Nisqually Valley News

09/01/2024

Yelm Community Schools (YCS) will announce in the morning Sunday, Sept. 1, whether school will begin as scheduled on Tuesday or will be delayed as the district continues to work toward a new collective bargaining agreement with the Yelm Education Association (YEA).

The district made an offer to the union at 6 p.m. Friday, Aug. 30, and at 8 p.m., both teams agreed to recess negotiations, according to YCS Communications Director Teri Melone in a statement released Saturday. The union and district met again on Saturday, and the YEA team shared its counter offer at 4:30 p.m. According to Melone, issues such as salary, optional days and working conditions are still being discussed.

Members of the Yelm Education Association (YEA) overwhelmingly voted Tuesday, Aug. 27 to approve a strike if no ratified tentative agreement with YCS is reached. YEA leadership has negotiated with the district since June as the district’s contract with the union is set to expire Saturday.

Yelm Community Schools (YCS) will announce in the morning Sunday, Sept. 1, whether school will begin as scheduled on Tuesday or will be delayed as the district continues to work toward a new …

09/01/2024

Yelm Community Schools currently serves the local community with six elementary schools, two middle schools one high school and an extension school, but did you know one of the area’s first recorded educational institutions began in the early 1860s?

According to “The Story of Yelm: The Little Town with the Big History, 1848-1948,” written by Richard and Floss Loutzenhiser with contributions from Len Longmire, Mrs. F.N. Edwards and Mrs. Jack Kettleman, there were “at least” 22 schools that had served the community at one point in time prior to the book’s publication.

According to the book, Yelm’s oldest school was originally private, and classes were offered in the Longmire log cabin, which at one point was referred to as the McLean Chambers’ cabin.

Editor’s Note: This year, Yelm will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the city’s official incorporation, which took place on Dec. 8, 1924. Every month this year, the Nisqually Valley …

08/31/2024

With the first day of the 2024-25 school year less than one week away, teacher contract negotiations between the Yelm Community Schools (YCS) administration and the Yelm Education Association (YEA) are 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 Thursday, 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.

With the first day of the 2024-25 school year less than one week away, teacher contract negotiations between the Yelm Community Schools (YCS) administration and the Yelm Education Association (YEA) …

08/31/2024

Jesse Duvall, community resilience with DNR in Thurston, Pierce, Mason, Kitsap and Grays Harbor counties, said that the sign-up survey is a “quick and easy” 15 questions.

“They sign up, they check that they want to do a one-on-one talk with a professional, and that puts them into our system. I get all that information and then I sort it out to where it’s supposed to go in the county,” Duvall said. “So anything within Yelm or Rainier will go to Southeast Thurston. Anything outside of Yelm or Rainier right now, will go to the conservation district. They’ll call, they’ll make contact with the landowner, they’ll set it up and then they’ll go out and do the home visit with them.”

In efforts to combat local property, structure and brush fires, several local agencies are offering free home visits to survey potential fire hazards and offer fire prevention methods to home and …

08/31/2024

According to Kelly Corey, SETFA’s wildland coordinator, the most recent strike team returned to Thurston County on Monday, August 12, after fighting a fire near White Pass. Corey mentioned that strike teams can be away for anywhere between 14 and 21 days at most.

“At Southeast Thurston Fire Authority, we have a brush truck dedicated to this mobilization program. While it is stationed at Station 24, it can also be used for local fires within the district, but also the truck can be utilized at any time for a dispatched mobilization in any state, and that’s how our wildland mobilization brush truck operates,” Corey said. “On a state level, for example, if a fire in Eastern Washington becomes too large or exceeds the local resources, those local agencies contact the Washington State Patrol or DNR. These agencies then request additional state resources from other agencies in Washington or neighboring states, depending on the situation.”

Southeast Thurston Fire Authority (SETFA) has been active since the start of the summer season, dispatching several crews to combat non-local fires as part of the wildland mobilization team under the …

08/31/2024

Robin Campbell, Thurston County assistant county manager, announced her retirement Friday, Aug. 23, after 41 years of public service with the state of Washington and the county. She will end her tenure with the county at the end of this year.

With her retirement, the county announced Community Planning and Economic Development (CPED) Director Joshua Cummings as the new assistant county manager. Cummings began his role as assistant county manager immediately to overlap with Campbell as she works toward her retirement, per a county news release.

