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Local news
 Mental health professional offers judgment-free care
Jennifer Wentworth has seen the Nisqually Valley area grow in her 20 years of residence, with the addition of numerous businesses and schools. During that time, however, she also noticed the need for …
YHS graduate growing clientele as licensed massage therapist
Yelm community members with aches, pains and soreness have another option in town with Brooklyn Cutler, a licensed massage therapist. She began her practice back in September and is happy to serve in …
Mayor meets with YMCA to discuss potential Yelm branch
Yelm mayor Joe DePinto announced Friday, Nov. 17 that he met with Kyle Kronk, CEO of South Sound YMCA, to discuss the possibility of a YMCA branch in Yelm. In a Facebook post, DePinto said that …
Yelm council authorizes contracts for construction and management of Prairie Line Trail Phase 2
Yelm city councilors unanimously approved authorizing two separate contracts for construction and construction management of phase two of the Prairie Line Trail at their meeting Nov. 14. The …
One Net Yelm and Yelm Cinemas hosting toy drive, holiday movie
One Net Yelm and Yelm Cinemas are joining forces to present a free movie and toy drive on Dec. 9, with doors opening at 9:30 a.m. and the movie, “The Polar Express,” playing at 10 a.m. …
Yelm City Council unanimously approves change orders for water facility upgrades, Phase 2 project
Yelm City Council unanimously approved adopting two change orders for the water reclamation facility (WRF) project at its Nov. 14 meeting. Phase 2 of the project began in September of 2022 and is …
Prestige Senior Living Rosemont hosts over 70 guests for Thanksgiving luncheon
Prestige Senior Living Rosemont was packed with friends, family members and community members hungry for a traditional Thanksgiving meal on Nov. 17 as the facility hosted a Thanksgiving luncheon …
What's Happening: Holiday tree lighting, Christmas parade, Gingerbread House contest
Thursday, Nov. 23 Anytime Fitness “Turkey Trot” Before families sit around the table to eat their Thanksgiving meals, Anytime Fitness is offering a holiday-morning activity for …
Food-conditioned hoary marmot makes public debut at Northwest Trek
Northwest Trek Wildlife Park welcomed a new furry friend for its public debut last week: a food-conditioned hoary marmot staff named Chestnut. The young marmot was estimated to be born in spring of …
Ridgeline history teacher giving back to veteran community
Ridgeline Middle School history teacher William Warren and his family have lived through chapters of the American history textbook. Warren’s grandfather served in World War II, his father …
Yelm Senior Center to host 50th anniversary winter social and auction on Dec. 16
In efforts to raise $45,000 to pay off its mortgage, due in January of 2026, the Yelm Senior Center will host a winter social and auction on Dec. 16. The event also celebrates the senior …
Local candidates talk voter turnout after election
Voter turnout in Yelm for the 2023 Thurston County general election could be described as lackluster as initial numbers roll in. As of Monday, Nov. 13, an average of 1,177 voters turned out for …
State & Regional News
 Judge sides with lawmakers in public records case
Washington lawmakers can now withhold records pertaining to individuals with whom they have corresponded when drafting laws following a Thurston County judge’s ruling last week. Judge Anna …
WSDOT offers travel charts for ‘drama-free’ Thanksgiving travels
Travelers with plans of long trips throughout Thanksgiving and the winter holiday season can now plan their routes by using Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) holiday travel charts …
Thurston County joins list of elections offices to receive ‘suspicious’ envelope
Thanks to advance notice by the U.S. Postal Service, on Monday morning, Thurston County Auditor Mary Hall intercepted an envelope that matched the description of those sent to other county elections …
Unclaimed remains of four veterans in Lewis County laid to rest in Tahoma National Cemetery 
Frederick A. Clough III, Robert E. Larsen, Michael E. Damis and Russel L. Welk.  Those are the names of four veterans whose remains were left unclaimed in Lewis County after their deaths. …
Application period for Thurston WSU Master Gardener Program open
The application period for the 2024 Washington State University Master Gardener Volunteer Training is now open. The 2024 training course has 79 hours of comprehensive virtual, classroom and …
‘Home for the Holidays’ traffic safety campaign underway
The Washington State Patrol (WSP), in partnership with the Washington Traffic Safety Commission (WTSC) and law enforcement agencies across the state, began the “Home for the Holidays” …
Public comment and review on Highway System Plan available through Dec. 18
A Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) draft plan that outlines investment recommendations for preserving, maintaining, improving and operating state highways for the next 20 years …
U.S. Forest Service accepting applications for 2024 seasonal positions
The U.S. Forest Service is now accepting applications for more than 1,000 seasonal spring and summer jobs in Washington and Oregon, according to a news release last week. Positions for the 2024 …
State funds projects to provide outdoor learning opportunities for area children
The state of Washington will fund $3.7 million in projects across the state in the coming years to provide students with additional outdoor learning opportunities. The grant funding, …
Life

