Rochester News

A man burned down his mother's Yelm home early Friday morning after a dispute with her turned violent, according to the Thurston County Sheriff's Office.

After spending weeks unable to move from the waist down, 19-year-old Carmon Gillaspie managed to climb into a wheelchair.

A fire near Grand Mound burned a single-wide mobile home, at least one vehicle and the brush surrounding the home Monday afternoon, according to Thurston County dispatchers.

The Legislature moved closer to making Washington the seventh state to legally recognize same-sex marriages with a bipartisan Senate vote Wednesday night.

A Senate panel heard arguments Tuesday on a plan that would permit agencies to get a court order if they can prove that a records request creates a "significant burden." The law would also allow governments to adopt policy limiting the amount of time devoted to responding to records requests.

The Florida Highway Patrol has now identified seven people killed in the crash. They're still trying to identify three victims.

Hurrah for Dan Beedle! I really would like to see Beedle and his first two clones that science can come up with occupy the Thurston County commissioner positions.

Depending on the business, the biggest snow and ice storm to hit South Sound in years was either a boon or a budget buster.

Brad Shannon maintains this blog. He is political editor at The Olympian and can be reached at 360-753-1688 or bshannon@theolympian.com . A Senate committee voted unanimously today to approve a bill that seeks to clarify when a permit can be granted for the exercise of religious practices on the state Capitol Campus.

Imagine living in a home without heat to ward off the freezing winter weather or a leaky roof that lets in the relentless rains.

Brad Shannon maintains this blog. He is political editor at The Olympian and can be reached at 360-753-1688 or bshannon@theolympian.com . A bill linking citizen initiatives to their actual taxpayer costs got a hearing Monday in a House committee.

Ask nearly anyone around south Thurston County what they remember about Eloy Perez, and his smile is the first thing to come to mind.