“I want to give my utmost thanks to Robin as she begins to transition out of her role here at the county and into her next chapter of retirement,” Leonard Hernandez, Thurston County manager, said in the release. “Robin’s leadership and organizational knowledge will be missed greatly. Moving Josh into this role now allows for enough time for a transfer of knowledge, making this transition as smooth as possible for the county and staff. Josh has a proven record with the county of tackling tough issues, with a customer service oriented approach.”

Robin Campbell, Thurston County assistant county manager, announced her retirement Friday, Aug. 23, after 41 years of public service with the state of Washington and the county. She will end her …

08/31/2024

Enjoy these snapshots of articles written in past issues of the Nisqually Valley News from 45, 35, 25 and 15 years ago, respectively.

Enjoy these snapshots of articles written in past issues of the Nisqually Valley News from 45, 35, 25 and 15 years ago, respectively.  A Look Back at This Week, 45 Years Ago …

08/31/2024

South Puget Sound Community College (SPSCC) was recognized as the “Best Community College” in Showcase Magazine’s Best of 2024.

According to a news release, this award reflects the college’s commitment to excellence in education, student success and community engagement.

“We are incredibly honored to be named the Best Community College by Showcase Magazine,” SPSCC President Dr. Timothy Stokes said in a press release. “This recognition is a testament to the dedication and hard work of our faculty, staff, and students. It reinforces our commitment to providing high-quality education and a supportive, inclusive community.”

South Puget Sound Community College (SPSCC) was recognized as the “Best Community College” in Showcase Magazine’s Best of 2024. According to a news release, this award reflects …

08/31/2024

Members of the Yelm Education Association (YEA) overwhelmingly voted Tuesday, Aug. 27 to approve a strike if no ratified tentative agreement with Yelm Community Schools (YCS) is reached.

The motion passed with 97.5% in support — 197 voted in favor while five voted against — of the strike, which would begin on the first day of school on Tuesday, Sept. 3 should a contract settlement not be reached. The district’s collective bargaining agreement with YEA is set to expire on Aug. 31. YEA and YCS are working with a state-appointed mediator as negotiations continue.

YEA held a general membership meeting Tuesday night that had been scheduled at the beginning of the summer in hopes that it would be a ratification meeting. After the YEA bargaining team presented its latest proposal to the district Monday, representatives of the district left to work on their counter. Over two hours later, the mediator returned and said the district would not be able to respond that night.

Members of the Yelm Education Association (YEA) overwhelmingly voted Tuesday, Aug. 27 to approve a strike if no ratified tentative agreement with Yelm Community Schools (YCS) is reached. The …

08/31/2024

More than 300 trophies were awarded to martial artists of all ages, ranks, styles and experience levels at the Nisqually Valley Martial Arts Championship at Yelm Gymnastics Center Saturday, Aug. 24.

Athletes competed in traditional forms, traditional weapons, point sparring and flag sparring during the tournament, which served as a friendly invitational between schools from around the Nisqually Valley and western Washington.

A pair of Yelm siblings were among the champions throughout the day, as McCray Webster, 9, and his sister Lilly, 13, took home a bouquet of trophies. McCray is a fourth grader at Fort Stevens Elementary, while Lilly is an eighth grader at Yelm Middle School.

The Rainier High School volleyball team believes that improved communication can lift it from a great team into a championship team. The Mountaineers enjoyed their best postseason run in school …

08/30/2024

Total Sports Development (TSD) presented a check for $44,551 to the Yelm Community Schools (YCS) Board of Directors Thursday, Aug. 22, to help save Yelm High School C-team sports after they were cut for the 2024-25 school year earlier this month.

TSD co-founders Jason Ronquillo, Phil Ogle and Jared Mathis attended the board meeting and shared their thoughts on the efforts made by the community to raise the money in just over a week.

“The call to action in regards to the elimination of the C-team sports at our high school was beyond what I had imagined,” said Ronquillo, who also serves as the YHS head football coach.

Total Sports Development (TSD) presented a check for $44,551 to the Yelm Community Schools (YCS) Board of Directors Thursday, Aug. 22, to help save Yelm High School C-team sports after they were cut …

08/30/2024

The Rainier High School volleyball team believes that improved communication can lift it from a great team into a championship team.