Can we rethink things this Thanksgiving for the sake of others?

This week many of us will be getting together for what most call Thanksgiving. For some it is about football. For others it’s about food and family. I’d like to suggest each of us spend a …

Consider connecting with a local church family to navigate these crazy times

The other day I was praying and reflecting on all the people I’ve lost since the COVID pandemic. When numbers climbed over 20, I realized it was a little much. Then, I decided to jot down those …

Finding Reason: What can we do for the forgotten ones?

It was nearly three years ago when I first visited Washington State’s incarceration facility for women in Purdy. I was there to work alongside a fellow chaplain for a couple of days. This was …

Yelm resident faces challenges with cat’s rare cancer diagnosis

Michelle Kroeger welcomed someone new into her life four years ago when a spontaneous visit to an animal shelter in Lacey led to an unexpected, life-changing encounter. “Iggy is the …
Facebbok
Business
Brian Anderson works on a dovetail in his garage on Oct. 20.
Yelm has always been in the background for Brian Anderson, a one-man furniture maker and owner of Anderson Woodworks. He worked in the city briefly before serving in the United States Army for …
The expanded YARD facility, 305 Creek St., in Yelm will feature two indoor tunnels, a pitching mound and baseball cage.
Youth Athletics Recreation Development (YARD) has opened its second space on 305 Creek St. in Yelm. The organization has run its baseball practices, classes and other events in Unit A, but has now …
Yelm resident Ronda Harris has been creating baby booties, coffee sleeves, ear warmers, plushies and many other crocheted products for people in the area to enjoy for over 10 years. But the …
Tranquility Flower Farm is located at 816 304th St. in Roy.
Tranquility Flower Farm, located at 816 304th St. in Roy, is ready for a long fall season and, in addition to the original flower and dahlia bouquets, has expanded to pumpkins, gourds and squash. …
Andrea Saffer, with Indulgence Sweets and Treats, smiles at the final Yelm Farmers Market of the year.
A fter a successful opening day of the Yelm Farmers Market on May 27 and full summer season, the market officially wrapped for the year on Sept. 30. Numerous vendors were out on McKenzie Street …

The Nisqually Valley News - Thursday, 23, 2023

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Sports

Mountaineers open season with win over Vikings

The Rainier girls’ basketball team opened its season with a win on Monday night, taking down Mossyrock 40-26 at home. Bryn Beckman got the scoring going early with two three-pointers in …
Senior quarterback Damian Aalona delivers a passionate speech to his teammates on Nov. 17 after Yelm defeated Mount Tahoma, 29-12, in the 3A state quarterfinals.

Tornados defeat Thunderbirds, 29-12, in 3A state quarterfinal matchup

The Yelm Tornados punched their ticket to the 3A state semifinals after defeating the Mount Tahoma Thunderbirds, 29-12, in a contest filled with smash-mouth football on Nov. 17. With the victory, …
Seniors Kyle Kaaiwela and Brayden Platt pose after a 38-13 victory over Marysville Pilchuck.

Tornados football fights off​ Tomahawks in 38-13 win

In the opening round of the 3A state playoffs, the Yelm Tornados hosted and defeated the Marysville Pilchuck Tomahawks, 38-13, on Nov. 11. Though the victory for the No. 1-seeded Tornados …

Rainier pitcher commits to Panola College

Rainier High School senior and right-handed pitcher John Kenney has verbally committed to Panola College, located in Carthage, Texas, to play baseball. Kenney had verbally committed to Lassen …

16 Tornado football players receive all-SSC honors

Yelm football capped off its 2023 regular season as undefeated league champions, averaging 57 points per contest offensively, while allowing just 7.14 defensively through seven South Sound Conference …

Rainier’s Beadle named GNAC soccer player of the year

Conference coaches voted Rainier High School graduate Sophie Beadle and Seattle Pacific soccer player as the NCAA Division II Great Northwest Athletic Conference women’s soccer player of the …
Allyson Ooms digs a ball during the third-place game at the state tournament on Nov. 9 in Yakima.

