a five-unit tiny house village in a part of Olympia Union Gospel Mission (OUGM), which began its outreach to the homeless in ... more

By JM Simpson | 6/16/26 | 2 comments

A public restroom located on 4th Avenue East between Adam and Jefferson Street Southeast in downtown Olympia has been closed for over a year. The public restroom, as seen on Dec. 25, 2025.

The tale of the toilet

Sometime between Christmas Eve and Christmas Day of 2025, a homeless man identifying himself as Henry pitched a small tent next to ... more

By JM Simpson | 5/29/26 | 8 comments

Time to protest for an end to homelessness

Timothy stood leaning against a wall in an alley in downtown Olympia, Washington. He shouldered a blanket; his hands held a crumpled ... more

By JM Simpson | 4/17/26 | 8 comments

'Sheltered by Hope'

Mary May’s life journey and story is not only about being twice homeless, it is also about understanding and confronting the epidemic of ... more

By JM Simpson | 2/13/26 | 1 comment

Army veteran Danny Burkett, founder and CEO of Our Ark, sits at her kitchen table on Jan. 10, 2026, just before beginning a 45-day walk in order to raise awareness about youth and young adult homelessness.

Walking to help homeless youths and young adults

Danny Burkett walks her talk when advocating for homeless youths and ... more

By JM Simpson | 2/5/26 | 2 comments

Danny Burkett (back row, center), Executive Director and CEO of Our Ark, a nonprofit that serves homeless youths and young adults, stands with members of Olympia’s Elk Lodge #186 after receiving a Gratitude Grant from the lodge on Dec. 22, 2025.

Elks Lodge helps to keep Our Ark afloat

Through the efforts of Olympia’s Elks Lodge #186, Our Ark, a Lacey-based nonprofit, recently received a much needed ... more

By JM Simpson | 1/5/26 | 2 comments

Thousands of people gathered at the Washington State Capitol Campus in Olympia on Saturday, June 14, 2025, as part of the "No Kings" protests held across the country.

A look back at some of the top stories in 2025

The road through 2025 was paved with stories that resonated deeply with readers of The JOLT News. From the trials and tribulations of a ... more

By Wyatt Haupt Jr. | 12/31/25 | 2 comments

Franklin Street Harm Reduction in downtown Olympia helps individuals in leading their own recovery.

Reducing harm among the vulnerable

Harm reduction is about meeting individuals where they are, not what society wants them to be. It offers a flexible framework from which ... more

By JM Simpson | 11/4/25 | 10 comments

Lindsey Trimble leads witches and family members past the Sticks & Bones Marching Band on the way down to the water on Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025.

Witches on the water

For the third year in a row, witches gathered on Sunday, Oct. 12, at Northpoint Plaza and flew — OK, paddled or knelt on paddleboards — from Swantown Marina ... more

By JM Simpson | 10/21/25 | 1 comment

A demonstrator holds an upside down American flag, which indicates a sign of distress, at the "No Kings 2.0" rally at the Washington State Capitol Campus in Olympia on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025.

'No Kings' rally draws thousands of people to Washington State Capitol Campus

Thousands of people converged on the Washington State Capitol Campus in Olympia on Saturday, Oct. 18, to protest policies enacted by President Donald Trump ... more

By JM Simpson | 10/18/25 | 17 comments

Heather Pens, a member of the Olympia Friends Meeting, mixed eggs during the preparation of two large pans of frittatas in her kitchen on Friday, Oct. 10, 2025. “I do this because the homeless need food,” she said.

Walking a prayer

Heather Pens is a personification of an old West African proverb and Quaker saying, “When you pray, move your ... more

By JM Simpson | 10/16/25 | 4 comments

Chuck Kennedy, owner of Olympic Crest Coffee Roasters, keeps a close eye on the roasting of beans for gourmet coffee on Monday, Oct. 6, 2025.

Something wonderful happens with coffee

For Chuck Kennedy coffee is not just a drink — it is something wonderful that happens; it is part of the Pacific Northwest coffee ... more

By JM Simpson | 10/8/25 | 1 comment

The Jesus beat: DSW visits nine churches

No one told me terrible things happen (to people like me) in churches. But through social and cultural osmosis, that's exactly what I'd picked up, which is why ... more

By David Scherer Water | 9/26/25 | 8 comments

Annalise Landy, a student at Bellarmine Preparatory School, works to ensure the sail on her boat is snug on Sept. 14, 2025. She was one of sixty participants during the 2025 Northwest Interscholastic Sailing Association Women’s & Nonbinary Qualifiers for the Pacific Coast Interscholastic Sailing Association’s Girls Invitational.

The joy of sailing

Sailing combines the joy of being out on the water with the desire to learn more about the art and craft of the sport. This attitude was on full display during the ... more

By JM Simpson | 9/22/25 | 1 comment