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

Yelm residents are invited to join the 2025 City of Yelm National Night Out on Aug. 5. Fun activities, food and beverages await attendees.

2025 City of Yelm National Night Out takes place on Aug. 5

Yelm residents are invited to take part in the city's National Night Out event at Yelm City Park from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Aug. 5. The event is free and ... more

By Darlanne Cruz | 7/25/25

Thurston County opens public comment on 2026-31 Capital Improvement Program

Thurston County’s draft 2026–31 Capital Improvement Program (CIP), a six-year investment projects plan mandated under the state of ... more

By Kameko Marquez | 7/24/25

What’s happening this weekend — Oregon Trail Days celebration, free outdoor movie events and other activities

It's going to be a fun-filled weekend in Thurston County. Bring the family outdoors for the 58th annual Oregon Trail Days festival in Tenino, check out ... more

By P. Jade Asumbrado | 7/24/25

A motorist suffered serious injuries in a head-on collision between a sedan and a dump truck on 148th Avenue SE in Thurston County on Tuesday, July 22, 2025.

Motorist suffers serious injuries in head-on collision in Thurston County

A motorist suffered serious injuries when the vehicle the individual was driving collided head-on with a dump truck on 148th Avenue SE near Runyon Road ... more

By Darlanne Cruz | 7/23/25 | 1 comment

Intercity Transit Senior Procurement Coordinator Jeff Peterson, right, briefed the agency’s board of directors about a planning and daily operations software contract with SHI International Corp. at a meeting on Wednesday, July 16, 2025.

Intercity Transit makes another investment in new planning platform

The Intercity Transit Authority approved a $1.9 million contract with SHI International Corp. to provide the transit agency with a planning and daily operations software ... more

By Jerome Tuaño | 7/23/25

The Thurston County Board of County Commissioners approved a $25.3 million state agreement for homeless services and a separate $14.7 million housing contract with 17 nonprofits at  a meeting on Tuesday, July 15, 2025.

Thurston County commits to housing contracts

Amid ongoing friction over Encampment Resolution Program (ERP) grant shelter exclusions, Thurston County leaders authorized separate housing contracts ... more

By Kameko Marquez | 7/22/25 | 6 comments

A convicted felon was arrested after a single-car crash and is facing multiple charges, including threatening responding Thurston County Sheriff's Office deputies. A woman, who pretended to be the driver, was also arrested for aiding the suspect and lying to authorities.

Convicted felon arrested after single-vehicle crash, faces multiple charges

A convicted felon was arrested following a single-vehicle crash near Boston Harbor on 46th Avenue NE and Libby Road NE ... more

By Darlanne Cruz | 7/22/25 | 1 comment

Tenino's Oregon Trail Days festival runs from July 25-27

Food booths, arts and crafts vendors, and various family-friendly activities await visitors at Tenino's Oregon Trail Days ... more

By P. Jade Asumbrado | 7/22/25

The Thurston County Board of County Commissioners postponed votes on two Encampment Resolution Program contracts after the Washington State Department of Commerce removed Unity Commons and Quince Street Village from its final budget allocation. The vote to table the contracts occurred during the board’s agenda setting meeting on Tuesday, July 15, 2025.

Thurston County delays encampment aid vote after state defunds two Olympia projects

Two Olympia shelter projects were axed from a multimillion-dollar homelessness grant by the Washington State Department of Commerce ... more

By Kameko Marquez | 7/21/25 | 4 comments

Intercity Transit honors longtime bicycle challenge coordinator

Intercity Transit honored Duncan Green, the coordinator of the annual Bicycle Community Challenge (BCC), who is retiring after 17 years of leading ... more

By Jerome Tuaño | 7/21/25 | 1 comment

TCSO Corrections sergeant resigns amid internal investigation

A Thurston County Sheriff's Office (TCSO) Corrections sergeant, who stands accused of first-degree voyeurism, resigned in the middle of an internal ... more

By Darlanne Cruz | 7/21/25

ESD 113 receives $75,000 grant to promote AI literacy in rural communities

Students from rural and indigenous communities across Grays Harbor, Lewis, Mason, Pacific and Thurston counties have the opportunity to learn more about ... more

By P. Jade Asumbrado | 7/21/25 | 1 comment

The Thurston Economic Development Council and partner agencies have released the semiannual Economic Vitality Index. The report tracks five key indicators of the local economy and is now publicly accessible via the council’s digital reports archive.

Thurston County business confidence falls to 15-year low in midyear economic report

Business sentiment in Thurston County has fallen to its lowest level since 2010, a Thurston Economic Development Council ... more

By Kameko Marquez | 7/18/25 | 10 comments

Two men arrested for allegedly using a firearm to celebrate Fourth of July

Two men were arrested for discharging a firearm in a residential area on McNiece Drive SE in Yelm during a Fourth of July celebration, according to the ... more

By Darlanne Cruz | 7/18/25 | 2 comments

Ballots mailed out for Aug. 5 primary election in Thurston County

The Thurston County Auditor's Office announced it has mailed more than 147,000 ballots to registered voters for the Aug. 5 Primary Election. more

By Maven Navarro | 7/17/25

Fun with Merlin in Thurston County

This week I have continued to experiment with the Merlin app and the dawn chorus, turning the app on and placing my smart phone in the window sometime around ... more

By George Walter | 7/17/25 | 1 comment

Joe Seymour (center) stands before his mural “Welcome to Squaxin Territory”, located at the La Lurana building near Percival Landing in Olympia, together with co-artists Vince Ryland, left, and Ira Coin. Joe Seymour is the lead artist of a proposed mural on the marine terminal warehouse building in Olympia.

Port of Olympia plans to create large-scale mural at marine terminal

The Port of Olympia is planning to create a huge mural on the marine terminal warehouse building. The scale of the project is so immense that the Olympia Art ... more

By Jerome Tuaño | 7/16/25 | 9 comments

Michelle O’Dell of the Thurston-Mason Developmental Disabilities Coalition gestured toward her son Nathan during Thurston County’s proclamation for Disability Pride Month on Tuesday, July 15, 2025.

Thurston County honors ADA legacy with Disability Pride recognition

July has been officially hailed Disability Pride Month, as the Thurston County Board of County Commissioners aligned the county with the national commemoration of the ... more

By Kameko Marquez | 7/16/25 | 1 comment

Registration period open for Estuary Explorers summer camps

Registration is now open for the Estuary Explorers summer camps for fourth through eighth graders, organizers said. The summer camp is hosted by the Puget ... more

By Maven Navarro | 7/16/25

A panel featuring Measures for Justice and Thurston County Prosecutor’s Office discussed the criminal justice tracking dashboard during the public rollout of the Commons Data Dashboard. The Thurston County Commons Data Dashboard is now live and publicly accessible.

Commons platform goes live for criminal justice tracking in Thurston County

Felony cases in Thurston County can now be accessed online through an interactive data dashboard available to the ... more

By Kameko Marquez | 7/15/25 | 3 comments