Jan. 4, 2024
TCSO’s Derek Sanders reflects on first year as sheriff, goals going forward
When Thurston County Sheriff Derek Sanders first took office in 2023, he knew he had a lot of work to do. Sanders said he knew his work was cut out for him considering a high crime rate in the county, as well as the staffing crisis within Thurston County Sheriff’s Office.
Sanders said his first year in office was focused on “turning the ship around.”
“It was a packed first year. I didn’t have any extra time to do anything other than what was done this year,” Sanders said. “The crime rate is still out of control. Our staffing is still a mess.”
Sanders said 2023 was a busy year with a steep learning curve. He spent the first six months as sheriff learning how each of the “different pieces” in TCSO operate. He said, until he understood how the department functioned, it was difficult to get anything done.
Sanders added the hiring process was one of the long-lasting tasks within TCSO.
Jan. 11, 2024
YHS athletics likely to move to 4A SPSL in 2024-25
The landscape of high school sports in Washington received a shake up at the conclusion of the school year to create more balance in the number of schools classified as 3A or 4A. Yelm is included in that mix.
Due to higher enrollment numbers at Yelm High School, the Tornados joined the 4A South Puget Sound League (SPSL) classification for the 2024-25 season and beyond.
According to Yelm’s Athletic Director Rob Hill, Yelm received an invitation to join. The move to the SPSL created a 12-team league. The league was split into two divisions and includes Puyallup, Sumner, South Kitsap, Emerald Ridge, Rogers and Curtis in the north division. The south division includes Yelm, Graham-Kapowsin, Bethel, Spanaway Lake, Bonney Lake and Olympia.
Jan. 18, 2024
YHS girls football team debuts in Pierce County League
Yelm High School officially became the first South Sound Conference school to welcome a girls flag football team to its athletic branch with the team making its debut on Jan. 11 against Franklin Pierce and North Kitsap’s girls flag football teams.
Head coach Jason Ronquillo said the team is competing in the Pierce County League and is the only team from the South Sound Conference. The season kicked off Jan. 9, 2024, at home against the Lincoln Abes, the defending girls flag football state champions.
“I think football is going in the right direction,” Ronquillo said. “Girls have always been interested in football but intimidated by having to play with males. I think having their own niche of football is something that should’ve been done a few years ago. There’s always been a need and a want for it by the girls, and now we finally have it. We’ll see where we can take it.”
Jan. 25, 2024
UW employee, YHS grad reflects on athletic season she’ll ‘never forget’
Hailee Roe, a Yelm High School 2015 graduate, played a huge role behind the scenes in the University of Washington’s most successful football season since the Huskies’ 1991 national championship season.
After she graduated from YHS, Roe attended Gonzaga University in Spokane and earned her undergraduate degree in sports management in 2019. She then attended the University of Washington in 2020 and earned her master’s degree in intercollegiate athletic leadership
Roe works as Washington’s assistant director of communications for UW, a role she began in March of 2022. Along with football, Roe worked with the university’s women’s softball and men’s soccer programs.
“With my role in softball and men’s soccer, it’s a little different than what I do with football. With those two, I also run the social media accounts, but with football, I do stats, website updates and roster updates. The biggest role within football I do is coordinating interviews,” Roe said.
“One of the favorite things I did [last] year was when we had some different ‘College GameDay’ features. I worked a lot with ESPN and our student athletes to coordinate their schedules for interviews and photos. It was really cool because that was my first time working with ‘College GameDay.’ We also hosted ‘College GameDay’ at home against Oregon, and we had such a great turnout.”
Feb. 1, 2024
Wrestlers, community members celebrate 50-year career of Yelm wrestling’s coach
After 50 years of coaching Yelm High School’s boys wrestling program, Gaylord Strand will officially retire at the conclusion of the 2023-24 regular season.
On Jan. 23, 2024, hundreds of community members, ex-wrestlers and supporters of the program gathered to celebrate Strand’s illustrious career.
Strand, a 2017 National Wrestling Hall of Fame inductee, said the entire season meant a lot to him because he was retiring. The celebration after the “Bad to the Bone” dual on Jan. 23, Strand said, will be a memory he takes with him forever.
“The celebration itself means a lot because I’ve been here for 50 years and have a lot of former wrestlers, sons and grandsons of former wrestlers. The community support and continuity has created a family environment. It was great to see some people that hadn’t been around for a while. It was really rewarding,” Strand said. “It’s been fun thinking back on all of the memories. Every time this year that I go to a dual meet or tournament, I realize it’s the last time I’m doing this tournament or taking a long bus trip to the tournament.”
Feb. 8, 2024
A voyage of a lifetime: YHS alum sailing around the world aboard Barque Picton Castle
Julian Garcia’s family and friends often say that he was born 200 years too late because he was meant to sail the seas.
He grew up with a deep love of the ocean and a longing for adventure. He dreamed of being a pirate, the kind romanticized in cinema.
After graduating from Yelm High School in 2018, Garcia stumbled upon an advertisement on Instagram for the “sail training adventure of a lifetime” aboard the Barque Picton Castle, a three-masted sail training tall ship based in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, Canada, that sailed around the world. The advertisement read that no sailing experience was required for the trip set to begin in April of 2020, and Garcia began envisioning his lifelong dream of sailing the seas coming true.
Garcia, then a welding student at Bates Technical College at the time, knew he wanted to apply for the expedition but needed to make money to afford at least one of the voyage’s three legs. He submitted his application and got accepted in December of 2019, so he began working as a welder, putting every cent he could toward the trip that was four months away.
