Opinion | Thurston Chronicle

More than half of the Camas girls team — 13 of the 24 cross-country runners who took the starting line that day — refused to compete in their most recent race on Tuesday. They walked for the first 50 meters of the course, some with arms linked in solidarity, before leaving the race in protest. Another five girls from the Battle Ground team also refused to compete.

Brian Mittge: When walking off the playing field is the only move left

Something happened in Camas this week that was unsurprisingly bleak and yet also inspiringly hopeful. The story is the now all-too familiar tale of a boy competing in a girls’ sport, taking … more

Commentary by Brian Mittge / For The Chronicle | 10/16/26

Opinion: Olympia must help schools live within their means

Last year, during difficult contract talks, Mead had to make a fair offer to staff without making promises our schools could not afford. That meant weighing costs, holding our ground, and saying no … more

By Michael Cannon / Mead School Board member | 10/16/26

Letter to the Editor: Thurston County deserves proven leadership

As Thurston County’s former chief deputy assessor for approximately 14 years, I know what it takes to lead the assessor’s office. Having worked alongside Lynda Nashed Zeman daily for three years, … more

10/14/26

Amalie O'Connor is an Olympia resident, former educator and federal budget analyst and founder of Evergreen Growing.

Amalie O’Connor: Behind the wheel — finding each other, choosing our destination

A lot of people I talk to feel like life is happening to them. Rent goes up. Groceries go up. Decisions get made somewhere else, by someone else, and too often those decisions seem to make things … more

By Amalie O’Connor | 10/14/26

Thurston County commissioner candidate Nic Dunning has reported multiple campaign signs deliberately slashed, and surveillance footage has now captured a man using what appears to be a cutting tool to damage one of them.

Wayne Fournier: Campaign signs occupy a strange place in our democracy

Every political campaign workshop I've ever attended has taught me the same thing: campaign signs don't win elections. Knocking on doors wins elections. Talking to voters wins elections. … more

Commentary by Wayne Fournier / For The Chronicle | 10/12/26

Letter to the Editor: A levy lid lift 20 years overdue

I left the Olympia Timberland Regional Library earlier this year. The administration at the time broke our union contract in order to lay me off. I felt targeted. When community pressure forced them … more

10/12/26

Letter to the Editor: Yelm’s school crisis started long before the levy

The conversation about Yelm Community Schools keeps stopping at the levy. But the levy is not where this story starts. It’s a snowball. When Congress passed the federal special education law … more

10/12/26

Letters to the editor can be submitted to news@thurstonchronicle.com.

Letter to the Editor: For a proven leader, vote JJ Olson for Thurston County Assessor

Please vote for JJ Olson in the Thurston County Assessor race. He is the candidate who has the support of front-line workers, managers, the outgoing assessor and the sole endorsement of the public … more

10/12/26

Letter to the Editor: The library benefits us all — vote yes in November

Please vote yes for the Timberland Regional Library (TRL) funding measure on the fall ballot. TRL is 95% dependent on property tax revenue for its budget. Under state law since 2001, it can only … more

10/12/26

Storms across the Columbia River: The Washington congressional race blanketing Oregon airwaves

When I sat down for a recent supper in a restaurant in Yamhill, the TV set on the side wall was showing Portland-area news. Campaign ads dominated the commercial breaks, as is normal for October of … more

Commentary by Randy Stapilus / Oregon Capital Chronicle | 10/9/26

A bridge casts a shadow over the Chehalis River in this 2022 Chronicle file photo.

Opinion: A line is being drawn on the Chehalis, and it shouldn’t be between the tribe and fishermen

There is a line being drawn on the Chehalis River. But I don’t believe that line should be drawn between the Chehalis Tribe and recreational fishermen. The current dispute over … more

By Alex Van Hine / For The Chronicle | 10/8/26

Let’s Go Washington supporters hold a sign with the total number of signatures received for a petition, 511,408, outside the Washington Secretary of State’s office building in Tumwater on Thursday, July 2.

Fact check: Washington's income tax initiative doesn't “cut” government programs

Washington voters will decide this November whether to keep the state's new 9.9% income tax . Politicians and the media are claiming approval of Initiative 645 will "cut funding" for public … more

Commentary by Chris Cargill / Mountain States Policy Center | 10/5/26

The courtroom in the Temple of Justice is pictured on Thursday, Feb. 19, in Olympia.

Opinion: Washington State Supreme Court tramples on citizens’ initiative power

“All political power is inherent in the people …” That’s how Washington’s Constitution begins. Apparently, however, the state supreme court disagrees. Washington voters decided … more

By Madi Clark / Mountain States Policy Center | 10/5/26

A librarian helps a guest at the Timberland Regional Library in Tenino.

Opinion: Support our rural libraries by voting for Timberland levy lid lift

As former trustees for Timberland Regional Library (TRL), we urge voters to approve TRL’s levy lid lift measure that is on this fall’s ballot. The Timberland district covers five counties … more

By Edna Fund, Bob Hall, Corby Varness and Brian Zylstra | 9/30/26

Opinion: Washington’s I-645 — repealing the new 9.9% income tax

This November, Washington voters will decide whether to enact I-645. This proposal would repeal a new 9.9% income tax , with a current statutory exemption of one million dollars, that is scheduled to … more

Jason Mercier / Mountain States Policy Center | 9/28/26

CEO Coralee Taylor and Publisher Chad Taylor pose for a photo outside of The Chronicle’s new location in downtown Centralia on Tuesday, Dec. 2.

From the CEO: The Thurston Chronicle has a secret weapon

As we have played our cards building to the launch of the new Thurston Chronicle weekly newspaper over the past year, we have been holding something of an ace of spades under the table. It’s … more

By Coralee Taylor | 9/28/26

Wildland crews implement firing operations to remove unburned vegetation between a fire’s edge and containment lines on the 2026 Three Queens Fire in Washington.

Commentary: Montana, Idaho, Wyoming and Washington show key strategies for effective wildfire funding

Wildfire is no longer a seasonal surprise across the Mountain West. It is a recurring fiscal challenge that threatens communities, public lands, infrastructure, air quality, and state budgets. … more

By Emily Strasburg / Idaho Capital Sun | 9/25/26

Opinion: Taxpayer money for government employee compensation demands real transparency

Multiple Washington school districts recently reached tentative bargaining agreements, and an October 1 deadline looms for unionized state government employees to submit ratified contracts in time … more

By Meg Goudy / Mountain States Policy Center | 9/24/26

The Washington state Capitol is pictured from Heritage Park in Olympia on Tuesday, Feb. 3.

Opinion: Washington has an income tax — why won’t the media call it one?

There seem to be two words that have suddenly become difficult to print in Washington state: income tax. Sure, you can find the phrase easily on the state’s own website. In fact, the … more

By Chris Cargill / Mountain States Policy Center | 9/18/26

Crew 18 conducts mop-up operations on the Autumn Lane Fire, extinguishing remaining hot spots and securing the fire’s edge to prevent rekindling along the south eastern flank of the fire near the Little Spokane River. Mop-up is a critical phase of wildfire suppression that helps ensure the fire remains contained and reduces the risk of additional spread.

Opinion: Spokane fire recovery can serve as model in the future

It will take years to fully rebuild from the devastating wildfires that destroyed more than 800 homes in the Spokane area in August. Residents lost homes they lived in for decades and homes they … more

9/18/26