Podcast Episode 1 · Oct. 11, 2026
0:00 / 12:13
You're reading the South Bay / Johnson Point Edition. Hawks Prairie and Downtown Olympia editions are coming soon.
Government
Hundreds filled McKenny Elementary’s gym Monday for the first of three Olympia School District closure hearings. More than 50 people spoke against closing the school. Hearings continue Thursday for LP Brown and Oct. 19 for Madison; the board votes Nov. 12.
GovernmentLacey awards nearly $1 million in 2027 lodging-tax grants; RAC gets biggest shareThe Lacey City Council unanimously approved $987,956 in 2027 lodging-tax awards on Oct. 6. The Regional Athletic Complex would get most of the money, including turf replacement, while tourism groups and local events split the rest.
Public SafetyPlan ahead: Tumwater I-5 ramps close overnight Thursday; Pacific Avenue exit closes Friday daytimeWSDOT will close the US 101 and Deschutes Way ramps to northbound I-5 in Tumwater from 9 p.m. Thursday to 5 a.m. Friday for pavement work. Separately, the southbound I-5 exit to Pacific Avenue in east Olympia closes 8 a.m.–3 p.m. Friday.
InformDecoding the I-645 ballot: who wrote the wording, what 'yes' means and whether it reaches your 401(k)Hundreds of neighbors are asking about the I-645 ballot this week: who wrote its wording, what yes and no mean, whether the tax would reach pensions and 401(k)s, and whether ballots went uncounted in 2024. Here are answers from state law, the Attorney General and the county auditor.
InformWhat Initiative 638 would change about school sports eligibilityInitiative 638, on the Nov. 3 ballot, would require students on girls' school sports teams to submit a provider-signed form verifying their sex, according to the Attorney General's explanatory statement.
GovernmentFact check: No data center is proposed in Thurston County, and the county's pause hasn't been voted on yetA local appeal calls for a data center ban. Thurston County says no data center applications are pending, and its own code page shows no data center moratorium adopted. Commissioners asked in August for a moratorium proposal.How much do the printed business ad signs staked along local roadsides bother you?
Read the story: printed business ad signs along our roadsides
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Oct 9–25 · Various times
State Theater, 202 4th Ave E
Oct 11 & 18 · Sundays · 1 p.m.
Capitol Theater · free for 12 and under
Oct 14 · Wednesday · 7 p.m.
Koval Center, 4155 6th Ave NE, Lacey
Oct 14 · Wednesday · 7 p.m.
Washington Center · $57–$77
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