Garcia knew the opportunity would be worth it and that his experience in welding would help him work aboard the Barque Picton Castle, a 179-foot teaching vessel. After all, the year-long voyage was not a vacation; each crew member was expected to achieve an able-bodied seaman certification to work in the maritime industry. The ship accommodated 52 crew members and delivered services like medical and school supplies to numerous remote islands and villages around the world that are only accessible via boat.
As the COVID-19 pandemic spread globally that spring, the voyage was postponed. Garcia kept working and saving money to afford as much of the trip as possible. Over the next two years, he saved $51,000 and was ready to sail around the world once it boarded in October of 2022.
Feb. 15, 2024
Thurston Narcotics Task Force seizes 40k fentanyl pills, 104 pounds of meth, 42 guns, cash
With help from law enforcement agencies across the state, Thurston County Narcotics Task Force seized drugs, firearms, cash and vehicles that stemmed from a cartel operation.
Thurston County Sheriff’s Facebook page announced Feb. 10, 2024, that the task force carried out several search warrants at several locations throughout the state. The task force’s investigation was based on information that the seized narcotics were being directly imported into Thurston County on a routine and consistent basis.
The task force confiscated 104 pounds of methamphetamine, 40,000 fentanyl pills, 2.7 ounces of fentanyl powder, 5.4 ounces of cocaine, 42 firearms and $97,000 cash during the search warrants. Law enforcement recovered a stolen Kubota RTV and seized an Audi sedan used for facilitating transactions.
The Thurston County Sheriff’s Facebook page added that several arrests were made stemming from the seizures. More arrests were expected.
“While most of the seizures (Thurston Narcotics Task Force) coordinates are not regularly reported, the task force believes it is important to share periodic updates so that the public is aware of the massive flow of cartel-supplied narcotics and guns in our local community. Nearly all crime in our county can be traced back to some form of drug trafficking as the opioid epidemic continues to trend upward,” according to the Thurston County Sheriff’s Facebook page.
Feb. 22, 2024
State Champs: Yelm wrestlers finish top of the podium state at Mat Classic XXXV
The championship aspirations of two Yelm wrestlers came true when Madisyn Erickson, 120 pounds, and Jonah Smith, 285, ascended the top of the podium at Mat Classic XXXV in February. Both went a perfect 4-0 at the Tacoma Dome en route to becoming titleholders.
Erickson, a senior at the time, secured her second consecutive 3A/4A 120-pound state championship, while Smith, then a sophomore, secured his first 3A 285-pound title.
The two state champion Tornados have known each other since they were children and grew up in the Yelm wrestling community together. They each said it was a special moment to be crowned state champion with one another in the Tacoma Dome.
Feb. 29, 2024
Yelm School Board lowers collection rate for second levy attempt
Yelm Community Schools announced it would take a second shot at approving its replacement education and operations levy.
If the measure was approved in the April 23 special election, the district would have collected less money from taxpayers than the amount listed in the first attempt, which would have replaced a levy that expired last year.
After the levy failed in the Feb. 13, 2024, special election — 2,779 votes, or 52.96%, against to
2,468, or 47.04% in support, according to final results — the district was tasked with deciding whether to put the proposition back on the ballot in the spring with the same collection rate or a lower amount.
The school board voted unanimously to lower the rate from $2.50 per $1,000 of assessed property value to $2.25 per $1,000 of assessed value during its school board meeting on Thursday, Feb. 22.
March 7, 2024
YHS sports med students headed to California for competition
For the first time in five years, students with the Yelm High School sports medicine program traveled to Northridge, California, for the 23rd annual California Regional High School Sports Medicine Competition, March 16, 2024.
All participants in the regional event competed in two events, including a medical specialty test and a mini-quiz knowledge bowl, and a team of the students competed in an anatomage anatomy challenge.
The 12 Tornados making the trip to Southern California were Sydney Chamberlain, Kyara Fitzpatrick, Kyla Hall, Janessa Holbrook, Sophie Hurschler, Trissani Madigan, Destiny Mathews, Sophia Minnick, Lucy Mohrweis, Kijika Rosen, Maddy Sapegin and Rio Slevin.
“It’s a great opportunity for the kids to be able to compete and take their knowledge and skills, which are incredibly well-rounded, to a location besides our state competition,” Gary Clinton, YHS sports medicine instructor, said.
March 14, 2024
Victims in two separate Yelm deaths identified
The Thurston County Sheriff’s Office investigated a homicide after a 31-year-old Yelm man was shot and killed on the evening of March 5, 2024.
Deputies responded to the 11000 block of Morris Road Southeast after someone called 911 at approximately 6:22 p.m. to report the shooting.
First responders’ attempts to revive the victim, identified as Trever Miller, were unsuccessful. Miller reportedly lived in a trailer in the area where the shooting occurred. According to the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office, two people were seen leaving the scene in a 1990s light blue or silver Honda Civic.
A 27-year-old woman was killed on March 9, 2024, after a collision in the 9900 block of Bridge Road Southeast in Yelm.
Southeast Thurston Fire Authority found the woman, identified by the Thurston County Coroner as Destiney Fortin, deceased at the scene. While TCSO investigators responded to the incident, they were already investigating another homicide nearby, the report said. Investigators from Yelm Police Department assisted. Fortin’s residence and age were not immediately known.
March 21, 2024
Yelm district makes staffing changes to prep for budget cuts
Yelm Community Schools (YCS) began its preparations for the upcoming budget reduction.
