Olympia & Tumwater
Latest reporting from the Olympia & Tumwater desk.
Olympia & Tumwater
Latest reporting from the Olympia & Tumwater desk.
Olympia & Tumwater
Latest reporting from the Olympia & Tumwater desk.
Olympia & Tumwater
View MoreOlympia taps 2 local suppliers for heat pump push
The Energize Thurston heat pump program launched its second year on Aug. 17 with $4.17 million in new grants, contracts with two local equipment suppliers, and a Phase 2 subsidy opening in October that could cover most costs for income-qualified households.
Olympia & Tumwater
View MoreOlympia names Hillory Flowers as 1st female fire chief
Hillory Flowers has been permanently appointed as Olympia's fire chief, becoming the first woman to lead the department in what the city describes as its 164-year history. The announcement came at the Aug. 11 City Council meeting after Flowers served as interim chief since March.
Olympia & Tumwater
View MoreOlympia council weighs trash privatization at Tuesday session
The Olympia City Council holds a study session Tuesday, Aug. 18, to weigh whether to issue a formal RFP for private trash collection or proceed with a $40 million-plus Carpenter Road facility that would raise typical bimonthly waste bills by 24%.
Olympia & Tumwater
View MoreOlympia residents push back on trash privatization tied to $100M facility
Olympia residents and workers pushed back at the Aug. 11 City Council meeting against privatizing trash and recycling collection, a move the council is exploring as an alternative to building a nearly $100 million waste facility that could raise utility rates 24%.
Olympia & Tumwater
View MoreWife-and-wife team fills Olympia's evening dessert gap at 222 Market
Mari and Mych Pasos-Quarello opened Tender Velvet Rebel Oven inside downtown Olympia's 222 Market building last November, filling an evening gap in the local dessert scene with organic, locally sourced cakes, cupcakes and savory biscuits.
Olympia & Tumwater
View MoreTumwater teen headlines Olympia kickoff for 3 ballot measures
Let's Go Washington launched campaigns for three November ballot initiatives at an Aug. 8 rally in Olympia, with Tumwater High School senior Frances Staudtl headlining as the face of I-638 alongside local speakers from Olympia Master Builders and North Thurston School District.
Olympia & Tumwater
View MorePort of Olympia launches interactive map tracking Budd Inlet cleanup
The Port of Olympia published an interactive Budd Inlet Story Map Series consolidating data on stormwater, sea level rise and the inlet's contamination cleanup into one public platform, with cleanup construction expected to begin in 2027.
Olympia & Tumwater
View MoreOlympia council to vote on $245K food plan
The Olympia City Council votes Tuesday, Aug. 11 on a $245,000 proposal by Council Member Dani Madrone to create the city's first comprehensive food systems plan, funded from existing city reserves.
Olympia & Tumwater
View MoreTumwater School District faces 3 sex abuse lawsuits over 1980s football coach
Three civil lawsuits filed in January 2026 allege the Tumwater School District negligently hired and retained football coach Paul Beattie despite his criminal history, as three men say he sexually abused them as children in the 1980s; jury trials are set for late 2026.
Olympia & Tumwater
View MoreTumwater Artesian Brewfest returns Aug. 15 with 50-plus vendors
The 13th annual Tumwater Artesian Brewfest brings more than 50 craft beverage vendors to Tumwater Valley Golf Course on Aug. 15, with proceeds supporting the Olympia Tumwater Foundation.
Olympia & Tumwater
View MoreTumwater offers grants up to $12,500 per port for apartment EV chargers
Tumwater is offering grants of up to $12,500 per charging port to help multifamily property owners install Level 2 EV chargers, with priority for affordable housing, though the initial interest form deadline has passed and the program's broader rollout remains under council review.
Olympia & Tumwater
View MoreCapital Medical Center stays in-network after MultiCare, Premera reach last-minute deal
MultiCare and Premera Blue Cross reached a preliminary agreement on Tuesday, July 28, keeping Capital Medical Center and 12 other MultiCare hospitals in-network for Premera enrollees, averting out-of-network charges that would have taken effect August 1 after eight months of negotiations over reimbursement rates.
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©2026 Capitol Record
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