The Mountaineers enjoyed their best postseason run in school history in 2023 as they earned a fourth-place finish at the 2B state tournament in Yakima, marking the first time RHS ever placed at state.

Carrie Ooms, Rainier’s head coach, opened the first day of practice for the 2024 season by emphasizing the importance of communication among teammates, especially with five seniors moving on from last year’s team. She, as well as the Mountaineers’ new group of four seniors, said poor communication was one of the team’s only obstacles last year.

The Rainier High School volleyball team believes that improved communication can lift it from a great team into a championship team. The Mountaineers enjoyed their best postseason run in school …

08/30/2024

Check out what's happening near you!

Saturday, Aug. 31 Yelm Farmers Market  The 2024 Yelm Farmers Market will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 31, at 206 McKenzie Ave., near City Park. The event will …

08/30/2024

The NyaStrong Warriors Academy (NWA) concluded its summer 3-on-3 basketball season by outlasting five other teams to win the NWA Summer 3-on-3 tournament at Tenino Middle School.

Durham said that in all three contests, NWA allowed zero baskets from the floor as all eight points scored against the team came from the free throw line. He highlighted incredible defensive and offensive efforts from his athletes as keys to victory in Tenino.

“Our summer season was amazing with this group of girls and families. Our overall record was 20-3 this season, and we played in four tournaments and won four championships,” Durham said. “We’ve been in Tenino less than 2 years. Our overall record since then is 43-3, eight tournaments and eight championships. I think the thing that sums up our summer league season best is our last tournament we played our best games of the year. We peaked at exactly the right time.”

Some of the coach’s highlights of the summer league season included seeing relationships being built on and off the court by his athletes, the team’s performance in its first tournament at Hoopfest in Spokane, and the overall family support at the Capital City 3-on-3 tournament.

The NyaStrong Warriors Academy (NWA) concluded its summer 3-on-3 basketball season by outlasting five other teams to win the NWA Summer 3-on-3 tournament at Tenino Middle School. The field of …

08/29/2024

IN FOCUS: Community ignores rain for Rainier Round-Up Days Parade.

Photos by Dylan Reubenking.

See more here https://tinyurl.com/mrvpc3sr.

08/29/2024

"Loneliness and isolation are silent epidemics in our society, exacerbated by modern lifestyles and the pervasive influence of technology. This growing crisis calls for immediate action to foster individual wellbeing, social connection and stronger community.

As leaders of key community organizations — Senior Services for South Sound, United Way of Thurston County, Timberland Regional Library and the South Sound YMCA — we are committed to addressing these issues head-on.

The evidence is clear: We are better together!"

Loneliness and isolation are silent epidemics in our society, exacerbated by modern lifestyles and the pervasive influence of technology. This growing crisis calls for immediate action to foster …

08/29/2024

IN FOCUS: Bands entertain fans at Rainier Bluegrass Festival.

Free Range performs at the Rainier Bluegrass Festival on Aug. 24.
Photos by Dylan Reubenking.

08/29/2024

Members of the Yelm Education Association (YEA) overwhelmingly voted Tuesday, Aug. 27, to approve a strike if no ratified tentative agreement with Yelm Community Schools (YCS) is reached.
The motion passed with 97.5% in support — 197 voted in favor while five voted against — of the strike, which would begin on the first day of school on Tuesday, Sept. 3 should a contract settlement not be reached.

Members of the Yelm Education Association (YEA) overwhelmingly voted Tuesday, Aug. 27 to approve a strike if no ratified tentative agreement with Yelm Community Schools (YCS) is reached. The …

08/29/2024

As city-hosted summer-time events have come to a conclusion, area residents won’t have to wait long as the City of Yelm’s Parks and Recreation Department will roll out a plethora of family-friendly activities and events throughout the fall season.

Among the fall activities, the City of Yelm will host a “sweater weather” cookie-decorating workshop, the “Mayor’s Cup” tennis tournament, a “Hocus Pocus” workshop, the annual Spooky Trail and a new “Water Tower Tots” program.

“Planning the events that are themed and into the holidays helps make the holiday season just a little more special for the families in our communities,” said Line Roy, the City of Yelm’s communications and recreation coordinator. “I’m really excited to get to offer different activities for families to take advantage of, especially programming that is low cost or free and with other families within the community.”