During the district’s school board meeting on March 14, 2024, Superintendent Chris Woods announced that all high school assistant athletic coach positions for winter sports were being reduced.
Woods said the cuts would only be finalized if the replacement levy measure failed in the April 23 special election. He added that the positions would be brought back if the levy passes.
“We are essentially doing reduction work with all assistant coaches at the high school level. If the levy were to fail, we would potentially have to reduce those positions,” Woods said. “[YHS Principal] Curtis Cleveringa and Athletic Director Rob Hill have had conversations with those coaches and explained the process and what’s going on.”
March 28, 2024
After Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization reports sighting, Thurston County cross country athlete says it was him
A Sasquatch sighting near Grand Mound, investigated by the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization (BFRO), may have been debunked by a Rochester cross country and track athlete.
The supposed sighting was reported in south Thurston County and was featured in an article in The Centralia Chronicle.
According to the sighting’s report, one witness was riding motorcycles with his friend and his young son on Feb. 4 when the group spotted something running across a ridgetop about a half mile away.
“It was very large and human-shaped,” according to the man’s report to the BFRO. “There was one color, tan/brown, moving across very rugged terrain, making a beeline for the tree line.”
The three watched the figure for 30 seconds before it went out of sight.
“It moved so fluently with little arm movement, unlike a human running,” the witness said. “It easily was 10 feet tall for us to be able to see it from so far away.”
After The Chronicle’s article reached thousands of people and was shared hundreds of time on social media, the Nisqually Valley News’ sister newspaper received an email from Rochester High School student and cross country runner Gunnar Morgan.
“That Sasquatch running was me,” Morgan said in his email.
April 4, 2024
Yelm school district shares reduced educational plan amid budget shortfall
Yelm Community Schools projected it would finish the 2023-24 school year with a fund balance of $3.3 million, $1.6 million short of its projected balance of $4.9 million from its adopted balance in August.
The approved budget already included a deficit of $1.2 million less than the district’s minimum fund balance policy. With its new projection falling $1.6 million shy of its August projection, YCS faced a total deficit of $2.8 million under its minimum fund balance policy.
On top of this, the district was tasked with preparing for reductions in the event the educational programs and operations levy included on the April 23 special election ballot failed. Regardless of if the levy passed or failed, the district had to make cuts due to its budget deficit. The current EP&O levy expired at the end of the year, and the new levy amount was for less than the expiring one.
April 11, 2024
Yelm community pays tribute to ‘Historic Yelm Canyon’
In a town lined with breathtaking views, a booming economy and historic buildings with stories dating back a century, Yelm’s most polarizing attraction in 2024 was what residents dubbed the “Historic Yelm Canyon.”
The “canyon” was an oversized pothole located between Burger King and the Nisqually Plaza Commercial Center off of East Yelm Avenue. It had long been an obstruction for Yelm motorists and pedestrians, but it only recently became a social media phenomenon in the town. In fact, it grew so popular that a green sign reading “Historic Yelm Canyon” was placed on the stop sign by the pothole, and it even had its own Google Maps entry with reviews. As of early March, 36 people left reviews of the “Historic Yelm Canyon,” with an average rating of 4.9 stars out of five. One review read, “A lot of fun for the whole family.”
Much to the dismay of residents and tourists, the beloved Yelm landmark was filled on March 22, 2024. Mayor Joe DePinto said the death of the “canyon” was due to a new business application in the area.
April 18, 2024
YHS automotive program receives first ever vehicle donation from Ford
Dawn Kraves’ goal after being hired at Yelm High School as an automotive instructor was to provide every student with as many opportunities as possible.
With a nationwide shortage of automotive technicians and the rising costs of facilities, equipment, tools and curriculum, automotive instructors must often scramble for resources. Kraves and YHS partnered with Ford Motor Company to bring the Ford Automotive Career Exploration (ACE) program, a training program that allows students to earn Ford certifications while still in high school, into the curriculum. Through this program, Ford donated a 2023 Lincoln Aviator to the school on April 11, 2024.
Ford was represented by members of Mullinax Ford in Olympia and Ford Corporate, while Kraves, YHS Principal Curtis Cleveringa, Yelm Community Schools Superintendent Chris Woods and YCS Career and Technology Education Director Teri Melone were on hand to receive the donation, which was worth approximately $100,000. Ford donated the vehicle to recognize YHS for having the highest number of Ford ACE participants in the area, Kraves said.
“The newest car that we had is from 2015, and electronics have changed so much since that vehicle came out. Being able to expose the students to the new electronics that are in these newer models is a really big deal,” said Kraves, who teaches five classes in auto basics and auto service. “When I came here we didn’t have any cars. Zero. So we bought four, but 2015 was the latest one. This is a really good opportunity for the kids.”
April 25, 2024
New Yelm Chamber executive director driven to help city grow
Tina Richardson believes she left her heart in Yelm when she moved away shortly after graduating from Yelm High School over two decades ago. She was a military child, living temporarily in Hawaii, Texas and Germany before settling in Yelm as an elementary school student.
Richardson moved to Tennessee after high school to study at Lee University in Cleveland, and she lived there until last November when she returned to Yelm. Five months into her second stint in Yelm, she applied for and accepted the Yelm Chamber of Commerce executive director role, which she started on April 8, 2024.
“I felt like I was supposed to come back here. My family is here, even some of my extended family,” she said. “I came back maybe twice a year when I lived in Tennessee. It’s not the same Yelm.”
