Thurston Chronicle

09/29/2026

The Olympia Police Department (OPD) is investigating a shooting that occurred in the area of 4th Avenue and Franklin Street the night of Friday, Sept. 25.

OPD officers were conducting normal patrols in downtown Olympia when one officer reportedly heard multiple gunshots about a block away from his location at approximately 11:07 p.m.

“As he rounded the corner into a parking lot … there was a large crowd running away from the scene,” OPD Lt. Paul Lower told the Thurston Chronicle on Monday, Sept. 28.

The officer reportedly saw a person fleeing the area with a firearm.

Officers detained that person, along with several other people who were in the immediate area. Those individuals have since been released.

Approximately 10 minutes after officers arrived at the scene, law enforcement was notified that a young adult man had arrived at a local hospital with a gunshot injury to the torso.

The man, whose name has not been released, was ultimately transported to Tacoma General Hospital for medical treatment.

The Olympia Police Department (OPD) is investigating a shooting that occurred in the area of 4th Avenue and Franklin Street the night of Friday, Sept. 25. An OPD officer heard multiple …

09/28/2026

OLYMPIA SCHOOL BOARD HEARS SAFETY AND EQUITY CONCERNS:

Prior to the 6:30 p.m. regular meeting, the board hosted an extended graduation ceremony at 6 p.m. to honor five summer graduates from Capital and Olympia high schools. Murphy commended graduates Ruby Vote, Leah Vasquez, Nalani Tobias, Solomon Warrior, and Delaney for demonstrating remarkable grit, resilience, and persistence in completing their diploma requirements.

The Sept. 24 meeting followed early-September staffing adjustments triggered by localized enrollment shifts. Roosevelt Elementary opened with 362 full-time equivalent (FTE) students, 28 students, or 8.4 percent, above budget projections — driven in part by new residential development.

Meanwhile, Hanson Elementary opened 38 students below budget, and Madison Elementary registered 160 students, 11 below projections. Because budget cuts eliminated contingency reserves, district administrators collapsed classrooms at Hanson and Madison to transfer teaching staff to Roosevelt to manage upper-grade class sizes.

Public comment focused on emergency response planning, demographic equity, and administrative spending. Moniar, a Madison Elementary parent, told the board she contacted local first responders after reviewing the consolidation report.

"Randy Haines, chief fire marshal in Olympia, called me directly, deeply concerned, and confirmed that the fire department was not consulted about this consolidation," Moniar testified, adding that Olympia Police Department Lt. Josh Markson similarly confirmed police had not been consulted regarding traffic or active-shooter response changes. "Tonight, I ask for you to slow down, do your due diligence, and you cannot claim innocence if something goes wrong," she said.

More here: https://tinyurl.com/y3byu3np

09/28/2026

The department remarked upon the following notable trends:

- Officers arrested an arson suspect. A witness reported seeing a fire along a building with the suspect watching it. Officers located him nearby with a lighter and canister. The Olympia Fire Department extinguished the fire before it spread.

- Two aggravated assaults were reported, with one still an open investigation. Officers arrested the suspect in the other case after she strangled the victim and shoved her against the wall. A witness intervened until officers arrived.

- Officers arrested suspects in four of the five residential burglaries reported. Two were violations of a no contact orders. In one arrest, the victim returned home to see evidence of someone being in her home, so she exited and called the police. They located two suspects who claimed they entered through an unlocked door; however, officers found a broken window that appeared to be the point of entry. In another arrest, the suspect broke a window and reached through to unlock a door. He stole car keys, rammed multiple cars trying to get it out and then fled after getting it stuck. Multiple neighbors saw him leaving. Another victim reported the same suspect looking through their windows and officers located and arrested him. The last burglary was an unknown entry, and the victim’s purse was stolen.

- Three rapes were reported during the two weeks. Two were Sexual Assault Exam Kits getting picked up from the hospital. The other is an open investigation.

The Olympia Police Department responded to a total of 2,335 calls over the two-week period.  The department remarked upon the following notable trends: Officers arrested an arson …

09/28/2026

Last year brought in an impressive 21-inch leaf, found by James Owen from Raintree Nursery in Lewis County.

“This competition started when I found out the largest maple leaf on record in the congressional library was tiny and from Kentucky. And I was like, ‘we can’t have that. There are bigger leaves than that in the woods by my house.’ We’re so lucky here in Southwest Washington to have some of the most beautiful trees in the country — and this competition is about bringing that pride of place to the U.S. Capitol,” Gluesenkamp Perez stated in a news release. “So go, get out in the woods, enjoy a fall day with your family, find some really big honking leaves and just have fun! I promise you’ll learn so much about the woods we’re so lucky to share.”

On Thursday, U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Skamania, announced her fourth annual Bigleaf Maple Big Leaf Contest to encourage residents of Washington’s Third Congressional District to get out …

09/28/2026

ATHLETES OF THE WEEK: Introducing the first ever Thurston Chronicle Athletes of the Week!

