Works in Progress

Police department budgets in Thurston County’s main cities have been increased year to year. at least for the past few years. Funding for police departments in Olympia, Lacey and Tumwater are now approaching a quarter of the general fund. In some cases, the department received additional roles and responsibilities. Tumwater,…

Dear Editor, I am a faithful reader but could not find a definition of “social housing,” which occurred in a number of articles. If you or one of your staff could offer a definition, I’d be much obliged. As a retired fishery biologist, I write to those in power about…

In the spring and fall each year the Community Sustaining Fund (CSF) accepts applications for grants up to $1000 for projects meeting certain criteria intended to fulfill its mission. Usually, around 6-10 individuals or groups apply for grant funding for their projects each cycle, held twice a year. The Spring…

Hundreds of people contacted their mayor to demand removal of Olympia police officers who thanked a group of armed men organized to “defend” a gun store and cited state laws against allowing gun-wielding individuals to intimidate citizens. Many messages described situations where police intervention made situations worse, listed desired reforms, and called for shifting funds from police to social services.