May 2, 2024
Yelm’s education levy fails by slim margin
Unofficial results for the April 23 Thurston County special election showed the Yelm Community Schools educational programs and operations (EP&O) levy proposition improved from its Feb. 13 special election numbers but still failed by a narrow margin.
As of 5 p.m., April 25, 2024, 3,036 voters, or 49.54%, supported the levy while 3,092 voters, or 50.46%, were opposed. According to Thurston County Elections, 32.21% of issued ballots were received as of April 24. In Pierce County, 473 voters, or 42.04%, voted in favor of the proposition, but 652 voters, or 57.96%, opposed. According to Pierce County Elections, there were no more ballots left to count.
In total, as of April 25, 3,509 voters, or 48.38% across the two counties chose to approve the proposition while 3,744 voters, or 51.62%, opted to oppose.
May 16, 2024
‘Save our education’: YCS students voice concerns about levy failure in peaceful protest
Carrying signs with phrases such as “Save our education,” over 150 Yelm Community Schools (YCS) students voiced their concerns over the district’s recent levy failure in a peaceful protest on Wednesday, May 15, at Yelm City Park, and the corner of First Street and Mosman Avenue Southeast.
Due to the levy failures, at least 200 YCS classified staff and teachers received notice their positions were either being eliminated or amended as a result of the district’s initial attempt of cutting $15 million from its budget for the 2024-25 school year.
Eagen Wall, a junior at Yelm High School, said students attended the walkout to protest more than just the levy failure.
“Over 200 of our staff got cut, and what we’re really angry about is the 67% of people that didn’t vote. They didn’t cast a vote and didn’t even care about what happens to the school, or what happens to the students that are directly being affected,” Wall told the Nisqually Valley News on May 15. “We want everyone to realize that this isn’t targeted towards the district office, the teachers or the school itself. It isn’t even targeted towards voters. Our goal is to just try to bring voter awareness up. We want to bring that 67% down to the lowest number that’s physically possible.”
May 23, 2024
Former Rainier grad, Army sergeant posthumously inducted into Wrestling Hall of Fame
As Rainier High School wrestling head coach Chris Holterman perused the Washington Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum in Stillwater, Oklahoma, in the winter of 2022, he was surprised to see plaques of wrestlers who later served in the military.
He always thought the chapter was just for coaches and officials.
Holterman then considered nominating one of his former wrestlers for the Medal of Courage honor: Sgt. Justin Norton, a 2003 RHS graduate who was killed in action by an improvised explosive device while on patrol in Baghdad, Iraq, on June 24, 2006, at the age of 21.
Shortly after returning home from Stillwater, Holterman told Norton’s mother, Chris Warnock, that he wanted to nominate Norton, and they moved forward with the application process. On May 4, 2024, Norton was officially inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in the Medal of Courage category at the induction banquet at the Federal Way Performing Arts Center.
He is the only RHS coach or competitor enshrined in the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. Warnock accepted the award on her son’s behalf.
May 30, 2024
Suspect in murder/suicide identified after standoff in Yelm
Thurston County Sheriff’s Office, along with multiple agencies, responded to reports of potential human remains on May 21, 2024, found on an Old McKenna Road property by first responders attending to a fire on the same property around 7 a.m. that day.
What initially started as a response to a boat and RV fire in the 10500 block of Old McKenna Road Southeast turned into a death investigation following the first responders’ discovery of potential human remains. Thurston County Coroner Gary Warnock later confirmed that a 67-year-old man from Yelm was, in fact, found deceased on the property.
After law enforcement arrived on scene around 11:30 a.m. to execute a warrant to investigate the human remains, the investigation quickly turned into a standoff as 30-year-old Abnel B. Quinones, of Yelm, was found with a woman by deputies inside the home of the deceased victim. Quinones displayed a gun, which led to the road being closed and a long standoff with Thurston County SWAT, according to Thurston County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Mike Brooks.
Once the woman exited the house, Brooks said a SWAT team took over and attempted to talk Quinones into exiting the home to further the investigation. The woman was uninjured and allowed to leave the scene once it was secured. Negotiations lasted for roughly six hours, according to TCSO.
June 6, 2024
Tenino Quarry Pool renovations nearly finished as grand reopening approaches
One of Tenino’s top summertime attractions returned on June 22, 2024, as the Quarry Pool reopened after a several-year hiatus.
The improved Tenino Quarry Pool, 399 W. Park Ave., features a new shallow pool and numerous other upgrades.
Mayor Dave Watterson said a vast majority of the upgrades, including the new shallow pool, several outdoor showers and a drinking fountain, came through grant funding, leaving the city with very little financial responsibility to renovate the Tenino Quarry Pool.
The Tenino Quarry Pool originally opened in the 1940s and was first called the Veterans Pool, Watterson said. Tenino’s top attraction has come a long way since it first opened, he added.
“It used to be a mess. There was not really much of anything, so we added some grass and we’ll have picnic tables out here,” Watterson said. “When they carved this stone, they dug down and hit a spring. This area filled up with water, and it’s considered a lake.”
June 13, 2024
Yelm High School celebrates class of 2024 in Tacoma Dome
Yelm High School’s tradition of celebrating departing seniors inside the Tacoma Dome during the school’s graduation commencement continued in 2024 as family, classmates, teachers and district officials attended the venue to send off the group of students on June 9.
YHS seniors Amber Acosta, Hewitt Smith and Aric Gyekis were the class of 2024’s valedictorians, while Andrew Geszvain and Kiana Neir received salutatorian honors. All five students gave their own speeches prior to the students receiving their diplomas.