Mountaineers make history, take fourth at state tournament

YAKIMA — The Rainier volleyball team may have come out of the wrong end of its final result of the season, but the Mountaineers certainly had nothing to hang their heads about. Despite the …

Mountaineers girls hoopers primed to take next step after deep postseason run last year

Brandon Eygabroad (left center) speaks with his team during practice at Rainier High School on Nov. 15.

As the Rainier High School girls basketball team prepares to open its 2023-24 season, the Mountaineers are hungry to prove that their 21-7 record and state tournament run last year weren’t a …

SPSCC’s Sampson named NWAC West Region’s co-coach of the year

Maxwell Sampson

Nisqually Valley News Staff Maxwell Sampson, head coach of Clipper men’s soccer at South Puget Sound Community College, was named the Northwest Athletic Conference (NWAC) West …

Mountaineers fall in semifinals to Broncos

Janess Blackburn spikes the ball past two defenders during Rainier's loss in the state semifinals on Nov. 9 in Yakima.

YAKIMA — Rainier’s run for a state championship came to an end on Thursday morning, as the Mountaineers fell in three sets to the Lind-Ritzville-Sprague Broncos 25-19, 25-11, 25-10. …

Opinion
Elizabeth Hovde

WA Cares Fund webinar outlines many reasons to be leery of wage-decreasing program

The folks running Washington state’s WA Cares Fund, which taxes low- and high-income workers 58 cents for every $100 they make, hosted a webinar recently talking about how people can plan for …
The battleship USS Arizona sinks after being hit by a Japanese air attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, December 7, 1941. Picture taken December 7, 1941.

As WWII soldiers fade away, we must not forget the sacrifices of our veterans and their families

While the last veterans who survived the “surprise” Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor are dwindling rapidly, we cannot let their sacrifices and the memories of that horrific day that …
Visitors are asked to leave all items in their vehichle ‘except keys, I.D. and money’ one sign reads hanging on the fence of the Green Hill School in Chehalis on Friday.

Inslee’s negligence at Green Hill a breach of public trust

As a community, we cannot overlook the alarming mishandling of the Green Hill School situation by Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and state Attorney General Bob Ferguson. It’s time to shed more …

If you aren’t willing to take risks, you won’t get what you want

Do you want to be successful in life? Are you risk averse? Let me share one of the grea test truths in life: If you are not willing to take risks, you will never grow, change or get out of …

The scam that almost got me

I recently learned that the old saying, “it’s too good to be true” doesn’t account for something important: scams don’t go through the intelligent, thinking part of your …

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Obituaries
In Loving Memory of Linda Robbins 11/30/1945 ~ 10/26/2023
Our sweet Linda Lois Robbins (Whited) passed away peacefully on Oct. 26 in Kennewick after a long battle with dementia. She was a kind and gentle lady who was loved by everyone. Linda did many …
In Loving Memory Of Glenda Bednar 1946 ~ 2023
Glenda E. (Decker) Bednar passed away on Sept. 19, 2023, at Providence St. Peter Hospital at the age of 77. Born in Seattle on Aug. 17, 1946, she was adopted at the age of 3 weeks by the late Glen …
Let's Remember Tractor Bob Rumsey 9/16/1928 - 8/15/2023
Drop in and reminisce on Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. at Rainier Chapel, 206 Binghamton Street, Rainier, Washington 98576.98576.
In Loving Memory Of Alexandria “Allie” Rose Pennington: Jan. 1, 1996-July 30, 2022
We’ve had a year to process the enormity of losing our dearest Allie. As we continue discovering all of the ways in which we miss her, the thing that we — her family — keeps …
In Loving Memory of Kazuko ‘Katy’ Hicks: 1975-2023
Kazuko “Katy” Elizabeth Hicks, passed away on June 15, 2023, at her home in Rainier. She was a wonderful mother, sister, daughter and friend to many. We will miss her so very much. She …

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