As city-hosted summer-time events have come to a conclusion, area residents won’t have to wait long as the City of Yelm’s Parks and Recreation Department will roll out a plethora of …

08/29/2024

"A new set of rankings from WalletHub, a personal-finance website, recently prompted a report on a prominent regional news outlet, with this headline: “Why didn’t Washington make the top 20 in best states to live?”

Top 20? We didn’t even make the top 30.

WalletHub’s list of best states to live in, issued Aug. 12, ranks Washington 35th based on what the website calls five key dimensions: affordability, economy, education and health, quality of life and safety."

A new set of rankings from WalletHub, a personal-finance website, recently prompted a report on a prominent regional news outlet, with this headline: “Why didn’t Washington make the top …

08/28/2024

Roy animal sanctuary saves 120 birds in state’s largest cockfighting rescue:

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.”

“Now, we are looking for adoptive homes for them. The only way we can continue to save these roosters is by finding homes for them,” Tsyrklevich said. “Right now, they’re in very confined spaces. It’s not good for their mental, physical or emotional wellbeing. It’s a very stressful environment, and we’re hoping to get at least half of them placed in homes in the coming weeks. Ideally, we’ll find all of them homes.”

Read more here https://tinyurl.com/bp7hrnkx.

Adoption paperwork can be filled out on the organizations website: https://heartwoodhaven.org/adoption-form/.

08/28/2024

Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge celebrates 50 years:

The event honored partnerships between the refuge, tribes and community and began with a guided walk of the refuge and concluded with comments from U.S. Fish and Wildlife staff, tribal partners, congressional representatives and more.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Martha Williams and Washington state Lt. Gov. Denny Heck were among those in attendance and who spoke to the crowd. They both acknowledged the late Nisqually Tribe leader and tribal treaty rights activist Billy Frank Jr., for whom the wildlife refuge is named as part of the 2015 Billy Frank Jr. Tell Your Story Act. Heck introduced the bill, signed into law by President Barack Obama, that also established a memorial to commemorate the Treaty of Medicine Creek within the refuge.

After the event, Heck said the event made him emotional as he considered the hard work that went into not only the naming of the refuge but into the last 50 years of it as well.
Read more here https://tinyurl.com/yahz48nk.

08/27/2024

Yelm Community Schools (YCS) will open the 2024-25 school year with a deficit of $1.3 million in its general fund as the Board of Directors unanimously approved the annual budget Thursday, Aug. 22.

The board’s decision will be finalized Aug. 31 ahead of the district’s Sept. 3 first day of school.

Jennifer Carrougher, YCS Chief of Finance and Operations, reported the district’s expenditures at over $95.5 million versus a total of $88.6 million in revenues and that the district will open the school year with a beginning fund balance of $5.9 million.

Yelm Community Schools (YCS) will open the 2024-25 school year with a deficit of $1.3 million in its general fund as the Board of Directors unanimously approved the annual budget Thursday, Aug. 22. …

08/27/2024

"International Overdose Awareness Day, Aug. 31, is the most extensive annual campaign to end overdoses.

The campaign raises awareness of overdoses, which have impacted every community. Too many families have lost loved ones, but this campaign and others like it can save lives.

According to the Washington state Department of Health, between 2017 and 2021, 17,502 Washington residents died from drug overdoses. Roughly 68% of those deaths involved an opioid. Since 2019, the annual number of opioid drug overdose deaths has nearly doubled, from 827 deaths in 2019 to 1,619 in 2021.

Nationally, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were an estimated 107,543 drug overdose deaths in the United States during 2023 — fortunately, a decrease of 3% from 2022. This has been the first national annual decrease since 2018. However, synthetic opioids continue to be involved in three-quarters of all overdose deaths across the nation."

International Overdose Awareness Day, Aug. 31, is the most extensive annual campaign to end overdoses. The campaign raises awareness of overdoses, which have impacted every community. Too many …

08/27/2024

"We are beyond the questions of whether public K-12 education has failed or whether we wish to fix it. We are at the point where the question is “Can we save it?” Some top-level state politicians are saying no.

If you delve into the publicly available reports for your high school — see Washington State Report Card and also the Data Downloads on that site — you will likely find almost 80% of your high school’s students are failing to pass the standardized math test. If you can gain access to the interim testing done in most high schools, you’ll likely discover over 60% of your high school students are performing at or below the sixth grade level, particularly in math.