YHS Principal Curtis Cleveringa also presented the graduating class and audience members with a speech that reflected on this group of seniors’ four-year journey at the school. This group of students began their high school endeavors during the COVID-19 pandemic and quickly faced challenges like online learning while starting as freshmen.
“I feel a deep sense of gratitude and joy,” Cleveringa said. “We have shared countless moments that have shaped us, not only as individuals, but as a collective. We’ve seen you grow, learn and transform.”
June 20, 2024
Two arrests made in connection to Nisqually River homicide
Law enforcement arrested two Yelm residents on June 13, 2024, in relation to a deceased Yelm man found buried in a “shallow grave” near the Nisqually River. It marked the second homicide investigation in the greater Yelm area since mid-May.
On June 4, detectives found the deceased man, later identified as Robert Erwin by the Thurston County Coroner’s Office, buried near the river, according to a TCSO press release. The agency received tips over the last several weeks leading to Erwin’s body being found but ultimately discovered the missing man while pursuing another lead, according to the TCSO.
TCSO confirmed on Facebook that two suspects, a man and a woman in their mid-30s from the Yelm area, were arrested and booked for rendering criminal assistance, tampering with physical evidence and unlawful disposal of human remains. The Yelm Police Department, Tumwater Police Department and Thurston County Narcotics Task Force assisted with the arrests.
June 27, 2024
Local residents pack Yelm City Park for Prairie Days activities, centennial concert
Downtown Yelm was extremely busy on Saturday, June 22, due to a plethora of family-friendly and free activities at Yelm City Park, including the Prairie Days celebration in the morning hours and the Centennial Concert in the evening.
After residents lined East Yelm Avenue at 9 a.m. for the Prairie Days Parade, a majority of people walked just a few blocks over to Yelm City Park for more festivities.
“Yesterday in the park was amazing. It’s so great to see our community come together and celebrate something as momentous as the centennial together. It was such a great celebration of everything that we’ve accomplished in the past, what we’re doing currently, and a great way to look forward to the future if we work together as a community,” said Line Roy, Yelm’s communications and recreation coordinator. “Thank you to the community members that came out to celebrate our centennial. We’re going to continue celebrating through the end of this year, so keep an eye out for more programs and celebrations as we get closer to Yelm’s actual birthday in December.”
July 4, 2024
133d Army National Guard rock band thrills at All-American Jubilee in Rainier
Performing on stage is a thrilling experience for members of the 133d Army National Guard Band. But performing on stage in uniform is a different kind of thrill.
The six rock musicians of the band did just that during the inaugural All-American Jubilee at Wilkowski Park in Rainier on June 30. The 40-member group of musicians is broken into ensembles that include the rock band, a concert band, a brass band, a traditional jazz band and a brass quintet.
The rock contingent, nicknamed Full Metal Racket, performed classic and modern rock songs for an hour in front of attendees. Six musicians make up the band: Sgt. Marcus Jaffe on percussion, Sgt. Tricia Scheer on vocals, Staff Sgt. Joseph Castilleja on guitar and vocals, Specialist Joseph Ballestrasse on bass, Specialist Matthew Abshire on guitar and Sgt. Glenn DeVage on guitar. Full Metal Racket members are stationed at Camp Murray in Tacoma.
July 11, 2024
Construction of Yelm Loop expected to begin in spring 2025
Construction of the long-anticipated Yelm Loop project is expected to begin in spring of next year, according to city officials.
Yelm Public Works Project Manager Pat Hughes updated the Yelm City Council during a meeting on July 2. For motorists driving the Yelm Loop starting near Walmart, the new road will head north along Walmart Boulevard before approaching a new roundabout at 103rd Avenue, Hughes reported in March. After the new traffic circle, drivers will continue north to Canal Road Southeast’s current crossing and eventually to Flume Road Southeast.
The Yelm Loop, also known as Yelm Bypass, will continue to Railway Road Southeast near the Prairie Line Trail, then along to Wilkinsen Road Southeast, which will also feature a new roundabout. The stretch continues along to Northwest Rhoton Road, Yelm Creek and Cullens Road Northwest before connecting to the already existing state Route 510 to complete phase 1 of the project.
July 18, 2024
Yelm PD, TCSO arrest suspect after shooting at Cherry Meadows residence
A suspect faced attempted first-degree murder charges after a person was shot at a residence on Chad Drive Southeast, Sunday, Aug. 14.
Yelm Police Sgt. Kevin Taylor said that he and another YPD officer were responding to a possible order violation Sunday evening at the residence when dispatch notified them that a man was trying to force entry into the Cherry Meadows home.
July 25, 2024
Roy mayor condemns councilor’s alleged Nazi salute during council meeting
Roy Mayor Kimber Ivy hoped to close out the Roy City Council’s July 8 meeting with a simple vote for an adjournment. As she gathered favoring votes from each council member, she was unable to see or hear Councilor William Starks and asked for his vote.
After his wife, Councilor Yvonne Starks, interjected and stated that he voted in favor, Ivy once again asked William Starks to confirm his vote. He replied silently with a gesture that appeared similar to a Nazi salute, which gathered gasps and nervous laughter from the crowd in attendance.
“I’m just clarifying, sir. I don’t think that was very appropriate,” Ivy told Starks after his gesture.
“I think it was appropriate totally,” Starks replied.
