OLYMPIA –– With city officials recording vacancy rates of less than three percent in Olympia’s housing market, efforts are underway to put together an affordable housing plan that will assist in controlling rent prices, which are continually rising, city officials said. more

OLYMPIA –– The Olympia School Board discussed yesterday their district-wide plan for Career and Technical Education (CTE) course offerings. The Olympia School District offers CTE programs to all students in the seventh to twelfth grade, with an emphasis placed on accessibility and a wide spectrum of options. more

OLYMPIA - The Olympia City Council voted Tuesday night to distribute $1 million of economic development reserves to support community economic recovery efforts in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. more

OLYMPIA –– Dozens of people gathered at Yauger Skate Park in West Olympia late Friday afternoon to demonstrate against racism in a protest called “Thrash Against Racism and Police Brutality.” more

OLYMPIA –– A video posted on Facebook shows a man being beaten over the head during a protest outside Olympia City Hall on July 12, during which he bled profusely before fainting and receiving medical care. more

OLYMPIA –– The Olympia City Council approved on Tuesday a plan to address homelessness, which officials called the “One Community” Healthy, Safe & Housed Plan. more

OLYMPIA –– The Olympia City Council voted Tuesday night to pass a resolution that authorizes Olympia police to use chemical dispersion methods in crowd control efforts. The chemical dispersion agents are the third such exception to a city prohibition on less-than-lethal agents law enforcement can use on mobs and violent crowds who destroy property or set fires. The resolution passed by the city council took effect immediately.  The vote comes days after Olympia police officers were said to have been instructed to stand down from responding to property damage calls. Business owners downtown told JOLT earlier this week that a pack of vandals smashed five business’ windows late Saturday night into Sunday morning.  There were no arrests made despite the fact that six windows were broken at The Pet Works on Fourth Avenue East and Adams Street.  more

OLYMPIA -- The Olympia City Council approved a local artist, Andrea Wilbur-Sigo, to complete a street art crossing artwork installation on Eastside Street. more

THURSTON COUNTY –– The county’s acting public health officer, Dr. Diana Yu, stepped down from her role yesterday to resume retirement, beginning the transition to a new role for the county’s newest public health officer, Dr. Dimyana Abdelmalek. more

THURSTON COUNTY –– County Public Health Director Schelli Slaughter and business figures from the community gathered in a virtual meeting Thursday to discuss the resources available to local businesses responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, and resources available to local businesses if the pandemic continues to worsen in the greater Olympia metro area. more

TUMWATER –– The Port of Olympia’s impending New Market Industrial Campus lease option came up for air again last night, this time in a Tumwater City Council meeting that saw some city council members expressing concern over whether or not the Port should develop that property. more

OLYMPIA –– A large crowd came out to downtown Olympia last week to celebrate the life of Yvonne McDonald, a local Black woman who died under mysterious circumstances in Aug. 2018. more

LACEY –– Some of the City of Lacey’s government buildings and offices will start reopening today under modified hours now that Thurston County is moving into “Safe Start” Phase 3. more

THURSTON COUNTY –– As parks in the greater Olympia area start to open up under “Safe Start” Phase 3, government officials are starting to spread the word about what to do to stay safe while enjoying local parks. more

OLYMPIA –– The actor Sacha Baron Cohen, famous for movies like “Borat” and “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby” was widely reported on social media to be an uninvited participant in the “March For Our Rights” rally in Olympia on Saturday. more

OLYMPIA ––The Olympia School District (OSD) released the beginning of a Fall 2020 reopening plan this week, which reflects several efforts to remain flexible as the expected second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic plays out in the coming months. more

THURSTON COUNTY –– Thurston County got the green light from the Washington Secretary of Health on Tuesday to move into Phase 3 of Gov. Jay Inslee’s “Safe Start” plan. more

OLYMPIA –– City officials talked on Monday about a new 122-room, four-story hotel that would go up on Olympia’s east side, if construction and design plans are approved. The … more

THURSTON COUNTY –– South Puget Sound Community College (SPSCC) will host a series of admission information sessions next month from July 2-16, aimed at potential students of SPSCC. more

OLYMPIA –– The City of Olympia Finance Committee talked about state shared revenues, or state money shared with local jurisdictions, on Wednesday night during a conversation that broached the subject of paying for certain crime prevention programs, transportation expenditures and other budget items. more