Olympia High School football senior running back Ibrahima Diallo and Timberline High School Volleyball senior setter Leia Dela Cruz are the first honorees!

To submit nominations, email [email protected].

09/28/2026

THURSTON COUNTY CANDIDATES HIGHLIGHT POLICIES AT THURSTON CHRONICLE ELECTION FORUM:

Thurston County will undergo tremendous leadership changes this coming year, as the longtime elected heads of four county departments decided to open the door to newcomers rather than run for reelection.

And with two first-term incumbents — Thurston County District 5 Commissioner Emily Clouse and Thurston County Sheriff Derek Sanders — facing challengers on the ballot, voters have the option to elect even further change within county leadership.

The potential for change comes as Thurston County grapples with a $23.3 million budget deficit that is expected to impact every county department over the next three years as the county works to reduce spending by $15 million.

Some of the newcomers vying for office are doing so unopposed, and their election is almost certain.

However, in two of the offices guaranteed to undergo a leadership change — the Thurston County Clerk’s Office and the Thurston County Assessor’s office — voters have a choice between two candidates.

More here: https://tinyurl.com/9atzsb5p

09/28/2026

Washington can strengthen its economy by bringing greater discipline to state spending, creating a predictable and stable tax environment and reducing regulatory barriers to growth, according to a report released this week by the Association of Washington Business (AWB) and Washington Roundtable.

The report captures the shared priorities and recommendations from the Economic Future Solutions Summit, a one-day event in July that brought together more than 150 business leaders, policymakers and economic development experts to create a growth agenda for Washington’s economy.

It marks the next chapter of the Washington in the Making 2040 long-range economic plan that envisions Washington as a top state for starting, growing and selling a business, according to a news release from AWB.

“Following sweeping tax policy changes over the past two years, Washington employers need stability and predictability,” AWB President Kris Johnson said. “This report, informed by business and policy leaders across the state, provides a practical roadmap for growing the economy. Washington has long had an economy that is the envy of the world, but we’re losing ground to other states. We hope policymakers take these recommendations seriously and act to strengthen Washington’s competitiveness.”

Washington can strengthen its economy by bringing greater discipline to state spending, creating a predictable and stable tax environment and reducing regulatory barriers to growth, according to a …

09/28/2026

CITY OF LACEY CELEBRATES THE GRAND OPENING OF GREG CUOIO PARK:

The city finished the first phase of park development this summer, opening 139 acres to the public in July and officially marking that opening with a ribbon cutting on Sept. 24.

The park is the vision of its namesake, former Lacey City Manager Greg Cuoio, who dedicated 24 years to public service.

Cuio was instrumental in acquiring the 537 acre property shortly before his retirement in 2011.

“This park will be here long after us. It's one of a kind. It's irreplaceable,” Cuoio said Thursday. “It belongs to the people of Lacey, to the families and friends who will explore it, to the children who will grow up in it, and to the community that will gather here and enjoy it.”

The City of Lacey laid out a master plan for the park’s development in 2022, projecting over 20 years of improvements to 139 acres to turn it into a community park.

More here: https://tinyurl.com/3y8x5upm

09/28/2026

The U.S. Marshals Service announced the arrest with a news release Friday afternoon.

According to Douglas County Sheriff’s Office detectives, multiple individuals allegedly fired Roman candles from a moving truck on July 4 while Douglas County was under a burn ban, prohibiting fireworks and open burning. Investigators determined the fireworks ignited dry grass along the roadway, starting the Chelan Hills fire.

The wildfire killed a 69-year-old man, injured six firefighters, destroyed more than 100 structures, burned more than 10,000 acres, and resulted in more than $6 million in losses and property damage.

Douglas County Sheriff’s Office detectives continued to work closely with the U.S. Marshals Service Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force in Yakima to locate an additional suspect responsible for igniting the fires.

Thursday, members of the Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force in Western Washington conducted an arrest operation and arrested 19-year-old David Radchanka of Roy, Washington.

Detectives with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, working in collaboration with the U.S. Marshals Service Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force, have apprehended a fifth suspect wanted …

09/28/2026

In early August 2026, the Redmond Police Department and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children requested assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS). Investigators from the U.S. Marshals Missing Child Unit worked to locate the children and determined they were in the greater Washington, D.C., area, according to a news release from the USMS.

It was determined that the children’s mother had taken them after losing custody and concealing their names in an attempt to evade law enforcement. Members of the USMS Missing Child Unit followed investigative leads across three states, with the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Carolinas Regional Fugitive Task Force, the Baltimore County Police Department, and the Arlington Police Department.

The children were safely located on Tuesday, Sept. 16, and returned to their father. The Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act (JVTA) of 2015 enhanced the U.S. Marshals’ authority to assist law enforcement with recovering endangered missing children, regardless of whether a fugitive or s*x offender was involved. The Marshals established a Missing Child Unit to oversee and manage the implementation of its enhanced authority under the act.