Aug. 1, 2024
Yelm community rallies to celebrate 3-year-old’s birthday
Kimberly Donofrio planned to throw a big birthday party for her 3-year-old grandson, Nathaniel Pickard, with the help of his parents on June 29. They invited neighbors with young children and everyone at Pickard’s day care, including the owners, teachers and kids, to the beach-themed party.
One person responded with an RSVP, but no one showed up.
Donofrio and Pickard’s parents were devastated that their hard work planning the party for him seemingly fell flat. The family — Donofrio, Nathaniel, his sister and father — had only recently moved to Yelm from Florida in December and didn’t have any more relatives on the West Coast, although Pickard’s mother flew in from out of state to help plan the party.
That’s when Donofrio took to Facebook looking for help. She posted to the Yelm and Surrounding Areas group with hopes that just a couple of people with children would stop by to give Nathaniel some company on his special day.
“We thought people were just going to show up and not RSVP. I posted that if somebody was in the neighborhood, they could swing by, but it turned out to be so much more than that,” Donofrio said.
Within an hour, 25 kids arrived to celebrate Nathaniel’s birthday, with the first one showing up within just 15 minutes.
Aug. 8, 2024
Yelm district eliminates athletic transportation, C-team sports teams
Yelm Community Schools announced in a newsletter to families and staff that it would eliminate high school and middle school C-teams and transportation for districtwide athletics for the 2024-25 school year.
Varsity and junior varsity sports are still offered at the high school and middle school levels, with the exception of middle school football, which was also eliminated. With the cut of athletic transportation, parents are required to provide transportation to and from events.
Aug. 15, 2024
Yelm seniors honored as Rosemont prom king and queen
Myrna and Paul Morey never went to their senior proms in high school. Paul was already out of high school by the time Myrna graduated, and the couple were preparing to wed rather than attending prom.
During Prestige Senior Living Rosemont’s Golden Years Prom on Saturday, Aug. 10, the Moreys got their shining moment. The couple, who live at the Yelm center, were chosen by their fellow residents and community members as the event’s king and queen.
The Moreys, who celebrated their 63rd wedding anniversary in October, shared a kiss and a smile as their names were announced. Myrna received a silver tiara and a white sash with the words “Prom Queen,” while Paul donned a golden crown and a black sash with the words “Prom King.”
Aug. 22, 2024
Roy animal sanctuary saves 124 birds in state’s largest cockfighting rescue
Heartwood Haven, an animal sanctuary in Roy, rescued 120 roosters on Aug. 1 from a cockfighting operation in Buckley in Pierce County.
Representatives from the organization confirmed this was the largest cockfighting rescue in Washington state history. They sought to rehome the recently rescued fowl.
Kate Tsyrklevich, Heartwood Haven’s executive director, told the Nisqually Valley News on Aug. 19 that the organization aims to raise awareness surrounding cockfighting rooster rescues, as she said, usually, the birds are “euthanized and the public doesn’t hear about it.”
Aug. 22, 2024
Attorney: Thurston County commissioner removed from board assignments as county investigates ‘brief dating relationship’
Thurston County Commissioner Emily Clouse was removed from her board and commission assignments as the county investigated a “brief dating relationship” with a colleague, an attorney representing the first-term commissioner told the Nisqually Valley News’ sister paper, The Chronicle.
Maia Robbins, an attorney at Seattle-based law firm Corr Cronin, told The Chronicle that both the relationship and the employment “recently ended,” and that the county opted to conduct the investigation “out of an abundance of caution.” The investigation was not criminal.
Aug. 29, 2024
Yelm teachers urge school board, superintendent to complete CBA contract negotiations
With the first day of the 2024-25 school year less than two weeks away, teacher contract negotiations between the Yelm Community Schools (YCS) administration and the Yelm Education Association (YEA) were ongoing.
Members of the YEA, donning red shirts with phrases such as “Educators Rock” and “YEA Stronger Together” flocked to the district office for the Aug. 22 Board of Directors meeting and packed the board room so tightly that dozens had to watch from outside the door or by sitting on the floor.
Six YEA members took to the podium demanding the school board and Superintendent Chris Woods agreed on a new contract as the current three-year contract approved in September 2021 expired on Aug. 31. The district also negotiated with the Public School Employees classified staff bargaining group.
Sept. 5, 2024
Escape room opens doors in Yelm to offer new entertainment option in town
Joe DePinto is now serving the City of Yelm’s mayor in two capacities. Aside from leading the city’s government, he also acts as the fabricated mayor and game master of Yelm’s new escape room experience: Quark & Odo’s.
In the first of the business’s escape rooms, titled “Water Tower Winner,” participants win a city raffle to go up into the top of the Yelm water tower and explore the control center on a tour led by DePinto, who portrays the mayor. An emergency arises and participants must use puzzles to find a way out.
Quark & Odo’s Escape Room Experience, 10501 Creek St. SE Suite 2, Yelm, celebrated its grand opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, Aug. 16, before the first customers trickled in.
Sept. 12, 2024
YHS Connects raises over $4,000 to fully fund band program
Just three days after launching a fundraiser to allow Yelm High School’s band program to return to a full schedule, booster club YHS Connects successfully raised $4,200 to donate to Yelm Community Schools for the band program.
YHS Connects, a 501c3 non-profit organization, officially launched the fundraiser after the Yelm Tornados football team’s season opener against Mount Tahoma on Thursday, Sept. 5. Because of cuts made after Yelm Community Schools’ levy failures, Yelm High School’s band program was forced to sit out from the Tornados’ season opener against Mount Tahoma.