If you can get into the high school to do some volunteer tutoring, you will likely discover a majority of the failing students don’t even know their times table let alone PEMDAS (the mathematical order of precedence) or how to work with negative numbers, fractions, decimals, do long division, factor a two-digit number … and the list of missing elementary and middle school requisite skills goes on."

Editor, We are beyond the questions of whether public K-12 education has failed or whether we wish to fix it. We are at the point where the question is “Can we save it?” Some …

08/27/2024

In most years, the Yelm Community Schools (YCS) Board of Directors would learn about the ins and outs of the upcoming school year’s budget on the day of adoption.

With the school district facing a budget shortfall of over $8 million and still making cuts after the failure of its educational programs and operations levy, the board took part in a budget study session Thursday, Aug. 15, one week before it is expected to vote for adoption.

During the meeting, YCS Chief of Finance and Operations Jennifer Carrougher presented a look at the district’s financial situation, including its revenues and expenditures as well as its plans to replenish its depleted fund balance.

In most years, the Yelm Community Schools (YCS) Board of Directors would learn about the ins and outs of the upcoming school year’s budget on the day of adoption. With the school district …

08/26/2024

The Roy City Council chose not to second a motion to grant Beth King, the city’s acting clerk-treasurer, access to necessary bank accounts assigned to the role despite pushback from the mayor and city attorney during the Monday, Aug. 19, meeting.

Councilor and Mayor Pro Tem Yvonne Starks was the primary opposition to King accessing the bank accounts due to the council not having an opportunity to interview her. Starks also claims that she and Mayor Kimber Ivy can handle the duties themselves.

Ivy told the council that King’s inability to perform duties tied to the city clerk-treasurer seat such as payroll, accounts payable and compiling the budget has made those tasks “very difficult” for city staff to handle.

The Roy City Council chose not to second a motion to grant Beth King, the city’s acting clerk-treasurer, access to necessary bank accounts assigned to the role despite pushback from the mayor …

08/26/2024

The Yelm Bypass project, which has been in the works for over 25 years, is finally nearing the construction stage with City of Yelm officials expecting the project to go out to bid in April of 2025.

During the city’s Town Hall event on Wednesday, Aug. 14, at the Yelm Community Center, Pat Hughes, the city’s project manager, provided the latest information regarding the project. He said, according to the last update he received from the Washington state Department of Transportation (WSDOT), project bids are expected to go out next spring.

“The plans are essentially at the 100% stage. We’re finding little details here and there, but we’re pretty much done with the plans. WSDOT is ready to take this thing to bid in the spring,” Hughes said. “All the property has been acquired for it. First and foremost, understand this is a Washington state project. This is a WSDOT project, not a City of Yelm or Thurston County project, but because it enters the city, leaves the city, re-enters the city, we’re a stakeholder. We’ve got a lot of input on how it gets built and how it gets designed.”

The Yelm Bypass project, which has been in the works for over 25 years, is finally nearing the construction stage with City of Yelm officials expecting the project to go out to bid in April of 2025. …

08/26/2024

During a Yelm City Council meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 13, councilors unanimously approved a $15,000 professional services agreement with a consultant to develop and complete the city’s Comprehensive Emergency Management plan.

Yelm Police Chief Rob Carlson described the Comprehensive Emergency Management plan as “a playbook” for the city to use when mitigating or preparing for natural, ecological and human-related disasters.

“We just need to update things, and again, the government has a say in that,” Carlson said. “Once we get this plan developed, it goes to FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency), [and] they give it their blessing. Then we bring it back and present it to you.”

During a Yelm City Council meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 13, councilors unanimously approved a $15,000 professional services agreement with a consultant to develop and complete the city’s …

08/26/2024

The Yelm Community Schools (YCS) website and the websites of its 10 schools have a new look, which launched at noon on Friday, Aug. 16.

Each site includes a variety of new features, including a sleeker design, comprehensive calendars, news, announcements, event updates and more. Users can also select from several languages to translate any page and enjoy improved usability on mobile devices.

The websites are all located at the same addresses as before.

The Yelm Community Schools (YCS) website and the websites of its 10 schools have a new look, which launched at noon on Friday, Aug. 16. Each site includes a variety of new features, including a …