Sept. 19, 2024
Yelm’s 507 Taproom to be featured on America’s Best Restaurant Roadshow
One of the Nisqually Valley region’s most popular establishments, Yelm’s 507 Taproom, will be highlighted on YouTube by the channel “America’s Best Restaurants Roadshow” in an exclusive interview and feature of the bar and grill, located 608 E. Yelm Ave.
Bill DeVore, owner of both 507 Taproom locations in Yelm, said America’s Best Restaurant Roadshow made its way to Yelm on Friday, Sept. 20, to interview him and Juan Martinez, who handles the food side of the 507 Taproom, and to film content for an episode to upload onto YouTube.
Sept. 26, 2024
Yelm High School chamber choir raising money for Carnegie Hall performance
When Timothy Henderson interviewed for the choir director position at Yelm High School (YHS) in 2013, former Yelm Community Schools Superintendent Brian Wharton asked him what his ultimate goals would be for a choir program.
“I would love to be so good and consistent with our sound that we get invited to go sing at Carnegie Hall,” Henderson replied.
Mission accomplished.
The YHS Chamber Choir was invited to perform with musicians from Central Arkansas University and the University of Nebraska-Kearney in a world premiere concert of a 35-minute piece by Mexican composer Julio Morales at Carnegie Hall in New York City next year.
Oct. 3, 2024
Texas couple reconnecting military families with Yelm Salute the Kids camp
Sommer and Josh Houser, founders of a Texas-based nonprofit organization called Salute the Kids, have held over a dozen camps for military-connected children and their families across the country.
The Housers have hosted Salute the Kids Family Camps in Texas, Oklahoma, Virginia, Tennessee and Arizona, with locations typically dependent on grant funding and donations from local organizations. But, outside of their home state of Texas, they have established Yelm as a fixture in their schedule.
For the fifth time, the Housers hosted the three-day Salute the Kids Pacific Northwest Family Camp at Cascades Camp & Conference Center in Yelm. The camp, which took place from Sept. 27 through Sept. 29, welcomes military-connected families and aims to offer them a transformative weekend retreat designed to foster reconnection, build resilience and offer traditional camping experiences.
Oct. 10, 2024
Thurston County sheriff “happy to be alive” after DUI hit-and-run on Martin Way
It was a self-proclaimed “rough night” for Thurston County Sheriff Derek Sanders on Sunday, Oct. 6, as while he was driving down Martin Way around midnight, a vehicle veered into an oncoming lane and tried to turn in front of his car — T-boning Sanders in the process.
The driver, according to a Facebook post written by Sanders, dragged their bumper down the road while fleeing the scene. TCSO deputies, Lacey Police officers, K9 Arco and his handler with the Olympia Police Department answered Sanders’ call for help on the radio, he wrote.
Oct. 17, 2024
Notorious Yelm porch pirate detained by police
For several weeks, Yelm residents have played a high-stakes game of “Where’s Waldo?” with a porch pirate driving a white Lexus. The female suspect, whose identity has not been made public, has been spotted on camera dozens of times prowling residences and stealing packages and, said Thurston County Sheriff Derek Sanders, was even seen trying to enter a residence on at least one occasion.
The prowler even had her own Facebook group titled “Where’s the White Lexus,” which had over 500 members as of Monday, Oct. 14.
Law enforcement solved the riddle when the woman was pulled over and detained by Yelm police and Thurston County Sheriff’s Office deputies after 8 p.m. Oct. 11, Sanders wrote in a Facebook post. She admitted to being in possession of stolen property and showed deputies the location of more purloined goods.
Oct. 24, 2024
YMS student denied permission to use restroom after having period in class
A Yelm Middle School eighth grade student was recovering from an incident she described as stressful and embarrassing.
Byllie Eighinger-Lemm, 13, asked her teacher if she could use the restroom Oct. 15, explaining to her teacher that she was having her period and was bleeding through her clothes. Her teacher denied her permission as Eighinger-Lemm had used her three restroom passes given to students each quarter, and the student texted her father, Bill Lemm, explaining the circumstances.
Lemm told her to leave the class to address the issue without asking for permission. When Eighinger-Lemm exited the restroom covered in blood, another teacher met her in the hallway and escorted her back to her classroom to retrieve her belongings before escorting her to in-school detention. She sat there for 15 to 20 minutes in her soiled clothes before her father picked her up from the office.
Oct. 31, 2024
Council votes no to golf course purchase, sales agreement with YMCA
By a decision of 4-3 during Oct. 22’s meeting, Yelm City Council voted against the City of Yelm from buying the Tahoma Valley Golf Course, 15425 Mosman Ave, from the South Sound YMCA through a sales agreement.
Mayor Joe DePinto told the Nisqually Valley News that the South Sound YMCA still holds the contract to purchase Tahoma Valley Golf Course and could ultimately still buy it.
“I think it’s fair to say they were disappointed in the vote by council, but it doesn’t impact their ability to move forward with their own plans,” DePinto wrote to the Nisqually Valley News on Oct. 29.
Councilors Joseph Richardson, Joshua Crossman, Stephanie Kangiser and Trevor Palmer each voted no to a city purchase of the Brookdale Golf property in Yelm. Councilors Tracey Wood, Brian Hess and Terry Kaminski each voted yes.
Nov. 7, 2024
Charity basketball game raises nearly $7K for Shop With A Cop
The North Thurston High School basketball court was brimming last week with the kind of intensity found in a game with a state championship berth on the line.
But something far more important was at stake — providing gifts for local children in need.
Local firefighters and police laced up their best pair of sneakers and hit the hardwood for the second annual Fire and Ice Charity Basketball Game on Nov. 2.
Team Fire prevailed in a thrilling 81-80 victory over Team Ice in a heated contest that raised nearly $7,000 for the Shop With A Cop program. Funds will be used to take local children Christmas gift shopping with the help of the Boys & Girls Club of Thurston County in December.
Firefighters from Tumwater, Lacey and Olympia competed for Team Fire while staff from the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office, FBI, Centralia Police Department and Thurston County Jail teamed up for Team Ice.
Nov. 14, 2024
Lack of proper budget reporting, position turnover led to Tenino spending estimated $1.3M in restricted funds, mayor says
About 40 Tenino residents attended a town hall event at Tenino High School on Nov. 9, hosted by city staff, the Tenino City Council and Tenino Mayor Dave Watterson to address the estimated $1.3 million in restricted budget funds the city spent this year and the three years of budget misreporting prior to that.
The budget misreporting resulted in the city’s budget expenditures outpacing budget revenues by an estimated total of $1.4 million going back to 2021.
Nov. 21, 2024
Local family giving back to communities in need with Thanksgiving in a Basket event
Live to give.
That’s the motto that Amber and Phil Ogle frequently tell their seven children. But for the Ogles, it’s more than just a motto. It’s a core principle by which to operate as a unit.
For 11 years, the Ogles have put on an event called Thanksgiving in a Basket.
Originally, they would typically host a get-together at their home the weekend before Thanksgiving to serve homemade food and spend time with family and friends. They assembled several baskets with Thanksgiving items to donate to people in need, and they also accepted monetary donations to sponsor a basket that the Ogles would assemble and donate, as well.
In their first year, the Ogles made five total baskets to donate. Last year, they were forced to rent a U-Haul truck as they made 241 baskets.
This year, the interest in the event has grown so large that the Ogles will have a drive-thru in their driveway where they will hand out warm food as community members drive up with their donations from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23.
Nov. 28, 2024
Upcoming centennial documentary a ‘love letter to Yelm’
When Jared Potter was a teenager living in Yelm, his first job was at Yelm Cinemas nearly 20 years ago.
During his stint working at the theater, he fell in love with the world of cinema and with Yelm, simultaneously. He dreamed of one day producing a film that made it to the big screen in his backyard.
Potter’s dream is about to come true. The founder of Part One Media, a Yelm production company, is putting the finishing touches on the Yelm Centennial Documentary, scheduled to premiere at Yelm Cinemas on Dec. 9.
Dec. 5, 2024
YHS junior named 2024 Arabian Horse Association Youth of the Year
Hannah Hiiva, a junior at Yelm High School, was not always proud of being known as “the horse girl” when she was younger. Although her parents tell her that she came out of the womb liking horses, her classmates viewed it in a negative light.
But as she piles up accolades and professional opportunities stemming from her involvement with the Arabian Horse Youth Association (AHYA), Hiiva has realized that the title isn’t such a bad thing.
She was recently named the 2024 AHYA Youth of the Year during a ceremony in Reno, Nevada, and received a perpetual trophy and a $5,000 scholarship. She is in her second year as the youth director for AHYA Region 5, which covers Alaska, Washington, northern Idaho and western Montana.
Dec. 12, 2024
South Puget Sound Habitat for Humanity to construct 22-unit development in Yelm
South Puget Sound Habitat for Humanities believes everybody deserves a place to call home and is taking steps to provide more affordable housing opportunities in Yelm with the construction of a 22-unit development on Longmire Street Northwest.
Elizabeth Walker, chief executive officer of South Puget Sound Habitat for Humanity, said the community will be located on Longmire Street in Yelm off of Coates Avenue and is a little over 2 acres in size. She said the development will feature a mix of town homes and cottages — including senior cottages and accessible rooms.
Dec. 19, 2024
Yelm City Council votes 4-3 to stop recording study sessions
The public will no longer be able to watch Yelm City Council study sessions after the fact to learn more about city business.
After a number of years, the City of Yelm will no longer record or post online the study sessions after the council voted, 4-3, to eliminate its live streams and recordings of study sessions on Tuesday, Dec. 10, during a Yelm City Council meeting.
Yelm city councilors Tracey Wood, Joseph Richardson, Joshua Crossman and Trevor Palmer voted in favor to eliminate video and audio recording and streaming from city study sessions. Councilors Stephanie Kangiser, Brian Hess and Terry Kaminski voted against the elimination of study sessions being shared online with the public.
Dec. 26, 2024
40 children shop for Christmas gifts with cops at Yelm Walmart
Yelm Walmart was filled with Christmas spirit as 40 children from Boys & Girls Clubs of Thurston County and Family Support Center joined Yelm Police Department officers and Thurston County deputies for the Shop With A Cop event Thursday, Dec. 19.
The shoppers had the opportunity to ride along with a law enforcement officer for a lights and sirens escort to Walmart, where each child got to pick a deputy or officer to help them purchase $200 worth of gifts for them and their family.
The Thurston County Sheriff’s Office raised more than $7,000 this year with the Fire and Ice Basketball fundraiser game, along with donations from Walmart, Kaufman Construction & Development Inc., Spin Tees and private citizens. Once the gifts were purchased, shoppers and cops trekked to the Yelm Community Center, where they wrapped their gifts and enjoyed pizza and cupcakes.
